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50-501: The team was founded in 1991 as an expansion team of the original Arena Football League (AFL). The team advanced to the playoffs 19 consecutive seasons between 1992 and 2011 , becoming the ArenaBowl champions in 1998 and 2000 during that span. The team suspended operations after the 2016 season. The original owners of this team acquired the Predators' trademarks in late 2018 after

100-632: A behind closed doors set called the WWE ThunderDome . The promotion relocated to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida due to the start of the 2020–21 ECHL and NBA seasons. Prior to Downtown Master Plan 3, the Orlando Magic's ownership, led by billionaire Amway founder Richard DeVos and son-in-law Bob Vander Weide, had been pressing the City of Orlando for a new arena for nearly ten years. Amway Arena

150-603: A $ 40-million naming deal to name the venue the Amway Center on August 3, 2009. On December 20, 2023, Amway Center was renamed the Kia Center in partnership with Kia America . The details of the agreement were finalized on December 22, 2006. In the agreement, the City of Orlando will take ownership of the new arena, while the Magic will control the planning and construction of the facility so long as contracting procedures are done in

200-402: A 40’ × 60’ LED video feature that addresses downtown from an elevated façade position above the highway. Kia Center is one of the most technologically advanced venues in the world. Inside the building, a unique centerhung installation, manufactured by Daktronics , is the tallest in any NBA venue. It maximizes creative programming options by using high resolution, 6mm-pixel technology on each of

250-463: A new arena in downtown Orlando, located at the southwest corner of Church Street and Hughey Avenue. The arena itself cost around $ 380 million, with an additional $ 100 million for land and infrastructure, for a total cost of $ 480 million (as of March 8, 2011 the arena was expected to be within $ 10 million of the estimated cost ). It is part of a $ 1.05-billion plan to redo the Orlando Centroplex with

300-453: A new arena, a new $ 375-million performing arts center , and a $ 175-million expansion of the Citrus Bowl . When it was announced in the media on September 29, it was referred to as the "Triple Crown for Downtown". As part of Amway 's naming rights to the old Amway Arena , the company received right of first refusal for naming rights to the new venue, and exercised those rights, announcing

350-481: Is both architectural and occupied – housing the Orlando Magic Team Store, hospitality space, Big Storm Brewing Company – an onsite brewery connected to the atrium, and the "Sky Lounge" or "One 80" rooftop Sky Bar. The latter two are exterior spaces that take full advantage of the warm Orlando climate, commanding views to the plaza below and the greater community beyond. Further city connection is achieved via

400-653: The Arena Football League 's Board of Directors voted to award ArenaBowl XXVI to Orlando in the summer of 2013. The arena has also hosted several local graduations, as well as professional wrestling events by the professional wrestling promotion WWE , notably the 2016 Royal Rumble pay-per-view . Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the promotion took a long-term residency at the Kia Center from August 21 to December 7, 2020. During this residency, WWE aired its shows from

450-469: The Detroit Drive , who won their fourth title in five years. Annually among the league-leaders in attendance, they qualified for the playoffs in 18 consecutive seasons, the longest streak in the original AFL. One noted administrator for the Predators was Pro Football Hall of Fame lineman, Jack Youngblood , who came to the Predators in 1995 as vice-president and then later, president of the organization. He

500-576: The Nashville Kats prior to becoming head coach of the Predators. Jay was the first quarterback in the AFL Hall of Fame. Orlando won the ArenaBowl in 1998 and 2000 under Gruden's coaching. He then attempted a comeback as a player, but subsequently returned to coaching following the death of his head coach replacement, Fran Papasedero , in a car accident. The Predators were one of the premier franchises in

550-812: The National Basketball Association (NBA), the Orlando Solar Bears of the ECHL , and the Orlando Predators of the National Arena League . In 2012, while operating under the name Amway Center, the facility hosted the 2012 NBA All-Star Game and the 2015 ECHL All-Star Game . It also hosted some games of the round of 64 and round of 32 of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament in 2014 and 2017 and 2023 . On January 14, 2013,

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600-581: The Philadelphia Soul . With two weeks remaining during the regular season, Brett Bouchy sold his controlling interest in the team to The Pearsall Holdings LP for an undisclosed amount. Plank retired following the season. The Predators moved to CFE Arena on the campus of the University of Central Florida in 2014, after the Amway Center informed the team that they had defaulted on their lease for failing to meet attendance requirements. On December 25, 2013,

650-632: The Washington Wizards . Florida musicians who have performed at the Kia Center include Shinedown in 2010, NKOTBSB (with Orlando's Backstreet Boys) in '11, Rick Ross in '11, Jimmy Buffett in '12, the late Tom Petty in '12, Pitbull in '12 at the NBA All-Star Game, Enrique Iglesias in '17, Florida Georgia Line in '17, and Ariana Grande in '15, '17, and '19, Backstreet Boys again in '19, and Luis Fonsi in '21. On January 24, 2016, WWE hosted its pay-per-view event Royal Rumble at

700-459: The 18 displays, including two digital ring displays and four tapered corners. Additional displays include approximately 2,100 feet (640 m) of digital ribbon boards, the largest of which is a 360-degree 1,100 feet (340 m) display surrounding the entire seating bowl. These displays have the ability to display exciting motion graphics and real time content, such as in-game statistics, out-of-town scores, and closed captioning information. Outside

750-471: The 1992 season: Running backs Wide receivers Defensive linemen Defensive backs Special teams Front office Head coaches Offensive coaches The following Predators players were named to All-Arena teams: The following Predators players were named to All-Ironman teams: 1991 Arena Football League season The 1991 Arena Football League season

800-457: The 2010 season. When the schedule for the league's season was announced on December 31, 2009, the Predators were slated to return to action on April 9, 2010. In the 2010 season, the Predators finished with an 8–8 record. They qualified for the playoffs, but lost the conference championship to the Tampa Bay Storm by a single point as a last-second field goal attempt was unsuccessful. In 2011 ,

850-467: The 21 artists housed in the collection represent Central Florida . The Amway Center Art Collection includes over 140 pieces of fine art paintings and mixed media originals, over 200 photographs, and graphic wall treatments highlighting both the Orlando Magic and the spirit of Orlando and Central Florida. Responsive to a challenging 876,000 SF program, the design intention of the Amway Events Center

900-630: The AFL suspended operations in August 2009. On September 28, 2009, the Predators announced their return to play for the 2010 season as a member of the new Arena Football 1 league, until that league purchased the AFL's assets and assumed the AFL's history. With Jay Gruden obligated to the UFL by his contract with the Tuskers , eventually becoming the team's head coach, they hired former quarterback Pat O'Hara as their head coach for

950-679: The AFL, longer than any other team. Amway Arena was often nicknamed "The Jungle" during Predators games due to the hostile environment from the fans, harsh smoke that filled the arena during the players intro, and a Guns N' Roses song which "welcomed" other teams. They shared Amway Arena with the Orlando Magic of the NBA and the Orlando Titans of the NLL . The 2010 season was the Predators' 19th and final season at Amway Arena. The team moved to Amway Center ,

1000-452: The Kia Center. From April 1 to 4, 2017, Kia Center hosted multiple WWE shows as part of the festivities for WrestleMania 33 at Camping World Stadium , including NXT TakeOver: Orlando on the Saturday before the event, and the post-WrestleMania editions of Raw and SmackDown . From August 21 to December 7, 2020, WWE produced Raw , SmackDown , and their associated pay-per-views at

1050-653: The NAL Predators would join the third incarnation of the AFL. Former AFL Predator E.J. Burt was introduced as the head coach on November 6, 2023. On September 4, 2024, the Predators announced that they would be leaving the collapsed AFL and would join the newly-formed Arena Football One . They will play in the East Division along with the Albany Firebirds , Nashville Kats and Wilkes-Barre . The Predators made Arena Football League history in consecutive weeks during

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1100-607: The Performance Center (promoted as being at a similar caliber to WWE pay-per-views), a virtual audience (similar to the nearby NBA bubble ), and other lighting and pyrotechnic effects. Under the arrangement, five pay-per-views were hosted in the arena, including SummerSlam , Payback , Clash of Champions , Hell in a Cell , and Survivor Series . WWE relocated the ThunderDome to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg on December 11 due to

1150-508: The Predators announced that Rob Keefe would become the seventh coach in franchise history. In May 2014, it was announced that majority owner David Pearsall had sold the team to an undisclosed ownership group, but the team was taken over by the AFL. In July 2014, reports began to surface that David A. Siegel had purchased the franchise with the intent to move the team back into the Amway Center. On July 15, 2014, Siegel confirmed his purchase of

1200-418: The Predators announced that Nate Starling and Mike Kwarta had left the ownership group and co-owner John Cheney took sole ownership of the franchise. On the same day, Cheney announced of the team's Facebook page that the team would be returning to the Arena Football League (AFL) that expects to re-launch in 2024. On September 25, 2023, at a press conference at Full Sail University , owner John Cheney announced

1250-473: The Predators finished the regular season 11–7, but fell to the Jacksonville Sharks in the conference semifinals by a score of 63–48. With a 4–14 record in 2012 under first-year head coach Bret Munsey , the Predators missed the playoffs for the first time since their inaugural season in 1991. Following the end of the season, Munsey was released as head coach. Under Doug Plank for the 2013 season ,

1300-469: The Predators lost their first five games of the season. It was then that the team acquired veteran quarterback Aaron Garcia in a trade with the San Jose SaberCats . The Predators went on to win seven of their remaining thirteen games following the trade to finish the season with a 7–11 record, which was good enough to clinch a playoff berth. However, they were eliminated in the conference semifinals by

1350-479: The Predators were removed by the league and replaced by another local ownership group composed of co-owner Nate Starling and the Trideco family. The new ownership group brought in former AFL Predator Ben Bennett as head coach. The 2020 season never took place due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic . On May 21, 2021, the team announced the Trideco family's minority ownership had been purchased by John Cheney, allowing

1400-482: The Predators. On December 8, 2014, the Predators suspended head coach Rob Keefe with pay while an investigation was ongoing by the Orange County Sheriff's Office into accusations of domestic violence. The charges were since dropped. During the week of June 18, 2016, the entire Arena Football League, including the hometown Predators, displayed patches and stickers "ORL" as a remembrance of the victims killed in

1450-577: The Pulse Nightclub massacre. On October 12, 2016, the Orlando Predators announced they had suspended operations due to the reduced number of teams in the AFL and other pending disagreements with the league. The relaunch of the Orlando Predators as a member of the National Arena League was announced in January 2019 and was owned by Kenny McEntyre and Nate Starling after acquiring the trademarks for

1500-599: The Storm was the only franchise that played in more (eight; six as the Storm). During the 2007 season, the Predators inaugurated the "Predator Fan Hall of Fame". The inaugural inductees were Nancy Morris and Richard Grabe. Morris, was a superfan for over 20 years, was known to most of the team and the front office as "The PredMom", and was the president of the Orlando Predator In Your Face Fan Club. Grabe, who also

1550-464: The Trideco family to focus on launching the expansion Albany Empire . Under Bennett, the team went 4–4 and qualified for the playoffs for the first time. Bennett left the team following the season was replaced by Jeff Higgins. On September 16, 2022, the Predators announced veteran player Herkie Walls as their new head coach. The team played four seasons in the NAL between 2019 and 2023. On July 18, 2023,

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1600-588: The arena as part of a bio-secure bubble called the WWE ThunderDome . The programs and events had been broadcast from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States ; as with the Performance Center broadcasts, these programs were produced behind closed doors with no in-person spectators, but featured a larger-scale in-arena production in comparison to

1650-474: The building, a large display utilizes more than 5,000 Daktronics ProPixel LED sticks, each a meter long, which make up a 46 feet (14 m) by 53 feet (16 m) video display. This display will reach millions of motorists traveling by the Kia Center on Interstate 4. Kia Center has an assortment of mid-level luxury seats and club seating, located below the upper bowl. This contrasts Amway Arena's design as its luxury boxes are above all seats and suspended from

1700-494: The ceiling. The arena's design was unveiled at Amway Arena on December 10, 2007, with an official press release the next day. The floor of Kia Center is designed with arena football in mind, as it features more retractable sections that will permit squared end zone corners, a feature previously not possible for Orlando Predators games. Complete Construction Project The official ribbon cutting ceremony and dedication took place on September 29, 2010, at 10:01 AM. The general public

1750-437: The east side of the site posed a distinct challenge, threatening to disconnect the arena both physically and psychologically from the downtown core. In response, the corner of the arena is anchored by a diaphanous feature tower bathed in color changing LED lighting that reveals the color and pageantry of sporting and entertainment activities within while marking the facility within the flat topography of downtown Orlando. This tower

1800-583: The history of the original AFL, and had a rivalry with Tampa Bay, who moved to Tampa the same year the Predators formed. They met twice in the ArenaBowl, with Tampa Bay winning in 1995 and Orlando winning in 1998. The rivalry, nicknamed the " War on I-4 " after the interstate that connects the two cities, intensified when Gruden took over as Orlando's head coach. Orlando and Tampa Bay each lasted longer in their markets than any other AFL franchise have, As of 2019. The Predators were unique in that they had played in their previous venue, Amway Arena , for 18 seasons in

1850-496: The land and infrastructure. The remaining money will come from bonds which will be paid off by part of the Orange County Tourist Development Tax, collected as a surcharge on hotel stays, which was raised to 6% in 2006. The Magic will guarantee $ 100 million of these bonds. The Orlando City Council approved several operating agreements connected with the arena plans on May 22, 2007. The City Council approved

1900-682: The land where the arena is planned to be built. An eminent domain hearing confirmed the agreement and finalized the sale. Populous (formerly HOK Sport) was named the Architect of Record on August 3, 2007, with Smith Seckman Reid and Walter P Moore Engineers and Consultants as planning partners. California-based art curator Sports and the Arts assembled the Amway Center Art Collection. The collection includes more than 340 works of art, including about 200 museum-quality photographs. Fourteen of

1950-557: The new arena in Orlando, for the 2011 season. A Predators game was the final sporting event ever performed at Amway Arena. The team's mascot was a monster-like human named Klaw who looked much like the alien ( Predator ) from the Predator films, with only different coloring. The Predators played in the ArenaBowl a total of seven times. If the Pittsburgh Gladiators' two ArenaBowl games before they moved to Tampa Bay are included,

2000-641: The plan officially, 6–1, on July 23. The Venue plan received final approval by the Orange County Board of County Commissioners , 5–2, in late evening of July 26 after a long day of public hearings. Amendments were made by the County Commission which were approved on August 6 by the City Council, 6–1, sealing the deal once and for all. On December 1, 2007, the City and the Magic came to an agreement on nearly $ 8.5 million in compensation to three owners of

2050-405: The previous owner, David A. Siegel , allowed them to lapse. A new organization led by former Predator Kenny McEntyre launched a second incarnation of the team in the National Arena League for the 2019 season. They moved to the new Arena Football League (AFL) in 2024. Then in 2025, they became inaugural members of the newly-formed Arena Football One following the third AFL's collapse. There

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2100-563: The same public manner as governments advertise contracts. In addition, the city will be paid a part of naming rights and corporate suite sales, a share estimated to be worth $ 1.75 million the first year of the arena's opening. The Magic will receive all proceeds from ticket sales for Magic games, while the city will receive all proceeds from ticket sales to all other events. The Orlando Magic will contribute at least $ 50 million in cash up-front, pick up any cost overruns, and pay rent of $ 1 million per year for 30 years. The City of Orlando will pay for

2150-454: The team in late 2018. McEntyre and inaugural head coach Doug Miller were both former players with the AFL incarnation of the team . In their inaugural 2019 season, the team finished with a 2–12 record and last place in the league. During the season, players claimed the team was poorly operated including failed payments and evictions from team housing. Prior to the team's second season, the ownership of

2200-545: Was a superfan (starting in 1991), was the creator of the "PredHeads" that were seen being worn by a select group of fans that sat in section 113 of the old Amway Arena. They were also known for their tailgating parties on "Predator Island" (located in the northeast corner of lot 4 of the Centroplex). After moving to the new Amway Center, the majority of "PredHeads" sat in section 114, and tailgated under I-4 in lot 9. The Predators maintained their organization and web presence after

2250-445: Was built in 1989, prior to the recent era of technologically advanced entertainment arenas. With the rush to build new venues in the NBA (and sports in general), it quickly became one of the oldest arenas in the league. On September 29, 2006, after years of on-and-off negotiations, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer , Orange County Mayor Richard Crotty , and the Orlando Magic announced an agreement on

2300-511: Was interest in arena football in Orlando as early as 1987, with a group looking to place an AFL team in central Florida in time for the 1988 season. But more than three years would go by until the Orlando Predators franchise was finally secured by Davey Johnson , Tracy Allen and Mike McBath on February 14, 1991. The Preds began play that same year but missed the playoffs, the only time the club would do so until 2012. In just their second season in 1992, they advanced to ArenaBowl VI , only to fall to

2350-484: Was invited to enter the building where Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer gave his annual State of Downtown address. The first ticketed event was a Vicente Fernández concert on October 8. The Orlando Magic hosted their first preseason game at Kia Center on October 10 against the New Orleans Hornets when they won by a historic margin of 54 points, while the 2010–11 regular season home opener took place on October 28 against

2400-478: Was the fifth season of the Arena Football League (AFL). The league champions were the Tampa Bay Storm , who defeated the Detroit Drive in ArenaBowl V . y – clinched regular-season title x – clinched playoff spot Source: Amway Center Kia Center (formerly Amway Center ) is an indoor arena located in the downtown core of Orlando , Florida . The arena is home to the Orlando Magic of

2450-468: Was to mediate its disparate context of elevated highways, central business district and low-rise housing. The simple, planar form of precast, aluminum and glass presents a timeless civic quality. The solidity of the precast and aluminum skin is punctured in carefully considered locations with expansive areas of glass including a crystalline entry lobby facing historic Church Street, blurring the boundary of inside and outside. The elevated I-4 freeway bordering

2500-497: Was with the team through the 1999 season. For much of their existence in the original AFL, their head coach was Jay Gruden , younger brother of prominent National Football League coach Jon Gruden and who would go on to coach the NFL's Washington Redskins . Jay Gruden was formerly an outstanding Arena Football quarterback, leading the Tampa Bay Storm to four ArenaBowl championships, and then served one year as offensive coordinator for

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