The Palace at Auburn Hills – The Oldest Modern Stadium in the NBA

The_Palace_of_Auburn_HillsWhen the Detroit Pistons take the home court, they do so in a sports venue that has the distinction of being the oldest modern stadium in the NBA. The Palace at Auburn Hills opened in 1988 to great fanfare, and kicked off the era of the “luxury stadium” that continues to this day. The sports and entertainment venue located in Auburn Hills, a Detroit suburb, is not just the home of the Detroit Pistons. It is, in many ways, a destination in and of itself, and fans who buy Detroit Pistons tickets are also taking a step into a stadium that has all the modern conveniences – and the weight of tradition and history.

Get Tickets to Watch a Game at the Palace at Auburn Hills Right Here

How the Pistons Got Their New Stadium

When the Detroit Red Wings moved from the Cobo Arena to the new Joe Louis Arena in 1978, Pistons owner Bill Davidson decided not to go along for the ride. Instead, he moved the team to the Pontiac Silverdome, where they played for the next 10 years. Those were challenging years – the Silverdome was built for football, not basketball, and the sight lines were all wrong for the faster-paced game. Davidson, along with a group of others, bought a vacant lot in Auburn Hills and built The Palace. Unlike many modern stadiums that followed its lead, The Palace was completely privately financed – no public financing at all – and it was bargain-priced at just $70 million.

The Palace Epitomizes Luxury

The arena opened in 1988, just in time for the Piston’s first NBA championship season. It boasted 180 luxury suites, an unprecedented number of luxury boxes for the time. Even so, the Palace management has consistently leased nearly all of them every year. When the New York Times did an article on the most luxurious stadiums in the NBA in 2008 – 20 years after The Palace opened – it was still one of the headliners the authors listed. In fact, Davidson’s group had just added five underground luxury suites in 2005, and an additional eight luxury suites below arena level in 2006. These additional suites lease for $350,000 to $450,000 annually each, and are nearly always fully leased.

The Palace is generally acknowledges to have kicked off the 1990s building boom for new NBA arenas – and to have served as the prototype for most of them, with its multiple tiers of luxury suites, state-of-the-art sound systems and other modern amenities. While the Palace is now one of the oldest NBA arenas, it remains successful – and modern – thanks to its forward-thinking design and frequent investments made by its ownership corporations, Palace Sports & Entertainment. Davidson retained majority ownership of the stadium until 2011, when Tom Gores purchased majority ownership. Gores has continued with the tradition of making upgrades and modernizations, including a new High-Def JumboTron monitor, 950 feet of ribbon display technology from Darktronics, and new LED video monitors.

In addition to its other distinctions, The Palace is one of just two NBA arenas to still hold its own naming rights, standing alone with Madison Square Garden as arenas that don’t sport some fancy corporate sponsor’s name in front of their own.

What to See at the Palace of Auburn Hills

There is really only one great reason to visit the Palace of Auburn Hills—the Pistons! The Palace is home of the much beloved Detroit Pistons, and beginning with an NBA preseason game on October 6 with the Pistons facing the Indiana Pacers, and ending in a game with the Pistons and Miami heat battling for the prize on April 12, 2016, you’ll have plenty of great games to choose from.

Why Buy Your Tickets From SportsTicketBank?

Home games for the Detroit Pistons are on sale now at SportsTicketBank. Keep in mind that Piston fans are a loyal group, and we expect that those fans who wait too long to get tickets, may find themselves watching the game from their own living rooms.

But if you’ve waited until the last moment to purchase your tickets, it’s okay. We offer the latest in technology, like  E-Tickets that you can download and then print out from the comfort of your own home. This will ensure that you never have to miss a game.

SportsTicketBank Offers Tickets, and So Much More

Remember, we’re known for having tickets that other ticket sellers just don’t. If you want to learn more about SportsTicketBank, and all of the perks and benefits we offer, click on this link and watch our informative YouTube video. In addition, you can stay up to date on the games at The Palace, as well as all of your favorite teams and venues, when you follow on our blog, as well as our social media channels. Go to our Facebook, Google+ and Twitter accounts to stay informed on the latest in sports news.

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