The first concert at the center was
The Osmonds, on June 2, 1979. The concert sold out, and there was a crowd of 7,300. A variety of events are held at the events center, including concerts, family shows, sport events, trade shows, and conventions. Annual events include: Salina Invitational Basketball Tournament, Salina Home & Leisure Show,
Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) 4A Wrestling, Basketball and Volleyball State Tournaments,
National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Women's Division I Basketball National Championship, Mid-America Farm Expo, Shrine Circus, Tri-Rivers Fair, and commencements for
Salina Area Technical College,
Brown Mackie College, and USD 305. The arena has been home to five professional sports franchises: the
Kansas Cagerz of the
United States Basketball League (1999–2007), the
Salina Rattlers of the
International Basketball Association (2000–2001), the
Salina Bombers of the
Champions Indoor Football league (2013–2015), the
Salina Liberty, also of the CIF (2016–present), and the
Salina Saints of the
American Basketball Association (2016–2019). On February 22, 2017, the center was renamed from Salina Bicentennial Center to Tony's Pizza Event Center, described as "the largest
pizza facility in the world.” Tony's Pizza, a food service subsidiary of
Schwan Food Company, paid $1.2 million to receive comprehensive naming rights for 15 years.
Name It has undergone the following name changes since it opened: • Bicentennial Center (original name in 1979 to 2017) • Tony's Pizza Events Center (2017 to current) ==References==