Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum opened on April 5, 2017 with a concert by Billy Joel after an 18-month, $180 million renovation. The Coliseum offers 14,500 seats for basketball, MMA and boxing, 13,900 for hockey, up to 15,000 for concerts, and 4,500 seats for its theater configuration. Home of the Long Island Nets and the New York Riptide The Coliseum first opened on February 11, 1972 with an ABA game between the New York Nets and the Pittsburgh Condors. With an initial capacity of 15,000, the arena occupied 63 acres of Mitchel Field, a former Army/Air Force base, and was built at a cost of $32 million. The arena was home to the Nets and New York Islanders and several other professional sports teams, in addition to hosting major artists and events such Elvis Presley, Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, the NCAA Tournament and WWE before closing for renovations following a concert by Billy Joel on August 4, 2015. Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is operated by ASM Global