The Cajundome is a 12,068 seat multi-purpose arena in Lafayette, Louisiana. The arena was completed in 1985, during the administration of Mayor William Dudley "Dud" Lastrapes, Jr., at a cost of $64 million. It is home to the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns basketball teams of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. It also hosts the Louisiana high school basketball state championship.
The arena also hosts many regional concerts (seating for concerts 8,481 to 13,500) and special events, such as World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) events and the annual outdoor Cajun Heartland State Fair, an eleven day state fair that attracts over 175,000. The arena is a recognizable landmark of the Lafayette.
In 2002 a new convention center addition to the arena was built. The new addition added 37,301 square feet (3,465 m²) of exhibit hall space to the Cajundome's 40,000 square feet (3,716 m²) of arena floor space plus 39,685 square feet (3687 m²) of meeting space including a 15,682 square foot (1457 m²) ballroom, 12,159 square feet (1130 m²) of prefunction space and a 17,590 square foot (1630 m²) outdoor mall holding up to 2,118 for outdoor events.
From the mid 1990s through the mid 2000s it was home to the ECHL's now-defunct Louisiana IceGators. During that time, the arena earned the nickname 'The Frozen Swamp'. It also hosted the 1998, 1999, and 2007 Sun Belt Conference men’s basketball tournaments.
