Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, formerly known as DePaul Arena and McCormick Place Events Center, opened in 2017 in the Near South Side neighborhood of Chicago. It is the current home court of DePaul University’s men’s and women’s basketball teams and acts as an events center for McCormick Place. Additionally, the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association calls this arena home (WNBA).
The arena was announced in May 2013, with construction slated to commence in 2014 and the first usage anticipated for the 2016–17 season. The building was postponed until November 2015 and was not completed until the 2017–2018 season. Although DePaul had been searching for a new home venue since 1980, when it began using Allstate Arena in Rosemont, it turned down a 10-year offer to play at the United Center for free in November 2012. Instead, DePaul planned to utilize Allstate Arena on an annual basis until a permanent home was found. On November 16, 2016, DePaul and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA or “McPier”) jointly announced that the new event facility in McCormick Square would be named Wintrust Arena. The announcement was made after DePaul and Wintrust signed a letter of intent for a 15-year sponsorship deal.
