Conte Forum is named for former United Statescongressman Silvio O. Conte, an alumnus of Boston College and Boston College Law School. The ice rink is named in honor of long-time BC hockey coachJohn "Snooks" Kelley. The entire arena is traditionally called "Kelley Rink" during hockey games. Before the arena opened in 1988, the BC basketball teams played their home games in Roberts Center to the immediate southwest of Alumni Stadium, on the site of the present-day Merkert Chemistry Center. The Eagles hockey teams played at McHugh Forum which was positioned parallel to Alumni Stadium. Conte Forum was built on the site of McHugh Forum, and is situated perpendicular to the football stadium. The arena is directly adjacent to Alumni, with some luxury boxes overlooking both the football field and arena floors. Conte Forum seats 8,606 spectators in its basketball configuration and 7,884 when set up for hockey. The facility also houses 950-seat Power Gym which is used for BC volleyball games and as an auxiliary basketball court. As the largest indoor venue on the BC campus, Conte Forum hosts larger university-related events including conferences and debates. It is the site of the annual "Pops-on-the-Heights" during the annual Parents' Weekend in the fall, a gala concert featuring the Boston Pops Orchestra which raises over $1.5 million for BC's academic scholarship fund. In the event of inclement weather, Conte Forum also hosts the university's commencement exercises. Since 2008, Conte Forum has also hosted the Boston College AHANA Leadership Council Showdown in the spring, an increasingly popular dance competition between BC's various dance and cultural organizations. Conte has also hosted numerous concerts, including in recent years Akon, Third Eye Blind, hellogoodbye, The Roots, Kanye West, and The Academy Is, as well as Will Ferrell'sFunny or Die Comedy Tour. On January 5, 2014, the Conte Forum was the venue for Boston mayor Marty Walsh's inauguration. In Boston's proposed bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, Conte Forum was selected as a potential venue for various events, such as Wrestling and Judo. However, the city eventually withdrew the bid.
