📍 Macon, Georgia
🏒 Home of the Macon Mayhem

As the anchor of the Centreplex, the Macon Coliseum is notable for its unique roof design and the countless stars that have performed within its walls. Throughout its history, the arena has hosted artists such as Elvis, Elton John and Billy Joel. A myriad of sports have also been played at the Coliseum since its inauguration in 1968, fielding teams in hockey and basketball as well as indoor football. Today, the Macon Mayhem of the SPHL are carrying on the Central Georgia ice hockey legacy that began in the 1970s.

Relatively foreign to Macon residents at the time, the sport of hockey made it’s debut in the region in 1973 with the inception of the Macon Whoopees. A tongue-in-cheek reference to the popular song Makin’ Whoopee by Gus Kahn, the moniker was chosen due to the franchise owner’s fondness of the blues hit. Unfortunately, the Whoopees didn’t last a full season, folding after just a few months due to bankruptcy and tax problems.

Hockey was revived in Macon in 1996 in the form of the Macon Whoopee of the Central Hockey League. The team played five seasons at the Coliseum before also going bankrupt. The third and final iteration of the Whoopee played in the ECHL for one season in 2001-02. Then came the Macon Trax, a team that played in three different leagues in three seasons before also folding.

And that brings us to the present. Beginning play in 2015-16, the Macon Mayhem have become the longest tenured hockey team in the city’s history. The club was first founded in 2010 in nearby Augusta, but officially relocated to the Macon Coliseum in 2014 due to issues with their facility. Since their arrival in town, the Mayhem have had some pretty great success, drawing larger crowds than any team in the past and even clinching the SPHL championship trophy – the President’s Cup – in the 2016-17 season.

The Mayhem are nothing short of a success and have written some great storylines, that’s for sure. Their 7,000-seat venue, on the other hand, isn’t much to write home about. The Coliseum’s roof has a very pleasing aesthetic, but that’s about where the excitement ends. Despite renovations in 1996, which saw the addition of a giant “M” entryway on the exterior, the arena just seems very dated and almost decrepit. Some seats are completely collapsed and dismantled too, while most of the upper sections are cordoned off and have advertisement tarps covering them. Additionally, concession options are extremely limited with only a handful of stands open during games. And the worst part? The venue doesn’t have a goal horn – only a very muted recording of one.

It’s a sad state of affairs, to be clear. Hockey has struggled in central Georgia, but the Mayhem have clearly succeeded where other teams have failed. Hopefully their shamefully aging barn and declining attendance doesn’t also force them to fold like their predecessors. The Mayhem – and the city of Macon – deserve better.