[citation needed] The age and the condition of the facility helped lead to the Southern Conference's departure.

[5] The City of Asheville and State of North Carolina have been pressured by many in the community to replace or renovate the aging Civic Center with more modern facilities.

[8] However, starting in late July, the auditorium could no longer be used until HVAC repairs expected to take six to nine months.

[11] On November 22, 2011, Asheville City Council voted to name the facility for U.S. Cellular, provided no other companies made a higher bid by December 31.

[13] The arena played host to the politically motivated Vote for Change on October 6, 2004,[14] featuring performances by Gob Roberts, Death Cab for Cutie and Pearl Jam.

On August 13, 2014, a major motion picture named Masterminds was filmed outside and inside at the arena standing in as a Mexico airport with palm trees everywhere.

[17] On August 14, 2024, former president Donald Trump held a campaign rally at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium.