The "core unit" of the Sun Dome and UF's O'Connell Center were nearly identical, and they each featured a flexible, inflatable roof made of Teflon and supported by a system of blowers.
[5] The $12 million Sun Dome broke ground in November 1977 on formerly open land on the southeast side of campus near Fowler Avenue.
Construction was slowed on both the Sun Dome and the O'Connell Center when cracks appeared in precast concrete support beams.
[6] The problems were eventually fixed, and the sister facilities were completed within a few weeks of each other in late 1980 – the Sun Dome in November and the O'Connell Center in December.
Among other interior improvements, this renovation reconfigured the seating area to make the facility ADA compliant and LEED Silver certified.
[16] Prior to the opening of The Corral, the volleyball team played in the USF Gymnasium, now called the Campus Recreation Center.
[7] Other notable acts hosted at the Yuengling Center prior to the renovations completed in 2012 include Jimmy Buffett (1982, 1985, 1986, and 1988), The Beach Boys (1984, 1985, and 1989), Ozzy Osbourne (1984, 1988, and 1991), Grateful Dead (1985), U2 (1985), Madonna (1985), Tom Petty (1985, 1990, and 1995), Billy Joel (1987), Frank Sinatra (1987 and 1988), Fleetwood Mac (1987 and 1990), AC/DC (1988), Bob Dylan (1988, 1993, 2006, and 2010), Bon Jovi (1995), Steely Dan (1996), Backstreet Boys (1998), Britney Spears (1998 and 1999), System of a Down (1999 and 2002), Green Day (2005), My Chemical Romance (2005), Kanye West (2005), Tool (2007), Lil Wayne (2007), Daddy Yankee (2009), and Drake (2011).
at the Disco (2013 and 2014), Alan Jackson (2015), Zedd (2015), 2 Chainz (2016 and 2022), Arcade Fire (2017), Tyler, the Creator (2019 and 2022), Young Thug (2019), Illenium (2019), AJR (2019), Portugal.
The ThunderDome was relocated from Tropicana Field due to the start of the Tampa Bay Rays' 2021 season; as before, programs produced at the arena were held behind closed doors with no in-person audience.