Behind the scenes: 50-year employee reflects on the evolution of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse


Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is in the midst of celebrating 30 years of delivering sporting events, concerts, and other attractions in its downtown Cleveland facility.

Opened in 1994 as part of the Gateway Sports and Entertainment Complex, the building was initially named Gund Arena, after Cavaliers owner, Gordon Gund, and was a neighbor to the Cleveland Indians’ new ballpark, then known as Jacobs Field after team owners Richard and David Jacobs, today’s Progressive Field.

In its three decades, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has been home to the Cavs, where the team won the NBA championship in 2016, the Cleveland Monsters ice hockey team, the Cleveland Gladiators arena football team, and the former Cleveland Rockers WNBA basketball team from 1997 to 2003.

2022 NBA All-Star Game guest experience team2022 NBA All-Star Game guest experience teamEntertainment at the facility has included everything from Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus in 2023 before ending its 186-year run the next year, Elton John in his final Cleveland concert in 2018, Prince in his final Cleveland concert in 2004, Barry Manilow in 2023, who will play his last show in Cleveland this June there.

It’s been a jam-packed, eventful 30 years at the facility designed by Minneapolis-based Ellerbe Becket and local architectural firm Robert P. Madison International, Inc.

Here’s a look back at the history of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse as Cindy Norman, manager of staffing and events, recalls some highlights over the years.

The end of an era

The Richfield Coliseum opened on October 26, 1974 with a sold-out concert by Frank Sinatra, followed by Stevie Wonder and Chaka Khan performances the next day. The list of concerts during the 20 year history is impressive—including everyone from Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Bruce Springsteen, Prince, U2, and KISS. Other memorable concerts at the arena include Iron Maiden in1985, and the Grateful Dead in 1993.

The Cleveland Cavaliers played their first game at the Coliseum on Oct. 29, 1974, the Cleveland Barons hockey team (1976-1978), and the Cleveland Force soccer league (1978-1988).

The Cleveland Cavaliers remained at the Coliseum for 20 years, playing their last game there on May 3, 1994.

Roger Daltrey closed out the Richfield Coliseum on Sept. 1, 1994 with his concert “Celebration of the Music of Pete Townshend and The Who."

After 1994, the Coliseum sat there unused, until the Cuyahoga Valley National Park purchased the land and demolished the arena in 1999.

Creating new memories

Billy JoelBilly JoelBilly Joel christened the new Gund Arena in Oct. 17, 1994 with the first concert, and the Cavs kicked off their first season in their new home when they played the Houston Rockets on Nov. 8, 1994.

The facility was designed to give a true Cleveland experience—with a huge bay window overlooking the Flats.

It was the first sports facility in the country to promote the city and the arena with public art. Installments included "Meet Me Here" seating by the front entrance, created by created by artist Nancy Dwyer who also created "Who's On First?" seating near Jacobs Field. Other features included a ceramic tile bench by Angelica Pozo and Penny Rakoff, depicting the history of the complex's site through photos and archival materials.

In 2019, the arena underwent a dramatic $185-million renovation that included a giant glass-enclosed atrium and a striking brushed aluminum curtain wall along the north side of the building, among the many interior and exterior upgrades. The facility was rebranded as Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

In 30 years, the facility has been named Gund Arena (October 17, 1994–August 2005); Quicken Loans Arena (2005-2019) and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (August 2019–present).

Owned by the City of Cleveland and Cuyahoga County and operated by Rock Entertainment Group, the facility hosts approximately 200 public events annually in addition to private events, receptions, public health and education programs, and all types of community gatherings.

The transformation—now five years complete—is still a marvel.

Cindy Norman in her 1974 usher uniformCindy Norman in her 1974 usher uniformNorman has literally seen it all in her 50 years at both facilities—having joined the Cavaliers in 1974 at the now long-gone Richfield Coliseum and moving to what is now Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in 1994, where she has remained for all 30 years.

Some of the marquee events Norman had been involved with at the FieldHouse over the years include five NBA Finals series (2007, 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018), two NBA All-Star Games (1997 and 2022), and two NCAA Women's Final Four Games (2007 and 2024).

In 2016, the Fieldhouse celebrated dual championships with the Cavs becoming NBA Champions and the Cleveland Monsters winning the AHL Calder Cup.

The FieldHouse also hosted the 2016 Republican National Convention and the 2021 and 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies, as well as thousands of concerts.

In total, Norman has 50 years of experience with the former and current venues and has viewed countless events.

“I started my employment with the Cavs organization in October 1974 and I’m still here today,” Norman reflects. “Every job has its exciting points and less exciting points, but basically for me to have been involved for 50 years, including all 30 here [at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse], it means I have been treated well.”

Making memories

While Northeast Ohioans know all about the public-facing activities and see the glass, steel, and bright lights of the recently renovated, expanded, and renamed facility, few have the “behind the scenes” experiences that Norman shares as she recalls the many bright spots and the extraordinary people who have made her career at the Fieldhouse so enjoyable.

Tom Pettyand the HeartbreakersTom Pettyand the Heartbreakers“It's a very exciting place and that's why people want to pay money to come here,” Norman explains. “So to work here is a bonus, because you see the events and you get to interact with guests coming through the door that are very excited to be here.

“Every event starts out with a lot of promise that memories are going to be made,” she continues, “and I get to be a part of that.”

Norman highlights the relationships with the staff and management team over the years as being one of the best memories.

“I will tell you, and this is something that I truly believe, there is nobody in this company, [from] the most basic person who works on the floor to the [person at the] highest level of this company, who won't get involved if it means making a guest experience better,” Norman stresses. “If I'm having a problem and I can't find a solution. I have no hesitation in going to management and asking for help. There is a commitment from this organization to do everything that we can to provide a positive guest experience.”

She says this commitment comes in part from Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert, who she says provides the team with the right resources.

“It’s inherent in the quality of the people that we hire and their values when they come here,” Norman observes. “There have been many changes as both the building and the audiences have evolved over the three decades, but the staff still lives by the original tagline: ‘An arena for everyone,’ and recognizing that we have a very diverse community here, we want everyone to feel welcome.”

Three decades, many changes

So many things have changed in 30 years, improving the efficiency of the staff and the experience for audiences. Norman highlighted several.

“The changes that have occurred over the years make our lives here so much easier,” Norman says. “A lot is based on technological advances. For example, improving the guest experience: If a guest is having a problem, there’s a phone number where they can text to tell us what the problem is, and we can address it almost immediately.”

But hands-on improvements are also important for guests: “Our wheelchair access and escorts are a leading factor in our enhanced services for visitors, explains Norman. “We have increased our volume over the years and now have over 40 wheelchairs in various sizes to accommodate our mobility-challenged visitors. Staff escorts them from their drop-off location to their seating location and then back to their departure spot.”

She cites the evolution of ticket sales and reconciliation as another example off improved guest experiences.

“I supervised a lot of people, and we counted tickets by hand for every event,” Norman recalls of earlier times. “You had a group of ticket takers that would stay after, and they would have to count up to 20,000 tickets. Because the system is now electronic, we have instant results, allowing us to count exactly and settle with agents for large events before the end of the night.”

Norman says another huge innovation around ticket sales was moving from paper to scanning from an electronic device.

Cindy Norman celebrates 50 yearsCindy Norman celebrates 50 years“Think about when we started here,” she reflects. “Paper tickets were the currency and if you lost them, you were out of luck. Or if they got wet and couldn’t scan, again, you had little recourse. Now, guests’ admissions are mostly on their phones, so we've gone from totally paper systems to an electronic system where the QR code is scanned and we give you a seat locator immediately.”

Maybe best of all, tickets can be purchased right at home: “We all used to have to get in line to get concert tickets or sit out in bad weather to get a ticket because you had to buy that piece of paper, and only at specific locations. Now you can do it all electronically from the comfort of your own home, and it's certainly made it a lot easier for the promoters because of the fact that they've got so many different channels now to sell tickets.”

A giant shift, to the benefit of visitors, has been enhancements to security in the building. As Norman notes, “Long ago there were no safeguards on what somebody would bring in, and of course, today, we have so many systems to ensure our guests safety.

The facility was one of the first arenas in the United State that spent the money to get Magnetometers to detect metal and other materials, says Norman.

“When September 11, 2001 occurred, our owners were right on top of improving security measures,” she recalls. “Our number one priority, without exception, is safety. And today, versus years ago, we have a faster way of scanning folks as they walk through the doors.”

An experience upgrade

Maybe the most noticeable changes over the last several years have been the upgrades in the arena’s sights and sounds, as well as the concession stands, and Norman witnessed all the improvements.

“We now feature a state-of-the-art sound system in the building, and we have one of the largest in-arena screen systems anywhere, she says. “Our big scoreboard, called the Humongotron, was installed in 2014 and still an industry leader.”

In the early days, food offerings were nothing special at the arena, says Norman, consisting of the typical hot dog, popcorn and a drink.

“Now we offer a huge selection of food and beverages from all over, for every taste, from chicken dishes to [Michael] Symon's Burger Joint B-Spot hamburgers to shrimp and grits, cornbread, and chili, and we have Gilly’s from Detroit on site, [with] the Gilbert family’s favorite macaroni and cheese,” Norman says. “Yes, the food offerings here are very unique, and that's another way to distinguish what was then from what is now.”

Standout moments

Asking Norman to describe her most important memories and moments proved very difficult, but there were several that stood out.

The 2016-17 NBA champion CavsThe 2016-17 NBA champion Cavs“I think my biggest success story in this building, and it led to something bigger, revolved around addressing the guests who have difficulty with the volume in the building during an event,” she recalls after some thought. “About 10 years ago, we had an autistic child who came to the building with his family for an event, and the volume in the arena was too much for him.

“The family went to the guest services booth to see what we could do, [and they in turn] called me because sometimes I can think outside the box,” Norman continues. “At the time we had just finished a show where we had passed out these Russian Ushanka winter hats and they had these little flaps that would go down and cover your ears and I said to the little boy, ‘what if we try putting on this hat?’ The hat went down over his ears, but we ended up using two of the hats to solve this problem. Our solution meant that the family didn't have to leave the building because he was in such distress.”

Norman says that interaction with the young boy led to a partnership with[nonprofit accessibility company] KultureCity, and the FieldHouse became the first NBA arena in the country certified by the organization.

The certification process includes all full and part-time staff with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse receiving sensory awareness training, and the implementation of enhanced services that include a new Quiet Space Sensory Room to serve guests with sensory sensitivities who attend our events.

“We used a single example where we fixed something that wasn't right for this guest, and we transformed it into something that’s had a lasting impact on all guests that are coming here,” Norman says. “In fact, the entertainer Lauren Daigle recently performed here and donated a sensory pod for use in the building.”

Out of all the events Norman has witnessed, she notes one special night seeing Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for just a few minutes, and how it led to focus more on what makes her job so special.

“I will tell you that one event, one person who had the biggest impact on ‘waking me up’ was Tom Petty,” she recalls. “He performed here in 2017, and he died shortly after. I was a Tom Petty fan but I'm so busy doing what I do that I don't often take the time to really experience and enjoy events such as this one.

“Since that Tom Petty experience I have made myself go out for 10 minutes of every shift or every concert or every event to watch,” Norman continues. “I realized the opportunities I had that I was letting slip away. I just missed so many moments that I can't get back.”

The fun and happy memories are nearly endless, Norman says, adding that over the years she’s seen many couples steal the spotlight by getting engaged. But sometimes the joke is on her.

“There was one time when a couple on the Jumbotron pranked us really well,” she says. “It definitely had an impact on me because I was appalled that she said ‘no!’ People will call in advance and they will go up on the Jumbotron and they're going to propose to their girlfriends in front of 20,000 people, and it was always ‘yes’ except for that one couple. The fans are going crazy, and then the couple showed that they were just kidding. As this was on the screen I was thinking of that poor guy, he just got embarrassed in front of 20,000 people!”

Loyalty

The COVID Pandemic, and her company’s response to it, was one of the most memorable times in Norman’s career in the building.

“It was very difficult on the company as a whole to have to shut down,” she says. “However, one of the things that I think was noteworthy is our owner paid all of the part time staff their entire salary as if they would have been working up until the end of the Cavs season. From sometime in March through April, even though many were sitting at home, they were getting paid by Dan Gilbert. That speaks to the character of that man.

“I'm not sure that every owner behaves in the same way, but I'm loyal to this company because this company has been very loyal to me and has demonstrated a caring that you just don't see in the corporate world,” Norman continues. “We are in business to make money, so to put out all that money when you're getting nothing in speaks to character and that matters to me. It's something that I value and it's the reason that I'm still here after 50 years.”

Lake Erie MonstersLake Erie MonstersThe future looks bright, as the Cavs and Monsters call Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse their home. Disney on Ice, WWE Wrestling and Monster Truck programs, as well NCAA sports tournaments and a long list of private events, fill out the yearly calendar.

Additionally, the Cleveland Clinic is partnering with the Cavs and Bedrock Real Estate to build the Cleveland Clinic Global Peak Performance Center downtown sports training facility as the first piece of a $3.5 billion plan to remake the waterfront behind Tower City.

While Norman is not directly involved with the project, she says she knows how important such large-scale projects are to her hometown.

“I'm very excited about this development because it's another example of our collaboration with the community,” she says.

Will Norman stay for another 30 years? Only time will tell. “I've just been very blessed,” she says. “I've spent tons of holidays and birthdays here, and a lot of the people that I are my dearest friends are people that I've met since I came here to work.”