The arena has been the site of many collegiate tournaments , including the inaugural 1980 Big East Conference men 's basketball tournament ; the Division I men 's basketball ECAC New England Region Tournament , organized by the Eastern College Athletic Conference ( ECAC ) , in 1978 and 1979 ; NCAA Men 's Division I Basketball Tournament first - and second-round games in 1976 , 1979 , 1980 , 1981 , 1989 , 1996 , 2010 , and 2016 ; the 1978 and 1985 NCAA Division I Men 's Basketball Tournament East Region finals ; the inaugural 1985 Hockey East Tournament , as well as the second tournament a year later in 1986 before the tourney made Boston a permanent home ; and the 1978 , 1980 , 1982 , 1986 , 1995 and 2000 NCAA Frozen Four ice hockey championships . The University of Rhode Island ( URI ) men 's basketball team also played some home basketball games at the Providence Civic Center beginning in 1973 , although this practice stopped with the opening of the Ryan Center in 2002
Big East Conference
Big East Conference (1979–2013)
Dunkin' Donuts Center