Casino operator Mohegan is planning a $25 million renovation of the arena that has been home to the Connecticut Sun for more than two decades, with construction expected to begin after the WNBA team finishes its final season in the state.
Executives of the Uncasville-based Mohegan Tribal Gaming Authority outlined the project Thursday as the company reported its third-quarter fiscal 2026 results. The multiphase overhaul of the 10,000-seat Mohegan Sun Arena is expected to begin this winter.
The Connecticut Sun’s 2026 season ends in September. The team will move to Houston next year following its sale to the family of Houston businessman Tilman J. Fertitta.
Mohegan Chief Financial Officer Ari Glazer said the arena project will include new seating, upgraded food and beverage offerings, new flooring and lighting in concourse areas, and improvements to the building’s entrances and arrival areas.
He called the work a “transformative investment” in the property.
The renovation will require a temporary closure of the arena, Glazer said, with the work scheduled for the slower holiday period to minimize lost revenue.
Metallica is scheduled to play the arena Nov. 19 and Nov. 21 in a two-night run marking the venue’s 25th anniversary. The shows will be the hard rock band’s first Connecticut performances since 1998.
The Mohegan Sun Arena has been the Sun’s primary home since the franchise moved from Orlando in 2003. Mohegan agreed in March to sell the team to Fertitta’s family for a record $300 million. The transaction closed in May, with Mohegan receiving $150 million at closing and the remainder due by Dec. 31.
Mohegan used proceeds from the sale to reduce its debt. The company redeemed $140 million of senior unsecured notes during the second quarter, a move Glazer said will save nearly $19 million annually in interest expense.
Mohegan reported net income of $296 million for the three months ended June 30, compared with a loss of $5.2 million a year earlier. The results included a $279.7 million gain from the sale of the Sun.
Net revenue rose 3.1% to $450.6 million.
Mohegan remains without a permanent chief executive. Treasurer Thayne Hutchins Jr., who opened Thursday’s investor call, said the search is ongoing. Former CEO Ray Pineault stepped down at the end of 2025 after nearly 25 years with the tribe.
The arena renovation follows two other major basketball venue projects in Connecticut. The former XL Center in Hartford reopened in October as PeoplesBank Arena following a $145 million renovation, while UConn began a $99.4 million renovation of Gampel Pavilion in Storrs in March.
