Sunflower Showdown to pay for the construction of Allen Fieldhouse, which would seat 17,000. KU opened the facility with a 77–66 victory over Kansas State on March 1, 1955. This period also saw the beginning of the 'Sunflower Doubleheader', with two non-conference teams visiting the state to play KU and K-State at one venue one night, then switching venues and opponents the following evening. This event was held from 1957 to 1968, and featured national powerhouses such as UCLA, Xavier, San Francisco, St. Joseph's, Cal, and Marquette. The basketball rivalry between the two schools continued unabated through the 1960s and 1970s, with
Virginia State Route 117 A short distance east of the city limit, the state highway meets the northern end of SR 118 (Airport Road), which provides access to the airport from the north. SR 117 reaches its northern terminus at US 11 (Williamson Road) in Hollins. Virginia State Route 117 State Route 117 (SR 117) is a state highway in the U.S. state of Virginia. Known as Peters Creek Road, the state highway runs from U.S. Route 11 in Roanoke north to US 11 in Hollins. SR 117 provides a four-lane divided highway bypass of Downtown Roanoke, connecting US 11 and US 460 on