From 2005 to 2018, Kansas won every single Big 12 regular season title, and while its teams are usually very good, the fans also cultivate a difficult environment for opposing teams to handle. With March Madness approaching, here's a look at some of the loudest college arenas in the NCAA: The McCarthey Athletic Center is a 6,000-seat indoor arena on the campus of Gonzaga University that is home to the university's Bulldog basketball program. | The Detroit Redwings throw octopi on the ice, so why dont Hoosier fans throw chairs onto the court? It provides a solid combination of comfort and intimacy, which makes for quality basketball viewing. in the NCAA tournament picture and, perhaps more importantly, The Pit is rocking again. In the last five seasons, the Jayhawks have only lost five times total in Lawrencethree of which came in 201718. Ive watched too many games at the Dean Dome and heard the shoes squeak for me to put it in the top 10. Jerry Walker, a former Seton Hall player, said in The Star Ledger: They have you go through these doors where if one door is open and you open the other door, itll crush your bones or something. Opened in 1971, the arena has seen great success over the years, including 576 Indiana wins that power an .834 winning percentage. With arguably the most passionate fans in college . Almost the entirety of the seats behind the north basket at the McKale Center belong to students, so if youre trying to score on that hoop, good luck with verbal communication. If there was one place I dreaded the Buckeyes going to every year, it was the Breslin Center in East Lansing. The 25 best arenas in college basketball | Yardbarker Villanova utilizes the Wells Fargo Center for some of its home games, but Finneran Pavilion, also known as The Pavilion, is the teams 6,501-seat arena located on campus. My story on one of the sport's most unique places and how the Lobos turned it all around: The students are given prime seating right along the sideline opposite the benches, and they are very fond of dressing up in ridiculous costumes, throwing around foam pool noodles, general shenanigans, and launching disparaging remarks as opponents. Allen Fieldhouse is an indoor arena on the University of Kansas (KU) campus in Lawrence, Kansas.It is home of the Kansas Jayhawks men's and women's basketball teams. All rights reserved. I dont know if people who arent familiar with Cincinnati and the general region, but basketball, particularly college basketball, is EXTREMELY important. The Crazies were issued a gag order of sorts as they were told from the powers that be to clean up the chants. Sure, they lull you to sleep with the Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant, but dont let that fool you. Thats about as loud as Rupp Arena gets, which is still pretty darn loud. Come on: "Hoosiers" was filmed here. Sanford Stadium. Maryland has one of the nastiest, least-welcoming fanbases in the country. In that same span, the Jayhawks lost 13 games at home. Good luck inbounding the ball with dozens of blue extended wiggling fingers casting a hex on you. For the unbiased college basketball fan, it's a bucket list item, even to see it empty. Unfortunately, I have always been too short and Jewish to play at a high level, so I instead settled for watching and reporting from the sideline. UD Arena gets decent crowds for NCAA Tournament games, but its on another level when the Flyers are playing. The Best College Basketball Arenas, Ranked | 2aDays Wichita State has a hidden gem of an atmosphere. Updated December 05, 2019 Ive never attended a home Dayton game, but I did witness the two NCAA Tournament games Dayton played in Columbus in 2015, and if that was anything to go by, contests in UD Arena are bonkers. It was the final conference game between the Blue Devils and the Tar Heels. The "Izzone" is one of the most active and genius student sections in the game. College basketball arenas, both big and small, make for some of the best atmospheres in sports thanks to eccentric student sections, unique venues and never-ending tradition. When it opened in September 1980, it was famously nicknamed, "The Loud House.". From cheerleaders and bands, to painted co-eds and mascots, college basketball arenas -- with the thousands of fans that fill the seats -- can be one of the loudest places in the country. Here are the best college basketball stadiums in the NCAA Each point you score gets you closer to filling the ball basket . The Coliseum has been dubbed as one of the finest facilities for collegiate basketball, and with the student sections placed deep behind both baskets, fans have no choice but to scream, cheer and boo for the duration of the game. 486. On top of that, there are no air conditioning units in the building, no white-noise humming in the background. City. The Roundhouse, as its known for reasons that should be self-explanatory, the Shockers forged one of the best home records in the country for years in the building. Gallagher is called the Madison Square Garden of the Plains, and though the fans probably wont break any lights in the 13,000-plus capacity arena, the fact that it once did keeps fans screaming louder and louder. It's the house that Lute Olson made famous and one that continues to provide a daunting challenge to opponents on Sean Miller's watch. The location of the student section, called The Izzone, is absolutely prime. Petersen Events Center (Pittsburgh) Utah State may not be a headliner on the basketball court, but don't tell its student section that. The students, who are given 10 of the arenas 26 sections, especially feel compelled to ensure everyone in the area knows that IU sucks, regardless of whether or not IU is in the building. The University of Kentucky Wildcats own the record for the most wins in Division I men's college basketball history, and play in the largest basketball arena in the US. That atmosphere, combined with the rise of the Zags as a program, has helped the team compile an astounding .924 winning percentage at McCarthey, losing only 16 times since its opening in 2004. Prepare for adrenaline-pumped moments! The place can be downright deafening when the Hoosiers are on their game. Also, the name sucks, and corporate staleness is not good for college basketball. Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke Blue Devils) Home Record Since 2000: 284-22 (.928) Advertisement. SECs venues ranked according to difficulty - ESPN.com Hinkle Fieldhouse is basketball not college basketball, but basketball. Dean Smith Center 5. The same goes for the University of Kansas, who recently won the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 2008. That's not far off, as the school also boasts that no other arena has hosted more games or opponents than The Palestra. Its the largest domed structure on a U.S. college campus and can hold 33,000 for basketball games and 56,250 for concerts. no arena in the country has hosted more NCAA Tournament games. The Lobos have won a whopping 732 home games since the arenas opening in 1966, with their fans making it a daunting place to play. College Basketball's Top 10 Arena Nicknames - AthlonSports.com Villanova doesn't play all of its home games at the quaint, 6,500-seat on-campus court, as the glitzier Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia also plays host to the Wildcats. Arkansas won a national championship in the building's first season, and though the school's recent teams have not enjoyed that same elite success, the program still ranks among the national leaders in home attendance. It's loudreal loud thanks to a famed student section known as the "Oakland Zoo." And, of course, it witnessed much of the Hoosiers 197576 undefeated seasonthe last perfect season in men's college hoops. Many fans have complained about the quality of the arena, but thats for a separate discussion. But its still one of the premier crowds in the country for now. Mackey is widely known as one of the best, loudest, college basketball arenas in the country, especially when the hated Hoosiers are in town. I graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Maryland in 2017, co-founding The Left Bench and spending time at The Columbus Dispatch, USA Today and San Antonio Express-News. Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh 7. The Travel Channel's best college basketball venues - HawgSports.com But for the most part the students are civil and often downright clever with their chants. The following is a list of German indoor arenas for handball games. Shows how loud assembly hall can get. The largest mostly-college basketball arena with 23,500 seats (and more than 24,000 if needed), Rupp sat in the Guinness Book of World Records for the loudest arena for 17 days two seasons ago . UNC is one of the most storied, successful programs in the sport, and the potential for an insane atmosphere is there when a situation calls for it. With the smaller size and acoustics in Hinkle mean the screaming fans, particularly the students, are magnified even more. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Xavier fans are ferociously dedicated to their Musketeers, and their dedication to the program is part of why it has risen up to the Big East. Zeigler is leading the Southeastern Conference in assists, averaging 5.4 per game. The trip to the desert has been one of the hardest in the Pac-12 for decades, in part because of the quality of the teams that have often blessed Tucson, but also because of the insane environment Wildcats fans create in the building. Charles Koch Arena (Wichita State) Rutgers' basketball arena was originally titled the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) when it opened in 1977. The placement of your student section is crucial to building a top atmosphere, and Michigan State has set itself up perfectly. Virginia Cavaliers: John Paul Jones Arena, opened in 2006 A decade ago, a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, was nowhere near the toughest in the league. I have never seen a fanbase so ready and willing to boo anything and everything. 15 Best College Basketball Arenas in the USA | 2022 Rankings Named after legendary head coach Adolph Rupp, Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, KY, has definitely seen its share of victories. I imagine it gets much, much more deafening when IU is actually in the building. Like in Durham, the small confines in Spokane give the arena an intimidating feel for opponents, especially when the focus is a raucous student section. 10. The University of Pennsylvania dubs the grand room as the "most storied gymnasium in the history of collegiate athletics." Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Now thats what you call home court advantage. The Kennel, as its also known, is rowdy even when Gonzaga is beating up on another WCC victim on a long list of WCC victims, but its a hurricane of hysteria when St. Marys, BYU, or a big-name program comes to Spokane. With a seating capacity of 23,500, it's the largest off-campus home for a Division I team in the country. On Feb. 13, 2017, 16,300 fans in attendance at Allen Fieldhouse set the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at an indoor sporting event (130.4 decibels). Honorable mentions are at the bottom. I think we all knew what the top two would be, and rightfully so. A tremendous venue for college basketball. At its peak, like for a Duke game or other big-time opponent, the Dean Dome can offer the greatest atmosphere in college basketball. 14 Petersen Events Center;. Top 5 Loudest CBB Arenas? Theres close to 6,000 students at Allen Fieldhousethree times more than Dukeand theyve earned the title of loudest college arena. Then you come into the arena, and the depth of it is so magnified because its such an open space youre not used to playing in something like that and thats when they get you. I dont care if The Pit isnt the official name of New Mexicos basketball arena. The Spartans have won 86.9% of their home games since the arena opened in 1989, as the fans in East Lansing have given a team that is annually among the sports elites a further advantage. Gay was fouled shooting a three with his team down two and one second remaining. Jokes aside, Ive seen the Carrier Dome erupt into some of the most incredible celebrations and really make opponents pay for daring to enter Upstate New York. Its capacity is 6,000, and Zags fans pack it constantly. They put the "wild" in Wildcats. Allen Fieldhouse- Kansas 3.Oconnel Center- Florida 2. With March Madness approaching, here's a look at some of the loudest college arenas in the NCAA: 10. Top 25 college basketball arenas - redbull.com This venue is renowned for its raucous game-day environment and multipurpose availability. A Tour of College Basketball's Most Historic Arenas - Curbed Obviously, it wasnt a long drive, especially compared to Providence and Oklahoma, but Flyers fans turned Nationwide Arena into a madhouse. I can think of several games Ive watched at this arena over the years that felt like my TV was vibrating. The 12th-ranked Volunteers announced that Zeigler tore his left ACL in a win over Arkansas. Allen Fieldhouse is one of college basketball's most . Seating roughly 10,200, there's only one level, so even those at the highest points of the arena are still not too far from the action. In addition to being one of the loudest in the nation, the arena has also helped Kansas compile a 140-3 home record since 2007, statistically one of the best in all of sports. Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion 11. That's what makes it special and that's why players hate playing there. It opened in 1928 but does not show its age thanks to renovations and impeccable upkeep. Add in the history of the place, and its undoubtedly one of the marquee places to see a basketball game in the world, regardless of level. The cushioned seating is a nice touch while still not taking away from the intense atmosphere that's usually associated with Cyclones basketball. There have been so many Kansas games Ive watched over the years where the crowd so clearly willed its team back into the game and simply refused to let the Jayhawks lose. Center 15. Named after famed Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, the home of the Wildcats is one of the most recognizable arenas in all of sports. Big Ten basketball players vote on the league's loudest gym. It was renamed in 1986 as the Louis Brown Athletic Center but the nickname stuck through . All 14 Big Ten Basketball Arenas, Ranked - Nothing But Nylon I have to pay my respects to the Winning Team, Losing Team chant. What is Rupp Arena used for? - Heimduo If youre ever lucky enough to walk through the doors at this historic venue, you can feel its age, history, and importance to the game within moments. 5. Full disclosure: I attended Maryland, including many mens basketball games, including many mens basketball games in the student section. With about one-fourth of the fans coming from the student body, youve already created a rowdy atmosphere. It especially matters when you have a bunch of emotionally charged, chemically enhanced co-eds painted every color of the rainbow yelling invectives at an equally young man shooting a free throw. Here are the loudest basketball arenas in the NCAA, 8. The insane home record Kansas boasts is partially because its teams are generally very, very good. It makes it the largest arena in the country that is used only for indoor sports, and when you combine that with the success of the Wildcats you get a nightly crowd thats always ready to rock. Gonzaga's new "Kennel" opened in 2004. The indoor basketball venue holds 17,222 seats and also houses the largest student section in the country at 7,800 seats. The Aggies are ignited by that "Spectrum Magic," which has been responsible for only 18 non-conference home defeats since the 1996-97 season. Fans are often seen using paint and props to create crazy energy in the stands, along with bouncing in unison in the same, or different, directions. Shot from student section. The Cats have led the nation in . Former Kentucky guard John Wall elicited a 110.1 when he returned in 2011. Dayton is very much included in that. "The World's Most Famous Arena" has been a college basketball staple for decades. McKale Memorial Center (Arizona) From the team benches on the baseline to the expanded court area, the home of the Commodores is something to behold. It's not mean-spirited, it's not like you're going to get hit with a hot dog or anything. 1. 311. WVUs fanbase fiercely backs its athletics, and mens basketball is one of its favorites. Kansas has a lifetime 774114 record at Allen Fieldhouse, which works out to a .872 win percentage going back to 1955. With the largest student section in the country at 7,800 seats, Assembly Hall is far from a friendly site for opponents when its rocking. Yes, definitely. The 7 Best College Basketball Stadiums of All Time - SeatGeek Since it's March Madness, I thought we would discuss which college basketball arenas are the loudest? Ask West Virginia, who was present on Feb. 13, 2017, when the 16,300 in attendance set the Guinness World Record for the loudest crowd roar at an indoor sporting event (130.4 decibels). Its like playing basketball at Boeings jet-engine testing facility. The Cameron Indoor Stadium, which opened way back in 1940, is a 9,314-seat arena that is home to the Duke Blue Devils and serves as the home court for Duke men's and women's basketball and women's volleyball. Its twice the size as Cameron [Indoor Stadium] with three times the students sitting courtside. The Dunk is quickly becoming one of the loudest college basketball arenas in the country, and another raucous sell-out crowd was on hand last night. Bramlage Coliseum (Kansas State) The New York Knicks' stadium is an iconic landmark of the NBA's rich history. That adds to the atmosphere, which the fans complete. Ranking The 5 Best US College Basketball Arenas | Austadiums Big Ten Basketball Arenas, Ranked Before I go further, let's outline the criteria I'm using for these very definitive rankings: atmosphere, home-court advantage, banners, history, and name. ACC's venues ranked according to difficulty - ESPN.com And once the ball is tipped, theres not a louder college basketball arena in the country. Since Jan. 28, 2012, Iowa State has a winning percentage of 70-plus at home against Top 25 opponents. Students are given absolutely priority at Cameron Indoor, and it makes all the difference. A bucket-list destination for basketball fans everywhere, tickets to watch a game in this gym can be expensive and hard to acquiredepending on Duke's . Originally named Purdue Arena, it was renamed in 1972 to honor Purdue alumnus and long time athletic director Guy "Red" Mackey. I went to Oakland Raider games. At a time where we can't seem to agree on . ESPN The Magazine's Loudest Arenas 1. Bramlage Coliseum, Kansas State 8. This is a new-money type of atmosphere, but that doesnt make it any less imposing for visiting college basketball squads. The school allows wealthy donors to have the best seats in the house, and those fans dont have a reputation for getting loud. You could argue Maryland should be a bit lower if you want, but you cant say its inclusion on this list and at least near the top 10 isnt warranted. It's big but doesn't lose its roominess, especially when crowded. upholds the strong tradition of Golden Gophers basketball. The Pit," as it's more affectionately known, Why NCAA Tournament bubble teams should be wary of this team, 16-year-old Padres prospect already drawing superstar hype, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. It might offend some Kentucky fans to see me ranking them outside of the top five, and they might have a point. The 5 Toughest Places to Play in College Basketball This Century Matthew Knight Arena, Oregon This is a list of arenas that currently serve as the home venue for NCAA Division I college basketball teams. He missed one of the three free throws as the game went to overtime, where New Mexico prevailed. State. It is also fitting, perhaps, that the winningest program in college basketball history plays its' games here on these hallowed grounds. Best Big Ten Basketball Rivalries Right Now, This article was originally published on Fivestar News, more than 11,000 seats larger than the second-largest arena in the sport, they dont care if they need binoculars to see the ball from their seats. Discover short videos related to loudest college basketball stadium on TikTok. 9. Its been a minute since the Panthers were nationally relevant, having last made the NCAA Tournament in 2016, and with every passing year that they remain near the bottom of the ACC, the worse the atmosphere will get. Mackey Arena, 900 John R Wooden Dr, West Lafayette, IN - MapQuest The Pit is aptly known, with its court settled 37 feet below street level. As Virginia has improved under Tony Bennett, so too has the atmosphere at John Paul Jones Arena. Even though the Gophers havent always matched the atmospheres on the court, I have seen plenty of games in The Barn go the way of the home team because of the energy the fans provided the players. As visiting teams will agree, it can be more intimidating than it looks especially when filled to capacity as the sound is contained well due to the building's configuration. 10 College Basketball Arenas That Suffer From Having No Fans During New Mexico has won more than 80 percent of the games its played in The Pit since it opened in 1966, and with the built-in advantages the arena provides, it makes some sense. The airlock doors Thats how they get you first. Still, the Razorbacks have had one of the most formidable home atmospheres in the SEC for some time, knocking off tons of ranked teams at home in the 2010s despite missing the NCAA Tournament more often than not. As compiled by Collegiate Basketball News, the median winning percentage of the 351 Division I men's teams in their current arenas is 67.7%, with 144 of those 351 schools having a winning. It means every orange-clad, snow-loving student gets every chance to optimize the strength of his or her vocal cords. As if Gonzaga didn't need any more of an advantage, the student section's close proximity to the court and the building's overall cozy atmosphere continue to make playing there a daunting challenge for the opposition. Rated 5 / 5. It has become the hub of one of the most impressive programs in the sport and been an important piece of Gonzagas climb into the national limelight.