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. But similar to UNC, a lot of the fans given priority seating in Rupp Arena are very far from current students, and it costs several thousands of dollars for season tickets near the action. Their efforts in particular gives The Kennel one of the best atmospheres in college 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. Thats Opeth, Lamb of God and Metallica territory. 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. Ubel said in The Gazette, (Michigan States) atmosphere, their students, the way its set up the students are completely surrounding the court. Largest College Basketball Arenas in the SEC ranked 1-14. But quality college basketball arenas are not exclusive to only the elite teams. When packed, the building rocks and the dark seating corners add a nice touch to the experience. Opened in 1989, the mayflower shaped . Opened in 1967, Mackey holds a little more than 14,000 people, and those people do not hesitate to yell. Lanxess Arena. UNM Arena, New Mexico 5. As UVA has been a national and regional contender, the students have been bringing their A-game, and its made a difference. Shockers fans are riotous about their team and are constantly filling their roughly 10,000-seat gym to the rafters. Rupp Arena (Kentucky) Fitting that the largest basketball-only arena in the U.S. be #1 on our list. Allen Fieldhouse Allen Fieldhouse - Kansas. (The team's 150-game non-conference home winning streak was ended earlier this season with a loss to Stephen F. Austin). There arent many cities in America more obsessed with college basketball than Indianapolis, and Butler is part of that puzzle. The stadium itself is actually 37 feet below street level due to the fact that it was built on a mesa. Kentucky has won 89.5% of its all-time games at Rupp and has only lost eight of the 132 games it has played there under John Calipari, to give you an idea of just how much of a home court advantage the Wildcats enjoy. One of The Pits legendary moments came back in 2010, when San Diego States D.J. But is it a tough section to play in front of? McCarthey Athletic Center - Gonzaga 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. original sound - Heath Adams. The 9,314-person capacity at Cameron is far smaller than many of Dukes blue blood competitors, but it makes for a tight, cramped and electric atmosphereespecially when that team in Carolina blue comes to town. 30 toughest college basketball arenas to play in. I know the dynamic may change since it's Utah-Utah State. As Virginia has improved under Tony Bennett, so too has the atmosphere at John Paul Jones Arena. So loud," Mike Roberts, radio voice of the Lobos from 1966 to 2008, said in an ESPN story, "you can feel it in your bones.". Likes. If your teams arena didnt make this list, it doesnt mean your atmosphere is bad. After years of planning, the University of Idaho has finally broken ground on a dedicated basketball arena. Like we did for the top 10 upsets of the last decade and the 10 best uniforms in college hoops, we arrived at this overall top 10 ranking by averaging the responses, with more weight given based on the 110 scale. Established in 1968, it stands as the eldest arena in the association. At a time where we can't seem to agree on . The airlock doors Thats how they get you first. Remember when I said Cincinnati and that general region are obsessed with college basketball? Acoustics engineers help ESPN rate loudest college basketball arenas Yes, name - I believe the name of an arena makes a difference, and it will play a role in how I evaluate the Big Ten's basketball arenas. I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and have loved basketball for as long as I can remember. Top 5 Loudest CBB Arenas? and volleyball teams and is the nation's oldest on-campus arena that still serves as the primary home to a Division I basketball program. For a long time, Syracuse has had one of the best atmospheres in college basketball, I suspect thats something that will remain true for a long time. The following is a list of German indoor arenas for handball games. McCarthey Athletic Center - Gonzaga The McCarthey Athletic Center is a 6,000-seat indoor. This is a list of arenas that currently serve as the home venue for NCAA Division I college basketball teams. The Aggies finished 13-5 at home a year ago and much of that can be credited to this loud and verbally abusive venue. The Aggies are ignited by that "Spectrum Magic," which has been responsible for only 18 non-conference home defeats since the 1996-97 season. 8: Kentucky (Rupp Arena) It might offend some Kentucky fans to see me ranking them outside of the top five, and they might have a point. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Its capacity is 6,000, and Zags fans pack it constantly. The only team that seems to have cracked the code to succeeding there is BYU, which had won three straight in The Kennel before Gonzaga knocked the pesky Cougars off this past February. . Over the past two seasons, Duke is 33-0 at home the past two seasons and hasnt lost an out-of-conference game at home since Feb. 26, 2000. SECs venues ranked according to difficulty - ESPN.com List of indoor arenas in Germany - Wikipedia 1. The following courts are the loudest, biggest, baddest, meanest venues to visit. 1 of 13 The loudest arena in college basketball has given the Duke Blue Devils the best home-court advantage for more than a decade. Boo birds at Hilton Coliseum are a different breed of boos, piercing through the building like daggers aimed at their target. 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 percentage over .700. It opened in 1928 but does not show its age thanks to renovations and impeccable upkeep. Mackey Arena is a concrete barrier built for capturing as much sound as possible. Allen Fieldhouse is one of college basketball's most . "The Phog" exudes basketball history upon entrance and remains a must-see for any college hoops fanatic. Images. Dayton's home arena is not flashy, but it's the place where the madness of March officially begins with the First Four. 15 Best College Basketball Arenas in the USA | 2022 Rankings It's the toughest place to play. Many sell-out arenas will average about the same noise level, but vitriol adds an extra slice to the tympanic membrane, and now they take that venom from the ACC to the Big 10. The same goes for the University of Kansas, who recently won the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 2008. So, when you come to play against Maryland in College Park for a big game or as a team the fans are predisposed to dislike, it will not be a pleasant experience. The arena seats 16,300 spectators and ESPN The Magazine referred to the stadium as the loudest for college basketball in the country. for the loudest crowd roar at an indoor sporting event (130.4 decibels). 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. Memorial Gymnasium (Vanderbilt) . 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. For big games especially, Rupp can get very, very loud. It's also been a quality home for the team to thrive in. The Carrier Dome is a domed arena on the campus of Syracuse University, home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball and lacrosse teams. ALLEN FIELDHOUSE, KANSAS 2. These are the top-25 best college basketball atmospheres in Division I mens hoops, as ranked by a scientist I mean bracketologist. College Basketball's Top 10 Arena Nicknames - AthlonSports.com This is The Pit of the New Mexico Lobos. Who can forget Jim Valvano running around the floor of "The Pit" looking for someone to hug after North Carolina State's shocking upset of Houston in the 1983 national championship game? The arena broke the Guinness World Record for the loudest indoor roar on Feb. 13, 2017, against West Virginia at 130.4 dB, breaking the record Rupp Arena established less than three weeks. Duke hasn't lost a non-conference game at Cameron Indoor. Newbill (2) shoots a game winning shot over Minnesota Golden Gophers guard . The 10 Loudest Stadiums In The NBA - Campus Sports With about one-fourth of the fans coming from the student body, youve already created a rowdy atmosphere. With a seating capacity of 23,500, it's the largest off-campus home for a Division I team in the country. When Gonzaga played at North Carolina last season, members of the school's athletic department made the trip to see one of college basketball's great facilities up close. Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas) 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 7 Best College Basketball Stadiums of All Time - SeatGeek And conversely, Maryland fans will wholeheartedly agree and wear their reputation as a badge of honor. Theres no question the students go very hard for their Tar Heels. Can someone please give PC basketball's Jared Bynum a key to the city Scheduled for completion in 2021, the 62,000-sq.-ft. Idaho Central Credit Union Arena will be the new home for Vandals' basketball, regional tournaments, lectures, as well as "small and mid-size" events, other . Syracuse's basketball arena is the biggest by a landslide, coming in first place with 34,616 seats. Sports' Jeff Eisenberg, former Wake Forest star Ish Smith said: I know people will automatically say Cameron and we never won in Cameron, but Cameron was fun to play in. It was renamed in 1986 as the Louis Brown Athletic Center but the nickname stuck through . Michigan State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 . The school allows wealthy donors to have the best seats in the house, and those fans dont have a reputation for getting loud. The student section of the stadium has been dubbed the "Rowdy Reptiles. Dick Vitale, on assignment at the Florida-Kentucky game in 2006, said the O'Connell Center is one of the toughest places to play in college basketball. At just under 18,000 capacity, the home of the Terps is one of the bigger venues in college basketball. When Cody Zeller made a key steal against Michigan State, Assembly Hall earned a 115.3 dB reading. What is Rupp Arena used for? - Heimduo Lets go to the decibel meter. Opened in 2000, Cintas Center is one of the newer arenas on this list, but it very quickly became one of the most daunting for opposing teams to enter. It provides a solid combination of comfort and intimacy, which makes for quality basketball viewing. New Mexico has taken a step back in recent years after making four of five NCAA tournaments from 2010 to 14, but opponents would never be wise to underestimate The Pit. The students are given almost every section nearest to the court, which is a prime setup to surround the opposing team. But part of what makes Hilton so deadly is the passion and noise making isnt relegated to just the students the adults sitting around the arena are poised and ready with their boo birds, too. Since the Cintas Center opened in 2000, Xavier has been one of the most remarkably consistent programs in college hoops, missing the NCAA tournament only twice in that span. 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. It opened in 2004, several decades later than the majority of arenas to crack this top 25. Confined within the multipurpose home of the Spartans, the group dresses up, brings props and uses mini-megaphones that make great souvenirs for the kids. 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. I have to pay my respects to the Winning Team, Losing Team chant. Sure, they lull you to sleep with the Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant, but dont let that fool you. Penn State. So I'd have to say Maryland. Stephen C. O'Connell Center, also known as the O'Dome, is a 10,500-seat arena that is home to the Florida Gators athletic programs. According to BGB, the duo of Jordan-Hare Stadium and Neville Arena is the loudest in all of college sports. Williams remains one of the more unique arenas in the nation, particularly for the player seats below the raised court, meaning it takes some effort to check into the game and run the famous Minneapolis floor. Its an intense environment, but Duke has moved past the mindset of doing things that would be hurtful or cross a line thats too personal. College basketball's toughest arenas: Duke, Kansas lead - Sports 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. Villanova has won a tremendous amount of games in the building, especially in the last handful of years as the program claimed multiple national championships and Big East crowns. I have never seen a fanbase so ready and willing to boo anything and everything. However, the Cameron Crazies make it one of the loudest and most intimidating places to play in college basketball. Hinkle Fieldhouse 6. The Pit is aptly known, with its court settled 37 feet below street level. Kentucky isnt just a passionate fan base, its kind of rabid, and thats no insult. That being said, when in-state rival Kansas comes to town, throw the records out the door, as the 12,528-seat arena turns into one of college basketball's loudest environments. Their fans have also led the country in average attendance in each of the last three seasons. 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. Celebrate March Madness at the top 8 college basketball arenas in the U A few years ago, Im not sure Arkansas would have made this list. They put the "wild" in Wildcats. Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke Blue Devils) Home Record Since 2000: 284-22 (.928) Advertisement. Mackey Arena is one of the biggest best college basketball arenas since it has a capacity of over 14,000 fans. Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall opened as Assembly Hall during the 1971-72 season is one of the most notorious arenas in basketball. But OSU fans wouldnt complain about being good in both, and if Mike Boynton can continue the momentum he built from last season and bring some passion back to the program, then theres no question Gallagher-Iba Arena will go back to being one of the most feared settings in the game. Are there times where Assembly Hall falls victim to older fans with money taking up the best seats and spending the entire game sitting down? Now, whether or not I think some of the seats in the Carrier Dome are laughably absurd or not doesnt matter. I went to Oakland Raider games. A&M sophomore Alec Hankins made up his mind that he would not risk missing Saturday's game with many believing the crowd will break the attendance record for Reed Arena 14,036 set in 2022 . Mackey Arena has a secret to its rowdiness that not many venues can The building continues to provide a strong home-court advantage for both Maryland's men's and women's programs. 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. The fact is, Syracuse fans love the Orange so much, they dont care if they need binoculars to see the ball from their seats; theyll show up anyway. McKale Memorial Center (Arizona Wildcats) February 1, 2023 will mark the milestone 50-year anniversary of the McKale Center's opening. 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 . "The Phog" or "The Cathedral of Basketball," as it is affectionately called, was opened on March 1, 1955 and now holds 17,000 people. Why is it called Mackey Arena? | Dependable Mackey is widely known as one of the best, loudest, college basketball arenas in the country, especially when the hated Hoosiers are in town. But its also because the fans turn Allen Fieldhouse into an incredibly-difficult environment for opposition to handle. Sanford Stadium. Loudest arena in the nation. IU buzzer beater - YouTube I've been to the Pit. The Hilton Coliseum is a 14,267-capacity arena that is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones men's and women's basketball teams, as well wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball programs. This is one of the best college basketball arenas in 2022 as it has state-of-the-art facilities and a capacity for a maximum of 17,472 seats. The place can be downright deafening when the Hoosiers are on their game. There is zero controversy in saying this ACC fans will chase you down a long, busy hallway for no reason other than to make sure you know that College Park is hell on earth and Terps fans are the scum of humanity, you know, for your own safety. Allen Fieldhouse Named Loudest College Basketball Arena Georgia's Sanford Stadium is home to electrifying fans and a great atmosphere. The cushioned seating is a nice touch while still not taking away from the intense atmosphere that's usually associated with Cyclones basketball. The arenas serve as home venues for both the men's and women's teams except where noted. With March Madness approaching, here's a look at some of the loudest college arenas in the NCAA: 10. Here are the loudest basketball arenas in the NCAA, 8. The location of the student section, called The Izzone, is absolutely prime. It opened in 1938 and underwent a major renovation in 2001. 10 College Basketball Arenas That Suffer From Having No Fans During "The Barn" opened in 1928, and thanks to several renovations and upgrades over the years, it stillupholds the strong tradition of Golden Gophers basketball. The placement of your student section is crucial to building a top atmosphere, and Michigan State has set itself up perfectly. The arena's primary tenant is the Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball team. And if youre there for a game against Cincinnati, Dayton, Butler, or another team the fans have a special distaste for, you can expect some extreme nastiness. The Carrier Dome is one of the most unique venues in all of college basketball. Thanks to a devoted student section that seats about 4,000, the noise level can be an issue for the opposition. This is my list, and in my world, its The Pit. The unusual setting can give the Orange an advantage over opponents who arent used to the domes confinesor sizehelping Syracuse win 83.1% of its games in the arenas history. Opened in November 2004, the "Kennel". Since then, the Zags have lost just 18 games (entering the week) at their 6,000-seat home. But the potential is still there, and if Pitt improves in the near future, it will be much higher on this list in a few years. By, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Why do we love college basketball? Come on: "Hoosiers" was filmed here. Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler) I can remember watching many Arizona home games over the years where the crowd was absolutely out of its mind, with Derrick Williams game-saving block against Washington in 2011 the first example I think of. 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. What does that mean? Fans in the famous student section, called the Cameron Crazies, are known for painting themselves blue and white and doing signature moves, like reaching out an arm while an opposing player is inbounding the ball. Mar 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard D.J. In addition to providing Kentucky with a distinct home-court advantage, Rupp has hosted several NCAA Tournament games, most notably the 1985 Final Four when Villanova stunned heavily favored Georgetown for the national title. Rupp opened in 1976 and has regularly seen crowds of over 24,000 during its 30 plus year history. Emailed daily. It was the originator of blowing up players faces to create the big heads you now see across college basketball atmospheres, and their efforts have had an effect on the Aztecs winning eight Mountain West regular season titles since 2006. ACC's venues ranked according to difficulty - ESPN.com Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke 3. The Pit in NM is one of the loudest college basketball stadiums in the 1 Tiger Stadium - LSU 2 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - Florida 3 Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City Chiefs 4 Ohio Stadium - Ohio State 5 WVUs fanbase fiercely backs its athletics, and mens basketball is one of its favorites. Pain begins at 125 dBs and a jet engine at 100 feet is 140 dBs, so consider that the next time youre in western Upstate New York.