Basketball is the sport where the fans’ proximity to the court is the closest. And that is exactly why college basketball is so much fun for fans. Their energy and noise can directly impact games, some stadiums just do it better than others.
Most diehard sport’s fans have a bucket list for the stadiums they would visit one day. For professional sports, those lists are much shorter due to only having around 30 teams per league. However, college athletics, basketball in particular, have an abundance of arenas that provide a great
10. BYU, Marriott Center
Seating over 22,000 fans is just remarkable when it comes right down to it. Which is exactly why any college basketball fan must try and visit this arena. The stadium rocks and players feed off of the immense crowd.
9. University of Florida, Stephen C. O’Connell Center
This entry into the list may surprise some people, because it is not one of the most recognizable at first glance. However, make no mistake about it, the O’Connell Center has a great shape to it. The student section wraps around the bottom of the bowl, which gives the whole place a great look.
8. University of Pittsburgh, Peterson Events Center
The “Pete” as Pittsburgh fans affectionately refer to it has been a real house of horrors for opposing teams since it opened in 2002. Top 10 teams have regularly been vanquished here, and most impressively the stadium has witnessed less than 50 Pitt losses. The student section named the “ZOO” is driving force behind that.
7. University of North Carolina, Dean Smith Center
Named after legendary coach, Dean Smith, this arena has a real feel of history. The stadium has witnessed plenty of all-time great teams, while still producing some impressive ones recently. If you can go, the game against Duke is always an easy choice.
6. Syracuse, Carrier Dome
When you use a
5. Butler, Hinkle Fieldhouse
Any true basketball fan has seen the movie “Hosiers.” Well, the iconic stadium from the movies’ final scenes still has games played in it. The Bulldog’s stadium has a certain old-timey feel that just cannot be duplicated and is the only one on this list to be a National Landmark.
4. University of Kentucky, Rupp Arena
This arena mixes some of the best characteristics of two stadiums already named on this list, North Carolina and BYU. It has the history of UNC and the massive seating capacity of BYU. It truly is a spectacle if you ever get a chance to witness it.
3. Indiana University, Assembly Hall
Like Butler, Indiana provides a nice feel of an old time arena. Since opening in 1972, the arena has housed arguably the most dedicated fan base in all of the college basketball. The “Fandamonuem” if you will reach high levels here.
2. Duke, Cameron Indoor Stadium
If you hate Duke, that is completely understandable. But their stadium is one every fan must see. Starting with possibly the best student section, “The Cameron Crazies,” it is a fan base of nonstop pride. Sometimes it looks as if the fans might run onto the court to try and win the game themselves.
1. Kansas, Allen Fieldhouse
This is it, the place in all of the college basketball a fan must see. The court is even named after the guy who invented basketball itself, James Naismith. When you visit this arena it is like you are walking with all the legends of basketball past.
That concludes the list of the best arenas in all of the college basketball. Every fan should have at least watched a game on TV featured on of these arenas, but going and witnessing the real thing takes it to a whole new level.
