Former Kentucky guard John Wall elicited a 110.1 when he returned in 2011. Not only is it loud, but the violence of the vocals makes it about as inviting as a swim among piranhas. Michigan State during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in West Lafayette, Ind., Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021 . The student section at men's basketball games, known as the Buckeye Nuthouse, is seated behind the team bench as well as behind the basket that the opponent shoots at during the second half, which allows them to be visible during television broadcasts. And for that reason, the atmosphere at Rupp Arena is worthy of a very high place in the pecking order. I imagine it gets much, much more deafening when IU is actually in the building. Home of the Duke Blue Devils, Cameron Indoor Stadium is arguably one of the most iconic basketball arenas in the U.S., if not the world. Assembly Hall arena is on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana and home of the Indiana Hoosiers. It was renamed in 1986 as the Louis Brown Athletic Center but the nickname stuck through . No, not Banes pit prison from The Dark Knight Rises. 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. However, it still offers a somewhat intimate atmosphere near the court when filled. Its like playing basketball at Boeings jet-engine testing facility. From signs to body paint to shaking their hands in coordination at opposing players inbounding the ball, Duke clearly has one of the best student sections in the country, and by extension have one of the best atmospheres as well. Im sure some will say this top-10 placement is based on bias, which Im willing to give some credence to. McKale Memorial Center (Arizona) When the Orange are struggling, the arena can look cavernous with empty spots, yet when Jim Boeheim's program is playing well it truly is the "Loud House." 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. In a more formal test of how loud Cyclones fans can get, they measured a 109 reading. How much better does it get? But on its day, Chapel Hill turns this arena into a madhouse, and I have to respect that. Allen Fieldhouse Allen Fieldhouse - Kansas. 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. The Aggies finished 13-5 at home a year ago and much of that can be credited to this loud and verbally abusive venue. This is my article. The way the arena is designed, the students are given the sections along almost all of the sidelines, as well as a giant wall that looks incredibly intimidating from below. 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. It still remains one of college basketball's special gyms. Its been a long time since this allegedly happened36 years to be exactbut if it did happen then Oklahoma States Gallagher-IBA Arena is boss. Cameron Indoor Stadium 3. 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. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. They know how loud those can be. Theres a reasonable chance this arena will move into the top 25 if the Cavs keep up their spot near the top of the ACC. The Value City Arena is located on the campus of Ohio State University and is home to the Ohio State Buckeyes. NBA Preview 2021-22: Who Claims the Crown? If your teams arena didnt make this list, it doesnt mean your atmosphere is bad. By, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. Few venues can match the uniquely designed Assembly Hall when it comes to noise. Mackey Arena has a secret to its rowdiness that not many venues can Home Team. 9. Great sightlines. Back in 2012, Nebraskas Brandon Ubel made specific mention of Michigan States Breslin Student Events Center. As UVA has been a national and regional contender, the students have been bringing their A-game, and its made a difference. Prepare for adrenaline-pumped moments! Originally named Purdue Arena, it was renamed in 1972 to honor Purdue alumnus and long time athletic director Guy "Red" Mackey. Thats Opeth, Lamb of God and Metallica territory. Come on.thats ridiculous. I dont know if people who arent familiar with Cincinnati and the general region, but basketball, particularly college basketball, is EXTREMELY important. It opened in 1928 but does not show its age thanks to renovations and impeccable upkeep. 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). Wichita State has a hidden gem of an atmosphere. Their Allen Fieldhouse has been helping them with the home-court advantage since 1955 and continues to be one of the best in the country for college hoops. 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. It also helps that the Blue Devils are among the best in the land every season. src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=674090812743125&ev=PageView&noscript=1"/>. Mackey is widely known as one of the best, loudest, college basketball arenas in the country, especially when the hated Hoosiers are in town. 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. What does that mean? Named after legendary head coach Adolph Rupp, Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, KY, has definitely seen its share of victories. "The World's Most Famous Arena" has been a college basketball staple for decades. After undergoing a $1 billion renovation in. I know the dynamic may change since it's Utah-Utah State. When looking at the east coast venues, Dukes Cameron Indoor Stadium stands above as the loudest and most turbulent environment to play. 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. Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke 3. The San Diego State mens basketball program was built into a nationally-relevant program by Steve Fisher in the 2000s, and as the program gained steam, so too did the eager crowds at Viejas Arena. What is the loudest college basketball arena? Since 1928, Hinkle Fieldhouse has been at the center of it all and was named as a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Why do we love college basketball? That's historically been the case at Provident Credit Union Event Center. Rutgers' basketball arena was originally titled the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) when it opened in 1977. It opened in 2004, several decades later than the majority of arenas to crack this top 25. Their efforts in particular gives The Kennel one of the best atmospheres in college basketball. Obviously, it wasnt a long drive, especially compared to Providence and Oklahoma, but Flyers fans turned Nationwide Arena into a madhouse. 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. upholds the strong tradition of Golden Gophers basketball. I've been to Duke. Some of the rowdiest, loudest, most despicable (in a good way, if you ask me) atmospheres Ive ever seen at a college basketball game have been at The Octagon of Dome. Its that way pretty much every time K-State welcomes KU to town. 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. Widely regarded as one of the best venues in North American college sports, the McKale Center is . The Palestra 7. Go for slam dunks, fire off long 3-point shots, use superpowers, win matches and earn cups! Considered one of the rowdiest places to watch college basketball, Oklahoma State's arena is named for two of the school's greats: basketball coach Henry Iba and legendary wrestling coach Hank Gallagher. If you haven't been . no arena in the country has hosted more NCAA Tournament games. ESPNs Anne Catherine Clemmons writes, But to feel a record crowd of 22,125 shaking the much larger dome that is the Smith Center (which soaks in enough sunlight for the Tar Heels to practice without electric lighting when open in the early afternoon) is something else entirely. Duke fans come up with different things and they're really, really clever. We also have 10 times the population as we did during Tark's heyday. Their fans have also led the country in average attendance in each of the last three seasons. Id expect the atmosphere to remain insane at GCU moving forward. Thats Metallica-concert loud, or just a shade below. Emailed daily. WVU Coliseum is rather unpleasant for visiting teams, and thats something I am very sure the fans who pack the building are proud of. Celebrities and athletes are often in attendance in the historic arena that now holds over 23,500 people, which makes it the largest arena in the country for indoor sports. Since it's March Madness, I thought we would discuss which college basketball arenas are the loudest? The 12th-ranked Volunteers announced that Zeigler tore his left ACL in a win over Arkansas. That's not far off, as the school also boasts that no other arena has hosted more games or opponents than The Palestra. Since then, the Zags have lost just 18 games (entering the week) at their 6,000-seat home. Its first game pitted Iba's Oklahoma A&M (the school's name at the time) squad against Kansas, coached by Phog Allen. Sure, the program isnt where Indiana fans want it to be and hasnt been for some time now, but with walls of humans that dont seem to end towering over top of the court, all of whom are very, very passionate about the sport of basketball and the Hoosiers in particular, Assembly Hall can be a nightmare. The Carrier Dome is one of the most unique venues in all of college basketball. I was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio, and have loved basketball for as long as I can remember. 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. 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 crowd is loud. Big Game Boomer @BigGameBoomer . Utah State has an Oakland Raider mentality without the knives and guns. Shows how loud assembly hall can get. Always free! 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. But quality college basketball arenas are not exclusive to only the elite teams. In that same span, the Jayhawks lost 13 games at home. With the smaller size and acoustics in Hinkle mean the screaming fans, particularly the students, are magnified even more. Regardless of the team, the atmosphere has the potential to be electric, especially if the matchup is right. Some are steeped in tradition, while others offer modern-day amenities but still remain a pain for the opposition. The bar is high to reach the top 25. The huge multi-level arena doesn't . Students are given absolutely priority at Cameron Indoor, and it makes all the difference. College basketball is a special sport, and the atmospheres across the country take credit for a good deal of that. Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt 10. Mar 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard D.J. Not many venues can claim they play in a dome, but thats what the Syracuse Orange do. Small sections of bleachers jet out from both baselines, while seats extend up the sides where balconies also exist which might not cater to fans with height issues. In an interview with Yahoo! Just ask Jimmy Chitwood. It's big, but not mammoth, and can feel like a cigar box to opponents when 16,300 are packed in to root on the Jayhawks. These are the top-25 best college basketball atmospheres in Division I mens hoops, as ranked by a scientist I mean bracketologist. 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. Students are given the sections nearest to the floor behind one of the baskets and along one of the sidelines, plus a couple of sections in the 300s. Its size is unmatched with 34,616 seats, Syracuses home is more than 11,000 seats larger than the second-largest arena in the sport. Unlike other traditional blue blood programs, Duke has rather small arena with 9,314 seats. 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. The circular configuration of Koch Arena has provided a huge home-court advantage for the Shockers, especially in recent years when they've ranked among the nation's best. It's the toughest place to play. Though the Panthers have been down the past three years (but off to a 7-2 start in 2019-20), the students are still at their creative best, tastefully (of course) finding ways to mock the opponent. McCarthey Athletic Center - Gonzaga The McCarthey Athletic Center is a 6,000-seat indoor. Most schools have some sort of flair that make them unique, from a traditional chant or song to a gorgeous arena from before your grandparents were born. The arena is the home venue for the University of Arizona Wildcats' men's and women's basketball teams. Rupp Arena- University of Kentucky 1. Jan 14, 2020. Rupp Arena (Kentucky) Fitting that the largest basketball-only arena in the U.S. be #1 on our list. 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. That announcer was ESPN's Dave O'Brien, and he said the Hilton Coliseum was "louder than anything in the ACC.". Capacity. The Jack Breslin Student Events Center is a 16,280-capacity venue that is home to the Michigan State Spartans men's and women's basketball teams. Kentucky is one of the most successful NCAA basketball programs in the country, and playing in front of fans in Rupp Arena is a plus. The 30 Toughest College Basketball Arenas to Play In By Bex Walton - July 3, 2016 There's something about some arenas in basketball that make it almost impossible to win a game in. With March Madness approaching, here's a look at some of the loudest college arenas in the NCAA: 10. A recent renovation has the Pavilion looking good while still maintaining the intense atmosphere that visiting teams find far from inviting. The atmosphere at Illinois waned some during the long stretch of years when the program wasnt really a factor in the Big Ten, let alone on a national scale. Stadium. I went to Oakland Raider games. 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. Theres a reason they say, Pay Heed, All Who Enter: Beware of the Phog, because Allen Fieldhouse is loud. Talk about a true home-court advantage, try visiting the home of the Aggies in Logan, Utah. And once the ball is tipped, theres not a louder college basketball arena in the country. Playing at home can make all the difference in college basketball. Fans absolutely pack out the place to the point of bursting, and with the old-timey concrete and wood and giant windows allowing the sun to shine through, the feeling is uniquely incredible. The last few years, The Izzone hasnt quite been as engaged as it was when I was growing up, and so maybe the Breslin Center has dropped a couple of spots since then. 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. The Pit is aptly known, with its court settled 37 feet below street level. Good run. The same goes for the University of Kansas, who recently won the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship in 2008. 10. Georgia's Sanford Stadium is home to electrifying fans and a great atmosphere. Obviously, UK has one of the most passionate fanbases in the country there is zero chance anyone could ever debate that. Remember when I said Cincinnati and that general region are obsessed with college basketball? 132 Likes, TikTok video from Heath Adams (@thecybermentor): "The Pit in NM is one of the loudest college basketball stadiums in the country. 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. Not so on the Beltway, when the Maryland Terrapins play host. Is there any major sport that can create a home-court advantage like college basketball? Allen Fieldhouse- Kansas 3.Oconnel Center- Florida 2. 14 Petersen Events Center;. Only 14 D-I men's teams have won less than 50% of their games in their current homes. The results appear in the magazine's Nov. 15 issue, which is available on newsstands. 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. Without question, the Peterson Events Center has the capacity to be one of the loudest arenas in the nation, in large part thanks to the Oakland Zoo student section. That seems to have changed, and the environment in Champaign has improved, but theres still some room to grow before I can put Illinois back in my top-25 best atmospheres. t ws unbelievable.". 1. The University of Pennsylvania dubs the grand room as the "most storied gymnasium in the history of collegiate athletics." Breslin also has played host to some of the world's greatest musical acts, including Aerosmith, KISS, Pearl Jam and The Beach Boys. McOnnel Court- University of Oregon 4. ESPN The Magazine's Loudest Arenas 1. It's big but doesn't lose its roominess, especially when crowded. What is the largest basketball arena? It's also been a quality home for the team to thrive in. O'Connell Center, Florida 6. 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. Utah State may not be a headliner on the basketball court, but don't tell its student section that. Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion 11. 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. Indiana has won five NCAA Championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987). Rupp Arena, Kentucky Size matters in Kentucky. Its crowds have reflected that, with the 10,250-seat arena being either at or near capacity night in and night out for the Musketeers, creating a hostile environment for any opponent hoping to come in and leave with a W. In fact, only three teams in the country have a better home winning percentage in their current arena than Xavier: Gonzaga, Oregon and Kentucky (though Kansas is right on the Musketeers heels).