There's close to 6,000 students at Allen Fieldhousethree times more than Dukeand they've earned the title of loudest college arena. Top 5 Loudest CBB Arenas? 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. Since it's March Madness, I thought we would discuss which college basketball arenas are the loudest? Mississippi State basketball fans and MSU students Josh Fisher, Ben Stroud and David Kiesel smile in front of a Humphrey Coliseum crowd before the Bulldogs face Kentucky on Feb. 15, 2023. I dont know if people who arent familiar with Cincinnati and the general region, but basketball, particularly college basketball, is EXTREMELY important. Its the largest domed structure on a U.S. college campus and can hold 33,000 for basketball games and 56,250 for concerts. With this in mind, we polled our college basketball staff and asked them to rank what they feel are the 10 toughest places in the country for opposing teams to play. The students are given almost every section nearest to the court, which is a prime setup to surround the opposing team. This is The Pit of the New Mexico Lobos. 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. If there was one place I dreaded the Buckeyes going to every year, it was the Breslin Center in East Lansing. It got so loud that some of the lights broke. Opened in November 2004, the Kennel is the smallest arena on this list, but its atmosphere has made Gonzaga one of the most successful programs at home. Save Share Show Less I went to Oakland Raider games. 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. NBA Preview 2021-22: Who Claims the Crown? A few years ago, Im not sure Arkansas would have made this list. The huge space makes more sense once you know that the Orange football and lacrosse teams also . The University of New Mexico Perhaps one of the quirkiest college basketball venues in the nation, the University of New Mexico's home arena, dubbed "The Pit," was a shoo-in for this list. Carrier Dome Carrier Dome, Syracuse | 34,616 seats The Carrier Dome is the largest 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. Thanks to a devoted student section that seats about 4,000, the noise level can be an issue for the opposition. The crowd is loud. The Carrier Dome is one of the most unique settings in college basketballand, because it doubles as a gridiron, in football as well. 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. Always free! 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. Hinkle Fieldhouse is basketball not college basketball, but basketball. 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. "The Barn" opened in 1928, and thanks to several renovations and upgrades over the years, it stillupholds the strong tradition of Golden Gophers basketball. It was Hilton Magic that helped propel Iowa State over Oklahoma three years ago, coming back from a 21-point second-half deficit for the win. Dean E. Smith Center (North Carolina) 5. 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. Big Game Boomer . In a more formal test of how loud Cyclones fans can get, they measured a 109 reading. The arenas serve as home venues for both the men's and women's teams except where noted. Take the late Rick Majerus, who coached all over the country, lastly at St. Louis. Explore a new way to challenge real players on this multiplayer Basketball game! Great staff. The famous "C-A-T-S, Cats, Cats, Cats" and "Go Big Blue" cheers are usually heard in the crowds. Now thats what you call home court advantage. 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. Its like playing basketball at Boeings jet-engine testing facility. Its the largest domed structure on a U.S. college campus and can hold over 35,000 for hoops games, as it did for a February 2014 game against Duke where it set the arenas record for an NCAA mens basketball game. ESPN the Magazine recently asked engineers from Penn State's graduate acoustics program to help answer the question. 2. Amusing, possibly, but since thats patently foolish, they can scream for Tom Crean. Syracuse's basketball arena is the biggest by a landslide, coming in first place with 34,616 seats. 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. Kansas allots 4,000 of the arenas 16,300 capacity to students and puts them behind both baskets and largely in a four-section span in one of the corners. I have to pay my respects to the Winning Team, Losing Team chant. Kentucky isnt just a passionate fan base, its kind of rabid, and thats no insult. Gay was fouled shooting a three with his team down two and one second remaining. 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 Cats have led the nation in . City. The results appear in the magazine's Nov. 15 issue, which is available on newsstands. The largest arena designed specifically for college hoops, the 23,500-seat Rupp Arena for the University of Kentucky opened in 1976 and is. It is loud, so much so that it agitates the marrow buried deep within. 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. Students are given absolutely priority at Cameron Indoor, and it makes all the difference. With arguably the most passionate fans in college . Cameron Indoor Stadium The loudest arena in college basketball has given the Duke Blue Devils the best home-court advantage for more than a decade. 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. You could argue for Duke or Kansas to be in this spot, but you have no argument for anyone else. Watch more top videos, highlights, and B/R original content, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Their fans are great, but they have no filter. Even when MSU lost an uncharacteristic 15 games in the 201617 season, only two of those came at Breslin, and it dropped just one game all year at home last season. For the unbiased college basketball fan, it's a bucket list item, even to see it empty. The following is a list of German indoor arenas for handball games. The Cyclone faithful are a dedicated bunch that pack the 14,384-seat arena and are worthy of rounding out our top 10. Cameron Indoor Stadium, Durham, North Carolina. That team, led by Sean May, erased a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes. Home of the Izzone, the well-known Michigan State student section (named afteryou guessed it, Tom Izzo), the Breslin Center is always a tough trip for opponents to make. Why do we love college basketball? In a video released by NCAA.com, it says. Come on.thats ridiculous. Lanxess Arena. 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. Maryland has one of the nastiest, least-welcoming fanbases in the country. By, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. 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. It's perhaps the most unique gymnasium in all of college basketball. The Jayhawks won that night, just as they do so often on their home floor. But its still one of the premier crowds in the country for now. State. The ceilings are incredibly high, the floor is raised, and you can feel the history of the place even through the TV. 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 students are given almost every section nearest to the court, as well as a handful of sections at the very top of the arenas north side, which means they have their enemies surrounded. Not only is it loud, but the violence of the vocals makes it about as inviting as a swim among piranhas. The Musketeers boast one of the nicer and more multifunctional venues in the college game. A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for nearly 30 years. At a time where we can't seem to agree on . 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. McKale Memorial Center (Arizona) How loud does it get in The Phog? Opened in 1971, the arena has seen great success over the years, including 576 Indiana wins that power an .834 winning percentage. Its a cool setup, good atmosphere and the fans are involved constantly.. The airlock doors Thats how they get you first. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, Rick Pitino says UNC, Duke and rest of ACC run clean programs. 132 Likes, TikTok video from Heath Adams (@thecybermentor): "The Pit in NM is one of the loudest college basketball stadiums in the country. Allen Fieldhouse Allen Fieldhouse - Kansas. Matthew Knight Arena, Oregon As if playing a possible two-platoon Wildcat team isnt intimidating enough, the fans in Lexington bring the noise. Mackey Arena is a concrete barrier built for capturing as much sound as possible. Zeigler is leading the Southeastern Conference in assists, averaging 5.4 per game. Great sightlines. 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. Watch popular content from the following creators: Live life To The Fullest(@ballisendless), Live life To The Fullest(@ballisendless), cbbcr3(@cbbcr3), cameronhellgeth(@cameronhellgeth), Ryan Hammer(@ryanhammer9), cameronhellgeth(@cameronhellgeth), Caroline(@cmakauskas), Cooper Deck(@cooperdeck . Wichita State has a hidden gem of an atmosphere. The Blue Devils are ranked fourth all-time in wins of any NCAA mens basketball program and the Cameron Indoor Stadium fans never let you forget it. This is my list, and in my world, its The Pit. 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. 15 Best College Basketball Arenas 2. Which 10 schools create the most challenging atmospheres for opponents? 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 . I dont care. 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. Good run. It opened in 2004, several decades later than the majority of arenas to crack this top 25. Come on: "Hoosiers" was filmed here. Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion 11. The aluminum ceiling contains the loud cheering of student fans and adds to the unique character of Mackey Arena. Allen Fieldhouse is one of college basketball's most . 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. Dash and steal the ball from your opponent in head-to-head matches! 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. McKale Memorial Center (Arizona Wildcats) February 1, 2023 will mark the milestone 50-year anniversary of the McKale Center's opening. There arent many cities in America more obsessed with college basketball than Indianapolis, and Butler is part of that puzzle. So yes, the midwest knows its noise. Sure, Bramlage will be one of the hardest arenas you visit all season long if the Wildcats are in the midst of a good or great year, but even when theyre not tournament caliber, a crowd shows up and makes noise. Thats why I have North Carolina this high. Gonzaga's new "Kennel" opened in 2004. Mackey Arena has a secret to its rowdiness that not many venues can 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. Nope, the Blue Wall doesnt have the Izzone. For those in journalism (ahem) who know that newspapers are dead, the Izzone is a refreshing bout of paper-in-hand newsprint, even if it is simply to mock. Likes. I can think of several games Ive watched at this arena over the years that felt like my TV was vibrating. Opened in November 2004, the "Kennel". "The Phog" or "The Cathedral of Basketball," as it is affectionately called, was opened on March 1, 1955 and now holds 17,000 people. 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. . This article was originally published on Fivestar News. Named after famed Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp, the home of the Wildcats is one of the most recognizable arenas in all of sports. Hailing from the ABQ, where the fictitious Walter White cooked his famous blue crystal meth, the Lobos home court is burrowed in the earth. So I'd have to say Maryland. Its first game pitted Iba's Oklahoma A&M (the school's name at the time) squad against Kansas, coached by Phog Allen. Widely regarded as one of the best venues in North American college sports, the McKale Center is . Established in 1968, it stands as the eldest arena in the association. 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. I imagine it gets much, much more deafening when IU is actually in the building. 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. Views. 1 Tiger Stadium - LSU 2 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - Florida 3 Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City Chiefs 4 Ohio Stadium - Ohio State 5 Stadium. Home Team. They put spells on opponents. This is a new-money type of atmosphere, but that doesnt make it any less imposing for visiting college basketball squads. 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. 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. 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. People in the midwest know a thing or two about tornadoes and the noise of natural distasters. David Aldridge writes on Duke Report.com: The Crazies have become known as one of the most clever student sections in sports, but I think many guys come into the arena looking forward to hearing what theyll come up with. The arena is relatively tiny, seating just a bit more than 9,000 people at one of the premier basketball entities in the game. If youre tasked with traveling to Rupp Arena, it will not be easy or pleasant. Indiana has won five NCAA Championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987). 1. But the potential is still there, and Utah State is still one of the toughest places to play in the Mountain West. And for that reason, the atmosphere at Rupp Arena is worthy of a very high place in the pecking order. 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. Former Kentucky guard John Wall elicited a 110.1 when he returned in 2011. Honorable mentions are at the bottom. When you put together the prioritizing of student seating with a basketball school and a fanbase that prides itself in being horrible to outsiders, you will formulate one of the premier atmospheres in college basketball. The likes of Dwayne "Pearl" Washington and Carmelo Anthony have starred here, making it a one-of-a-kind experience for the college basketball fan. But as Oklahoma State basketball has suffered, Oklahoma State football has produced, and Cowboys fans have understandably shifting their focus further to the gridiron. You know a team of this sort is loud when a noted college basketball announcer says it's every bit as loud as an ACC arena. The arena is built in a way that fans appear to be almost on top of the players, intensifying the environment and adding to the noise potential. After undergoing a $1 billion renovation in. During the Big 8 Conference finals, former OKU wrestling coach Myron Roderick said, "It got s loud, lot f the lights busted n Gallagher. At least it gets those dag nab bit iGoogle Crapple Twitterbooks out of their hands. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. Mackey Arena is one of the biggest best college basketball arenas since it has a capacity of over 14,000 fans. Now, whether or not I think some of the seats in the Carrier Dome are laughably absurd or not doesnt matter. "The World's Most Famous Arena" has been a college basketball staple for decades. College basketball is a special sport, and the atmospheres across the country take credit for a good deal of that. Students are placed behind both baskets, occupying a large chunk of the space around the court, meaning their spirited chants and curses can be heard and felt intimately by opposing players on the floor. "The Phog" exudes basketball history upon entrance and remains a must-see for any college hoops fanatic. What's the biggest arena in the world? Utah State has an Oakland Raider mentality without the knives and guns. upholds the strong tradition of Golden Gophers basketball. Since Xavier began play there in 2000-01, it's won more than 250 games in the building. From 2005 to 2018, Kansas won every single Big 12 regular season title 14 to be exact. Ive watched too many games at the Dean Dome and heard the shoes squeak for me to put it in the top 10. Rupp opened in 1976 and has regularly seen crowds of over 24,000 during its 30 plus year history. 1. No matter if its blatantly obvious that the call is correct, Iowa State fans will boo it and boo it with purpose if it goes against their Cyclones. That makes Duke tough and loud, but not the toughest and loudest (though one man likened the crowd to that of a jet engine). The school allows wealthy donors to have the best seats in the house, and those fans dont have a reputation for getting loud. 405. A recent renovation has the Pavilion looking good while still maintaining the intense atmosphere that visiting teams find far from inviting. Shockers fans are riotous about their team and are constantly filling their roughly 10,000-seat gym to the rafters. Back in 2012, Nebraskas Brandon Ubel made specific mention of Michigan States Breslin Student Events Center. 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. The criteria to determine college basketball's elite arenas are endless, but here are the top 25 that seem to cover the basics: history, look, volume and then some. It opened in 1938 and underwent a major renovation in 2001. The Allen Fieldhouse, at the University of Kansas, is home to the Kansas Jayhawks men's and women's basketball teams. Obviously, it wasnt a long drive, especially compared to Providence and Oklahoma, but Flyers fans turned Nationwide Arena into a madhouse. Mar 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard D.J. 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. That's not far off, as the school also boasts that no other arena has hosted more games or opponents than The Palestra. San Jose State's Provident Credit Union Event Center: When you can count the actual attendance by hand, you know the atmosphere leaves something lacking. From being the part-time home of St. John's basketball to hosting the Big East Tournament (and even the Big Ten Tournament in 2018) and the final rounds of the postseason NIT, MSG has just about seen it all. 1. 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. If he could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High and Grand Lakes University. Center (Louisville) This arena is one of the more raved-about in the country and one of the biggest as it houses 22,090 fans on a nightly basis. If you haven't been . 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. Im sure some will say this top-10 placement is based on bias, which Im willing to give some credence to. Just ask Jimmy Chitwood. The location of the student section, called The Izzone, is absolutely prime. The Pit is 37 feet down into the crust, funneling the vocals and screams from the red and white down onto the court. 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. That said, Kentucky fans are animalistic about their Cats. 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. The fearsome and historic Cameron Indoor, which opened way back in 1940, earns the top spot on our list. 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. As a kid growing up in Columbus, Ohio, I was an Ohio State fan. 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. It is also fitting, perhaps, that the winningest program in college basketball history plays its' games here on these hallowed grounds. The actual hardwood in the 16,300-seat arena, called the James Naismith Court in his honor, confers an incredible home advantage. 14. Conference affiliations reflect those in the current 2022-23 season; all affiliation changes officially took effect on July 1, 2022. The place can be downright deafening when the Hoosiers are on their game. That has an effect on the atmosphere. The seating towers over the floor, and with such a wide-open, cavernous feel, it can be one of the most intense atmospheres in college basketball when it reaches above 15,000 screaming fans. Obviously, UK has one of the most passionate fanbases in the country - there is zero chance anyone could ever debate that. We have the VGK and Raiders (who themselves would hardly ever play at the same time as a UNLV hoops game), whoo hoo. The Carrier Dome is a domed arena on the campus of Syracuse University, home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball and lacrosse teams. When the Jayhawks were winning Big 12 titles every year for more than a decade, nobody was winning at Allen Fieldhouse but them. Petersen Events Center (Pittsburgh) I have attended a Purdue game at Mackey before, and it was one of the loudest things Ive ever experienced (no, it was not the game below). The Carrier Dome is one of the most unique venues in all of college basketball. That announcer was ESPN's Dave O'Brien, and he said the Hilton Coliseum was "louder than anything in the ACC.". Bramlage Coliseum, Kansas State 8. 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. Their efforts in particular gives The Kennel one of the best atmospheres in college basketball. It might not have the historical value or intimacy of its rival down Tobacco Road, but the "Dean Dome" can hang with any other in the game in terms of noise or intimidating the opponent. 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. 5. Students have prime seating behind the bench areas and stretching to behind one of the baskets, which is very helpful to creating one of the most raucous atmospheres in college basketball. Yes, definitely. 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. 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. 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. Assembly Hall, Illinois 9. The building continues to provide a strong home-court advantage for both Maryland's men's and women's programs. So please let me assure you your school is very special in its own ways, and who I am to speak on that precious relationship you have with it? 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? Any time the Jayhawks have to go to Ames, I circle that date on my calendar and make sure I watch, even if the teams are lopsided, because that crowd is liable to explode at any point in the game. But you wont find many arenas in this sport with a better atmosphere at its best. Not too long ago, GIA would have been unquestionably in the top 25. Cameron Indoor Stadium 3. But under Eric Musselman, the program has been reinvigorated, and thats brought the Hogs out in a big way the last couple of seasons.