A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for nearly 30 years. Dayton is very much included in that. 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). Officially the world's largest by capacity, Pyongyang, North Korea's Rungrado 1st of May Stadium takes top spot. 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. Thats Opeth, Lamb of God and Metallica territory. Dash and steal the ball from your opponent in head-to-head matches! nd tht s the loudest I've ever heard it. 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. The Pit is aptly known, with its court settled 37 feet below street level. 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. The insane home record Kansas boasts is partially because its teams are generally very, very good. The huge multi-level arena doesn't . It also helps that the Blue Devils are among the best in the land every season. 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. 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 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. 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. The Pit is 37 feet down into the crust, funneling the vocals and screams from the red and white down onto the court. Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke 3. "The Phog" or "The Cathedral of Basketball," as it is affectionately called, was opened on March 1, 1955 and now holds 17,000 people. 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 location of the student section, called The Izzone, is absolutely prime. Named the loudest college basketball arena in the country, fans at Allen Fieldhouse aren't afraid to make some noise (and it's safe to say they won'r quiet down any time soon after the Jayhawks took home their fourth national championship in program history on Monday night). You have to respect a fanbase that has such a dedication to pure and unadulterated hatred for its enemy. 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. He missed one of the three free throws as the game went to overtime, where New Mexico prevailed. That's not far off, as the school also boasts that no other arena has hosted more games or opponents than The Palestra. 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. Yes, its for the basketball, but also the college, and by that we mean the insane, untamed, sometimes-alcohol-infused atmospheres that can be found in arenas across the country. Id expect the atmosphere to remain insane at GCU moving forward. Theres question of the fanbases passion, but the consistency of the atmosphere isnt there for me to justify a top-10 spot. You could argue for Duke or Kansas to be in this spot, but you have no argument for anyone else. As if playing a possible two-platoon Wildcat team isnt intimidating enough, the fans in Lexington bring the noise. How much better does it get? 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. 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. 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. 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. People in the midwest know a thing or two about tornadoes and the noise of natural distasters. The building continues to provide a strong home-court advantage for both Maryland's men's and women's programs. Theres close to 6,000 students at Allen Fieldhousethree times more than Dukeand theyve earned the title of loudest college arena. 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. MacKey Arena 9. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Dubbed the Carnegie Hall of College Basketball by legendary announcer Gus Johnson, Assembly Hall is known for its steep side seating and the Hoosier-crazy fans that fill it. When enough people can make a 22,000-seat arena shake, thats loud, intimidating and cause for exodus. 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). 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. 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? 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. They know how loud those can be. When Cody Zeller made a key steal against Michigan State, Assembly Hall earned a 115.3 dB reading. 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. Named after legendary head coach Adolph Rupp, Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington, KY, has definitely seen its share of victories. A tremendous venue for college basketball. 2018-2021 All Rights Reserved Nothing But Nylon is powered by, News & gear by players, for players Powered by. The Carrier Dome is one of the most unique settings in college basketballand, because it doubles as a gridiron, in football as well. Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt 10. Enter the Iowa State Cyclones. However, it still offers a somewhat intimate atmosphere near the court when filled. The aluminum ceiling contains the loud cheering of student fans and adds to the unique character of Mackey Arena. 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. Rutgers' basketball arena was originally titled the Rutgers Athletic Center (RAC) when it opened in 1977. At just under 18,000 capacity, the home of the Terps is one of the bigger venues in college basketball. Fans sit in a hole in the ground literally which makes even the farthest-away seats feel relatively close to the court. Prepare for adrenaline-pumped moments! So it's clear that playing at home can make a big difference in college hoops, especially when you have dedicated fans and can pack an arena. 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. The University of Pennsylvania dubs the grand room as the "most storied gymnasium in the history of collegiate athletics." In the last five seasons, the Jayhawks have only lost five times total in Lawrencethree of which came in 201718. I can think of several games Ive watched at this arena over the years that felt like my TV was vibrating. When it comes to sports, performing in front of a home crowd can produce a much-needed jolt that aids in success. 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've been to Duke. 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. Always free! Not so on the Beltway, when the Maryland Terrapins play host. Opened in November 2004, the "Kennel". Thats why Im handing out a few honorable mentions so a handful of fanbases dont feel totally ignored, and I acknowledge some other great places to experience college basketball. 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. The actual hardwood in the 16,300-seat arena, called the James Naismith Court in his honor, confers an incredible home advantage. The indoor basketball venue holds 17,222 seats and also houses the largest student section in the country at 7,800 seats. In 2017-18, the Musketeers set a single-season home record with 17 victories. (The team's 150-game non-conference home winning streak was ended earlier this season with a loss to Stephen F. Austin). Updated December 05, 2019 The student section, The eRUPPtion Zone, is one of the best ones in the country if only it werent relegated to a few sections behind one basket and a few more sections up in the rafters. Now thats what you call home court advantage. 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. 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. 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. By, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. The largest arena designed specifically for college hoops, the 23,500-seat Rupp Arena for the University of Kentucky opened in 1976 and is. 1 Tiger Stadium - LSU 2 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium - Florida 3 Arrowhead Stadium - Kansas City Chiefs 4 Ohio Stadium - Ohio State 5 Its twice the size as Cameron [Indoor Stadium] with three times the students sitting courtside. Jan 12, 2023. 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. Rated 5 / 5. Some are steeped in tradition, while others offer modern-day amenities but still remain a pain for the opposition. If he could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High and Grand Lakes University. We also have 10 times the population as we did during Tark's heyday. But is it a tough section to play in front of? Good run. 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. For non-Duke fans, it's another reason to loathe the Blue Devils. Their fans have also led the country in average attendance in each of the last three seasons. 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. The "Izzone" is one of the most active and genius student sections in the game. 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. 311. Alaska Airlines Arena at Hec Edmundson Pavilion 11. Also known as The Barn, Minnesotas Williams Arena is one of the most unique in the sport. The atmosphere is even more special during afternoon games when the daylight shines through the windows amid the throngs of spectators.