Main as much as the 2024 season, Andy Katz offers his picks for the highest 10 arenas in males’s faculty basketball.
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1. Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas
Named after legendary Kansas basketball coach Phog Allen, the Jayhawks’ enviornment is without doubt one of the most recognizable names within the nation. The world at present holds 15,300 followers, who’ve created among the finest basketball atmospheres within the nation since 1955.
2. Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke
Initially named Duke Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils modified the identify in 1972, honoring historic Duke coach Eddie Cameron. Cameron coached Duke basketball and soccer, and he even served because the Blue Devils’ athletic director for greater than 20 years. The world holds simply 9,314 followers, however the Cameron Crazies pack a punch.
3. Mackey Enviornment, Purdue
Opening in 1967, the sector identify was shortly modified in 1972 to honor Man “Purple” Mackey, a Purdue alumnus and longtime athletic director. Mackey Enviornment holds 14,876 Boilermaker followers.
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4. Pauley Pavilion, UCLA
Pauley Pavilion opened in 1965, simply in time for the Bruins’ all-time title run the place the lads’s basketball group gained 10 nationwide championships between 1964-1975. Named after donor Edwin Pauley, the sector holds 13,800 UCLA trustworthy.
5. Bud Walton Enviornment, Arkansas
One of many latest arenas on the record, the Razorbacks’ dwelling opened in 1993. The world instantly sparked this system, as Arkansas gained its first and solely nationwide championship up to now in 1994. Named after Walmart founder James “Bud” Walton, the sector holds 19,368 followers.
6. Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State
Opening in 1971, Cyclone followers created the time period “Hilton Magic” within the Nineteen Eighties for the sector’s skill to supply sudden victories. This “magic” was on show final season when unranked Iowa State took down then-No. 1 Houston, handing the Cougars their first lack of the 2023 season. As of 2021, Hilton Coliseum holds 14,267 followers.
7. The Palestra, Penn
Because the fourth-oldest enviornment in faculty basketball, Penn’s enviornment is sometimes called the “Cathedral of School Basketball.” Opening in 1927, the sector has hosted extra visiting groups than any enviornment within the nation. It holds 8,735 Quaker followers.
8. Breslin Middle, Michigan State
Ending development just a few years earlier than Bud Walton Enviornment, the Spartans’ dwelling holds 14,797 followers. It’s named after Jack Breslin, a former Michigan State athlete and administrator, who initially started pushing for the brand new enviornment in 1969 — 20 years earlier than its completion in ’89.
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9. McKale Middle, Arizona
The Wildcats’ dwelling is called after James Fred “Pop” McKale, a legendary Arizona coach who at one level in his tenure was the pinnacle coach of the Wildcats’ basketball, baseball and soccer groups. The world has a capability of 14,688 after opening in 1973.
10. The Pit, New Mexico
Formally named College Enviornment when it opened in 1966, the Lobos’ dwelling shortly adopted the identify “The Pit” as a result of constructing’s distinctive design. The courtroom lies 37 ft under avenue degree. The world hosts 15,411 spectators.
Bonus: The Marriott Middle, BYU
Upon its opening, the Marriott Middle was the most important basketball venue within the nation, faculty or NBA. It was shortly dethroned by Kentucky’s Rupp Enviornment in 1976, however the Cougars’ dwelling remains to be the most important enviornment within the Huge 12. As of 2022, the venue holds 17,978 followers.