Attendance typically exceeds seating capacity in 2 ways:
1) General Admission/Standing Room Only Seats
2) Temporary Bleachers

That's how we averaged something like 105 or 108% attendance a couple years.

With ^ that big a disparity I have to wonder if it was a concert or some other event that seated people on the field.

7/20/2007 8:45:05 AM

Quote :

"how does a stadium have an official capacity of 92,000 but yet have a largest crowd of 104,000, that a lot of extra peeps."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Coliseum

Quote :

"For many years the Coliseum was capable of seating over 100,000 spectators, and the capacity for the 1984 Olympics configuration was approximately 90,500. The large seating capacity made the venue problematic for the Raiders, as it meant that the vast majority of their home games could not be shown locally due to NFL "blackout" rules (league rules do not allow home games to be televised locally unless the game sells out at least 72 hours prior to its scheduled kickoff). Furthermore, the combination of the stadium's large, relatively shallow design, along with the presence of the track between the playing field and the stands, meant that some of the original end zone seats were essentially away from the field by the equivalent length of another football field. To address these and other problems, the Coliseum underwent a $15 million renovation before the 1993 football season which included the following: [4] * The field was lowered by 11 feet and fourteen new rows of seats replaced the running track, bringing the first row of seats closer to the playing field (a maximum distance of 54 feet at the eastern 30 yard-line). * A portable seating section was built between the eastern endline and the peristyle bleachers (the stands are removed for concerts and similar events). * A modernization of the locker rooms and public restrooms. * The bleachers were replaced with individual seating."

Quote :

"Attendance records [edit] Football (college) Records differ between the 2006 USC football media guide and 2006 UCLA football media guide. (This may be due to only keeping records for "home" games until the 1950s.) The USC Media guide lists the top five record crowds as: * 1. 104,953 — 1947 vs. Notre Dame (Highest attendance for a football game in the Coliseum) * 2. 103,303 — 1939 vs. UCLA * 3. 103,000 — 1945 vs. UCLA * 4. 102,548 — 1954 vs. UCLA * 5. 102,050 — 1947 vs. UCLA The UCLA Media guide does not list the 1939 game against USC, and only lists attendance for the second game in 1945 for Coliseum attendance records. These are the top three listed UCLA record Coliseum crowds: * 1. 102,548 — vs. USC 1954 * 2. 102,050 — vs. USC 1947 * 3. 100,333 — vs. USC (2nd game) 1945"

[Edited on July 20, 2007 at 7:37 PM. Reason : ]

7/20/2007 7:36:17 PM

If no objections to the football list, I'm going to move onto college basketball. Preliminary rankings will start by ranking the conferences then choosing a pool of nominees from all of them to compile the Top 25. I'll start with the ACC first, since it is the conference everyone knows best.


ACC
1. Duke
2. Maryland
3. State
4. UVA (an undefeated home conference record was impressive in the JPJ Arena's first year, and it has a student section setup that's pretty decent even though it's not up to the standards of Maryland and State, and has the proximity of the Cameron Crazies to the floor. time will tell if the flaky Virginia fan base can continue to fill up the arena)
5. UNC (more due to the intimidation of playing one of the more storied programs in the nation and the sheer size of the building, even though the fan base has gotten a little better though in the past few years)
6. Wake
7. VT
8. CU
9. GT
10. BC
11. FSU
12. UM

7/20/2007 9:36:05 PM

Big East
1. Syracuse
2. Louisville
3. Pitt
4. Rutgers
5. UConn (note: when at Gampel, the HCC doesn't usually doesn't have as good of an atmosphere)
6. Marquette
7. Cincinnatti
8. Villanova (when not at the Pavilion, but at the Wachovia Center)
9. Georgetown (when not at that crappy 2k seat gym, but at the Verizon Center instead)
10. West Virginia
11. DePaul
12. Providence
13. Notre Dame
14. Seton Hall (they'll be moving out of the Meadowlands soon)
15. St. John's (even at MSG, the crowds are kind of pathetic and not very intimidating)
16. USF

7/20/2007 10:40:46 PM

Big Ten
1. Michigan State
2. Illinois
3. Indiana
4. Wisconsin
5. Ohio State (despite being the largest venue in the Big Eleven, it's to open. like the RBC Center it seats over 19k, but the RBC Center has three decks that overhang and make it more intimate and also helps reverberate the crowd noise better. tOSU's Value City Arena has two decks, but the lower deck is divided in to two sections, kind of like the lower bowl of the Panthers Bank of America Stadium.)
6. Minnesota (more due to the design of the place with the raised floor, but don't be fooled this old barn can get loud)
7. Purdue
8. Michigan (the Maize n' Rage student section is just too small to truly be intimidating and loud)
9. Iowa
10. Penn State
11. Northwestern (FSU crowds seem like the Cameron Crazies compared to this place)

7/20/2007 11:00:29 PM

Big XII
1. Kansas
2. Oklahoma State
3. Iowa State
4. Texas
5. Mizzou (a poor man's Comcast Center)
6. Texas A&M (used to be lower, I could see TT taking their spot if the program goes back to where it was just a few of years ago)
7. Texas Tech
8. Kansas State
9. Oklahoma
10. Nebraska
11. Baylor
12. Colorado

7/20/2007 11:07:39 PM

SEC
1. Kentucky
2. Arkansas
3. Florida
4. Tennessee (now that Pearl has lit a fire under their asses)
5. Mississippi State (The Hump can get loud for it's size)
6. Vanderbilt (another one of those arenas with a weird design, but can get loud)
7. Alabama
8. South Carolina
9. LSU
10. Auburn
11. Georgia
12. Ole Miss

7/20/2007 11:19:19 PM

Pac 10
1. Stanford
2. Arizona
3. Oregon
4. Cal (The Bench is one of the more underrated student sections in the nation)
5. Washington
6. UCLA (more due to the intimidation factor of playing UCLA, their student section is actually kind of small)
7. USC (more for during the 2nd half, when the opposing team has to face the student section and the sun shining through the large windows and in their eyes, as well as any glare that maybe on the court and backboard, provided it's a day game of course)
8. Washington State
9. Oregon State
10. Arizona State (sorry Herb)


I'll do the mid-major conferences tomorrow.

[Edited on July 20, 2007 at 11:37 PM. Reason : ]

7/20/2007 11:36:15 PM

eh, forget the mid-majors. none of them have home-court advantages that can really match those of the major conferences anyway. well maybe Gonzaga.


College Basketball's Toughest Places to Play Nominees
Duke
Maryland
State
Carolina
Wake
UVA's new arena
Arizona
Oregon
Stanford
Call
Kentucky
Arkansas
Florida
Tennessee
Kansas
Oklahoma State
Iowa State
Texas
Mizzou
Michigan State
Illinois
Indiana
Wisconsin
Syracuse
Louisville
Pitt
UConn (Gampel Pavillion)
Rutgers
Marquette
Cincinnatti
Washington
UCLA
Mississippi State
Vanderbilt
Gonzaga

7/21/2007 11:07:55 PM

#1 Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium - Capacity: 9,314

An old school arena that hearkens back to when students ruled the arena instead of big time donors and alumni. A consensus #1 in nearly everyone's book, the Cameron Crazies, Duke's 1,500 seat student section, are very good at distracting the opposition. The arena was dedicated on January 6, 1940, having cost $400,000. At the time, it was the largest gymnasium in the country south of the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania. Camping out for tickets is a tradition that many student bodies partake in. NC State alumni have recounted camping out for games in the late 1960s, UNC alumni began in the mid-late 1970's, but Duke students in 1986 took camping out to a purely insane level when a few students formed the first Krzyzewskiville. From the Cameron Crazies and Krzyzewskiville, to the trombone players helping the Blue Devil mascot "surf" across the floor, few arenas are as packed with tradition.






And one of my personal favorites.

7/22/2007 11:03:20 AM

Here's my suggestion for #2.


#2 Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse aka The Phog - Capacity: 16,300, Largest crowd: 17,228

Opened in March 1, 1955, Allen Fieldhouse is a claustrophobic's nightmare. Over 16,000 people are shoulder to shoulder, with 4,000 of those being students. Kansas' rich basketball tradition and tough crowd are a staple of college basketball, and while they don't do the clever little chants that the Cameron Crazies, the people who inhabit this building during the basketball season are very loud and supportive. Opposing players have even said that they have felt the floor vibrating. Traditions include the "Waving of the Wheat", the Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant, the sign in one end of the building telling the opposition "Pay Heed, All Who Enter: BEWARE OF "THE PHOG", as well as claiming two fake national championships from 1922 and 1923, much like our light blue brethren 20 miles west of Raleigh.

7/22/2007 5:38:24 PM

My nominee for #3 is Maryland's Comcast Center - Capacity: 17,950


While without the history of the two previous gyms, or of the one it replaced in Cole Fieldhouse, the Comcast Center is one of the most structurally intimidating arenas in the nation. Besides the 10 rows of students that nearly encircle every square inch of the court (there's a small press area behind one goal), the opposing team has to go up against a mountain during the second half. One end of the court features a steep 35 degree incline full of rowdy students, dubbed the "Student Wall". This architectural phenomenon came to be due to a design originally intended to reduce excavation costs due to a hill. The area features 2600 student seats meant to intimidate opposing players who shoot free throws in the second half. A loud and passionate bunch, they are not known as the most classy of fanbases. Maryland fans have been known to try to distract and intimidate the opposition with obscene and profane chants and signs. They even once made sexual references to J.J. Redick's younger sister who was only 12 at the time.

7/23/2007 7:13:42 PM

oh oh... they wont like this, wont like this at all

7/23/2007 7:37:48 PM

I agree with the list so far. Michigan St. has some passionate fans. They are talking shit about us already for the ACC-Big 10 challenge

7/23/2007 7:53:24 PM

I would like to put the RBC Center next at #4, but I'm afraid that so many people will think I'm a homer. Name places that have a better student section setup. Few do. Kansas doesn't even have as good of a student section setup as State's. The Cameron Crazies don't fully encircle the court, which means there aren't obnoxious students right behind the bench yelling at the opposition during timeouts forcing the coach to yell, like at State and Maryland. Plus the fact that players from around the ACC have said that State is as tough as Duke, really seems like a valid argument for the RBC Center being at least in the top 10. Paul Hewitt and Sean Marshall think so, considering their past run ins with the student section. Also a ton of students from other ACC institutions that have came to one of our games have come away envious of our student section. Not to mention the fact that the RBC Center is very loud and holds the record for loudest indoor venue in the US, albeit at a hockey game, but I've seen the decibel meter in the 120s before, when they've shown it on the scoreboard. I remember Brad Nessler saying during the UNC game "the crowd is deafening right now".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDQX2WJrlig

[Edited on July 23, 2007 at 8:20 PM. Reason : ]

7/23/2007 8:20:08 PM

I went to most of the home games at Kansas for a season, and it made me wish we'd done a similar renovation/HOF addition to Reynolds that they did to Allen Fieldhouse. It was a great experience and a very intimate setting, although I do feel that State fans are more brutal/get under the skin of opponents.

7/23/2007 9:37:23 PM

I second RBC as #4, not that I have been to many coliseums. Also, I have never been to the ComCast Center, but I have never really seen it as that much more louder/nicer/better than the RBC. But as I said, I have never been, so it's just my own opinion...maybe I'm a little biased.

7/24/2007 12:34:26 PM

Ah hell whatever, here it goes. #4 NC State's RBC Center - Capacity: 19,722


Of all the student sections in the ACC only one fully encircles ever square inch of the court, and that student section belongs to the Reincarnated Reynolds Rowdies. One end like Maryland has more students in it than the other, which is the end where the opposing team's free throw shooters will shoot during the 2nd half. The overhanging decks make the place feel like it goes straight up and into the ceiling. A palatial looking arena, it is easily the class of the ACC, with 75 luxury suites and 2,000 club seats. The building has three large concourses, and includes a 500-seat restaurant. Well enough about how nice the building is, this arena is home to the loudest decibel reading ever at an American sporting event, at 134 decibels. With a capacity of 19,722, it is the second largest arena in the ACC and the tenth-largest in the NCAA. The fans are loud and passionate, and also know how to get into opposing players and coaches heads. Many ACC players have said it is as tough to play in as Duke. Jeremis Smith and David Noel have been two recent examples. David Noel called State fans the worst fans he ever encountered and more intimidating than Duke, stating, "at Duke you might look out into the stands and see something that will make you want to laugh, at State you might look out into the stands and see something that will make you want to cry. They are out to hurt your feelings over there." (paraphrased)











don't worry it was an early season women's game.

Red and White game from 2 years ago









how can anyone forget this guy.


And a little bit of Hodge



Damn Hodge can do anything, even levitate a ball.

7/24/2007 8:36:00 PM

my vote for #5 Michigan State's Breslin Center - Capacity: 14,992


In terms of design this place looks similar to Wake Forest's Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, but has a better designed student section. Besides the bleacher style seating in the Izzone, there are also bleacher seats in the upper rows of the upper deck, which is why the Breslin Center holds nearly 500 more people than Joel Coliseum. The Izzone is one of the best student sections in the nation and one of the most recognizable, with their bright white t-shirts. The Izzone surrounds over 3/4 of the court. Like some places around the country there are a few fans that are very recognizable and just as much a part of the program as the players, such as Wake's dancing tie dye dude, Duke's t-shirt guy, State's Gregory Parrish (the blind kid that died this past year), UNC's douche (oh wait that's just Tyler Hansbrough). At MSU there are three students in the Izzone that imitate the Blue Man Group by shaving their heads and painting their entire heads green. Surprisingly MSU's first home win over a #1 ranked opponent happened just this year when #1 Wisconsin came to East Lansing.








haha

7/26/2007 11:11:59 PM

#6 Oklahoma State's Historic Gallagher-Iba Arena aka The Madison Square Garden of The Plains - Capacity: 13,611

When you walk into Gallagher-Iba Arena the first thing you will notice is the original white maple floor, which has been with the building since it opened in 1938, making the oldest original basketball court floor still in use. The place just goes straight up into the air (funneling the noise down to the floor), and the renovation made it one of the nicer arenas in college basketball. The boisterous student section, located at both ends of the court, chant and sing like a soccer crowd, flash the gunslinger hand sign every chance they get, and give the Cowboys one of the best homecourt advantages in the nation. They showed off how great of a homecourt they have when their triple overtime game against the Kevin Durant led Texas Longhorns turned into an instant classic, and perhaps the best game of the year, embodying all that is great in college basketball and its pageantry.

7/27/2007 8:47:29 PM

look at my Terps representing

7/27/2007 9:09:21 PM

Quote :

"Big East 1. Syracuse 2. Louisville 3. Pitt 4. Rutgers 5. UConn (note: when at Gampel, the HCC doesn't usually doesn't have as good of an atmosphere) 6. Marquette 7. Cincinnatti 8. Villanova (when not at the Pavilion, but at the Wachovia Center) 9. Georgetown (when not at that crappy 2k seat gym, but at the Verizon Center instead) 10. West Virginia 11. DePaul 12. Providence 13. Notre Dame 14. Seton Hall (they'll be moving out of the Meadowlands soon) 15. St. John's (even at MSG, the crowds are kind of pathetic and not very intimidating) 16. USF "

St John's can be good when they are on campus and if they're winning MSG is electric. I went to the UConn-SJU game in '99 at the Garden and it was as electric a building as any I've been to for a college game.. just depends really. DePaul seems kind of dead to me looking on TV and I'd put WVU over G'Town and probably Villanova and UConn too...

---- as far as the overall list, some non-traditional places like MacArthur Court up in Oregon and the Illinois home arena have to be up there... probably over RBC. I like our tradition and fans but the fact is we don't fill that place with any sort of regularity and to me that has to be a requirement to be considered Top 10 toughest places to play...

[Edited on July 27, 2007 at 9:44 PM. Reason : x]

7/27/2007 9:43:11 PM

#7 Syracuse's Carrier Dome aka The Loud House - Capacity: 33,000, Largest crowd: 33,633


Known as The Loud House for a reason, unlike some programs that try to intimidate by having intimate settings, Syracuse intimidates by having a large loud raucous crowd at their disposal. Home to the largest crowd in the NCAA, the Carrier Dome makes it hard for teams to play, not just b/c of the crowd. The dome effect on shooting has caused many a team to have poor shooting nights when making the trip to perhaps upstate New York's most famous landmark after Niagara Falls. The Carrier Dome gives the Syracuse basketball program a home court advantage unlike any other in college basketball, and has Syracuse fans saying Dome Sweet Dome.









^if you notice in this picture, both teams scores are 44 and they both have 4 timeouts left








^the one on the left yes, the one on the right



[Edited on July 28, 2007 at 9:44 AM. Reason : ]

7/28/2007 9:43:17 AM

#8 Illinois' Assembly Hall - Capacity: 16,618


Assembly Hall is home to the Orange Krush, one of the best and most supportive student sections in the nation. Unfortunately the Orange Krush isn't as big as the other Big Ten's most well known student section, the Izzone, which knocks it down a little in the standings. There are only 650 floor seats, and approximately 600 Upper Deck seats in the student section. Tiny in comparison to the 4000 and 3500 student sections at Maryland and NC State. Assembly Hall looks like a UFO that came straight out of a 1940s or 1950s sci-fi flick.







long live Chief Illiniwek




^this guy seems to never miss a game.

7/28/2007 10:44:32 AM

#9 Indiana's Assembly Hall - Capacity: 17,456

Assembly Hall, home to the 5-time national championship Indiana Hoosiers basketball program, opened during the 1971-72 season
and since then over six million fans have attended Indiana Men's Basketball games. It is one of the most unique arenas in
college basketball in respects to design, making it one of the most recognizable in all of college basketball. The stands are
very steep, making it feel like the crowd is right on top of the action, despite the size of the building. If you don't think this place
isn't tough to play in, think again. The Hoosier crowd has helped the team pull off home-winning streaks of 50 and 35 games
before. The student section is mainly relegated to bleachers at each end of the court, which seems odd since it has the perfect
design to also have students be seated courtside without affecting the view of the old alumni that have had season tickets
since the Hoosiers days of playing in the Old IU Fieldhouse (now known as The Wildemuth Intramural Center). The Hoosier crowd
and their traditions make Assembly Hall truly one of the gems of college basketball. It's a shame that the school wants to replace
the building rather than renovate it.













[Edited on July 28, 2007 at 12:39 PM. Reason : 9]

7/28/2007 12:35:28 PM

#10 Kentucky's Rupp Arena - Capacity: 23,500, Largest crowd: 24,465


With Rupp Arena Kentucky has tradition, a loud huge crowd, and Ashley Judd to help add to the distractions. Home to Kentucky
Wildcats Basketball program that has won 7 national championships, won by 4 coaches (the most by any program), Rupp Arena is a
home away from home for many Kentucky residents during late fall and winter. The Kentucky faithful eat, sleep, and breath Wildcat
basketball 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. One end of the court has some of the students situated in a fairly large
riser style section, that help set Rupp Arena apart from Thompson-Boling Arena, and the Dean E. Smith Center, two arenas that are
similar to Rupp in design, but whose student sections are not as noteworthy.





















[Edited on July 28, 2007 at 1:14 PM. Reason : ]

7/28/2007 1:13:38 PM

#11 Louisville's Freedom Hall - Capacity: 18,865, Largest crowd: 20,086


While not the darling team of the state, Louisville fans pack Freedom Hall regularly. When you first look at Freedom Hall, it's hard to
imagine nearly 19k people (sometimes 20k standing room only crowds) can cram in there. It just looks small when compared to arenas
that are at least 20 years younger. That low ceiling though helps aid in making this a loud arena, despite it's long shape. Be prepared
to hear the sound of people loudly spelling, with the C-A-R-D-S...CARDS! chant. They do it loudly and often. Kentucky has their
C-A-T-S...CATS, CATS CATS! chant as well. By 2010 though, UL fans will be bidding the state owned Freedom Hall bye bye, and be
moving into their own 22k seat arena in downtown Louisville. This was important to UL b/c they for years could not get quality OOC games
early in the year, b/c they didn't have scheduling priority, and would often be forced out onto the road by monster truck shows, concerts,
and professional wrestling matches. The new arena may not end up having the old feel of Freedom Hall, but it will bring in even more money
to already the NCAA's Most Profitable Basketball Program.









ahaha, this is a pic i found during my image search

[Edited on July 28, 2007 at 4:52 PM. Reason : ]

7/28/2007 4:50:28 PM

#12 Stanford's Maples Pavilion - Capacity: 7,392


The smallest venue so far, Maples Pavilion packs a lot of punch for its size. Considered by most as the loudest and most intimidating venue
in the Pac 10, Stanford has an all time .874 winning percentage in Maples Pavilion, and for good reason. Stanford's student section,
unoriginally dubbed the 6th Man, is located right along the court and are very creative in their chants. Around 1,200 students are part
of the 6th man, with over 400 on the waiting list. The 6th Man aren't the only ones that have fun, as the Stanford Tree can often be found
drunkenly stumbling around on the sidelines or in the concourse after being kicked out for drunk and disorderly conduct. Though
without an ultra hottie like UK's Ashley Judd, Tiger Woods can be seen seated courtside quite often at Stanford basketball games, who went
to Stanford and is an avid fan of the Cardinal. Maples Pavilion could be considered the Cameron Indoor Stadium of West.











notice how the 6th Man members are already in their seats well before game time.




Tiger V



^there's the Stanford Tree, probably drunk as usual, haha

7/28/2007 5:51:15 PM

#13 Pitt's The John M. and Gertrude E. Petersen Events Center aka The Pete - Capacity: 12,508


The Petersen Events Center besides being one of the fancier arenas in college basketball is also one of the toughest places to
play at. Here's all you need to know, in 2006, Sports Illustrated surveyed the Big East Conference's basketball players, and
The Pete was named the "Toughest Place to Play," with specific players mentioning the Oakland Zoo and the fans' creativity.
There it is straight from the opposing players mouths. No speculation about it deserving a spot in the Top 25. While I, and even
architects, have trouble with the flaw of putting suites right beside the court (who's dumbass ideas was that?), the Oakland Zoo,
Pitt's 1,500 seat student section named after the surrounding neighborhood, is one of the rowdiest and creative student sections
out there. Pitt has lost only one home non-conference game since the Panthers moved into the Pete in 2002, and don't think that
the Oakland Zoo didn't have a part in it. If only they had reversed the layout and put the students behind the benches instead
of across from them, then perhaps it would have been higher on the list. That and the fact that despite it's overall size, the
seating capacity is only 12k. A lot of arenas have ceilings just as high or lower and seat more.











[Edited on July 28, 2007 at 6:23 PM. Reason : ]

7/28/2007 6:21:48 PM

#14 Arizona's McKale Memorial Center - Capacity: 14,545


The pit style seating helps make this one of the louder venues, as well as one of the nicer venues to take in a game, in the
nation. Blue and red are all you see out in the crowd, with usually the large portion of red filling in one end of the arena
being the student section. This rabid crowd is hungry for more success, after Lute Olson caused the fans to become some
of the most devoted in the nation after winning the 1997 National Championship and losing to Duke in the 2001 National Title
game as well as going to the Final Four in 1988 and 1994.

7/28/2007 7:14:19 PM

#15 Oregon's McArthur Court aka The Pit (even though New Mexico's Pit is more deserving of the name, kind of like the two Death Valleys in college football) - Capacity: 9,087


When you think of McArthur Court you think of character. Inside, with it's small overhanging balconies, it resembles an
old theater hall more than a basketball arena. McArthur Court's character and atmosphere are unique to college basketball.
Oregon's student section, the notorious "Pit Crew," sits courtside. McArthur Court saw its first game on January 14, 1927, making
it the second oldest on-campus arena still in use after Fordham University's Rose Hill Gym. It's a shame that Oregon is
currently in discussion to build a new 15,000 seat arena on the east side of its campus, rather than renovate it, but many of the
seats in the 4th deck have bad views with some of the beams in the way.

7/28/2007 8:01:03 PM

6 minutes later, i still haven't been able to load the whole page yet...

7/28/2007 8:11:51 PM

^you need to get some high speed internet then. i've got Road Runner, and the whole page loads in like 5 seconds.


#16 Rutgers' Louis Brown Athletic Center aka The RAC - Capacity: 8,000


What happens when you put 8,000 angry New Jersey residents, b/c they had to pay ~$20k/year for an education at a
public institution rather than $10k or less like at most other state universities, in one place? Well you get what Rutgers
fans lovingly call "The RAC". The Scarlet Knights basketball program isn't one that is all that prestigious, but
their fans at The RAC give them an advantage and atmosphere that even some big time college basketball programs
envy. The RAC has been dubbed, “louder than a 757 from nearby Newark.” Jay Bilas once wrote, "The Scarlet Knights
play great there, and the crowd is right on top of you and intimidating. A friend said to me at the RAC: 'If the Pistons
and Pacers had their fight here, they wouldn't have dared to go up into the stands!'" Others have commented about
The RAC's atmosphere.

"It's appropriately named because back in the olden days, the RAC served as a torture device. It's always been a
difficult building to play in for us."
- Connecticut Head Coach Jim Calhoun

“It is very difficult at the RAC. They have a great home crowd. The student body and everybody really comes
out to support them. Just the way the gym is shaped, it seems like everybody is on top of you. At times, if you're
not focused, you can get lost in the game just by how intense the crowd is."
- Former Connecticut Guard Ben Gordon

“The RAC is a hard place to play. Rutgers is extremely tough here. They give you everything they've got."
- Former Connecticut Center Emeka Okafor

“They’re definitely some of the best fans on the road that I’ve played against. It’s crazy how much they love
their team. The way the gym is made, it’s just made to keep the noise in. It’s loud and crazy down there.”
- Former Syracuse Forward Hakim Warrick

“They play fearlessly in this building. That's their trademark. They make tough shots in this place. "
- Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey

"The crowd here is great. They are always going to be a factor."
- Providence Head Coach Tim Welsh

"The Rutgers Athletic Center has been a House of Horrors for Syracuse."
- The Syracuse Post-Standard

I deduct points for only having one end of the court with a large set of bleachers. The other end just looks
so pathetic in comparison. Also the student section isn't very large in comparison to other arenas. In fact I
think Marist's student section might be nearly as big as Rutgers'.










cameltoe like whoa.



That stupid Rutgers Women's Basketball/Don Imus controversy really has messed up doing a google image search
for "Rutgers Basketball".

[Edited on July 28, 2007 at 10:35 PM. Reason : 16]

7/28/2007 10:29:36 PM

#17 Iowa State's Hilton Coliseum - Capacity: 14,092, Largest crowd: 15,000


Like Rutgers, though Iowa State isn't a typical powerhouse, it does have one of the more intimidating home crowds and
arenas in college basketball. It's not just loud, it's deafening in there when the 14,000 Cyclone fans get going. The News
& Observer in fact once did a piece reporting that Iowa State owned the best home court advantage in the nation in the
past decade or so, ranking ahead of such powerhouses such as Indiana, Arizona, North Carolina and Duke. The student
section, known as Cylcone Alley, is located on at the two ends of the court, with one of the sections being larger than
the other.









I have no idea what's with the yellow ponchos, but it's some kind of tradition they have.

7/28/2007 11:30:41 PM

#18 Wisconsin's Kohl Center - Capacity: 17,190


Once home to a 38-game home winning streak, playing at the Kohl Center has been great for the Badgers and terrible for opposing
teams. The Grateful Red, Wisconsin's student section, wear tie dye shirts like our friends in
Winston-Salem, and do a decent
job at creating noise. The Grateful Red holds 2,100 students and extends from the floor all the way to the roof of the Kohl Center,
a span of 3 decks (seeing all these numbers on student sections has made me really appreciate how large our student section is).
Since demand for student tickets is high, usually the students in the stands come out in their best form though. Despite having the
students in only one end of the floor, the regular Wisconsin season ticket holders do a fairly good job at getting out of their seats and
making noise at key moments. It still seems odd though that a place that looks just as big as the RBC Center seats over 2k fewer
people.






















[Edited on July 29, 2007 at 11:22 AM. Reason : ]

7/29/2007 11:20:05 AM

#19 Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena aka The Basketball Palace of Mid-America - Capacity: 19,200, Largest crowd: 20,320


There's one thing you ought to know about Arkansas' Bud Walton Arena, and that is it has more seats in less space than
in any other facility of the same type anywhere in the world. Think about it, cram as many people in one place as
humanly possible and tell them to yell their heads off, and you've got a recipe for one of the nation's toughest home
courts and second only to Kentucky in the SEC. It helps that many Arkansas fans are crazy rednecks, and
unapologetic for it. Chants of "Woo pig sooie!!!" fill the arena, especially after something good happens.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wppVMWU-YDk

They also have a fan that takes it to the extremes and fires up the crowd, with a guy that is called Bubba Hog.
This large bellied man is a caricature he came up with of rednecks. The guy wears short cutoff jean shorts, an
unbuttoned sleeveless plaid shirt, a mullet wig held in place by a trucker cap. When the pep band begins to play
this one song, he gets up and does a dance that fires up the crowd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8Cr6o-nkwI&watch_response

7/29/2007 12:32:56 PM

#20 Virginia's John Paul Jones Arena - Capacity: 15,219, Largest crowd: 15,269


I may catch some criticism for placing this brand new arena in the Top 25 just after one season, but this place really impressed me
in its first year of use. While not as intimidating as the RBC Center and Comcast Center, I give credit to UVA for putting some
students along one sideline and along one of the baselines. Few arenas have students right behind the benches, a prime location
for taunting opposing players and making it hard for coaches to instruct their players during timeouts. They went undefeated at
home in ACC play and lost only one game last year to Stanford. Besides having students down low, there are also a few large
sections of students in the upper deck, to help spread the excitement of the students to the alumni. Time will only tell if the
Cavaliers can continue to fill their new digs, b/c they sure had a hard time filling University Hall, an arena half the size, over the
past few years. This one could easily fall out of the Top 25 if the UVA fans go back to their old ways, but right now they
deserve at least consideration for being here, if not a spot.












[Edited on July 29, 2007 at 3:14 PM. Reason : ]

7/29/2007 3:12:25 PM

it's my girlfriend's wireless router that's at fault here... when i'm at home it's not a problem

7/29/2007 4:46:14 PM

#21 North Carolina's Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center aka The Dean Dome - Capacity: 21,750, Largest crowd: 22,125


Yeah they have a wine and cheese crowd, but there is no denying that the Tar Heels have a significant home court
advantage at the Dean Dome. Whether it's due to opposing players being intimidated by all the banners of one of the
most successful programs in college basketball history, that they are playing in front of the 5th largest arena in college
basketball, or just the fact that they are usually playing one of the more talented teams in the country, UNC has used
all of these factors in compiling an .842 winning percentage in the Dean Dome. While not a great student section, the
current small amount of riser seats at along one baseline was light years ahead of what they used to have. They could have
at least put it on the end that the opposing team would face during the second half though. The crowds can get
moderately loud when they want to, but for some reason they do their "TAR...HEELS" chant from baseline seats to
baseline seats, rather than sideline seats to the other sideline seats. Seems rather odd when most other schools do their
chants the other way, Wake Forest and State being some of the notable ones. I hate to put this drab, brown building in
here, but there aren't many arenas that are that much better for one to argue putting them over the Dean Dome. It's funny
that they don't get lambasted like our students for doing non-classy stuff, such as holding up green cards when Gavin
Grant was shooting free throws. Couldn't that be regarded as being intolerant of foreign born Americans, and Gavin
should be a citizen since he married his high school girlfriend whose an American born citizen. Besides it's not like he had a
choice when he came here as a child.






Empty seats, see even the mighty Tar Heels program has empty seats during the early season games.


Man it's so ugly, and doesn't really help out UNC's claim for having a pretty campus. I guess everything around the medical and public health school and lower isn't included in the campus beauty evaluations. Just the older part of campus up near Franklin St.



Why is the one guy wearing a UNC women's soccer shirt if he's at a UNC men's basketball game?

7/29/2007 4:50:20 PM

#22 Cal's Walter A. Haas, Jr. Pavilion or simply Haas Pavilion - Capacity: 11,877


Haas Pavilion, formerly Harmon Gym before the 1999 renovation, is a throwback to a time when luxuries in an arena
were simply having courtside seats. It was built in 1933, and has since then been a terror to opposing Pac 10
conference players. Cal's student section, The Bench, is filled with 900 students that sit courtside so close to the action
that they could pull on the opposing players hair on their legs. John Wooden talked about how his players would have
the hairs in their legs pulled out when in-bounding the ball at Cal, and that was instrumental in why he asked for their
to be more clearance between the court and the stands when they were building Pauley Pavilion. New courtside seats
though have ended their hair pulling days. Despite their small size the students in The Bench make up one of the most
underrated student sections in the nation, and rival those at conference members Stanford and Oregon. On March
4, 2006, The Bench undertook one of the most elaborate and successful basketball heckling events ever. Weeks before
the game between USC and Cal game began, a number of members of The Bench and the UC Rally Committee began
instant message conversations with USC's star Gabe Pruitt. The Cal students posed as a UCLA coed named "Victoria" and
convinced Pruitt to send pictures, phone numbers, and make a date after the game. During the game, The Bench began
chanting "VIC-TOR-IA, VIC-TOR-IA" and completely destroyed Gabe Pruitt's game. He ended up shooting a dismal 3
for 13 from the field.



reaction to the Victoria prank

7/29/2007 6:23:25 PM

#23 UConn's Gampel Pavilion - Capacity: 10,167


Maybe it is because UConn doesn't play there all too often that whenever you do see them play there, the place
seems to be electric. The students are located behind one baseline between the North and East entrances of the
court, just adjacent to the visitor bench. Most of the students have complained about it and would like for the
student section to be located courtside. If UConn just would have known that their basketball team was about to
take off, then perhaps they would have built it to be bigger than it is, and they would not have to have so many
games at the Hartford Civic Center. Whenever the Huskies play at Gampel though they are hard to beat.

7/29/2007 7:45:54 PM

I hate UNC but they have to be higher then this

7/29/2007 8:35:32 PM

#24 Florida's Stephen C. O'Connell Center aka The O-Dome - Capacity: 12,000, Largest crowd: 12,621


I don't understand why some people want to put this place in their Top 10. Florida didn't even fully sell out any conference
games, and only sold out the Ohio State game this past year. They are a football school after all. Nevertheless the
structure of the building favors it for being a strong homecourt for the Gators. The student section, named the Rowdy
Reptiles (fucking assholes copying us , that goes for you too Texas A&M), sit along one side of the court and viciously
shake pom poms (I guess that's supposed to be intimidating or something ). The stands are pretty steep helping
the noise factor out. I've never been greatly impressed by their crowds (like Kansas, Oklahoma State, etc.), but they
are better than most. Time will tell if they are just a flash in the pan or are a program here to stay with the elite of college
basketball. Donovan did almost go to the Magic, which makes me think he'd like to eventually coach in the NBA, provided it
is a good situation, so that he wouldn't end up as another college coach that failed in the NBA.













^umm...yeah he must have been high or something.

7/29/2007 10:31:30 PM

#25 Wake Forest's Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum aka LJVM Coliseum, Joel Coliseum, or just simply "The Joel" - Capacity: 14,665


This was a hard decision to put it over some of the other places like Texas, Mizzou, Marquette, and Tennessee, but the students
at Wake Forest almost always show up. This is due to the fact that they have to be in the Screamin' Demons program just to have
a chance at getting tickets to the high profile games, and the Screamin' Demons program makes it where if they miss more than
two games then they will lose their ticket priveleges. They seem to always be into the game, started the whole tie dye t-shirt
craze that Wisconsin also does, and made Zombie Nation (a song very popular among soccer and hockey crowds) popular for
pumping up college crowds. They are known for their props to distract the opposition such as giant bricks, and spiral, hypnotize
inducing swirls, which has been copied in other student sections, Maryland being one of the more notable ones. Also who can
forget their "NO MEANS NO" sign and chant for when Shelden Williams was at the line. While only filling in one end of the arena,
they make plenty of noise, and are fairly good at getting the alumni up for the games. I know because I have witnessed it
first hand. During long timeouts a student, usually the guy with the top hat and cape more recently, runs around the bottom of
the arena with a Wake Forest flag, urging the alumni to make noise. I know that the program has fallen a little the past two
years, and who knows how Skip's replacement will do, but they continue to provide a pretty good homecourt and when they
are decent, they are hard to beat in The Joel. Chris Paul and other former Wake players have pledged to do all they can to
keep the 2008 class committed and continue Skip's legacy as well as get Wake back up to where they were just a few years ago.












[Edited on July 29, 2007 at 11:54 PM. Reason : ]

7/29/2007 11:47:16 PM

Quote :

"I hate UNC but they have to be higher then this"

Why, their student section isn't better than any of the others above it. They aren't too creative in terms of heckling. And it isn't all that loud unless Duke comes to town.

7/29/2007 11:52:44 PM

Think we would be #3 or 2 if we still played in Reynolds?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W93uGcPOlw

[Edited on July 30, 2007 at 8:56 AM. Reason : f]

7/30/2007 8:55:26 AM

ive been to probably 6 games at the Dean Dome....UNC vs Kentucky, UNC vs Illinois, UNC vs State (3 times), UNC vs Clemson.

it is by far the worst atmosphere ive ever seen at a basketball game. no crowd noise except for students on the bleacher seats, the stadium is ugly even on the inside, and most of the students with seats are dumb sorority girls who wear "Jackie Manuel is my Homeboy" t-shirts.

dean dome gets multiple

7/30/2007 10:56:34 AM

Quote :

"^umm...yeah he must have been high or something."

2008 is a leap year, so not really

7/30/2007 12:56:18 PM

did you seriously say the joel is one of the hardest places to play?

jesus

ken pomeroy says this thread is 100% bullshit

http://kenpom.com/blog/index.php/weblog/rabid_crowd_theory/

7/30/2007 1:00:36 PM

Haha I went to the Joel for the State game this year and it was 1/3 empty, hardly any students there (I think they were on Christmas break but still, we're one of their top 3 rivals), and they only got loud about 3 times the whole game. Then again their team played like shit that day so maybe it's usually better than that but I wasnt impressed. Also went to the Dean Dome and it was a decent atmosphere but games against Carolina at the RBC have it beat easily.

[Edited on July 30, 2007 at 2:37 PM. Reason : :]

7/30/2007 2:36:34 PM