Fansided

30 toughest college basketball arenas to play in

By Cody Williams

Mar 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard D.J. Newbill (2) shoots a game winning shot over Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Nate Mason (2) in the second half at Williams Arena. The Nittany Lions won 79-76. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 8, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions guard D.J. Newbill (2) shoots a game winning shot over Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Nate Mason (2) in the second half at Williams Arena. The Nittany Lions won 79-76. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Feb 21, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Donte Grantham (15) inbounds the ball in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 78-56. Mandatory Credit: Evan Pike-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2015; Durham, NC, USA; Clemson Tigers forward Donte Grantham (15) inbounds the ball in the second half against the Duke Blue Devils at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Duke Blue Devils won 78-56. Mandatory Credit: Evan Pike-USA TODAY Sports /

1. Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke Blue Devils)

There are so many things that combine to make Cameron Indoor Stadium special. The success of the Duke Blue Devils on their home court, the old gymnasium feel of the stadium, the history that’s happened in the stadium, and the fans all combine to make Cameron the toughest place in the country for teams to go play.

The fact that teams are on the road playing Duke makes playing in Cameron tough to play in to begin with. The Blue Devils, especially since the arrival of Mike Krzyzewski with the program, have enjoyed a tremendous amount of success on the hardwood and that makes playing them a difficult task. It’s a big reason why Duke is 830-152 since Cameron opened in 1939.

More than the success of teams and the history that has taken place in Cameron, though, it’s the Cameron Crazies that truly create one of the most intimidating environments in all of sports. With the small capacity of the arena seating a maximum of fewer than 10,000 fans, the lively and creative student section feels like they are on top of the court. When they reach out their hands to taunt a player inbounding the ball, you know the players feel that. You can almost see the nerves on the faces of players visiting Cameron and it’s the Crazies that bring that feeling.

There are a lot of things that make Cameron a difficult place to play, but it’s the Crazies that truly puts it over every other stadium in college basketball. They’re an iconic force of college basketball and they always give the Blue Devils an advantage in Durham.

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