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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Mar 3, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks fans show their support during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won their 11th consecutive Big 12 Championship 76-69. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 3, 2015; Lawrence, KS, USA; Kansas Jayhawks fans show their support during the second half against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won their 11th consecutive Big 12 Championship 76-69. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports /

These 30 arenas are the toughest environments in all of college basketball

Home-court advantage is something that you can’t always quantify. There aren’t necessarily statistics that account for why teams play better at home traditionally or stats that give any explanation as to why some teams are better at home than others. All that we know is that home-court advantage is a very real thing and not all home-court advantages are created equal.

There are many famed home-court or home-field advantages in the world of sports. We all know that playing against the Golden State Warriors in ORACLE can be a near impossible task. That’s a feeling that opponents who travel to CenturyLink Field to play the Seattle Seahawks and are deafened by the sound of the crowd can attest to. However, those are so prevalent because there aren’t exactly any other environments in their respective leagues that rival those home-court advantages. There are other stadiums or arenas that are loud and tough to visit, but not on that level.

Where that changes is in the world of college basketball, where there are arenas scattered across the nation that offer a massive advantage for the home team. In turn, these arenas also present a challenge for opponents who have to play there in a road game. College basketball is in a league of its own when it comes to tough places to play.

There are a number of reasons that an arena can be a difficult environment for opponents to play. Obviously a huge factor is the student section. Student sections take on a life of their own in the world of college basketball. They get their own nicknames, the create movements and chants, and they undoubtedly make a great deal of noise. A great student section is a big part of an arena’s luster.

Another factor in all of this is the location and design of an arena. An arena sitting in North Dakota isn’t going to hold the same weight as an arena in one of the more basketball-rich locations in the country. Moreover, not every arena is made from the same mold. Quirks and different traits of different arenas can add to their mystique and sometimes make places more difficult to play in.

One of the most underrated factors, though, is simply the history of a program. There’s something intimidating about going up against a team with a long running ride as one of the country’s best teams. Moreover, opponents looking into the rafters and seeing National Championship banners and retired jerseys of all-time greats is nothing to scoff at either.

When you factor all of these things into the equation, there are still countless college basketball arenas that are tough for opponents to visit. That being said, there are some venues that stand a cut above the rest. These are the 30 toughest college basketball arenas to play in:

(All stadium records are via rpiratings.com)

Next: No. 30 Value City Arena