Fansided

15 best home-court advantages in college basketball

By Mike Phillips

EAST LANSING, MI - MARCH 09: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans kisses the logo after defeating the Michigan Wolverines 75-63 at Breslin Center on March 9, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - MARCH 09: Matt McQuaid #20 of the Michigan State Spartans kisses the logo after defeating the Michigan Wolverines 75-63 at Breslin Center on March 9, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
10 of 16
Next
PROVO, UT – FEBRUARY 09: Brigham Young Cougars guard TJ Haws (30) shoots a technical during a game between a game between the Pacific Tigers and the BYU Cougars on February 09, 2019, at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
PROVO, UT – FEBRUARY 09: Brigham Young Cougars guard TJ Haws (30) shoots a technical during a game between a game between the Pacific Tigers and the BYU Cougars on February 09, 2019, at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah. (Photo by Boyd Ivey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

7. BYU

  • Venue: Marriott Center
  • Location: Provo, UT
  • Opened: 1971
  • Capacity: 18,987
  • Home Record: 252-33 (.884 Winning Percentage)

When you think of dominant home-court advantages, BYU doesn’t spring to the top of mind. The Cougars currently play their basketball in the tiny West Coast Conference, with tip times often coming well after primetime on the East Coast.

The numbers, however, are staggering and demonstrate why BYU belongs on this list. Since 2000, BYU has won 88.4% of its games at home, compared to just over 53 percent of its road games.

In other words, BYU is merely an average road team but a dominant one at the Marriott Center. The building first opened back in 1971, and it remains one of the largest on-campus arenas in the country to this day.

One massive advantage the Cougars have over their opponents is altitude. The Marriott Center is approximately 4,650 feet above sea level, and that elevation is very difficult on opposing teams who are not used to playing at altitude on a regular basis.