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) /
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November 14, 2010: Gonzaga guard Steven Gray brings the ball up the court during a game between IUPUI and Gonzaga at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington (Photo by Robert Johnson/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images)
November 14, 2010: Gonzaga guard Steven Gray brings the ball up the court during a game between IUPUI and Gonzaga at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington (Photo by Robert Johnson/Icon SMI/Icon Sport Media via Getty Images) /

3. Gonzaga

  • Venue: McCarthey Athletic Center
  • Location: Spokane, WA
  • Opened: 11/19/04
  • Capacity: 6,000
  • Home Record Since 2000: 247-20 (.925 Winning Percentage)

A brief note before we dive into Gonzaga’s home court dominance: the winning percentage figure is split between two facilities for this time period. McCarthey Athletic Center opened in 2004, and Gonzaga has actually been more dominant since the New Kennel began hosting games.

The facility holds just 6,000 fans, but it doesn’t mean that it is any less intimidating for opposing teams. The arena was funded by donations from the McCarthey brothers, two former Gonzaga alums who own the Salt Lake City Tribune, and it has been a welcoming environment for the Bulldogs.

While it would be easy to write off Gonzaga’s success at home as a result of the small West Coast Conference, the Bulldogs have played plenty of elite teams at home in the non-conference schedule. The fact that Gonzaga has only lost 20 home games since 2000 speaks to how great their home environment has been for winning.

Gonzaga has also been known to put together lengthy home winning streaks over the years. The Bulldogs had a 50 game winning streak that dated back to their old arena, the Martin Centre, in the mid-2000’s and a 38 game winning streak that was snapped in 2015.