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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TUCSON, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats looks on during the first half of the NCAAB game against the Washington Huskies at McKale Center on February 07, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TUCSON, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Sean Miller of the Arizona Wildcats looks on during the first half of the NCAAB game against the Washington Huskies at McKale Center on February 07, 2019 in Tucson, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

14. Arizona

  • Venue: McKale Center
  • Location: Tucson, AZ
  • Opened: 2/1/73
  • Capacity: 14,655
  • Home Record Since 2000: 254-40 (.863 Winning Percentage)

Our first high major school to make the list of top home-court advantages is the University of  Arizona, which has dominated out in the desert. Pac-12 schools never look forward to visiting the McKale Center, where the Wildcats enjoy their own great home-court advantage.

The McKale Center opened in 1973 and was named after legendary Arizona athletics’ icon J.F.
“Pop” McKale, who actually coached all of Arizona’s athletic teams at one point. McKale was at the helm of Arizona’s basketball program from 1914-1921, when the team compiled a 49-12 record.

The building is located on Arizona’s campus, and that convenience has played a large role in the Wildcats’ consistently high attendance figures among Pac-12 schools. Arizona has played extremely well on its home court, building a 71 game home winning streak between 1987 and 1992 and racking up 12 unbeaten seasons at McKale Center.

The combination of ecstatic students supporting a tough team makes McKale Center far from an ideal place to play for the opposition. Since 2000, Arizona has won over 86% of its home games, a trend that should continue in the coming years.