Fansided

25 NCAA basketball bucket list items every fan must experience before they die

By Mike Phillips

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the first half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: The Duke Blue Devils mascot performs during the first half of their game against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2020 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

24. Attend a game at Memorial Gymnasium

Vanderbilt may not be an elite college basketball program, but they do play in one of the most unique gyms in the country. There will be plenty of historic venues still to come in our countdown, but finding unique places to watch a game should also be considered in the ultimate college hoops bucket list.

Memorial Gymnasium was designed in 1950 at a time when Vanderbilt wasn’t sure how much of an emphasis the school wanted to place on athletics. As a compromise, the original arena design featured just 8,000 seats so the building could be adapted to fit other school needs.

There is a lot of unique acoustics and views thanks to this construction, including in the middle deck of the three-tiered decks. That section features a low ceiling and dimmed lights, giving fans the perspective of watching a basketball game like they would see a movie in a retro-style theater.

Another design quirk that is unique to Vanderbilt is the team’s benches are underneath the basket, not on the sideline like every other arena in college basketball. This can create an incredible home-court advantage for the Commodores when they are good since fans can be right on top of visiting players, making life very difficult.

The building itself is also very striking, so it should be experienced as a part of the college hoops bucket list for its own merits. Finding a date Vanderbilt plays a top SEC rival like Kentucky or Tennessee should make the trip even more memorable.