Top 5 Toughest College Basketball Venues to Play In

If I were to take a poll of all the athletes in high school or older, and ask them if they’d rather play a home game or away game, almost 100% would say that they would rather play in their own house. It’s a no-brainer; you know the playing surface better, and you don’t have to deal with any traveling. Yet, for me, and the conference I play in, possibly the most intimidating factor of an away game is the student section that shows up. I’ve played in gyms where there were 600 students yelling right in my ear and riding me the whole game. Say what you want about “blocking out the crowd”, but after awhile you can’t help but hear them try to get under your skin.

You see it all the time in college sports as well. The Cameron Crazies, the Izzone, and many other student sections around the nation instill fear in every team that comes into their gym or arena. Chants, trash talk, and just general hysteria can affect a player. Here’s a look at the top five venues that I believe are the toughest to play in if you’re an NCAA college basketball player.

1. Cameron Indoor – 737-150. That’s the record the Duke Blue Devils have accumulated since Cameron Indoor opened in 1935. One of the most storied programs plays in one of the smallest gyms. It also is home to the Cameron Crazies who don’t hesitate make sure their presence is felt the minute warm-ups start. Everyone’s decked out in Duke gear and even some of the alumni come back and fill the seats behind the hoops. The hardest part of playing their might have to be taking the ball out of bounds on the sideline where the Crazies are standing. The minute you cross that sideline, hundreds of hands are pointed right at your face, as close as mere inches behind your head while their voices are ringing in your ears. The Crazies give their players that much more confidence and clearly cement their spot as being part of the number one venue that’s toughest to play in.

2. Allen Field House (The “Phog”) – The Big 12 as I knew it doesn’t really exist anymore, but back when it did, Kansas was nearly unbeatable at the Phog. Losing only twice in 45 games hosted by the Jayhawks, the Phog has become a place few athletes on visiting teams enjoy playing in. Banners from recent years fill the rafters and the students all around the arena are screaming out the “Rock, Chalk” chant. It’s one of the most original and impressive chants college basketball has to offer and it’s tough to top the tradition that the Jayhawks have created in the Phog.

3. Rupp Arena – I’ll be the first to say that I’m not a fan of Kentucky at all. They’re stubborn and make excuses for everything that doesn’t go their way (stereotypically speaking). But those darn Wildcat fans know how to get the job done. Rupp Arena’s been open for 35 years now and the Wildcats have lost 65 games while winning 465 and John Calipari has yet to lose a game in the storied arena. Blue banners line the rafters of the arena and a sea of blue circles the hardwood. Loud from start to finish, UK fans arrive early and stay late. They’ll bash anybody they can whether it’s opposing players, opposing coaches, or the refs. They’ll chant what they want, when they want, and don’t care about anything but the Wildcats coming out on top. Combine that with the swag that Kentucky’s young team plays with and you’ve got an arena that’s not easy to play in.

4. The Kohl Center – Surprised? Wisconsin’s not a perennial top 10 team, they haven’t been to a Final Four in 11 years, and they won’t lead the nation in scoring, rebounds, or assists. So what makes Wisconsin so tough to play against at home? Try the record of 155-12 that Bo Ryan has racked up since taking over the Badgers. At one point, back in 2008, the Badgers had a home win streak of 38 games. The Badgers simply don’t lose at home. They’re fans are there and support the team, but they aren’t necessarily anything special, not when compared to the Cameron Crazies or the students of KU. However, Wisconsin is guaranteed to put on a show for their hometown fans which means the visiting team better be ready for a fight.

5. Carrier Dome -- Doubling as a football and basketball facility, the Carrier Dome on the campus of Syracuse University is one of the largest college basketball venues. The Dome holds the college basketball attendance record of 34,616 back in 2010 when Syracuse defeated Villanova. With orange everywhere and so many people, 'Cuse is hard to bring down on it's home court. Although much of the space in the Dome goes unused during basketball contests the place can still be deafening and the sheer size of the building is intimidating. There are plenty of tough places to play in the Big East but the Carrier Dome is at the top.

There are many more arenas that are difficult to play in, but these five are the toughest and the teams have demonstrated it with their records. The unique thing about college basketball is that the arenas are indoors and the seating is close to the floor. Unlike football, the student sections are right on top of the players, and because it's indoors, the noise is contained inside. This is a topic that could be debated hard so if you have a different take feel free to comment with your thoughts.