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NCAA Basketball Arenas

When it comes to enthusiastic sports fans, college basketball boasts some of the most passionate around—and every team’s fan base has its own personality. In the same way, college basketball arenas have unique histories, traditions and claims to fame. Whether you're watching Boston’s Northeastern University play at the Matthews Arena or cheering on the Kentucky Wildcats at the massive Rupp Arena, fans are guaranteed a raucous courtside experience.

Open since 1910, Matthews Arena is the world’s oldest multi-purpose athletic building. The home of Northeastern Huskies basketball got a major facelift in 2010. Just a few years younger, The Palestra in Philadelphia opened in 1927 as the home of the Penn Quakers. Known as the “cathedral of college basketball,” it’s hosted more games, more visiting teams and more NCAA tournaments than any other facility in college basketball. Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis opened in 1928 as the home of the Butler Bulldogs—it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

Zealous fans are never hard to find at a college basketball game. When the University of Kansas Jayhawks take the court at Allen Fieldhouse, for instance, they’re welcomed by the massive “Rock Chalk, Jayhawk” chant first adopted in 1886. This crowd broke the record for loudest roar during an indoor sporting event against West Virginia during the 2016-2017 season. The Wildcats’ Rupp Arena welcomes more than 400,000 fans—dubbed “The Big Blue Nation”—through its doors each year. Fans in the 1,200-seat student section at Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium have earned the name The Cameron Crazies, due to their habit of wearing body paint and costumes, and utilizing various strategies to taunt and distract opponents.

College basketball draws a passionate crowd, and the best seats to top match-ups can sell out quickly. Fans looking to attend a game should check out the NCAA basketball schedule early, and prepare for a night of excitement—both on and off the court.