10 BIGGEST College Basketball Arenas of 2023

Discussing the biggest college basketball arenas for 2023-2024

[@adak2050]

I have been in some of the games at the JMA(Carrier) dome where they set attendance records. There is no place quite like the dome when it's at capacity, it's crazy. SU bball has struggled last 2 to 3 years, but this years team seems to be better, so maybe we can get some of those capacity crowds in here. I do have to give hops to Duke though and Cameron, place may be smaller, but fan base is nuts, really tough place to play...

[@peterd.2220]

I'm a die hard orange fan, been to 4 games this season already. I love the dome so much. On Tuesday we came back and beat Colgate after being down 24 and it was rockin!

[@therealist218]

There isnt a college basketball arena that can even come close to the atmosphere of the JMA/Dome . You have to be there to understand you cant articulate to make anyone understand. The 1st time Duke played SU at the JMA/Dome I think the attendance was over 30k for a college basketball game,that's a different level my guy enough said!

[@fishflake1209]

Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, which has a listed capacity of 20,318 for basketball, deserves an honorable mention, as Villanova typically plays its marquee weekend games at the arena. Unlike St. John’s or Georgetown, who play their entire Big East schedules off-campus unless there’s a scheduling conflict, Villanova still plays a significant number of conference home games at their on-campus arena.

[@carseye1219]

As primarily a college fan (I wish we could go back to the '80s when the best players played long enough to get to know them. "1& Done" has reduced the sport greatly) I hate sharing an arena. I think all "home" arenas should be on campus. The era when a St John's or a Georgetown could fill downtown pro arenas is over. If students aren't the majority of the fans at a game, it is a bad situation.

[@samelmudir]

Seton Hall, Nova, DePaul, UConn (when they play in hartford). not on campus either. Big East schools tend to be in cities instead of college towns so its hard to build another arena when the city has one within 30 minutes. these schools also rent the arena at a low price where its a tax credit for the arena owner.

[@nickadubato5403]

All the big east schools have pretty small student bodies. Their home games on campus are often way too small for even a real broadcast and press staff. Seton Hall’s campus gym has a stage behind one of the baskets. They need to play at these big arenas truthfully. Their markets are usually much bigger than the student body itself

[@carseye1219]

Again, I said I hated the situation. I didn't say it wasn't sometimes necessary. As a young undergrad at Ohio State, walking to and from basketball games was a highlight. For those schools you mentioned, it's like some football situations. I coached at the U of South Florida (a different sport) and you couldn't give away football tickets on campus. Unless they were winning, nobody wanted to make the trek to Raymond James. @@nickadubato5403

[@matthewkester3677]

Georgetown used to play at the Cap Center in Landover, I guess they follow the Wizards (Bullets) wherever they go

[@christopherwebb3517]

You missed one. Freedom Hall, the old home of the Louisville Cardinals, has over 19,000 seats, and it's the current home court of the Bellarmine Knights - which moved up to D-1 a couple years back. It's still bigger than #10 on this list.

[@samelmudir]

i though Greensboro had the biggest arena in college

[@isaiahevans4930]

@@samelmudirrupp

[@NathanSpies]

The yum center is the best!

[@dustinsindledecker154]

It is very yummy in my tummy.😆

[@jasonmilly3320]

I agree. I only ever hear Louisville fans say this though. Most people like their college basketball "arenas" to be tiny ancient raggedy on campus gymnasiums

[@dustinsindledecker154]

Cant wait for college basketball to start.

[@sstorey79]

Thompson boling arena used to not have the suites on the one side and the upper deck went all the way around. It held over 24,000 then.

[@SuperDave30]

Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville Tennessee the interior the belly inside the arena reminds me of State Farm Arena where the Atlanta Hawks play.

[@richardsnyder842]

The Dean Smith center in Chapel Hill needs two major upgrades. The upper arena seating needs a separate concourse. There is also a huge need for a parking deck on the south side of the Smith Center. About the time that the Dean Smith Center was completed(1986) indoor sports arenas began to focus on sky boxes and luxury seating. UNC only has a small amount of those areas.

[@markveals2915]

UNC-Greensboro NC plays in the Greensboro Coliseum (capacity 23,500)

[@SuperDave30]

Thompson Boling Arena in Knoxville Tennessee the interior the belly inside the arena reminds me of State Farm Arena where the Atlanta Hawks play.

[@Ogga137]

I’ve been to Thompson Boling, it’s nice, and it should be pretty full if the basketball team lives up to the hype. I’ve also been to Rupp, and it’s nice.

[@shepisawesome]

Go Orange! It will always be the Carrier Dome in my heart. I think I help set records twice in there?

[@cardiaccuse9orng4lf82]

If they opened up the whole DOME for a Duke game they would probably get at least 45000 ppl to come out, even in February. If U've ever been to a Duke game there, U would understand. Those games are crazy AF.

[@lilsneady]

Um. No they wouldn’t. If they played in a gym bigger than my high school’s people would see how overrated their fan base is

[@noahnussbaum8693]

@@lilsneady you clearly dont understand how big of a game that is every year...

[@scottyb2688]

u frgot about unc greensboro plays at greensboro coliseum with a capacity of almost 24,000

[@KODAKJACK47]

Honorable mention is CHI health center for Creighton. Just under 19k capacity and the vibes are great

[@hartsickdisciple]

I've been to the Carrier (yes, Carrier) Dome for several games. It's a special environment when anywhere near full. I bet if they turned the court the other way and opened up the whole stadium they could get close to filling the whole 49,000 seat capacity for certain basketball games.

[@LaLakers17]

The YUM Center is the best arena i have ever been inside...not a bad seat in that arena, shout out to LOUISVILLE

[@BrandonBerkhan]

Bud Walton is awesome, got renovated recently

[@willpuchalsky8900]

I want to say Cuse played @ Gtown and lost 2 or 3 yrs ago. It was a pretty cool atmosphere from what I remember . Let's go Orange 🍊🍊🍊 There's no place like DOME ! Fyi, the moveable seats that's are put in the Dome for basketball games are actually the opposite endzone seats for football. The seats are on wheels. Also, it's been asked for years about Cuse putting the basketball court in the middle of the floor of the Dome for 1 game but was told they'd never do it because they couldn't figure out what to do about seating/season tix holders and who would sit where. It seems like an easy workable problem so I don't know how true it is.

[@GKAaron11]

Most of the team’s with nba arenas use them as there part time home arena. They have different on campus arena that they play half or most of their game at

[@chrisguardiano6143]

I would have recommended Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle to be added to the list since it seats 20,000 for basketball. However, the main tenant for the arena when it comes to college basketball is Seattle U (one of the smaller schools in the WAC) the attendance is poor. It is very similar to the situation UNLV football faces because they play at Allegiant Stadium.

[@greg6363]

The RedHawks only play one or two games a season at the downtown arena. They play the majority of their home schedule at the on-campus RedHawk Center with a capacity of about 1,000.

[@william7286]

Georgetown's McDonough Arena was meant to be renovated a long time ago. Shame that never happened.

[@JoeyB-2001]

If it were basketball arenas who's primary tenant are the college team (not shared by NBA, NHL, etc.) UNLV would make the cut

[@nickinportland]

The multi purpose community arenas like MSG shouldn’t count. College basketball should be played in their own cathedral. None of this hybrid hockey rink crap.

[@william7286]

NC State needs an on-campus BB arena - I mean, really.

[@ZACKMAN2007]

PNC arena is literally across the street from their football stadium

[@albertsancho5909]

Yeah you can see on Google maps to see how far their football and basketball venues are away from the campus.

[@FrankCasey-wi2hh]

Pitt's Arena should be included .... Villanova 's Arenavis beautiful

[@andrewnyr]

PNC was originally built with NC State in mind, only later inking a deal with the Hartford Whalers to relocate. "Basically an NHL arena that NC State uses" is an unfair description of what it is.

[@MattbebetterthanMcLaughlin]

The wvu coliseum is my personal favorite

[@isaiahevans4930]

Definitely has a unique look

[@garyhughes1155]

Not a bad seat in the Coliseum! A great college venue💙💛

[@michaeljoyner3651]

Thompson BOILING???? It’s Thompson BOWLING brother

[@scottmacdonald8942]

🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊🍊

[@LilG511]

The thing about the KFC Yum Center is that it’s big but the team is so bad they only fill like a quarter of the seats.

[@mal74]

It may be filling up again this year since we got rid of Kenny Payne. THE WORST "COACH" EVER!

[@LaLakers17]

The Yum will be rocking again this year since they got rid of the worst coach in history

[@Doggythunder]

Would have been a more fun list if you excluded the pro arenas.

[@joshwhite1494]

Dude you are killing me learn the university of tennessee stadium names

[@richvibeswithkeemrich1429]

Ohio State is missing!

[@bradgoodwin3691]

The Carrier dome should not be on this list, It's not a basketball arena, It's a football stadium with a roof

[@hartsickdisciple]

It's an on-campus facility that serves as the primary home court for a college basketball program, so it counts.

[@noahnussbaum8693]

its still where we play basketball...

[@LaLakers17]

Syracuse is a football 🏈 stadium so that doesn't count.

[@johnsprague5889]

Didnt syracuse do what you just said? Break an attendance record by using the whold stadium.

[@seanloomis2475]

No they have never use the entire stadium for basketball

[@johnsprague5889]

@@seanloomis2475 I thought they did 1 time a year or two ago. I don't know why I thought that

[@seanloomis2475]

No but i’ve always thought it would be a good idea to do that once a year for the biggest game cause they’d probably get 40k in there

[@joefilipelli3867]

They do sell tickets at the other end of the dome when they are going for attendance records..I think the record now is 36k which they hold...

[@user-fr2xo6sd6p]

#AWholeLotOfEntries!

[@damiant.mccalman8123]

Get rid of the arenas such as MSG and PNC since professional sports teams play in them because they are not true college arenas.

[@UnspokenPNW]

Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle has about 20,000 or more. Seattle University plays basketball games at the arena.

[@whatlol_e]

someone please tell the tennessee court designer to replace the awkward "tennessee" and put their T logo there instead. its been bothering me for years

[@user-wv9mx9lt3v]

Corrupt arena