Top Mid-Major Venues

[talksalot]

This can be a double-edged sword... oh wait... our crusader doesn't carry a sword anymore... just the shield.
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http://www.midmajormadness.com/2013/7/9/4509244/mid-major-basketballs-top-venues

Is it the fans or the buildings that make a venue great? We explore a few venues from around the country and tell you why they are some of the toughest places to play in the nation.

As we continue to trudge through the Summer by profiling the best of the best around Mid-Major hoops, today we step away from players and look at some the venues that make college basketball special.

The Palestra
Tenants: Penn, Philadelphia Big 5 (Penn, LaSalle, Saint Joseph's, Temple, Villanova)
Opened: 1926
Capacity: 8,722

The Palestra is the grandfather of college basketball in terms of venues. Built nearly ninety years ago, Philadelphia's gym has become hallowed ground. No other arena in the nation has hosted more regular season or post-season NCAA men's basketball games, more visiting teams, or more NCAA tournaments.

When most think of the ancient venue they usually think of the annual round-robin Big 5 competition between the city's heralded basketball programs. All the games aren't still played on 33rd Street, but the annual event is still synonymous with the arena.

The cathedral is still home to the Penn Quakers and even hosted the Atlantic 10 tournament from 1989 to 1995.

McCarthey Athletic Center
Tenant: Gonzaga
Opened: 2004
Capacity: 6,000

Gonzaga fans still lament about missing the "Kennel", but the 6,000 seat MAC is a unique venue on its own. No one wants to head up to Spokane to play the Zags and the nearly ten year old arena is routinely the toughest ticket in town.

Since moving to the new arena, Mark Few's squad has a staggering 122-9 record in their new digs. If anyone should have the "Abandon All Hope" sign it should be the Bulldogs and their great fans in the Pacific Northwest.

Charles Koch Arena
Tenant: Wichita State
Opened: 1955
Capacity: 10,506

The nearly sixty year old building is nothing to write home about itself, but its the crazy atmosphere inside the "Roundhouse" that makes the Wheat Shockers home a special place. Wichita State has long been known as one of the nation's toughest venues to play and it shows in a 645-219 record all time at Koch Arena. Hostile, loud fans make all the difference in college basketball and the Shockers have them.

The arena did go through a $25 million renovation in 2003 featuring a new concourse and updated seating and video boards.

Stuart C. Siegel Center
Tenant: VCU
Opened: 1999
Capacity: 7,617

In the same vein as Wichita State it isn't the building that makes the Siegel Center special, rather the Rams' fans inside. The"Stu" is home to the 2013 Naismith Student Section of the Year in the "Rowdy Rams" and also features a top notch college pep band in the "Peppas".

VCU is 178-29 all-time in the building and it's not getting any easier when you add in Shaka Smart's HAVOC with the continued growth and passion of the Rams' fanbase.

CFSB Center
Tenant: Murray State
Opened: 1998
Capacity: 8,602

Only in Kentucky would you get an arena where fans wearing UK or Louisville gear are called out on the Jumbotron and forced to change into the home team's gear. The Racers passionate, intelligent fans makes "The Bank" one of college basketball's best venue. Did we mention the Racers 182-32 in this building? There's a reason why.

Corbett Sports Center
Tenant: North Carolina A&T
Opened: 1978
Capacity: 5,700

"The Dawg Pound" features one of the nation's most hostile environment and an environment that has been nationally recognized and produced a home court advantage for not only the men's team but the women's team too.

Stadium Journey sums up a night in the "Pound" quite well:

    The Aggies average over 4000 fans a game and that is far more than any other school in their conference. Those fans include the students standing at each end just 2-3 feet from the court. It is very intimidating to have fans that close. Twice during the game there was an announcement to stay off the court and out of play. But tonight the students were well behaved and they stayed off the court.

    Music is front and center at this venue. When the action stops the very good pep band swings into action. If it is not the band, then they crank up the rap music or sometimes some jazzy R and B music.

    But rest assured it will not be quiet.

I remember listening to a game on the radio when my Longwood Lancers visited a couple of years back. I had to cut off the radio because it wasn't even worth trying to decipher what the play by play guy was saying.

Cameron Hall
Tenant: VMI
Opened: 1981
Capacity: 5,020

I can't assure that if you visit Lexington, Virginia that you'll be greeted by a full house of fans, but if you catch VMI in the midst of conference play or against a inter-state rival then you're in for a treat. Like most military institutions, VMI alumni are full of pride and have a special bond. This bond shows in the passion they show for the basketball program.

In Cameron Hall you'll find knowledgeable, fanatic alumni and a corps of cadets ready to let loose. For big games it seems as if the corps are...well lets just say strongly encouraged to attend and they show up ready to cheer and let some steam off. The most unique feature may be the upperclassmen who have already received their class rings bang mercilessly on any metal object they can find in the arena. At times the chime of rings can be deafening and distracting.

Athletics-Recreation Center
Tenant: Valparaiso
Opened: 1984
Capacity: 5,000

Valpo's home is another case where it's not the building, it's the fans. The Brown and Gold continue to show up to make the ARC one of the nation's most loud and hostile venues. Horizon League teams cringe every year when they see a road trip to face the Crusaders pop up on their schedule.

[wh]

Athletics-Recreation Center
Tenant: Valparaiso
Opened: 1984
Capacity: 5,000

Valpo's home is another case where it's not the building, it's the fans. The Brown and Gold continue to show up to make the ARC one of the nation's most loud and hostile venues. Horizon League teams cringe every year when they see a road trip to face the Crusaders pop up on their schedule.

It's the fans, but also the building.  Think about it, nothing kills party atmosphere quicker than holding it in a room way too big for the number of people who show up. The same holds true for sports venues.  Far too many mid majors (especially the publics) play in venues with seating capacities far too large for their fan bases.

[classof2014]

It's the fans, but also the building.  Think about it, nothing kills party atmosphere quicker than holding it in a room way too big for the number of people who show up. The same holds true for sports venues.  Far too many mid majors (especially the publics) play in venues with seating capacities far too large for their fan bases.

Calihan Hall in Detroit is a perfect example of an arena that is a tad bit too big for the fan base. An 8200 seat arena seems a bit excessive for a team that can barely get 82 attendees to a game.

[agibson]

Anyone know this author's background?

Our inclusion may have grown out of the ESPN ballot box-stuffing effort.   But, it's nice to be included in something that's not the _direct_ result of such action!

[a3uge]

WHAT? WHERE'S THE KLOTSCHE CENTER ON THIS LIST?

[LaPorteAveApostle]

WHAT? WHERE'S THE KLOTSCHE CENTER ON THIS LIST?

milwaukee always fails to come through in the klotsche

[vufan75]

Athletics-Recreation Center
Tenant: Valparaiso
Opened: 1984
Capacity: 5,000

Valpo's home is another case where it's not the building, it's the fans. The Brown and Gold continue to show up to make the ARC one of the nation's most loud and hostile venues. Horizon League teams cringe every year when they see a road trip to face the Crusaders pop up on their schedule.

It's the fans, but also the building.  Think about it, nothing kills party atmosphere quicker than holding it in a room way too big for the number of people who show up. The same holds true for sports venues.  Far too many mid majors (especially the publics) play in venues with seating capacities far too large for their fan bases.

It definitely is the fans and students who make the ARC gameday environment special, and make the venue a tough place for opponents to play in. Definitely not the building. The ARC is sized right for the typical Valpo game crowds, even the sellouts. The seating capacity does handicap us to an extent in scheduling, in that BCS type schools basically won't play at Valpo due to the limited seating and resulting dollars they would earn as a visiting team. It sure can be noisy when the fans get into the game, or when a full house shows up for a TV game, or for a special opponent (i.e. Butler these last few years). But, it definitely is lacking in terms of what most of us would think are common amenities (i.e. A/C in the ARC so that players can continue to work to improve and expand their games individually and as a team during the hot summer months, like we happen to be experiencing now. I know, a renovation is coming someday, I hope, I hope! Must be tough as a coach to bring a recruit in during the summer months to give them a campus tour, including the ARC. Invite them to join the players on the court in a pickup game. I had to chuckle a little at the tweet Bobby C. made yesterday.

Bobby Capobianco‏@BigBobCapo19h
Valpo spends millions of dollars building a welcome center no one will use and we can't get freaking AC in the arc. Priorities man!    

I wouldn't say the Welcome Center was not needed, and a donation was made specifically toward that need. But, what I don't get is why as the years go by we never seem to have the funds needed for even relatively minor parts of athletic improvements. Examples such as a track that the track team and/or cross country team would use to train on and for meets, or A/C in the ARC. I'm sure ML has a laundry list of wishes and wants and is waiting on $$$ to be allocated by the BOD in order to move forward. Good thing our coaches are able to overcome these issues and still recruit well and win in spite of some of these venue (or lack thereof) issues and concerns.   

[vu72]

Is Hilltop air conditioned?  Seems like that would be less expensive and serve the purpose for a limited number of students/athletes who would like a cooler place during a relatively short period of heat in Indiana.

[valpotx]

I would have to assume that adding an A/C system throughout that much existing space would be pretty costly.  I ran in that gym many times during the season and summer months, and never once complained about any A/C issue.  I run at night here in DFW and it is 100 degrees at midnight sometimes.  Suck it up and be a man