Durzblog

As the college hoops season gets underway I figured I would have a look at the best venues to watch a game in the Big East Conference. In total there are 19 (I have only been to about 10 of them and will rely on a combination of reputation, television, common sense and hearsay for the rest). There are some great arenas in this league, even my lowest rated are pretty good:


19) Carnesecca Arena (SJU), 6,008 -- this joint is high school quality. Not much to say about it actually other than I have been to much nicer gyms for MAAC, America East and NEC games. Improvements are coming this season and the renderings do look good..the product on the floor these days is not helping...






18) Allstate Arena (DEP), 18,500 -- In general the structure of the building is not great (same will be said of the civic centers in Providence and Hartford), but in addition to its age, the place is just to damn dark, in the middle of nowhere and averages 8,000 empties per tilt...



17) USF Sun Dome (USF), 11, 324 -- This building suffers from its tenant -- there is nothing really wrong with the place. In fact, its a good size and the crowd is very near the court. However, if this is an exercise in where to watch your team on the road, USF will remain at the bottom of the list for most...



16) Prudential Center (SHU), 18,000 -- The Rock, as it is known, is a very nice building and the trains in and out are pretty easy. The Pirates are generally not very good and if this puppy is on a Tuesday night the place is dead (season average was 6,600 and even with half the building curtained off, it feels empty). A big upgrade from the IZOD anyway you cut it.
15) The Pavilion (VIL), 6,500 -- The student section at the ski lodge is pretty cool and the crowd can get loud, but it should be, the place is tiny...if my man (buckeye over at vusports.com) got his way and got the place expanded to 14,000 it would sky rocket up the list. But for now, I'll take my Nova games at the Wach...




14) Fifth Third Arena (CINC), 13,176 -- This arena has been open since 1989 and the Bearcats have only lost 27 contests in the building. The arena will fill for big games and the crowds appear quite lively. The Cats are typically difficult hosts. All in all a very decent prospect for a trip...



13) Dunkin' Donuts Center (PROV), 12,993 -- Great place to watch a game...good town as well. Though its an old building -- the renovations have helped a bit. The Friar fans are worth the trip alone, the venom spewed at Calhoun is unmatched, it is like a derby match in British soccer. If the Friars are good they tend to have very strong turnouts for most games...


12) XL Center (UCONN), 16,294 -- Ahh memories, this place is as outdated at Providence and the Allstate and most Uconn fans would prefer the games in Storrs, but when this place gets going -- it is one of the tougher places for a visitor to try and steal a win in the league. A bad crowd is 15,000...



11) Verizon Center (GTOWN), 20,600 -- Its big and the Hoyas draw well. Like the Wachovia it is not a band box that is impossible to win at for an opponent, but a nice place to watch a game. Its nice and clean, food is decent, beer is moderate -- not much else to say.



10) Wachovia Center (LOU), 21,600 -- The Cats don't play here a ton, but when they do, a big boy is in town and the place gets jammed. Nova is likely tougher to play on campus, but this is a good experience. The ticket has grown a bit tougher to get -- the out of towners are now usually up in the nosebleeds. A far cry from court side during the Lappas era...



9) Madison Square Garden (SJU), 19,522 -- Blasphemous I know, this place is one of the best places to watch a sporting event anywhere. Rangers, the Big East Tournament...the vibe of the arena is top notch, that is why watching a Johnnies game at the present moment, in the World' Most Famous Arena, is depressing. St John's get back in the top 25 though and this is top 2/3 in the league...
8) the RAC (RU), 8,000 -- If Rutgers was ever any good this place would be one of the toughest places to play in the country...They aren't and it's not, however its still a neat place to go to a game, and hit a grease truck while there. The students are loud and the stands are steep, nobody seems that far from the court...The Scarlet Knights seem to really get up for their home games...

7) Joyce Center (ND), 11,418 -- There is a history in this building, I can feel David Rivers running through the lane and those older than me can still picture ND shocking the famed UCLA Bruins. Its quaint and nondescript, but it is still a great venue. The Irish fans don't always come out, but when they do, its a tough place to play...


6) WVU Coliseum (WVU), 14,000 -- The Gym is large feeling and can get quite loud, part of the plan when they built the arena with a concrete ceiling. When the fans aren't yelling the N-word, they are very supportive and the Mountaineers are a tough match at home. Not many buildings have a statue of Jerry West to greet its visitors...


5) Bradley Center (MARQ), 18,717 -- One of the oldest "new"arenas around...Its a NBA gym that is a bit dated. All that being said, the Marquette fans make the experience a positive one. They are rabid fans and not in the northeast -- i'm going to dump a beer on your head and slap your wife -- kind of way. These are nice people who like their team and get really into the action. Overall a good experience...






4) Petersen Events Center (PITT), 12,508 -- They did their homework when building the Pete. The student section (Oakland Zoo) is right on top of the court and you can feel them. At the same time it is the only gym in the league to have court side suites for the Panther bigwigs. Its a great size and the atmosphere will not disappoint...




3) Gampel Pavilion (UCONN), 10,167 -- My personal favorite for obvious reasons. This building symbolizes Jim Calhoun and the program that he has built. Its loud and bright and you can feel the crowd wishing every ball through the hoop, it is truly the home of Connecticut basketball. The kids too lazy to get to Hartford for the Fairfield type games are always on fire and are usually rewarded with a W...


2) Freedom Hall (VILL), 18,865 -- Not may teams have a home that has hosted six final fours, Louisville does. The crowd not only loves the Cards but they know their hoops. The support is always strong, Ville is always in the top 5 in attendance nationally.




1) Carrier Dome, (CUSE) 33,000 -- With the exception of Cameron, this is the best place in the country to watch a college hoops game for my money. Syracuse treats Big Monday like an NFL Sunday and fill the place to the extreme (either one or two every year in NCAA home attendance). The faithful are tough on their Orange when things are going poorly, but are in jubilant hysteria when Cuse is on a roll. This place is Big East basketball