What makes an arena one of the best? Is it a shiny new arenas with plush seats? Is it the size of the arena? Is it the fans and the atmosphere? Is it a competitive home team? Is it a combination?

There is a publication called Stadium Journey which rates not only college basketball arenas but any sporting venue from soccer to football to auto racing to college baseball. They have come up with a rating system in which venues are rated. It is called “FANFARE” and it stands for:

Food and Beverage- because let’s face it, half the reason to go to games is to eat and drink

Atmosphere- Gotta have a good vibe going. Nobody wants to go to a game if everyone is having a bad time.

Neighborhood- Nobody likes going to games and worrying about someone stealing theor car. Plus, you might want to do something before or after the game.

Fans- You might want to know how they feel about people going there and rooting for the visitors if that is your plan.

Access- Nobody wants to get lost on their way to and from the game. Also, people don’t want to be caught in a drive by on their way to the stadium. It would also be nice to know there will be a two-hour traffic jam before the game too.

Return on Investment– Is the money you will spend worth the entertainment you will get?

Extras- Is there something that stands out from the crowd that you will see or do there that you won’t at other venues?

Each gets a score from 1-5, 5 being the best. The top rated college basketball arenas are:

Rupp Arena– Rupp gets a 4.6 which is an extremely good score.

Dean Smith Center– The Dean Dome gets a 4.4. No surprise there.

Hinkle Fieldhouse- The home of the Butler Bulldogs is also where the final scene of “Hoosiers” was shot. It scored a 4.4.

Crisler Center- The home of the runner-up Michigan Wolverines scored a 4.4.

Breslin Center- The home of the Michigan State Spartans gets a 4.4.

Erwin Center- Texas Longhorns have a great basketball arena that gets a 4.4.

Carrier Dome- Syracuse gets a 4.3. Not bad for a football stadium/basketball arena built in the 1980s.

Verizon Center- Georgetown shares this with the Washington Wizards. It scored a 4.3.

KC Yum Center- Funny name but the home of the national champion Louisville Cardinals scored a 4.3.

Cameron Indoor Stadium- Duke’s storied arena gets a 4.1. Not bad for such a small place.

These are just a few of the arenas this publication has rated. Of course, as you might expect, the better the team, the better the score. Atmosphere and Fans count for a good bit of the score and good teams in big arenas have an advantage there. But, there are some nice scores form schools one might not expect, such as the UCF Knights, who scored a 3.9 which is right up there with the Florida Gators, UCLA Bruins, Tennessee Volunteers, Arizona Wildcats, St. John’s Red Storm and other big name programs.

Florida Gulf Coast gets a 3.3 in case you are wondering about the arena in “Dunk City.” Oregon’s arena scored a 3.9 even with that ugly court.

So no matter what college basketball arena you think you might want to visit, check out Stadium Journey because they have already checked it out and they can give you the scoop.

 

 

 

 

 

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