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Ranking the SEC Basketball Arenas
Posted on 2/7/24 at 8:52 am
Posted on 2/7/24 at 8:52 am
With Bruce Pearl’s jab at “just get a new facility” and Oats subtle response of Auburn having a high school like gym, how would you rank the SEC basketball arenas? Feel free to include our newest OU and Texas brethren should you know anything about those two.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 8:54 am to GentleJackJones
1. Kentucky
2-14. I don't know
15. Alabama
16. Vandy
2-14. I don't know
15. Alabama
16. Vandy
Posted on 2/7/24 at 8:56 am to GentleJackJones
quote:
Oats subtle response of Auburn having a high school like gym
You're another example of how a comment taken out of context can sway the ignorant into a false narrative. Congratulations on being able to count to potato
Posted on 2/7/24 at 8:56 am to GentleJackJones
The PMAC is far down on the list. LSU needs to do something to upgrade or start over.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 8:56 am to GentleJackJones
double post
This post was edited on 2/7/24 at 8:57 am
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:08 am to GentleJackJones
1-15. Don't care.
16. Georgia
16. Georgia
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:11 am to GentleJackJones
We’re probably #2 in attendance but #1 in DEI which is impressive in a league with A&M.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:12 am to GentleJackJones
Carolina Coliseum >>> Colonial Life Arena. CLA is fine, but it was deliberately built as a generic arena to host all kinds of events aside from basketball. It only sells out (~18,000) when SC is good which of course has been few and far between. So even if you have an okay crowd of like 10k, it still feels cavernous. The Coliseum was a proper college basketball arena. No upper deck, just 12,000 steep-arse seats where the fans were right on top of you.
This post was edited on 2/7/24 at 3:14 pm
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:17 am to GentleJackJones
In terms of best arena to park a blimp or build a 9-story building within, Coleman Coliseum is unrivaled.
This post was edited on 2/7/24 at 9:20 am
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:36 am to GentleJackJones
The Pavilion is one of the smaller arenas but it's probably the most beautiful in the conference.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:40 am to GentleJackJones
Our arena was built in the 70’s so it’s a bit older than most and lacks in luxury amenities but there isn’t a bad seat in the house.
We were contemplating tearing it down and building a brand new modern arena like what auburn or ole miss did. But the engineers that looked at the hump said it was actually a perfect “bowl” for the seating and you really couldn’t make it better for viewing than it is right now so we just spent 30 million this off-season touching it up. Some of our fans don’t like it and wished we had spent money for new but I love the hump and when it’s packed it gets very loud due to how it is setup.
Now, we have a club level, better student seating, concourses have been widened significantly and new more spacious entry ways.
It’s definitely not the best or in the top 4 but it’s a decent arena
We were contemplating tearing it down and building a brand new modern arena like what auburn or ole miss did. But the engineers that looked at the hump said it was actually a perfect “bowl” for the seating and you really couldn’t make it better for viewing than it is right now so we just spent 30 million this off-season touching it up. Some of our fans don’t like it and wished we had spent money for new but I love the hump and when it’s packed it gets very loud due to how it is setup.
Now, we have a club level, better student seating, concourses have been widened significantly and new more spacious entry ways.
It’s definitely not the best or in the top 4 but it’s a decent arena
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:44 am to GentleJackJones
He mad a jab at the noise being like a small stadium as they are all packed in.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 9:52 am to GentleJackJones
They've honestly made some tremendous improvements around Colonial Life Arena at SC.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 10:09 am to GentleJackJones
Rupp
Bud Walton
USC
Missouri
Ole Miss
A&M
Auburn
No one else worth mentioning
Bud Walton
USC
Missouri
Ole Miss
A&M
Auburn
No one else worth mentioning
This post was edited on 2/7/24 at 10:11 am
Posted on 2/7/24 at 10:11 am to GentleJackJones
If UGA's isn't last, then something has happened in the last few years to change things.
Stegman was a dump 25 years ago when I was in Athens. It's a rodeo venue that gets used for basketball when the rodeo isn't in town.
Stegman was a dump 25 years ago when I was in Athens. It's a rodeo venue that gets used for basketball when the rodeo isn't in town.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 10:15 am to GentleJackJones
Muss, Cal, and Pearl all have awful records in tHanger. Truly the best atmosphere
Posted on 2/7/24 at 10:32 am to GentleJackJones
Rupp Arena is not imposing at all. I hate to say it but it's true.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 10:58 am to GentleJackJones
This is a couple of years old.
LINK
SEC basketball arenas ranked
1. Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas). Opening in 1993, Bud Walton Arena quickly became a crown jewel for college basketball as the first team to ever play in this building won a National Championship. Bud Walton is also the fifth largest on-campus basketball facility in the nation and is an intimidating a venue there is when the Razorbacks are good.
2. Rupp Arena (Kentucky). The largest basketball-only arena in America, Rupp opened in 1976 and has regularly seen crowds of over 24,000 during its 30 plus year history. It is also fitting, perhaps, that the winningest program in college basketball history plays its’ games here on these hallowed grounds.
3. Auburn Arena (Auburn). It’s perfectly sized to house Auburn hoops at a shade under 10,000 capacity, and still feels brand new despite being built in 2010. Head coach Bruce Pearl has routinely kept the building filled and the program thriving.
4. Thompson-Boling Arena (Tennessee). With a seating capacity at nearly 22,000, Thompson-Boling Arena stands out a terrific basketball venue. Both the Tennessee men’s team, as well as the women, see large crowds and great atmospheres for games. Legendary Lady Vol coach Pat Summit has recently had the court named after her.
5. Pavilion at Ole Miss (Ole Miss). Ole Miss went the Auburn route when they built The Pavilion back in 2016. Winning has not exactly followed these fresh new digs but the arena is a tremendous showcase for recruiting.
6. Mizzou Arena (Missouri). With Missouri’s addition to the SEC, the conference acquired a program with solid basketball tradition (Most of the last decade not withstanding) and one of America’s great basketball venues. Mizzou Arena opened in 2004 and with a seating capacity at just over 15,000, feels a lot like an NBA atmosphere at times.
7. Reed Arena (Texas A&M). Hard to believe this venue is 24 years old as it still holds up as one of the “nicer” arenas in the SEC. Reed Arena is known to get pretty rowdy at times and routinely plays host to big concerts and other entertainment vehicles like WWE.
8.Colonial Life Arena (South Carolina). With room for 18,000 spectators, Colonial Life Arena is a beautiful facility and is the largest indoor arena in the state of South Carolina…Now if only the USC basketball program would start winning basketball games to capitalize on their Final 4 season of 2017.
9. O’Connell Center (Florida). The “rowdy reptiles” help make the 11,000 seat O’Connell Center one of the tougher places to play in college basketball. The Florida basketball program was able to sustain a great deal of success under Billy Donovan and are waiting for the Mike White era to get back to that level.
10. Memorial Gym (Vanderbilt). Memorial Gym was built in the early 1950’s as a memorial to those killed in World War II. It is one of the most unique venues in college basketball due to the raised floor and the fact that the arena’s configuration resembles that of a theater. The venue now seats over 14,000 and has become one of the more intimidating venues to travel to in the Southeastern Conference.
11. Pete Maravich Assembly Center (LSU). Opening in 1972, this 13,000 seat venue has played host to LSU hoops for over 40 years. It is named after LSU’s favorite basketball son, Pete Maravich and is known to draw decent crowds especially when the Tigers are good (which has been hit-and-miss).
12. Humphrey Coliseum (Miss. State). Nicknamed “The Hump,” this 10,000 seat venue has been known to be one of the louder in the SEC and is quite intimidating despite its age. Former Florida Gator Corey Brewer once said of the Humphrey Coliseum “It gets loud, I don’t know why. It’s a different kind of loud. So loud that you can’t think.”
13. Coleman Coliseum (Alabama). Coleman gets a few extra points because Elvis Presley once played this venue, and as impressive as Bryant-Denny Stadium is in Tuscaloosa, Coleman Coliseum is really just a gym. Nothing really stands out about the venue and the Crimson Tide basketball program has routinely been average.
14. Stegman Coliseum (Georgia). After finally breaking through and winning a championship in football, it’s time for Bulldog basketball to rise out of lethargy. A new on-campus facility is severely needed at this point to serve as a reboot for the program.
LINK
SEC basketball arenas ranked
1. Bud Walton Arena (Arkansas). Opening in 1993, Bud Walton Arena quickly became a crown jewel for college basketball as the first team to ever play in this building won a National Championship. Bud Walton is also the fifth largest on-campus basketball facility in the nation and is an intimidating a venue there is when the Razorbacks are good.
2. Rupp Arena (Kentucky). The largest basketball-only arena in America, Rupp opened in 1976 and has regularly seen crowds of over 24,000 during its 30 plus year history. It is also fitting, perhaps, that the winningest program in college basketball history plays its’ games here on these hallowed grounds.
3. Auburn Arena (Auburn). It’s perfectly sized to house Auburn hoops at a shade under 10,000 capacity, and still feels brand new despite being built in 2010. Head coach Bruce Pearl has routinely kept the building filled and the program thriving.
4. Thompson-Boling Arena (Tennessee). With a seating capacity at nearly 22,000, Thompson-Boling Arena stands out a terrific basketball venue. Both the Tennessee men’s team, as well as the women, see large crowds and great atmospheres for games. Legendary Lady Vol coach Pat Summit has recently had the court named after her.
5. Pavilion at Ole Miss (Ole Miss). Ole Miss went the Auburn route when they built The Pavilion back in 2016. Winning has not exactly followed these fresh new digs but the arena is a tremendous showcase for recruiting.
6. Mizzou Arena (Missouri). With Missouri’s addition to the SEC, the conference acquired a program with solid basketball tradition (Most of the last decade not withstanding) and one of America’s great basketball venues. Mizzou Arena opened in 2004 and with a seating capacity at just over 15,000, feels a lot like an NBA atmosphere at times.
7. Reed Arena (Texas A&M). Hard to believe this venue is 24 years old as it still holds up as one of the “nicer” arenas in the SEC. Reed Arena is known to get pretty rowdy at times and routinely plays host to big concerts and other entertainment vehicles like WWE.
8.Colonial Life Arena (South Carolina). With room for 18,000 spectators, Colonial Life Arena is a beautiful facility and is the largest indoor arena in the state of South Carolina…Now if only the USC basketball program would start winning basketball games to capitalize on their Final 4 season of 2017.
9. O’Connell Center (Florida). The “rowdy reptiles” help make the 11,000 seat O’Connell Center one of the tougher places to play in college basketball. The Florida basketball program was able to sustain a great deal of success under Billy Donovan and are waiting for the Mike White era to get back to that level.
10. Memorial Gym (Vanderbilt). Memorial Gym was built in the early 1950’s as a memorial to those killed in World War II. It is one of the most unique venues in college basketball due to the raised floor and the fact that the arena’s configuration resembles that of a theater. The venue now seats over 14,000 and has become one of the more intimidating venues to travel to in the Southeastern Conference.
11. Pete Maravich Assembly Center (LSU). Opening in 1972, this 13,000 seat venue has played host to LSU hoops for over 40 years. It is named after LSU’s favorite basketball son, Pete Maravich and is known to draw decent crowds especially when the Tigers are good (which has been hit-and-miss).
12. Humphrey Coliseum (Miss. State). Nicknamed “The Hump,” this 10,000 seat venue has been known to be one of the louder in the SEC and is quite intimidating despite its age. Former Florida Gator Corey Brewer once said of the Humphrey Coliseum “It gets loud, I don’t know why. It’s a different kind of loud. So loud that you can’t think.”
13. Coleman Coliseum (Alabama). Coleman gets a few extra points because Elvis Presley once played this venue, and as impressive as Bryant-Denny Stadium is in Tuscaloosa, Coleman Coliseum is really just a gym. Nothing really stands out about the venue and the Crimson Tide basketball program has routinely been average.
14. Stegman Coliseum (Georgia). After finally breaking through and winning a championship in football, it’s time for Bulldog basketball to rise out of lethargy. A new on-campus facility is severely needed at this point to serve as a reboot for the program.
Posted on 2/7/24 at 11:35 am to GentleJackJones
I’m not saying ours is the worst looking, definitely bottom 4-5, but you have to evacuate the building and have it condemned for many months while repairs are made…..that puts you at the bottom. Congrats Bama on #15
Posted on 2/7/24 at 12:15 pm to GentleJackJones
Just based on "nicest" or coolest:
1) Mizzou Arena
2) Auburn
3) Ole Miss
4) Arkansas
5) Texas (when the upper deck is open)
6) Tennessee
7) Texas A&M
8) South carolina
9) Kentucky (it is big but sucks in every other way)
10) LSU
11) MSU
12) Florida
13) Georgia
14) Vandy
15) Oklahoma
16) Alabama
1) Mizzou Arena
2) Auburn
3) Ole Miss
4) Arkansas
5) Texas (when the upper deck is open)
6) Tennessee
7) Texas A&M
8) South carolina
9) Kentucky (it is big but sucks in every other way)
10) LSU
11) MSU
12) Florida
13) Georgia
14) Vandy
15) Oklahoma
16) Alabama
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