Jay Bilas names Top 5 venues in college basketball
Venues are an underrated part of what sports are. While more and more stadiums go to a more modern feel, there’s some, specifically in college, that continue to endure as classic venues of their sport. That is especially true in college basketball. ESPN’s Jay Bilas has been in plenty of them in his 26 years with the network.
In a recent post, Bilas listed out his Top 5 venues in college basketball.
Bilas ties Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse and Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium as the best in the sport. Kentucky’s Rupp Arena, Michigan State’s Breslin Center and Indiana’s Assembly Hall round out his list.
The list includes five of the most recognizable gyms in the NCAA. However, Bilas puts Allen and Cameron above the rest as two of the best in all of sports rather than just college basketball.
“Those two places are soulful. You can sit in there when nobody’s in there and just feel it. (They’ve) got a feel you can’t describe,” said Bilas. “It’s like Augusta or Pine Valley, Wrigley Field or Fenway. They’re both the best.”
He went on to further praise Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence. Bilas says the tradition and history inside is college basketball defined.
“The traditions they do at Allen Fieldhouse with Rock Chalk Jayhawk and the things that they do just exudes,” Bilas said. “The history of the game just lives there.”
While these five are regarded as some of the best in the sport, college basketball is home to so many more iconic home courts. Bilas says there are even more and fans of the sport are fortunate with as many distinct locations as they have.
“There’s a lot of room for argument there. There’s so many other great places. We’re lucky in college hoops that we’ve got so many unique and amazing venues that don’t compare really in any other sport.”