NCAA Basketball: 30 best arena atmospheres in college hoops

CHAPEL HILL, NC - FEBRUARY 20: North Carolina Tar Heels fans storm the court after a win over the Duke Blue Devils during their game at the Dean Smith Center on February 20, 2014 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 74-66. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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OKLAHOMA CITY – MARCH 18: Fan of the Kansas State Wildcats. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

27. Kansas State Wildcats

Location: Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) in Manhattan, KS

Whenever an arena gets a nickname like “The Octagon of Doom,” it has to be good. Due to the eight-sided nature of the Bramlage Coliseum, the building reportedly received the famed nickname in 2007 but it was not popularized until a few seasons later. What makes this atmosphere so special is that the nickname did not originate out of team success.

For much of the time leading up to 2007 and beyond, K-State was a struggling college basketball program. In fact, the program was in the midst of an 11-year gap between NCAA Tournament appearances and home wins were not exactly easy to come by. Because of this, the development of what is now “The Octagon of Doom” can be attributed to the willpower of the fanbase to build something great despite poor overall results on the court.

Since then, the Wildcats have emerged as a respected college basketball program, reaching the NCAA Tournament in eight of the last 11 seasons. In addition, K-State holds a 136-31 (.831) record at home over the last 10 years. In short, “The Octagon of Doom” is a rags-to-riches story of a crowd atmosphere that has become something spectacular.

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