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) /

8 of 31

PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 12: The Palestra. (Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

24. Penn Quakers

Location: The Palestra (8,725) in Philadelphia, PA

When it comes to historical buildings in college sports, The Palestra belongs right near the top of the list. Widely regarded as “The Cathedral of College Basketball,” this building was constructed in 1927 and is still one of the most renowned buildings in sports. Heck, it even has its own ESPN special. Home to the Penn Quakers during the regular season, it would be a mistake to leave The Palestra off of this list.

While some may question why the arena is so far down on this list, that is due to Penn’s disappointing record at home in recent years. Over the past 10 years, the Quakers hold just a 66-72 record (.478) and therefore the inclusion of The Palestra is almost exclusively due to its historical relevance and importance.

For a number of the years, The Palestra played host to every battle between the Philadelphia Big 5 (Villanova, St. Joseph’s, Penn, Temple, and La Salle). In addition, the building has been the host of a number of NCAA Tournament games and has been the location of the Ivy League Tournament in both of its first two seasons (2016-17 and 2017-18).

Home/NCAA Basketball News