Mackey Arena’s raucous atmosphere rivals some of the best environments, 'toughest places to play' in college basketball
- Chas Post
- 44 minutes ago
- 1 min read
There are a handful of college basketball venues that are considered the best environments in the sport, headlined by Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium and Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse, but Purdue’s Mackey Arena undoubtedly has to be in the conversation as well.
Mackey Arena has a historic, yet modern feel to it, filled with dozens of Big Ten championship banners hanging from the rafters, paired with state-of-the-art locker rooms, newly-renovated trophy cases, and a dome-shaped aluminum roof that intensifies noise.
The in-game environment and roaring home crowd was ear-splitting to say the least. Personally, it was the loudest college basketball venue that I've ever been to, topping Indiana’s Assembly Hall, Michigan State’s Breslin Center, Xavier's Cintas Center and others.
Being able to witness a matchup between the No. 1 Michigan Wolverines and No. 7 Purdue Boilermakers was a truly unforgettable experience. "It’s one of the toughest places to play in all of college basketball,” Michigan head coach Dusty May put it simply.
