In an attempt to leave my cozy B1G thread home and interact with the good, salt-of-the-earth people of this board ... I pose the following question. What are your 3-4 favorite arenas of opposing teams in your conference? They don't have to be arenas you have actually been to, you can just go by TV if need be. If you are feeling talkative, you can throw in the worst, too. For the Big Ten...
FAVORITE
Purdue - I would love to see a game at Mackey. It's such a goofy, old thing (the clock issues this year have been hysterical), and it clearly seems to be the loudest environment in the Big Ten right now. The student section is A+, and it really does give off a vibe of old school basketball.
Minnesota - They suck right now and the atmosphere reflects that, but I have always loved The Barn. It would be fun to see a game there when they have a nationally ranked team (e.g., the Tubby years) and the students are into it. From the raised floor to the Wrigley-Field-esque poles that could potentially block your view, it is just classic in every way. Not to mention, Illinois is 14-6 there since 2000, so I like my odds of seeing a win!
Rutgers - As you can see, I have picked three of the oldest arenas in the conference, none of which are that objectively "nice," haha. However, the RAC has taken on an almost mythical status in the last few years, and it's the one arena that might get louder than Purdue. Given their lack of history and being in more of a "pro-sports state," I also find the loyalty and passion of RU fans to be quite endearing. If we can escape there with a W tonight, I will be EXTREMELY happy.
LEAST FAVORITE
Penn State - GOD, I watched that PSU/MSU game last night and was reminded of how much I dislike their atmosphere. It doesn't even look like an objectively "bad" arena, it just seems to lack any and all character.
All the other B1G arenas are either cool but just outside my top 3 (e.g., MSU) or simply have their good and bad qualities and average out to somewhere that I'd gladly go if given the opportunity but also lack something needed to be at the top of the list (e.g., Nebraska).
FAVORITE
Purdue - I would love to see a game at Mackey. It's such a goofy, old thing (the clock issues this year have been hysterical), and it clearly seems to be the loudest environment in the Big Ten right now. The student section is A+, and it really does give off a vibe of old school basketball.
Minnesota - They suck right now and the atmosphere reflects that, but I have always loved The Barn. It would be fun to see a game there when they have a nationally ranked team (e.g., the Tubby years) and the students are into it. From the raised floor to the Wrigley-Field-esque poles that could potentially block your view, it is just classic in every way. Not to mention, Illinois is 14-6 there since 2000, so I like my odds of seeing a win!
Rutgers - As you can see, I have picked three of the oldest arenas in the conference, none of which are that objectively "nice," haha. However, the RAC has taken on an almost mythical status in the last few years, and it's the one arena that might get louder than Purdue. Given their lack of history and being in more of a "pro-sports state," I also find the loyalty and passion of RU fans to be quite endearing. If we can escape there with a W tonight, I will be EXTREMELY happy.
LEAST FAVORITE
Penn State - GOD, I watched that PSU/MSU game last night and was reminded of how much I dislike their atmosphere. It doesn't even look like an objectively "bad" arena, it just seems to lack any and all character.
All the other B1G arenas are either cool but just outside my top 3 (e.g., MSU) or simply have their good and bad qualities and average out to somewhere that I'd gladly go if given the opportunity but also lack something needed to be at the top of the list (e.g., Nebraska).
