Gonzaga ranked No. 1 in college basketball home court advantage over past 12 years

Mark Few has won over 95% of his games at The Kennel dating back to 2013

Gonzaga Kennel Club. | Photo by Erik Smith

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have always challenged themselves with rigorous non-conference schedules, showing a willingness to play anyone, anywhere, at any time.

However, that doesn't mean they don't love bringing good teams to The Kennel whenever they can - and for good reason.

College basketball data analyst Colin Hanley looked at which teams have had the biggest home court advantage over the past 12 seasons - by isolating scoring at home and on the road and accounting for opponent quality - and Gonzaga came out as the big winner, with 7.2 adjusted points above average over that time period.

The Duke Blue Devils and the famed 'Cameron Crazies' were No. 2 at 6.8, with Arizona (6.8), Houston (6.6) and Kentucky (6.5) rounding out the top five.

Other familiar teams include Arkansas - who Gonzaga will face on the road in an exhibition game this October - at No. 6, Baylor at No. 16, and UCLA at No. 19.

Home Court Advantage per program - designed to isolate home environment effect on team quality from the 13/14 to 25/26 season pic.twitter.com/kGu3xBEi3e

— Colin Hanley (@Colin_Hanley1) June 9, 2026

Gonzaga has been an unstoppable force at the McCarthey Athletic Center dating back to its inception in 2004. The 6,000-seat arena becomes a torture chamber for opposing teams on game day, thanks to the rowdy 1,500 or so students who make up the Kennel Club and who are right on top of the players on the sideline.

Dating back to the 2013-14 season - when Hanley's data was pulled - Gonzaga has a ridiculous 190-9 (95.5%) record at home. They went undefeated in six of those 12 seasons, including a ludicrous five-year stretch from Jan. 18, 2018, until Jan. 19, 2023, during which they did not lose a single home game.

Gonzaga didn't fare that much worse away from Spokane, going 399-63 (86.4%) overall in those 12 years. Still, that 209-54 record away from home equals 'just' a 79.5% win rate, so it's not a surprise to see the Zags atop the list for best home court advantage during this stretch.

Inside the McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Erik Smith, Myk Crawford

Of Gonzaga's nine home losses in the past 12 years, five of them came between 2023-2025, with two in 2025 (Santa Clara and Saint Mary's), two in 2024 (San Diego State and Saint Mary's) and one in 2023 against LMU.

Saint Mary's has four of the nine wins over Gonzaga at home, with BYU nabbing two of them and SDSU, LMU, and Santa Clara all grabbing one during this stretch.

Will this continue?

Gonzaga is joining the new-look Pac-12 starting in 2026-27 and will have a bevy of new opponents traipsing through the Kennel starting in a few months. San Diego State is one of them, and as one of the very few programs to win at the Kennel more than once - having done so back in 2010 - they will present a real test for the Zags.

Boise State's head coach Leon Rice is very familiar with the Kennel, having served as a Zag assistant coach for over a decade, while Utah State will be a formidable foe, unlike many Gonzaga has dealt with during conference play in the WCC.

Still, Gonzaga's rabid fanbase, high-level talent, and willingness to challenge themselves with tough non-conference matchups should set them up nicely to once again dominate at home in the 2026-27 season - no matter the opponent.