Rowdiest Fans in College Basketball — Where Does Purdue's Paint Crew Rank?
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What makes Purdue's Mackey Arena such an intimidating place to play? The 5,000 students who attend every game as members of The Paint Crew create one of the most raucous atmospheres in college basketball.
But where does The Paint Crew rank among the rowdiest fans in college basketball? NCAA.com's Andy Katz ranks the Purdue student section as second-best, behind only the Cameron Crazies of Duke.
Purdue was one of three Big Ten student sections to receive a mention on Katz's list. He also included The Izzone at Michigan State (No. 5) and the Orange Krush from Illinois (No. 6).
Katz revealed his complete top 10 in this social media post from NCAA March Madness:
Rowdiest atmospheres 🫨@TheAndyKatz lists his top 🔟 student sections 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/n9DcVzek5o
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) October 2, 2025
Since the 2021-22 season, The Paint Crew has helped create one of the best home-court advantages in the sport. The Boilermakers are 60-5 in that four-year period, owning a 35-5 record in Big Ten play and a perfect 25-0 mark in non-conference games played at Mackey Arena.
The Boilermakers have also won 26 games by 20 points or more in the building. So, yeah, it's not easy to play in front of that crowd of 14,876 fans.
What others say about Mackey Arena/Purdue fans
Katz isn't alone in his belief that Purdue fans are among the best in the country. Several former players have also given major shoutouts to Mackey Arena, The Paint Crew, and the overall atmosphere in West Lafayette.
Former Illinois star Coleman Hawkins released a list of the top five loudest arenas he played in while in college. Purdue's Mackey Arena was at the top of the list.
Last January, after Purdue posted an impressive 91-64 win over Michigan at Mackey Arena, Wolverines head coach Dusty May praised the environment created by fans inside the iconic venue.
"Until you feel it in this environment — I mean, you couldn't communicate, couldn't hear yourself when the crowd got really into it," May said. "And, obviously, that has an effect on athletics, sports, basketball, whatever the case. It was more impressive than I thought."
During the NBA Scouting Combine, several former Big Ten basketball players were asked about the toughest opposing environment in the conference. Several players, including Michigan's Danny Wolf, Nebraska's Brice Williams, and Maryland's Derik Queen, all said Mackey Arena.
So, Katz naming The Paint Crew as the second-best student section in college basketball has some serious backing.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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