Texas Longhorns Investing in Stronger Home Court Advantage With Sean Miller

The Sean Miller era in Austin is just beginning after the Texas Longhorns hired him to replace Rodney Terry.

In an exclusive interview on the Burnt Orange Sports Network, Miller discussed his mindset for the program heading into his first season at the helm of the Longhorns.

Specifically, he professed the need to establish an important home crowd every game at the Moody Center.

Texas Longhorns Fans at Moody Center — Texas Longhorns fan Jack Maddox, the Bevo Hat Guy, bumps hats with Texas Longhorns mascot HookEm during the basketball game against West Virginia at the Moody Center on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024 in Austin. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

“To have it sold out, to have a great passionate student section and to make those 17 home games a home court advantage, that’s what we have to really get right moving forward," Miller told Burnt Orange Sports Network. "That’s an investment that I think is worth making for me as a coach and for our staff.”

Loud home courts are something Miller experienced regularly in the Big East Conference when at Xavier, and he is well aware he will experience them in the Southeastern Conference as well. The Moody Center, which opened in 2022, has an approximate capacity of 10,000 for basketball games and holds its student section, The Corral, in the lower bowl. The arena is very capable of hosting one of college basketball's special environments.

“If we’re truly about building a championship program in men’s college basketball, you cannot underestimate the power of what your home court feels like, to the visiting team, what it feels like to recruits considering coming here,” Miller said.

The impacts of a key home court advantage extend beyond game time. As Miller indicated, a bustling Moody Center would provide comprehensive benefit to the program's recruiting and retention efforts.

He, his staff and his player additions have brought the attention to the men's basketball program needed to take it to the next level in the SEC. The next step is now executing on the court and transforming Texas into the basketball powerhouse it can be.

“There’s no doubt that the future of college sports has the SEC at the table and certainly has the University of Texas at the table," Miller said during the interview. "To be a part of that, for all of us, is super exciting.”