Top 10 College Sports Venues

Author:
SI Staff
Publish date:
Jul 14, 2007

Top 10 College Sports Venues

Allen Fieldhouse

With college sports on summer vacation, SIOC came up with our list of the Top 10 venues in college sports. We're sure you'll disagree, so please follow the link below to tell us what we got wrong. <br><br>With the arena named for legendary Kansas coach Phog Allen and the court named for James Naismith, Allen Fieldhouse is stepped in basketball history. The Rock Chalk Jayhawk chant before each game is one of the signature cheers in all of college sports.

Charles River

The picturesque Charles River that divides Boston from Cambridge hosts the largest annual rowing competition in the world, the Head of the Charles Regatta. Hundreds of thousands of fans line the banks of the river every year on the second to last weekend of October to watch rowers race down the three-mile course.

Mariucci Arena

Opened in 1993, Mariucci combines the luxuries of a modern facility (unobstructed sightlines, multiple concession stands) while maintaining a sense of history with a lobby that doubles as a shrine to Minnesota hockey. Add in 10,000 screaming Gopher fans and you have the best venue in college hockey.

Michie Stadium

Army may no longer be a football powerhouse, but don't blame its venue. From the pregame cadet parade to the ear-shattering cannon blasts that reverberate throughout the 83-year-old stadium, Michie Stadium is still a must-see for any college football fan.

The Palestra

Built in 1927, the Palestra is one of the oldest major college arenas still in use. Having hosted more games, more visiting teams and more NCAA tournaments than any other facility, it is a historical gem. And with a seating capacity of 8,722 and bleachers that run right to the court, fans are made to feel a part of that history.

Rosenblatt Stadium

The Triple-A Omaha Royals may call Rosenblatt home, but since 1950, the stadium is best known for hosting the College World Series. The famous "Road to Omaha" statue and plaques commemorating past CWS winners let each visitor know that Rosenblatt Stadium isn't another baseball field, it's the mecca of college baseball.

The Big House

When Michigan Stadium opened in 1927 it seated 72,000, but the school's athletic department envisioned the day when 150,000 seats would be needed. The stadium hasn't quite reached that mark, but it now seats 107,501. It has earned national renown for its sheer size and a nickname (The Big House) that pays homage to its mass.

The Swamp

Officially known as Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field, "The Swamp" was given its nickname by the 'Ole Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier, in the early 1990s. It certainly has been a comfortable home for the Gators: the defending national champions, cheered on by 90,000 who pack the Swamp on game days, have only lost five games at home since 1990 (not counting Ron Zook's forgettable three years).

Cameron Indoor Stadium

Opened in 1940 for a cost of $400,000, Cameron Indoor is home to Duke's championship basketball teams and their sixth man, the Cameron Crazies. Cameron is one of the last college venues to have the student body in the best seats in the house, and because of that the bandbox arena continues to thrive despite rival schools building more expensive and modern homes for their teams.

Rose Bowl

Since it was built in 1922, the Rose Bowl and the city of Los Angeles have played host to a plethora of high-profile sporting and cultural events. The home of the UCLA Bruins is -- as its name suggests -- most famously home to college football's Rose Bowl, but it is also the site of five previous Super Bowls, the 1994 Men's World Cup and the world's largest flea market.