Top Student Sections: College Basketball

The fact that you even named Nittany Nation of Penn State makes your list suspect. I'm a Penn State fan, and I've been to what some could possible even call a "home court" environment at the Bryce Jordan Center and Nittany Nation (called Nittwits by the way), can't even be mentioned in the top student sections for basketball. Which is really a shame being a Penn State fan and all. If only we could bring our football environment into our basketball arena.

Wake Forest (not sure of the name of the student section) and Florida's "Rowdy Reptiles".

Utah State anyone???

A certain Kyle Whelliston visited earlier this year and said in a chat that Utah State's atmosphere was "EASILY Top-5". It's worth noting that he came over the holiday break with many students out of town, but it still won that much praise...

Oh, that whole 154-12 record at home in the last 11 years isn't too bad either. Can any team on this list top that kind of home record?

No offense, but this list isnt very good in my opinion. New Mexico you have at #10 but dont say a word about their student section. I thought this was a list of the top student sections not toughest venues to play at. Penn St. in the others list puts them in your top 14 which is an absolute joke. That might be the easiest place to play in the big ten and that is including Northwestern. I cant stand Notre Dame, but their student section is awesome and they arent even mentioned in this list. Where is the Paint Crew at Purdue? If you are going to list Minnesota, Penn St., Wisconsin and Indiana's you have to mention Purdue's. The Paint Crew is probably better than all of those.

How many BCS schools has Utah State played at home over the last 11 years?

Some of the points above are well-taken, others just seem to be venting for no reason. A couple things to note:

1. There are 344 D-1 teams, which means that doing the Top 10 leaves room for plenty of argument. Sure there are others that could make it, as probably alumni from at least 100 D-1 schools think their student section should be in the top 10. Just because a given team didn't make the list doesn't take anything away from the student section.

2. A lot of people are commenting on putting other BCS student sections in, and in trying to keep the "BCS bias" out of the list, Gonzaga and New Mexico were put in instead.

Also, to JW, nothing is specifically mentioned about the student section in New Mexico, but in an arena that's considered one of the loudest in the country, I'd bet the students aren't sitting quietly while the rest of the crowd is screaming and cheering.

The Paint Crew at Purdue is one of the loudest, unified sections in the country. I was surprised the Orange Krush was ranked higher and that the Paint Crew wasn't even listed in the "others" category. In fact, Purdue has only lost 1 home game in the past 3 seasons when the students are on campus. And that was against Greg Oden's Ohio State team that went to the National Championship game.

The Blue Plaid has nothing to do with Tubby Smith. It's been going on for much longer than that. It started with former coach Joe B. Hall wearing a Blue Plaid Blazer to a Bama game to mock Wimp Sanderson's Red Plaid Blazer. Eddie Sutton was seen sporting one on the sidelines as well. The fans just picked it up.

These kids are students of the other team. I have seen as much research done to find out what the other team's players are into as I have seen them put into term papers. Facebook and MySpace are all fair game, as well as any indiscretion that an opposing teams player may commit. The lower bowl Izzone starts to fill as soon as the doors open up just so they can get in the heads of the visiting team as they start their shoot-arounds and drills.

I think part of Washington's success with the student section comes with the huge logo at midcourt. That is the biggest W I have ever seen!

Dan, I see your a Marquette grad. I'm surprised you didn't mention their student section. Do they have a nickname? The Golden Jesuits? Anyway, go to a Marquette-Louisville game and the Bradley Center gets really rowdy. The students love those blown up pictures of characters from Full House. I don't know what that's all about, but I love the fight song.....Gooooooo, goooooo, go Marquette, go go go

While I don't think Nittany Nation or Penn State basketball fans, in general, are a "great basketball fan section" but it's hard to disagree with the improvement.

As a current senior at PSU and fan since I can remember, I know PSU isn't "a basketball school". Even while at games THIS SEASON, I hear students trashing Ed DeChellis as our coach and such (which gets annoying).

Anyways, I think the fact that Nittany Nation even gets mentioned on a website about "Top Student Sections: College Basketball" is a great thing. See we know were aren't Duke or Michigan State or whoever, but we're trying to get students to jump on board and show the same diehard support they have for our school's football team as they do mens basketball. I must say, it's getting close and impressive. The way the BJC has been filling up for Michigan and Iowa the past 2 homes games gave me chills. My dad told me last night that he's hoping the game on Sunday doesn't sell out so he can get tix. I don't know if it'll happen (a sell out), but even so when someone who's been going to PSU football/basketball/women's basketball/volleyball games for years says "a mens bball game might sell out at PSU", well the culture is changing and so is Penn State's perception of it's basketball program...

GO STATE!!

what about arkansas? the student section in budwalton is outrageous.

I understand that Gonzaga is a non-BCS school and thus doesn't get as much spotlight as the school in bigger conferences, but something has to be said about the fact that no major school or program wants to come play the Zags in the Kennel, the only way the Zags get a power program at home is if the game is in Seattle or the Spokane Arena. Its tough to get riled up about playing LMU or Pepperdine, but they deserve at least some more credit for having one of the biggest home court advantages in the nation

As a student at Penn State, I'm embarrassed you even mentioned our student section in this. Ruins all credibility to the list. I think an apology is in order to the other sections like The Cameron Crazies for being on the same page as PSU. Making a top 10 list based on what schools have names for their student sections? Who does that? I can only assume William & Mary would be on the list too if their students named their fan section.

Now a lot of people have been writing about how the students show up so many hours early, research "dirt" or embarrassing things to chant at the opposing team, or that the students are just flat out loud. Well good student sections do these things. I know for a fact UW, the zags, and apparently Michigan State all research the opposing players before the game. I would agree that Duke is just scary place to play but then again all of these places are. The only way to prove one place is louder then the other is to go into each stadium with a decibel reader

To TKemper, I'm one of the biggest Marquette fans around, but there's no way I'd put the Marquette Fanatics in with this group. Frankly, our student section has been pretty weak this year despite our performance, but they finally turned it up a notch against Georgetown this past weekend.

I completely forgot about William and Mary, they definitely top this list!

What makes Washington one of the top student sections in the nation is the location. The Dawg Pack is located directly behind the team benches. The Dawg Pack is one of the most creative and rowdiest sections and they not only make it loud but get inside the other teams head. UCLA player Jru eHoliday stated “Like 75 minutes before the game, they started talking trash to us, We’re sitting down in the stands and we’re shaking. That’s crazy." Since Jrue's brother Justin plays for UW a student made a sign that said "Justin's Better," the pack also attacket Nicloi Dragovich of UCLA by printing out about 50 or so pictures of Dragovich posing in a Hot Tub and chanting "where are the ladies."
The Bank of America Arena has become the toughest place to play in the Pac-10 and the Dawg Pack Deserves its #6 ranking.

I'm also a student at Penn State, and I don't think we deserve a spot on this list of 'top college basketball student sections'. We're definitely growing because of this season's winning record and the skills and talents of our trio - Battle, Pringle, and Cornley. But as of now, we're still weak.

Maybe next year.

As for other Big Ten colleges - I agree with the placements of Michigan State and Illinois. I have friends who attend both of these colleges and both have complained about how difficult it is to obtain tickets to home games. And I also have to agree with the Purdue fans... I don't understand how Penn State made the list over the Paint Crew.

Note to Self: Never include an "other" section again ;)

If nothing else at least it covered Florida, Purdue, and Wake Forest

I believe they're called the Leprechaun Legion, but I'm not 100% sure. I think UConn would have a better shot at the list if more games were played at Gampel...and absolute hornet's nest (ask Stanford, Michigan State and Oklahoma about past trips there).

As for the most vulgar: Maryland.

And for a true honorable mention, Oklahoma State has a pretty good student section.

I have to say, until this year, the Orange Krush at Illinois was above MSU's Izzone. However, this year the Izzone has looked really good. However, with that said, these two should be two and three after Duke's Cameron Crazies.

The Big Ten has led national attendance for the past THIRTY-NINE (39!!!!) years, and keep in mind they have schools like Iowa and PSU that get terrible attendance.

...but have to say this, I would not have left out the Carrier Dome. Granted it is so big (as it seats 35K that when you have 20-25K it looks empty, but when that place is close to capacity it is something to be seen.

“If you make every game a life and death proposition, you're going to have problems. For one thing, you'll be dead a lot.” - Dean Smith

"The name on the front of your jersey is a lot more important than the name on the back." -Roy Williams

no maryland. r u fuckin serious

South Carolina's newly created Garnet Army student section is supposedly pretty crazy

I know that i am a mizzou fan, which you would think would give me a bias. But if you have watched mizzou bbal this year, and noticed the student section (the zou-crew) especially during the MU-KU game, i think we have a hell of a student section.

The Gaucho Locos of UCSB. They come up with some of the most creative chants in basketball.