Which Big Ten school has the best arena in college basketball? For Big Ten Network contributor and college basketball analyst Andy Katz, there’s no comparison to Purdue’s Mackey Arena.
As we approach the start of the 2024-25 college basketball season, Katz revealed his top-10 arenas in the conference. This year, the hoops analyst has a slightly larger field to pick from, with the Big Ten expanding from 14 to 18 teams.
At the top was Purdue’s Mackey Arena, a venue considered to be one of the best in the country. It doesn’t hurt that the Boilermakers have won four of the last eight Big Ten regular season titles and have sold out more than 70 consecutive games.
What other Big Ten venues made the list? Here’s the rundown of Katz’s top-10:
Perhaps the biggest surprise? That Indiana’s Assembly Hall is so low on the list. The Hoosiers are known for having one of the most iconic venues in the country, so coming in at No. 7 is a bit of a surprise.
It’s also a bit intriguing that Katz didn’t mention Maryland’s XFINITY Center. That’s another atmosphere that is considered one of the college basketball’s best.
Bottom line? There are a lot of great venues in the Big Ten. But Purdue stands out among the rest.
HARALSON MOVES UP VISIT DATES: Jalen Haralson, one of the top prospects in the 2025 basketball recruiting class, has moved up his visit to Purdue and canceled visits to Kansas and Missouri. CLICK HERE
PURDUE PREMIERING SEASON RECAP VIDEO: Purdue is opening Mackey Arena the night before the Homecoming game vs. Nebraska to premier its 2023-24 season recap video of the Boilers’ Final Four run. CLICK HERE