REPORT: Where Does the Breslin Center Rank Among College Basketball?

Michigan State basketball's home, the Breslin Center, offers one of the best experiences in college basketball. One college basketball expert ranks it among the best arenas in college hoops.

Feb 10, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) flies past Illinois Fighting Illini defenders for a layup from the wing during the second half at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Dale Young-Imagn Images / Dale Young-Imagn Images

Over the years, college basketball has had numerous historical teams, coaches, and players. Few sports are as loved in the country as college basketball, as the sport is rich with tradition.

One college basketball expert took the time to rank the best arenas in college basketball today. Andy Katz is among the most respected college basketball experts and has likely been to most of the top college basketball arenas around the country.

Katz ranked his top-10 arenas for college basketball, with Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse and Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium as the top two. He ranked Michigan State’s Breslin Center as the eighth-best arena, deservedly high praise for one of the best arenas in college sports. Katz gave his reasoning for the ranking.

“Finishing construction a few years before Bud Walton Arena, the Spartans' home holds 14,797 fans,” Katz said. “It is named after Jack Breslin, a former Michigan State athlete and administrator, who originally began pushing for the new arena in 1969 — 20 years before its completion in '89.”

The Breslin Center was not the only Big Ten arena on the list. Katz ranked Purdue’s Mackey Arena, a few spots ahead of the Breslin Center, as the third-best arena in college basketball. The Boilermakers’ arena opened up decades before the Breslin Center, giving it a much more historical presence, which many college basketball fans appreciate when it comes to arenas.

Katz also appreciates historical sites, as many of his top-ranked arenas are some of the oldest and most storied arenas in the history of college basketball. 

“Opening in 1967, the arena name was quickly changed in 1972 to honor Guy "Red" Mackey, a Purdue alumnus and longtime athletic director. Mackey Arena holds 14,876 Boilermaker fans,” Katz said about Mackey Arena. 

The Breslin Center is home to Coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State’s basketball team, which has created plenty of memories for countless Spartans fans and fans of opposing teams. The Breslin Center also has one of the best home-court advantages in college basketball. Michigan State’s student section is an added element opposing teams have to deal with while playing the Spartans.

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