This is Cameron Indoor Stadium. Any true fan of basketball.. whether you like Duke college basketball or not needs to experience being at a game here. If you can somehow get tickets to a big game.. then EVEN BETTER!
I was a graduate student here at Duke and graduated the year they won the National Championship in 2010 and had the privilege to attend a majority of their games those 2 years. I was even able to attend a game again after graduation and visit the stadium multiple times. There is just so much history here. Some of the current Non-Duke NBA players I've seen who are big now include Roy Hibbert, Stephen Curry, Greg Monroe, Greivis Vásquez, Jeff Teague... and of course.. a bunch of those.. UNC players.
Coach K. has done an amazing job with all the Duke teams he has coached, consistently having them ranked as a top college basketball team year after year. This has produced a crazy fan base especially with the students. This stadium is not large by any means, the concept of it being small makes it one of the hardest places for college teams to play at. The students are placed all around the court to make the atmosphere and setting for the opponents not ideal by any means. The undergraduate students at massively packed on one of the long sidelines of the court, while the sidelines behind the basket house the graduate students.
As for the atmosphere during the game, the students, also known as the Cameron Crazies, are the ones that make it so crazy. We have chants EVERY play, whether we are on offense or defense. It does not matter if we are up 30 points, the big lead is more of a reason to go nuts! Considering how small the stadium is, and somehow they can house 9000 people tells you how much they cram the students on the sidelines. The student sections are all standing room and just makes us all jump around and go crazy for all 40 minutes of the game! The band does a great job hyping the game up and students who attend the game get an update sheet about the opponent and everything we need to know about them (and of course.. what information is good to know about potential chants !) There is a reason why students stand in line hours before the game!
The closeness to the court makes it very easy to communicate with players, coaches, and personalities alike. I was able to talk to Dick Vitale shortly before a game and even ESPN analyst Hubert Davis when Duke was facing UNC. One time I was walking through the back towards my area to watch the game.. and almost bumped into coach K by accident... sorry coach!
Anyways, as for food here, it is very basic, with your typical hotdogs, pizza, and such during events. There is also a wing you can visit upstairs that shows many of the plaques, awards, and sporting memories of the various Duke sporting teams.
Do yourself a favor, and if you are a basketball fan, try to experience the feeling of attending Cameron Indoor Stadium for a game.. and since the ACC got a bunch of new teams and is much stronger now, this is more of a reason for you TO ATTEND! I'm glad I attended at least one Duke vs UNC game... the energy in the arena at the rivalry games is something that cannot be explained except through you actually attending. Tickets are just very hard to come by since seating is very limited. Unless you try to attend a preseason game or a game during the winter (when students are on break), your best bet is to use third party sites like Stubhub.. but be prepared to pay !
And to compare.. I do my best to attend Duke games when they play by my area.. but yes, the atmosphere is not the same. read more