As a former resident of Kansas with many of my family members residing in the state, I have grown up in an atmosphere that always displayed a very strong love for Kansas University basketball. It was through this that I found my own love and appreciation for the school, making it the top choice for me when I apply to colleges next year.
The immense passion amongst KU fans and students was definitely another huge factor in influencing my love for the school. The fans of Kansas basketball have come together to make Allen Fieldhouse, the arena the Kansas Jayhawks play in, one of the loudest sports arenas in the world.
It has been reported that in Feb. of 2017, Allen Fieldhouse reached a decibel level of over 130, which earned it a spot in the Guinness Book of World Records for the loudest indoor stadium, beating Kentucky University’s prior record of 126.4 decibels.
It is no secret that the intense basketball environment fosters extreme competition and rivalries among schools. That being said, the environment of Allen Fieldhouse is so electric that rivaling schools coaches have no choice but to admit there is no other place like it.
University of Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyed stated in an interview, “The last two places we played are electric,” Lloyd said Saturday. “I’m an Arizona guy and I love Arizona but — and this is not an indictment on our fans — we’ve got work to do. There’s a gap between Kansas and Iowa State (and Arizona) in these game-day atmospheres and their fan support.”
Since the 1970s, Kansas University has had a fun ritual students partake in leading up to the game called “K-U camping”. Students in groups as large as 30 will take turns camping out at Allen Fieldhouse in the hopes of getting tickets to whatever game is upcoming. This ritual became so popular that rules have been put in place for students who engage in it.
The history of Allen Fieldhouse also contributes to its unique atmosphere. The court is dedicated to James Naismith, the man who created the game of basketball in 1891.
Displayed for visitors to see on the Kansas University campus are the 13 original rules of basketball written by James Naismith. In addition to being the father of basketball, Naismith also established the Kansas University basketball team and coached it from 1898-1907.
An additional pull factor of Kansas University is its academics.
KU has an extremely high acceptance rate of over 90%, and multiple opportunities for scholarships. It is most well known for its education, journalism, engineering, health & medicine, and psychology programs.
I plan to major in Psychology, so my dream of attending Kansas University became all the more realistic for me after researching the programs it offers.
If the highly competitive atmosphere of basketball or the diverse education opportunities are appealing to you, Kansas University might be a University for you to consider.
