Cameron Indoor Stadium

Building Description

Cameron Indoor Stadium is the legendary basketball arena at Duke University. Basketball coach Eddie Cameron and football coach Wallace Wade drew up the plans for the stadium in 1935. Using these plans, the Trumbauer firm designed the stadium. Costing $400,000 to develop, the arena was dedicated on January 6, 1940. When it opened, the arena was the largest arena south of Philadelphia. During this time, most people viewed the stadium in awe due to its spacious interior, but now Cameron is one of the smallest basketball venues in the United States, seating only 9,314 spectators.

Originally, the building included seating for 8,800 and a maximum capacity, including standing room, of 12,000. Renovations in 1987-1988 added seats to the arena and brought the capacity to 9,314. One notable aspect in Cameron is the assigned student “seating” that gives students the opportunity to have the best seats in the house.

History

Thanks to the diehard students and fans known as the Cameron Crazies, the Duke men’s basketball team has had an encouraging home-court advantage for many years. Recently, the hardwood floor in Cameron was dedicated to coach Mike Krzyzewski and is now named Coach K Court.

Cameron Indoor Stadium was ranked as the toughest place to play in EA Sports’ NCAA March Madness 2005 and ’06 poll. Further, it is ranked as one of the world’s top 20 sporting venues by Sports Illustrated and is referred to as “the toughest road game in the nation” by USA Today.