2 March 2023
LAWRENCE (KSNT) – One of college basketball’s most historic arenas is celebrating its 68th birthday.
Allen Fieldhouse is home to plenty of hardware. It’s known as one of the best home court advantages in college basketball, the keeper of the original rules of basketball and the loudest indoor arena.
Allen Fieldhouse opened its doors March 1, 1955, for a game against K-State. The first game still holds the record for the largest crowd in Allen Fieldhouse history with 17,228 people.
AFH is dedicated to KU coach Forrest Clare “Phog” Allen. Allen coached the Jayhawks for 39 years, winning multiple conference championships and a national title.
KU’s home court holds up to 16,300 fans. It cost $2.5 million to build in 1955. In the halls of the arena, you can find six national championship trophies and 64 Big 12 regular season championship trophies.
Allen Fieldhouse is home to plenty of memorable moments, including;
Feb. 3, 1969- KU wins game number 1,000 in program history
2017 vs. West Virginia- KU fans break indoor noise record shouting at 130.4 dB.
Wilt Chamberlin scoring 52 points in his college debut
Danny Manning scoring 27 points in KU’s largest win over rival Mizzou at home
No. 1 KU beats No. 2 Oklahoma, 109-106, in 2016 triple OT game
1997 exhibition game between the Chicago Bulls and Seattle Super Sonics
Alonzo Jamison shattering the backboard during the 1988 Late Night in the ‘Phog’