Meet our panel and examine each ballot

When folks are looking for a place to vacation, maybe they consult well-traveled friends. When they’re looking for a place to eat, maybe they ask their favorite foodie or consult Yelp.

The bottom line, when you’re looking for the best, it’s usually good to ask the experts, the true connoisseurs with experience and discerning tastes.

We’re taking the same approach to find the best college basketball venue in America.

Athlon Sports polled a dozen college basketball media members — both writers and broadcasters, professional journalists and former players and coaches — on their top arenas. We asked each to rank their top in terms of atmosphere, experience an amenities. In short, where would they recommend fans go to see a game.

Each voter also agreed to share his individual top 10.

Location: Stillwater, Okla.
Home of: Oklahoma State
Opened: 1938
Capacity: 13,611
Nicknames: The Madison Square Garden of the Plains
Named for: Ed Gallagher, Oklahoma State wrestling coach from 1916-40, and Henry Iba, Oklahoma State basketball coach from 1934-70.
Court Name: Eddie Sutton Court
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Location: Albuquerque, N.M.
Home of: New Mexico
Opened: 1966
Capacity: 15,411
Nicknamed for: Being “built in a 37-foot hole on Albuquerque’s southeast mesa”
Official name: University Arena
Court name: Bob King Court
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Location: New York
Home of: St. John’s, Big East Tournament, early season nonconference games, NIT semifinals and championship game
Opened: 1874
Capacity: 20,000
Nicknames: The World’s Most Famous Arena, The Mecca of College Basketball
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Location: Philadelphia
Home of: Penn, Philadelphia Big 5
Opened: 1927
Capacity: 8,722
Nickname: The Cathedral of College Basketball
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Location: East Lansing, Mich.
Home of: Michigan State
Opened: 1989
Capacity: 14,759
Named for: “Mr. MSU” Jack Breslin, former football player and longtime university
administrator
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Location: Bloomington, Ind.
Home of: Indiana
Opened: 1971
Capacity: 17,472
Court name: Branch McCracken Court
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Location: Lexington, Ky.
Home of: Kentucky
Opened: 1976
Capacity: 23,500
Named for: Adolph Rupp, Kentucky basketball coach from 1930-72
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Location: Indianapolis
Home of: Butler
Opened: 1928
Capacity: 10,000
Named for: Tony Hinkle, Butler basketball coach from 1926-70
Nickname: Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral
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Location: Durham, N.C.
Home of: Duke
Opened: 1940
Capacity: 9,314
Named for: Longtime Duke athletic director Ed Cameron
Court name: Coach K Court
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Location: Lawrence, Kan.
Home of: Kansas
Opened: 1955
Capacity: 16,300
Named for: Phog Allen, Kansas basketball coach from 1907-09, 1919-56
Meet our panel and examine each ballot