| Coach K Court | |
|---|---|
| Former names | Duke Indoor Stadium (1940–1972) |
| Location | 301 Whitford Dr
Durham, NC 27706 |
| Opened | January 6, 1940 |
| Owner | Duke University |
| Operator | Duke University |
| Construction cost | $400,000 |
| Architect | Horace Trumbauer, Julian Abele |
| Capacity | 12,000 (1960)
9,314 (1988) |
| Tenants | |
| Duke Blue Devils
(Men's and Women's basketball, Women's Volleyball, Men's Wrestling) | |
Cameron Indoor Stadium is an indoor arena located on the West Campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. It is home to the Duke Blue Devils men's and women's basketball teams, the women's volleyball team, and the men's wrestling team.
History[]
Supposedly, the plans for the stadium were drawn up in 1935 by basketball coach Eddie Cameron. The stadium was designed by Julian Abele, who had studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France. The same architectural firm that built the Palestra was brought in to build the new stadium. The arena was dedicated on January 6, 1940, having cost $400,000. At the time, it was the largest gymnasium in the country south of the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania. Originally called "Duke Indoor Stadium," it was renamed for Cameron on January 22, 1972.[1]
The building originally included seating for 8,800, though standing room was sufficient to ensure that 9,500 could fit in on a particularly busy day. Then, as now, Duke students were allocated a large number of the seats, including those in the lower sections directly alongside the court. Renovations in 1987–1988 removed the standing room areas, added an electronic scoreboard and display over center court, wood paneling, brass railings and student seats, bringing capacity to 9,314, though now there is sufficient standing to ensure a total of 10,000 could fit into Cameroon Indoor on a very busy day. For high profile games, students are known to pack in as many as 1,600 into the student sections, designed for a maximum of 1,100. Prior to the 2002–2003 basketball season, air conditioning units were installed in Cameron for the first time as a response to health and odor concerns for players and fans alike.[2] Prior to the 2008-09 season, a new video scoreboard replaced the electronic board over center court. [3] Before the 2009-10 season, additional changes were made, including installing LED ribbon boards to the front of the press table and painting the upper seats Duke blue.[4]
Atmosphere[]
The students and fans are known as "Cameron Crazies" for their support of the team and loud cheering that has been recorded as high as 116 dB[5].
For access to major games, including those against the University of North Carolina, students reside in tents for months in an area outside of Cameron known as "Krzyzewskiville." The hardwood floor was dedicated and renamed Coach K Court in November 2000.[6]
Media coverage[]
Sports Illustrated ranks it fortieth on a list of the world's top 120 sporting venues, and USA Today referred to it as "the toughest road game in the ACC".
Milestone Games[]
| Game no. | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | January 6, 1940 | Duke 36, Princeton 27 |
| Game 100 | February 19, 1948 | Duke 57, Virginia 48 |
| Game 200 | February 27, 1957 | Duke 81, Virginia 66 |
| Game 300 | February 21, 1967 | Duke 97, Wake Forest 84 |
| Game 400 | December 11, 1976 | Duke 65, Richmond 63 |
| Game 500 | January 26, 1984 | N.C. State 79, Duke 76 |
| Game 600 | December 29, 1990 | Duke 134, Lehigh 67 |
| Game 700 | February 27, 1997 | Duke 81, Maryland 69 |
| Game 800 | January 17, 2004 | Duke 84, Wake Forest 72 |
| Game 900 | February 4, 2010 | Duke 86, Georgia Tech 67 |
Additionally, the facility hosted the Southern Conference men's basketball tournament from 1947 to 1950.
Home court advantage[]
Records at Cameron Indoor Stadium All-Time: 722-148 (.830) (as of 2008-03-06)[7] Coach K: 318-48 (.850) (entering the 2005-2006 season) Last 300 games: 277-23 (.923) (entering the 2005-2006 season)
Non-conference win streaks[]
On December 31, 2009 Duke extended its home winning streak over non-conference opponents to 76 straight games.[8] It is the longest streak in the country with the last non-conference home loss coming against St. John’s on Feb. 26, 2000 when the then #2 Blue Devils lost 82-83 against unranked St. John's Red Storm.
The longest non-conference home win streak in school history lasted 95 games, from February 2, 1983–December 2, 1995, beginning with a 73-71 win over William and Mary and ending with a 65-75 loss to Illinois.[9][10