Texas Tech basketball's home atmosphere remains underrated nationally

Texas Tech basketball fans all know that the atmosphere at United Supermarkets Arena is electric. Now, at least one national social media outlet is sharing that perspective.

According to the X account College Basketball Content, Tech's arena atmosphere is one of the top 25 in the nation. However, that site may still be underrating what goes on in Lubbock on basketball game days.

In their ranking, College Basketball Content rates United Supermarkets Arena as the No. 15 atmosphere in the NCAA. However, that feels a bit too low.

There is no question that the top two arenas on the list, Kansas' Allen Fieldhouse and Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, belong at the top. After that, though, things get a bit more questionable.

Third is Gonzaga's McCarthy Athletic Center. That's a huge stretch for that arena to sit that high on the list.

While there is no question that Gonzaga fans love college basketball, their arena atmosphere can't hold a candle to what happens inside United Supermarkets Arena. After all, McCarthey holds only 6,000 fans. That's far less than half of what Tech's home arena can take in for a game.

While an arena's capacity isn't the only factor that makes for a great atmosphere, it is a huge factor. Of course, no fan base is more engaged and passionate than Texas Tech's, and when there is more than twice as many rabid fans in Tech's arena than Gonzaga's, then the atmosphere in Lubbock is going to trump what the Zags can boast.

Similarly, United Supermarkets Arena should sit higher on the list than The Pit in Albuquerque (No. 11 on the list), where New Mexico plays its home games. Sure, The Pit is one of the most unique arenas in the nation, given that it is dug into the ground and sits almost entirely below surface level, meaning that 15,000-plus fans feel like they are right on top of the action. Also, the mile-high altitude of Albuquerque makes The Pit an extremely tough place to play.

However, when was the last time that New Mexico hosted a top-15 matchup? Certainly, the quality of the showdowns that take place in an arena makes for a more intense and charged atmosphere, and nothing that has happened at The Pit in the last 15-20 years has measured up to the type of titanic tilts that United Supermarkets Arena hosts in the Big 12.

Looking at the list from College Basketball Content, Tech's home arena should easily be inside the top 10. The fact that it isn't is an indication that the person who compiled this list has never been to a big game in the Hub City. If they had, they would know that when the USA is at its best, it stacks up to almost any atmosphere in the sport.