Hail to Old KU

One

of the best “Jayhawk experiences” is watching a basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse. Crimson and Blue fill the stands with excited and hopeful fans praying for KU to bring home another win. With every 3-pointer, layup, and SLAM DOK the crowd goes wild, in amazement of how good the Jayhawks are. No matter if it’s a win or loss, KU still stands strong. Allen Fieldhouse is home to the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team and holds a capacity of 16,300 fans cheering on the players.

A major part of KU’s history is basketball. Dr. James Naismith, the man who invented basketball, was the first coach for the Kansas Jayhawks. Before Allen Fieldhouse, the basketball players would practice and play in Snow Hall, Robinson, and Budig Hall. Allen Fieldhouse opened on March 1, 1955, and hosted a state rival game against Kansas State. Since then the team has won three NCAA championships, 15 final fours, and ended the 2019-2020 season as #1 in The Nation.

Some of the coaches of the Jayhawks have made their mark at KU. Larry Brown coached the Jayhawks for 5 seasons until 1980. He leads the team to two Final Fours and won it all in 1988. Roy Williams helped lead the players to four Final Fours and stopped coaching at KU in 2002. The next coach that has everyone’s hearts is Bill Self. He has to lead the players to three Final Four appearances and is still coaching to this day.

Allen Fieldhouse isn’t just an arena, it is a place that the KU students and alumni come to cheer on their team as a family. The home game traditions that KU fans participate in make the Jayhawk experience so special. Before singing the Star-Spangled Banner everyone joins in arms around each other swaying side to side singing the alma mater. After the singing is over, the opposing team is introduced while students and fans hold up a page from The Daily Kansan newspaper in front of their faces to ignore the players. Then the classic hype video plays to rally up the crowd and reply highlights. One of the greatest traditions at Allen Fieldhouse is when the KU players are announced and the fans rip up newspapers and throw them up in the air like confetti to show appreciation for each Jayhawk. All of these traditions bring the KU family closer together with every game.

One of the best things about KU basketball is that the team isn’t only loved and supported by the students and alumni, everyone in the town of Lawrence has helped support the Jayhawks. No matter if it is a big rival game or not, the KU fans will wait in the rain, cold, or the blistering heat to see their Jayhawks play. The Kansas Jayhawks will make sure the home-court advantage doesn’t go to waste by showing the opposing team just how much they love KU and only KU. Everyone should experience the Jayhawk experience at least once. Next time you’re in the town of Lawrence, plan your visit to see what the hype is all about.

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