Phog Allen Fieldhouse - Kansas Jayhawks

Photos by Xander Loosvelt, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29

Phog Allen Fieldhouse 1651 Naismith Dr Lawrence, KS 66045

Kansas Jayhawks website Phog Allen Fieldhouse website

Year Opened: 1955 Capacity: 15,300

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The Birthplace of Basketball

One of the most iconic venues in college basketball, Allen Fieldhouse, also known as “The Phog,” provides one of the best home-court advantages in the entire sport. The stadium serves as the home of the Kansas Jayhawks men’s and women’s basketball teams, who are a part of the Big 12 Conference.

Since its opening in 1955, the stadium has undergone major renovations across multiple eras to bring the building to its current design. It has played host to NCAA tournament games, concerts, NBA Exhibition games, presidents, senators, and more. The Phog is unique, intricate, well-designed, loud, and represents everything about college basketball from the hardwood to the nosebleeds.

Food & Beverage 4

As a whole, the concessions experience at Allen Fieldhouse contains what you generally would expect to find at a basketball game alongside a few special items. What gives it extra points is its quantity, as there are three levels to the concourse that all contain food.

Outside the general stadium foods, specialty items include pulled pork sandwiches, a Philly Steak/Cheesesteak stand, Boba, Street Tacos, Empanadas, and more, with a mix of local and standard businesses. The quality is about what you’d expect from the stadium, while the prices are mostly fair all around, with stands only accepting cards.

The dominating soda brand is Pepsi, and while general alcohol options are served, craft beer is generally not available.

The street tacos and pulled pork sandwiches cost a little more than the others, but for good reason – they’re delicious. Those two are definitely items worth checking out when walking the concourse.

Atmosphere 5

This is a bucket list experience. If you only ever see one college basketball game, let it be in the Phog.

The stadium has seating completely around the arena with visible sight lines, no matter where you are. Though the arena mostly contains benches, there is chairback seating available in the upper sections of the lower bowl on either side. The classic yet modern scoreboard style hangs prominently above the court, visible on all sides, with constant replays that are especially prevalent for home team highlights and questionable calls.

The band, spirit squads, and mascots are active and engaging the crowd throughout the game. The mascots will even go into the crowd to high-five and interact with the fans. The music is loud throughout the stadium and somehow manages to be heard over the roaring crowd. The stadium's sound quality is strong, and the architecture allows for the sound to bounce off the walls. The best part though has to be the pregame scoreboard videos - absolute cinema that gives every person in the arena chills.

The north side chairback seating is probably the optimal spot because it gives you access to all 3 concession levels, allows you to see the logo the right way, provides the most comfort, and puts you in the middle of everything. However, no matter where you sit, you’ll have a good view of the game and a great time watching thanks to the dynamic atmosphere created by all the little aspects coming together for an event to remember.

Neighborhood 5

Allen Fieldhouse is located in the center of campus at the University of Kansas, which is not too far from most of the local restaurants, while also feeling separate from the busier areas in Lawrence.

While there isn’t necessarily an array of options right next to the stadium, a short drive or Uber away from the stadium are several well-renowned local restaurants and breweries, including Jefferson’s, Limestone Pizza, and Free State Brewing. If none of those sound appetizing, plenty of other options still exist around the same area and throughout the city.

Lawrence isn’t exactly known for its attractions, but when you take a closer look, you can find some smaller activities, such as an escape room place called Breakout Lawrence, or take a visit to the Dole Institute of Politics. If you're still in the sports mood, you can check out the newly renovated David Booth Memorial Stadium that serves as home for the football team, or even Rock Chalk Park, which houses the track, soccer, and softball teams.

For the most enjoyable and accessible stay, The Oread and The Eldridge will be your go-to hotels that are closest to the heart of Lawrence, while the DoubleTree by Hilton is a viable option for a small commute while remaining slightly removed from the noise and business of the city.

Overall, the food and lodging options are high in quantity with above-average quality, while the attractions are lower in quantity but still maintain an overall decent quality.

Fans 5

Simply put, Allen Fieldhouse has one of, if not the best, fan bases in college basketball.

The stadium is nearly always at capacity, if not exceeding it, and is near the top of the conference and the nation for fan attendance. The crowd is loud, routinely exceeding 120 DB of noise and staying engaged from 90 minutes before tip-off until the final buzzer. (In fact, Allen Fieldhouse holds the Guinness World Record for the Loudest Crowd Roar at an indoor sporting event.) The crowd stays involved and only gets louder when things start to go the other team’s way.

Fans remain in their seats, rarely getting up even at halftime. The students will even stand the entire game while frowning upon sitters. There's a host of fan traditions, including waving the wheat, the pregame alma mater, Rock Chalk chants, distracting the other team at the free throw line, and more.

Above all else, Jayhawks fans ensure that as long as they're in the arena, a dull moment will never be had.

Access 4

As a whole, the Phog is a pretty accessible stadium, and its only glaring issue is the lack of parking around the arena.

If you're flying in for the game, you’ll have to go through Kansas City International, and more than likely rent a car to make the 50-minute drive to Lawrence. Luckily, the airport is really easy to navigate when arriving or departing, and the hotels are all within walking distance or a very short drive from the stadium.

The downside is the fact that parking surrounding the stadium is rather difficult, and with limited space, the best idea is to buy a pass ahead of time. Traffic exiting the arena and the city also isn’t great postgame, but it’s manageable overall.

Walking into Allen Fieldhouse is pretty easy, as the security process is simple and the concourse can be easily navigated thanks to the plethora of signs. There’s enough room on the concourse’s three levels that rarely overflowing is a problem, but you can’t see the court unless you're actually in your seats. Handicapped seating is also available if needed.

Return on Investment 3

With all prices you’ll have to pay considered, your return on investment is about what you’d expect for a men's college basketball game.

The average ticket price range is between $90 and $300, and most will land around the $150-$200 inner range. Food and drink prices can vary, but let's overestimate and say you spend around $35 on concessions. Taking into account the potential of renting a car for a weekend trip, which can bring your total cost north of $300 but probably less than $400.

It’s certainly not cheap, but the all-around experience in Allen Fieldhouse ensures that your money is well spent.

Extras 5

So many things decorate the stadium and add to the experience, including the host of championship banners, retired numbers, and recognized players. The staff is friendly and helpful, you can find multiple places to buy team merchandise, and even a few kids' activities are present. In fact, there’s a whole hallway filled with player photos and team accomplishment banners. All this, and yet the most impressive part is far and away the Booth Family Hall of Athletics that serves as a hall of fame for Kansas athletes and sports, including a special emphasis on James Naismith, the inventor of basketball and KU’s first basketball coach, and Forrest C. “Phog” Allen.

Final Thoughts

Allen Fieldhouse is a special place for the sport of basketball because it's where basketball was invented and first played. It would be easy to let somewhere as historic as this speak for itself, but all the additions over the years to maintain a modern style and update the venue as the program’s history expands have only added to the experience.

It may be a little on the expensive side for college sports, but it’s easy to see why the price of admission is high once you enter the building. It’s so easy to get immersed in the atmosphere, find yourself singing along with the fans during traditions, and feel a sense of pride in what Allen Fieldhouse represents as one of the original stepping stones to what college basketball has become.