The Coolest Courts and Fields in Sports

In sports, winning may matter most, but it’s nice to look cool too. Of course, teams of all sorts can celebrate their “coolness” in a number of ways and often use color schemes and uniform designs to do so. Nothing, though, is more important than where they play, their home or the stage on which they perform.

In the NBA, it’s hard to picture the Boston Celtics and all the titles they’ve won without also envisioning their iconic parquet floor. And, along the college football gridiron, Tiger Stadium is as famous as the Tigers who play in it.

Some teams embrace tradition, while others explore more modern designs. With both approaches in mind, we’ve worked our very hardest to highlight the 15 coolest courts and fields in sports.

Close, but No Cigar

Below is our list of honorable mentions. For one reason or another, these charming "fields of battle" narrowly missed the cut: 

• Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
• Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
• Time Warner Cable Arena
• United Center
• FirstEnergy Stadium

15. Rose Bowl

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The Bruins call the beautiful Rose Bowl home.

Most college football fields are basic in design, with understated end zones and undersized logos at midfield. When the UCLA Bruins play, however, the Rose Bowl has it all.

First, we should acknowledge the blue-and-gold color scheme, which is arguably the best in sports. It’s a built-in advantage, no doubt.

That’s not all, though.

The two-color end-zone scheme is playful but not gaudy. And the center field logo written in script is both elegant and bold. Much bigger than the average football logo, it screams for attention but is never too loud.

The design isn’t quite unique enough to land it higher on our list, but there’s really nothing to criticize here, either.

14. Sun Life Stadium

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The new-look Dolphins got a new-look field

In a league that mostly employs understated field designs, the Miami Dolphins represent a unique case.

Like the previously mentioned Bruins, the Dolphins also utilize an elite color scheme. Filling in the end zone, with the team’s charming aqua blue works perfectly, and including its logo further distinguishes the field.

Speaking of the logo, though many have criticized the new updated look, it works really well on the pitch. It’s colorful but not too distracting—unique but not too bold.

Of course, the alternating two-toned grass takes an already great design to a whole other level.

13. Byrd Stadium

Some college football purists categorically detest the game’s more modern looks. Some of these updated designs, however, bring buzz back to once-forgotten schools. When they look good, too, it’s simply icing on the cake.

The Maryland Terrapins figured this out and have executed their plan to perfection.

When it comes to their field, a single enlightened idea sets Maryland apart. With the state flag occupying both end zones, the field at Byrd Stadium is as colorful as it is unique.

The red, white, black and yellow color scheme is sharp, and the flag’s design fits perfectly in the 10x53-yard end-zone space.

The mixture of color isn’t just easy on the eye. The design brings state pride to the forefront of every home game played.

Not to mention the two-tone landscaping, which only brings more life to an altogether dynamic design.

12. Event Center Arena

College basketball is home to some of the world’s funkiest court designs, and San Jose State’s Event Center is among the best.

Again, the school’s gold, blue and white color scheme is an asset, though hardly what separates its court from the rest.

That distinction belongs to the five supersized Spartans rendered perfectly along one of the sidelines. They are detailed, colorful and harsh, with an emphasis on power and intimidation.

Four of the five shields combine to spell out "SJSU," while the fifth and center shield features the school’s clean but fierce logo. So too does the center of the floor—the logo there is prominent but not too invasive—and the space between the three-point line and free-throw line is beautifully colored with a darker wood and really pops beside the yellow-filled paint.

For creativity and guts, the Event Center earns this lofty ranking. It, however, is a bit too congested to rank among the best of the best.

11. Barclays Center

As usual, let's start with the colors. The Nets feature a basic black-and-white scheme, which is universally appealing and equally distinguishing within the league.

The team’s approach to the court is a simple yet classic one. The herringbone floor carries a traditional feel, although there's nothing else like it in the NBA. And the court’s central logo is a testament to the power of understated design, featuring nothing more than a basketball, a bold “B” and the words “Brooklyn New York.”

Perhaps most importantly, the Nets found a way to make even their corporate sponsor’s logo pop, rendering it in a blue that goes perfectly with both the court’s herringbone wood and its prominent black shading.

Brooklyn perfectly executed the “less is more” strategy, though our higher-ranked courts and fields demonstrated a bit more ingenuity.

10. JMU Convocation Center

Smaller schools have a choice to make: Go big or go home. James Madison chose the former.

Though some undoubtedly see this court as a bit too much, there’s actually plenty to like here.

Let’s begin with the wood, which features a classic two-tone paneling look with nothing but success.

From there, it’s hard to discuss anything other than the enormous "Duke Dogs" at each end of the court. They may be obscene in size, but they are as fun and playful as any mascot renderings in college basketball. Oh, and they scream James Madison.

The purple, gold and gray combination works well, too, and doesn’t overwhelm on a floor that is lighter in color and mostly empty elsewhere. The simple “JMU” logo at center court also works to limit the overall excessive tone.

For both creativity and execution, this floor belongs in our top 10. 

9. Oracle Arena

Screen Shot from YouTube

Golden State's court is one of the best in the NBA.

The Golden State Warriors have some of the best fans in the NBA. They have one of the best courts, too.

Armed with a dynamite color scheme—blue, gold and white—and a throwback logo that features a silhouette of the Bay Bridge, artists in charge had plenty with which to work.

The yellow baseline, set beside the yellow paint, is colorful and bold, and the blue outline offers the perfect contrast. Of course, the one-of-a-kind center-court logo brings it all together, adding just the right amount of blue to what is an awfully yellow table.

The red-and-white Oracle logo, however, clashes with everything that’s right and keep this floor from rising higher up our list.

8. Walter Pyramid

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Long Beach State's uniforms are far simpler than its court.

Home of the Long Beach State 49ers, Walter Pyramid ranks as one of the most unique surfaces in all of sports.

Though artistically creative, the floor avoids the loud, busy designs that ruin so many others.

The black-and-gold color scheme features the perfect amount of contrast, and specifically accentuating the gold brightens the floor and flatters the lighter wood.

The court's central artwork, however, earns it elite status. The yellow palm trees are prominent but not overbearing, and they celebrate the school’s "beachy" surroundings in a tasteful and creative manner. The proclamation logo—which simply reads “The Beach”—represents the coolest kind of branding out there and is captured in an edgy script that appropriately communicates a “sandy” look.

7. Neyland Stadium

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Neyland Stadium is a college football cathedral.

Neyland Stadium represents arguably the most legendary field on our list. Though the color orange isn’t for everyone, the classic “T” at center field is tasteful and far from polarizing.

Let’s be honest, though: This field ranks so high thanks to its one-of-a-kind end-zone design.

In 1964, the orange-and-white checkerboard end zones were conceived of and implemented, and college football has been better ever since.

Whether you love or despise Tennessee football, it’s hard to knock one of the game's most iconic visuals.

When Saturday night lights are shining down from above, the orange and white boxes take on a life of their own.

6. Charles E. Smith Athletic Center

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GW basketball has a new court to celebrate.

Located in the middle of our nation’s capital and home to the George Washington basketball team, the Charles E. Smith Athletic Center floor celebrates both to perfection.

The logo at midcourt brings sharp colors to the setting and harnesses the right amount of modern quirkiness.

Of course, the floor sets itself apart with dramatic design, an artistic rendering of the White House flanked by the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument. It’s creative and tasteful and imbues the court with a sense of power.

The floor is as visually pleasing as it is historically significant. Visitors can’t help but notice the design and never forget where they are.

With that said, the blue-and-buff color scheme works but is far from unique. It holds the court back a bit when compared to some of the more elite surfaces on our list.

5. TCF Bank Stadium

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Minnesota's field is as pretty as its cheerleaders.

One of only two NFL fields to make the list, the turf at TCF Bank Stadium is one to cherish.

The team uses a perfect throwback-style font to spell out Vikings in each end zone and does so in the most appealing shade of purple. The rest of the field gleams green in a way only domed turf can.

In all honesty, though, the center field logo steals the show. Viktor the Viking is the NFL’s best mascot, and the midfield marking does him justice for sure.

It’s colorful and perfectly sized and has a cartoonish element that says, “I seek to intimidate but without taking myself too seriously.”

In total, the field is missing some of the pizzazz seen among our top four. But in a suit-and-tie league like the NFL, the Vikings make the most of what they've got.

4. Haas Pavilion

The Cal Bears recently took the court inside Haas Pavilion to a new level.

In truth, a majority of the surface actually stayed the same. The baseline and paint are still shaded in Cal’s classic blue and also remain accented by the school’s traditional yellow.

Center court, however, traded ordinary in exchange for exceptional. Where it used to simply read “Cal” in script, the ferocious outline of a bear now sits.

The idea is novel, and the execution is flawless. From an artistic standpoint, the work is both dynamic and inviting (believe it or not). And, while it’s enormous in size, its natural-wood coloring and lightly shaded outline prevent it from overwhelming.

The school probably could have been more creative with the wood, and the court is simply too new to overtake our top three.

3. TD Garden

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Boston's floor is the best in the NBA.

The venue may have changed, but the floor has stayed the same. This court's ranking shouldn’t need a whole lot of explanation, but a few factors are worth highlighting.

First, the parquet floor is both beautiful, unique and historical to boot. Its coloring—in contrast to the green paint—is a glorious site to behold.

What really matters, though, sits at center court. Simply put, “Lucky the Leprechaun” is NBA royalty.

He celebrates basketball, Boston and a legendary franchise all at once. More importantly, he belongs front and center and makes Boston’s floor the best the NBA has to offer.

2. U.S. Century Bank Arena

There’s nothing as fun or inventive as the court on which FIU basketball plays. It’s truly a work of art, more masterpiece than gymnasium floor.

A recent accident may forever alter the court’s appearance, but doesn’t erase its original brilliance.

And what’s not to love? From a panther emerging from center-court sand to baseline palm trees and rippling sideline waves, FIU’s court is an amalgamation of beautiful colors and all that’s right with Florida sun (minus the panther, but you get the point).

A lack of tradition, and that alone, keeps FIU’s bountiful basketball floor from our top spot.

1. Tiger Stadium

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Nothing field in college football compares to Tiger Stadium's.

The field inside of Tiger Stadium has it all: tradition, prestige and an undeniably clever design.

It begins with the two end zones, which promote “LSU” with inverted yellow-and-purple color schemes. In a sport filled with natural green, the colorful patches bring a different kind of energy to the field of play.

The rest of the field’s charm flows from "center stage," where the iconic Tiger eye has found its home. There’s something beautiful about the subtle things in life, and LSU’s success invoking such a powerful feeling of “tiger” with merely an eye is as profound as it is impressive.

Some playing surfaces are classic, while others are creative, colorful or edgy. The field at Tiger Stadium qualifies as all of the above and ranks No. 1 on our list as a result.