Bleacher Report Home-Court Advantage: Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium

The History Behind Cameron

The original plans for the stadium were drawn up around 1935 by a basketball coach named Eddie Cameron.

These plans were further developed and drawn up by the architect of the project, Horace Trumbauer, around 1939. It was on Jan. 6, 1940, however, when Cameron Indoor Stadium first opened its doors to the public.

The original name of the stadium was Duke Indoor Stadium, and at the time cost around $400,000 to construct. It originally seated 8,800 people, and at it's completion was the largest gymnasium in the country south of the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania.

The first game in the newly constructed Duke Indoor Stadium featured Duke University vs. Princeton. The outcome of that game was a 56-27 victory in favor of the Blue Devils, a win that ignited a string of victories for a program ready to prosper.

The architects and designers of the stadium really never understood what may lie ahead for the Duke Basketball Program. "Would the program exceed the number of years the stadium stood?" or "Would the entire college basketball landscape watch the newly constructed gymnasium falter under the expectations?"

Luckily for all Duke fans, the program was a success.

How Strong Is the Home-Court Advantage?

To emphasize how dominate Duke has been at home, look at some of the active streaks that the Blue Devils have compiled at Cameron: Duke has won 76 straight non-conference games at Cameron, 36 in a row here against unranked teams and 49 straight at home in December.

Duke is a perfect 11-0 at home this season, and the closest game they have played in Cameron this year was a 80-71 win against Big East-foe St. John's. Clemson came the second closest at beating Duke at home, a 74-53 loss for the Tigers.

Over the years, Duke has been one of the top teams at home in the country. Coach Mike Krzyzewski expects his teams to get the job done on their court, then they can spend time preparing for tough road games the following days. That approach has worked and worked to perfection.

A Blue Devil may not be the most common mascot in the country, but he sure knows how to get the crowd excited and ready for a game in Cameron.

During media timeouts and halftime, the Duke Blue Devil pumps up the crowd, most notably known for riding a surfboard while members of the band roll across the floor in hopes of helping the mascot make it safely to the other side of the court.

The Duke mascot has also been known to crowd-surf through the student-section during pregame and after the game has ended, cheering on another win for the Blue Devils in Cameron. He certainly adds another dimension to the home-court advantage for Duke.

"Cameron Crazies"

When it comes to the Duke Basketball program, history is on the side as Coach Mike Krzyzewski has shaped Duke into a national powerhouse. Playing their home games in the historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, the Blue Devils are always primed to be one of the top teams in the country and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

The fan turn-out at basketball games is unlike any other. The student section, known as the “Cameron Crazies”, is one of the most well-known fan bases in college basketball today.

Whether it be providing the Blue Devils a spark, distracting the opposing teams’ top player or encouraging the team during scoring droughts, the “Crazies” are guaranteed to play a major part in any home contest.

Coach K has challenged the Duke fan base to come out to games and provide energy for his team, and they have never let him down. The Duke fans have lived up to the billing, and have excelled any expectation that the coach could ever have imagined.

The Cameron Legacy

Christian Laettner, Johnny Dawkins, Bobby Hurley, Art Heyman, Trajan Langdon, Mike Gminski, Tommy Amaker, Elton Brand, Chris Duhon, Shane Battier, Grant Hill, and J.J. Redick are just a few of the basketball greats to have once called Cameron home.

In 2001, the floor in Cameron Indoor Stadium was named the "Coach K Court," in recognition of Coach Mike Krzyzewski's success with the Duke program.

The students even got involved and created "Krzyzewskiville," which sees thousands of students each year pitch tents in the area next to Cameron in order to receive tickets to the big basketball games.

None of the above would have been possible had Cameron Indoor Stadium faltered.

Many colleges today believe that the nicer the buildings and gymnasiums are on campus, the better. In Durham, NC, tradition has reigned supreme and will continue to do so in the future.

The history and atmosphere of Cameron has separated it from all other gymnasiums in college basketball. The small arena makes for loud noise, fans closer to the action, and therefore one of the toughest environments to play in all of basketball.

The food may cost more than the average arena, the seats may be limited since it is small in size and the tickets may be expensive if you manage to find someone that will sell them to you, but a Cameron Indoor experience is a memory that will last a lifetime.