Fifth Third Arena

📍 Cincinnati, Ohio
🏀 Home of Cincinnati Bearcats basketball

Fifth Third Arena, the sleek and snazzy home of the University of Cincinnati’s basketball team, might just be the best arena in college hoops. While the Bearcats have called the place home since 1989, it wasn’t until a massive overhaul in 2018 that the arena was propelled to the top of the basketball world.

It had been called a run-down old dump. While it maintained a commanding atmosphere throughout its years of slow decline, the then-Shoemaker Center was notably one of the most unremarkable venues that college sports had to offer. Renamed Fifth Third Arena in 2005, an epic turnaround occurred a decade later through a series of complete renovations to the tune of $87 million. The first phase was completed in time for the 2016-17 season, but a majority of the facelift happened during the 2017-18 campaign while the UC athletic teams found other temporary homes.

The debut of a new era for Bearcats basketball came in November 2018, when UC fans got to see the refreshed halls of their beloved “5/3” for the first time. New and unique spaces, like the Overlook Bar that looks out on the adjacent baseball stadium, abound. Bars located on both the upper and lower concourses offer more than just something to drink; they’re flanked by museum-grade walls of historical info about the team and region. At the Queen City Bar in particular, you’ll find a lighted map of the Cincinnati area serves as the backsplash.

Here’s something you won’t see at too many other college basketball arenas: a high-altitude section over the end zone that gives fans an almost eagle-eyed view of the action. This extremely steep area is known as the Margaret and Michael Valentine Incline, a clear nod to the five long-gone incline railways that used to dot the Cincinnati landscape. The view here is commanding and feels right on top of the court, despite its height.

There’s truly not a bad seat in the house at 5/3. The arena’s initial design and tight location on the UC campus forced architects to compact the seating bowl and place everything at a steeper pitch during the 2018 overhaul. This means that, no matter where you are in the building, you’ll be right on top of the game. A huge center-hung scoreboard and one-of-a-kind curved videoboards in the corners fill in anything you might miss.

Another cool detail is that there aren’t any banners hanging from the rafters that might obscure sightlines for some fans. Instead, one of the end zone walls is decorated with panels celebrating Bearcat legends and team accomplishments.

Fifth Third Arena just has that certain je ne sais quoi about it. It feels designed FOR the fans and FOR the players simultaneously. That’s a win-win – happy, engaged and close-to-the-action fans create a disturbing atmosphere for opponents, while comfortable and energized players equal results on the court. Add it all together, and it’s pretty clear that college basketball’s best fanbase and arena live here in Cincinnati.

Info Invasion

Must Eat: Pick literally anything – the spread is enormous and everything is delicious
Parking: Several lots and garages on campus; $10
Nearby Venue(s): Nippert Stadium, Cintas Center
In the Area: Check out the Cincinnati Zoo, home to a live bearcat