Hampton Virginia
🏀 Hampton Pirates

While the Hampton Convocation Center may not be the most glamorous college hoops venue around, it has served proudly as the home of Hampton Pirates basketball since it opened in 1993. Over the last thirty years, the 7,200-seat arena – which replaced the geriatric Holland Hall – has become the centerpiece of the university’s athletic facilities.

The Pirates have a storied history of success in this arena, often excelling in their conference and making a name for themselves on the national stage. An HBCU competitor in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for many years, the team established itself as a solid mid-major program, highlighted by a stunning single-point NCAA Tournament upset in 2001 over Iowa State. In 2017, the Pirates would depart for the Big South before settling in the CAA in 2022. Under the team’s current leadership, the Pirates have continued to thrive, winning multiple regular season and conference tournament championships in recent years.

What the Convocation Center lacks in frills, it makes up for in atmosphere. The arena features an in-house DJ who gets the crowd hyped, often playing music even after the game ends as students stick around to keep the party going. This unique setup predates the recent trend of having DJs at college basketball games, giving the venue’s a bit of identity.

Although it may not have all the fancy bells and whistles of more modern college basketball arenas, the Convocation Center has become a cherished home for the Hampton Pirates and their passionate fans, who feed off the great atmosphere and the grit of their boys in white and blue.