📍 Princeton, New Jersey
🏀 Home of Princeton Tigers basketball

Iconic L. Stockwell Jadwin Gymnasium is the fourth basketball venue on the campus of Princeton University and is one of the most recognizable college basketball arenas around. A staple of the Ivy League, the school’s athletic hub was named in honor of a former track captain who passed away – and whose mother subsequently donated a hefty sum to help with the construction of a new venue.

The Tigers’ first home was University Gym, which burned down in 1944. They moved temporarily to Hobey Baker Rink, home of the school’s hockey programs, while a replacement arena – Dillon Gym – was being built. The Princeton men would play at this venue from 1947 until the move to Jadwin in 1969, with their first matchup under the dramatic roof being a tilt against rival Penn.

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The building is a multi-purpose facility, featuring an indoor track behind the bleachers and five levels of athletic facilities beneath the basketball floor. In addition to hoops, the main gym space also hosts wrestling and volleyball matches.

The setup for basketball is certainly a unique one. A towering grandstand – full of primarily chairback seats – makes up most of the venue’s 6,800-person capacity, and bleachers surrounding the remaining three sides of the court account for the rest. The view from the fixed seats is the most commanding – this is the typical TV view and affords a look at the overhead lights behind the court, which twinkle when the Tigers take the floor and then promptly shut off.

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The rowdiest part of the arena is the “Jadwin Jungle”, a set of bleachers laced with faux vines and filled with crazed students who engage in scores of high-class chants, such as telling referees they’re “impotent” – quite appropriate for an Ivy League institution.

Contrastingly, that corner of the gym is also home to a bouncy house and full-on kids zone that has everything from face-painting to balloon animals.

In the main atrium, aside the concessions and merch stands, an intimidating tiger statue stands front and center to greet fans on gameday. To the side, some informative murals and placards highlight Princeton’s accomplishments across all of its athletic programs.

Men’s basketball has appeared in the NCAA Tournament more than two dozen times, advancing as far as the Sweet Sixteen as recently as 2023. The only time the Tigers have made a deeper run was when they were part of the Final Four back in 1965.

As the Tigers claw their way back into relevant discussion and Ivy League prominence, the court at Jadwin Gym will always be a stage for some of New Jersey’s best basketball under arguably the best architecture in the sport.