📍 Louisville, Kentucky
🏀 Home of Louisville Cardinals basketball

Backed by a die-hard fanbase and a long resume of success, Louisville basketball departed the historic facilities at Freedom Hall and opened another off-campus arena – this time a sleek, modern one – in 2010. Dubbed the KFC Yum! Center, this cavernous building seats just over 22,000, making it the largest basketball-specific venue in the nation. Its construction also helped redevelop a portion of downtown Louisville, redefining the landscape and architecture of the riverfront.

Central to the arena’s design are large bay windows that overlook the mighty Ohio River, spanned by the adjacent Clark Memorial Bridge that stretches to Indiana and beyond. These floor-to-ceiling panes give folks passing by a glimpse into the venue, and gives fans inside a sweeping view of their surroundings.

The Yum! Center is full of Louisville basketball achievements, the focal point of which is the center court floor from the 2013 Final Four – on display on the upper concourse – a major piece of memorabilia despite that title being stripped away due to a 2015 basketball sex scandal. Lots of banners also hang from the rafters, tucked up and away to prevent obscuration of sightlines, and, although there’s no pennant from their sole championship, the Cards do have one celebrating their final #1 ranking that season.

Along the concourse is the Kentucky Sports Hall of Fame, a series of panels that touch on the state’s long history of athletics, from its horse racing legacy to notable Bluegrass State Olympians. Major sports like football, basketball and baseball have their spots on the wall as well.

Of course, a venue named after one of the biggest fast food brands in the country would be remiss to not be purveyors of their own beloved food items. All the major Yum! brands – Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and KFC – have concession stands throughout the arena, and a few local alcoholic establishments, like Rabbit Hole Distillery and Heaven Hill Bourbon, have full bars with tons of classic Kentucky liquors to choose from.

The local Louisville flavors extend even to the gameday presentation. The national anthem will, on occasion, be played on the saxophone by football standout Justin Ruffin, a nod to the region’s jazz culture. The arena’s bowl is then bathed in red, flames shoot from behind the baskets during player introductions and the student section – known as the Villens – pumps up the crowd with their antics and energized flag waving. As the game gets underway, they, along with the entire building, hold their fingers up high in the shape of an “L” – the thumb extended with the first two fingers, not just the index – in an effort to will their Cards to victory.