Photos by Lance Sutehall, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Neville Arena 250 Beard-Eaves Ct Auburn, AL 36830
Year Opened: 2010
Capacity: 9,121
Basketball’s Tiger Home In War Eagle Town
If you want an amazing college basketball experience come on down to Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama. Built in 2010 and renamed in 2022 after originally being called Auburn Arena, the 9,121-capacity venue plays host to one of college basketball’s best atmospheres.
The Tigers program made the final four in 2019 and since then Auburn games are some of the hottest tickets in college basketball. Neville Arena is almost certainly the best arena in the state of Alabama and some would argue it’s the best in the SEC.
Food & Beverage 3
The standard fare includes Hot Dogs ($6), Cheeseburgers ($8), Chicken FIngers ($9), Pizza ($10), Popcorn ($5), Nachos ($5), and Pretzels ($5). Coke is the soft drink provider with options including a regular soda ($5), souvenir cups ($7), Dasani water ($3), and Powerade ($6). Chick-Fil-A is available at the arena (provided the game is not played on Sunday). If you want a beer the options include Budweiser ($10), Miller ($10), Michelob ($10), or a variety of IPAs ($14). The concession stands are cashless.
Atmosphere 5
When you walk towards the entrance of Neville Arena you see the statue of Auburn Tigers legend Charles Barkley. Once your ticket is scanned you find yourself in an atrium with a giant Auburn logo overlooking all the Auburn faithful and a wall telling you “War Eagle”. After going up a couple flights of stairs the concourse reveals itself with a view of the court and Auburn stuff on the walls.
When heading to the seats it becomes apparent there is not a bad view in the arena due to the fact the seats are all relatively close to the court. The outline of the court is navy blue with the baselines saying “Auburn Tigers” and a large Auburn logo at midcourt. The center-hung scoreboard was upgraded in 2020 and is a 360-degree screen.
When the arena is full (as has been the case for years) Neville Arena is one of the most intimidating arenas in the nation. An intro featuring Charles Barkley gets the crowd hyped and the crowd will not settle down until well after the game is over.
Neighborhood 5
Nicknamed “The Loveliest Village on the Plain”, Auburn is one of the most beautiful places in the state of Alabama. A trip to Auburn must include a stop by Toomer’s Drugs which is across the street from the trees of Toomer’s Corner. Restaurants down Magnolia Drive include Little Italy for pizza, Moe’s Original BBQ, and Taco Mama. If you want to go to a bar, options include the 17-16 Bar on Magnolia, The Saloon, or Halftime on College Street. Lodging within walking distance of Auburn University includes The Hotel at Auburn University and The Laurel Hotel.
Fans 5
Neville Arena has been packed to the brim with Auburn fans for every non-covid game since the Tigers made the final four in 2019. They start arriving 90 minutes before the tip and they make noise throughout the game even in non-conference games against inferior opponents.
In recent years students have been known to camp out a couple of days before games against opponents such as Kentucky and Alabama to get the best seats. The fans help make Neville Arena one of the toughest gyms to play in the nation.
Access 4
To get to the arena from I-85 turn off exit 51 and head North on College Avenue. Turn left at Donahue Drive. Parking by the arena is reserved for Tigers Unlimited ticket holders. Fortunately, there will be free parking by Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum (Auburn’s former arena) which is also across the street from Plainsman Park (Auburn’s baseball stadium).
Once you make the 5-minute walk across Heisman Drive to Neville Arena the concourse is wide enough, there are plenty of restrooms, and several concession stands are spread throughout the venue preventing lines from getting too long. The only knock on the venue is that exiting the arena can take a few minutes to do there being only a couple of arena exit points.
Return on Investment 3
The demand for an Auburn Tigers basketball ticket is so high that the only tickets I could buy through Auburn’s website were for games against inferior non-conference opponents that were Standing Room Only. A ticket for that cost me $50. There were a couple of games I could have gotten in for $40, again Standing Room Only.
Tickets for reserved seats in non-conference and SEC games will likely have to be purchased on the secondary market and some games cost $300 just to get in the building. That shows you how much demand there is to see these Auburn Tigers.
The atmosphere is virtually guaranteed to be great no matter the opponent and the parking is free.
Extras 3
At the main entrance of the arena is the Lovelace Museum and Hall of Honor which showcases memorable moments and memorabilia from Auburn’s athletic successes.
Auburn’s football venue, Jordan Hare Stadium, is located next to Neville Arena.
There is a Buc-ee’s in Auburn.
Final Thoughts
Auburn is a beautiful place and its basketball arena has one of the best atmospheres in all of college basketball.
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