Home Court Advantage?

[Navin R. Johnson]

We obviously know that all sports teams play better at home rather than on the road. (we really know that so far this year with NUBB)  Is home court advantage in college basketball more important than any other sport?  I believe it is.  I think when you include the crowd being right on you in basketball and being familiar with your court for a skill like shooting the basketball outweighs all other sports.  I also think college kids thrive on that stuff more than the pros so I would put college basketball ahead of the NBA for home court advantage importance.  Baseball fans might argue that the stadium layout could give a home team an advantage over other sports and football fan could argue that the crowds are larger and thus more noise but when you combine them both, I would go with college hoops.  (I don't follow soccer or hockey close enough to make a call there)   What do you think?  (and lets get that tough road win at Maryland this week)

[throwback]

I like this topic - basketball & football obviously help far more with emotion and noise than baseball and hockey. However, baseball gives the home team a strategic advantage by having last at-bat, which is huge in a tie game. And hockey gives the home team a significant strategic advantage by letting the home coach have the last line change after stoppages in play.

 

College hoops also has the odd advantage in that the home team gets to select the ball manufacturer to use. Quite a few players don't like using a different basketball.

 

I'm not sure I'm right, but I think college hoops has the biggest impact from being at home - there's already a great chance of upsets, and the emotion of being in front of supportive fans, not having to travel, using your own basketball, knowing your arena's sight lines, etc., often can tip the balance toward major upsets from home 'dogs. Not always, but frequently enough.

 

[Navin R. Johnson]

54 minutes ago, throwback said:

I like this topic - basketball & football obviously help far more with emotion and noise than baseball and hockey. However, baseball gives the home team a strategic advantage by having last at-bat, which is huge in a tie game. And hockey gives the home team a significant strategic advantage by letting the home coach have the last line change after stoppages in play.

 

College hoops also has the odd advantage in that the home team gets to select the ball manufacturer to use. Quite a few players don't like using a different basketball.

 

I'm not sure I'm right, but I think college hoops has the biggest impact from being at home - there's already a great chance of upsets, and the emotion of being in front of supportive fans, not having to travel, using your own basketball, knowing your arena's sight lines, etc., often can tip the balance toward major upsets from home 'dogs. Not always, but frequently enough.

 

 

I forgot about the last at bat in baseball. Very much an advantage especially since MLB changed the extra innings format.

[Navin R. Johnson]

Borrowed this from @hskr4life

 

AP Top 10 teams are now 17-27 (38.6%) this season on the road against unranked opponents. College Basketball is a completely different sport than it has been in the past... 18-19: 73.3% 19-20: 66.1% 20-21: 58.9% 21-22: 61.2% 22-23: 59.8%

[AuroranHusker]

On 1/24/2024 at 5:18 PM, throwback said:

I like this topic - basketball & football obviously help far more with emotion and noise than baseball and hockey. However, baseball gives the home team a strategic advantage by having last at-bat, which is huge in a tie game. And hockey gives the home team a significant strategic advantage by letting the home coach have the last line change after stoppages in play.

 

College hoops also has the odd advantage in that the home team gets to select the ball manufacturer to use. Quite a few players don't like using a different basketball.

 

I'm not sure I'm right, but I think college hoops has the biggest impact from being at home - there's already a great chance of upsets, and the emotion of being in front of supportive fans, not having to travel, using your own basketball, knowing your arena's sight lines, etc., often can tip the balance toward major upsets from home 'dogs. Not always, but frequently enough.

 

 

Those all seem to be factors, but I personally believe one of the biggest reasons is that almost all role players play better at home, and in a closer contest, that can be the deciding factor in winning or losing.
 

 

[AuroranHusker]

On 1/24/2024 at 6:15 PM, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

I forgot about the last at bat in baseball. Very much an advantage especially since MLB changed the extra innings format.

 

Actually, the extra inning format favors the visitor because they're able to be more aggressive in the top of the 10th by scoring multi-runs, then simply have to only allow 1 to win. It's a ridiculous format for a purist!

 

[Navin R. Johnson]

9 minutes ago, AuroranHusker said:

 

Actually, the extra inning format favors the visitor because they're able to be more aggressive in the top of the 10th by scoring multi-runs, then simply have to only allow 1 to win. It's a ridiculous format for a purist!

 

 

I don't care for the rule myself.   I do think it favors the home team as they know how many runs to play for. The visitor can be aggressive but if you don't score by choosing not to bunt the man over it gives the home team a huge advantage. 

[AuroranHusker]

11 minutes ago, Navin R. Johnson said:

 

I don't care for the rule myself.   I do think it favors the home team as they know how many runs to play for. The visitor can be aggressive but if you don't score by choosing not to bunt the man over it gives the home team a huge advantage. 

 

I've heard the winning percentage actually favors the visitors. It is a bad rule.

 

 

[Navin R. Johnson]

On 1/26/2024 at 8:56 PM, AuroranHusker said:

 

I've heard the winning percentage actually favors the visitors. It is a bad rule.

 

 

 

I think you may be right.  Looking at statistics the visitors do have an advantage.  I would not have thought that.  Although it is still a small sample size at this point.