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NBA commissioner Adam Silver made an interesting comment before Tuesday's NBA Cup title game between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks. Silver mentioned that some "storied college arenas" could be in consideration to host the next NBA Cup title game, which has taken place in Las Vegas the last three years.

"We've loved our experience in Vegas," Silver said on the NBA on Prime pregame show. "We're talking with Amazon Prime about whether it makes sense to maybe go to some unique locations for the final game. They've suggested, for example, some storied college arenas. So we're just looking at other ways to do this."

That talking point from Silver created a discussion on the Eye on College Basketball podcast, where CBS Sports' Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish discussed what college arenas make sense to host such a game. Parrish's list included Allen Fieldhouse (home of Kansas), Cameron Indoor Stadium (home of Duke) and The Palestra (home of Penn).

"Take two of the best professional basketball teams in the world, some of the best basketball players on the planet and put them at Cameron Indoor," Parrish said. "I know it has a capacity of only 9,314. But what does that mean? We sell 9,000 fewer tickets for one game? It's fine."

Parrish's list

  • Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas)
  • Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke)
  • The Palestra (Penn)
  • Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler)
  • The Pit (New Mexico)

Norlander's list includes Rupp Arena (home of Kentucky), Allen Fieldhouse (home of Kansas) and Hinkle Fieldhouse (home of Butler). 

"I love the idea of going to a state that does not have an NBA franchise," Norlander said. "... because of the nature of the event and the unique nature of the event, you might be able to get people who are more willing to come that never have."

Norlander's list

  • Rupp Arena (Kentucky)
  • Allen Fieldhouse (Kansas)
  • Hinkle Fieldhouse (Butler)
  • Assembly Hall (Indiana)
  • Dean E. Smith Center (North Carolina)


Although it could be logistically challenging to play the NBA Cup title game at Cameron Indoor Stadium, it should be noted that Silver is a Duke alumnus and serves on the university's board of trustees. It's no guarantee that the next NBA Cup title game will be played on a college campus, but it is a fun exercise and possibility to ponder.