The science behind the idea of a “Home Advantage” in sports has been long studied. College men’s basketball has plenty of student sections that cause that so-called advantage. Whether it be the Cameron Crazies at Duke or The Izzone at Michigan State, college basketball student sections take the game to another level.
There’s a special sort of energy that comes from a rocking crowd all yelling “Rock Chalk” at Allen Fieldhouse in Kansas or even chanting “FU All The Time” from Timmons Arena at Furman.
That energy is only expected to grow at Furman thanks to a major transformation.
Timmons had been undergoing renovations since April 2024. The new Timmons Arena was unveiled to students and the Furman community during a ribbon cutting ceremony on Aug. 25, 2025. The donor-funded, $40 million project was made possible by the lead donation of $10 million by Ravenel B. Curry III ‘63.
The interior of Timmons has been completely redesigned. The benches are on a different side of the court, suites sit at the top of the arena and a brand-new, 360-degree concourse wraps around the arena. The student section has even been moved.
The brand new student section was spearheaded by a student club — the Furman Fanatics, which President Liz Moody ‘26 and Treasurer Tate Denham ‘26 played key roles in creating.
“Our student section in the newly renovated Timmons has been moved to the baseline by the visitor’s bench,” said Moody. “This is a significant difference from our old section, which was tucked away in the far corner of the arena.”
That kind of presence can be a game-changer in a tight contest, and Furman is making sure students have all the tools they need to make noise.
“Now, we are right in the middle of the action, behind the visiting team’s basket during the second half, a place where we can have a significant overall influence on the most important moments of the game,” said Moody.
“A strong student section is imperative to doing two things: one, motivating our players, and two, annoying/distracting their players,” said Denham.
Beyond the physical change of the student section, the goals remain the same.
“The student section is imperative to the home court advantage — we bring the energy into the arena. If you were in Asheville for the SoCon (Southern Conference) Championship against Wofford, you know how important the presence of students was. Both student sections were electric that night,” said Moody.
The Furman Fanatics are a partnership between Furman Athletics and the Office of Student Involvement with goals to increase attendance of athletic events and overall engagement of students with athletics. Membership is open to all students.
“An active student section increases student engagement, players’ motivation and is just plain-old fun,” said Denham.
Furman’s basketball teams will be back on campus following a season off campus. During the 2024-2025 season, the men’s team played home games at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena and at Davis Fieldhouse on the campus of Bob Jones University while the women’s team played at Hayes Gymnasium at North Greenville University. Having both teams back in a rejuvenated Timmons means students can once again be close to the action.
Students can also expect fun themes for the student section and plenty of giveaways.
“Our athletics department understands that Furman students are the most important fans in the building — we bring the energy,” said Moody.
Any student can join the Furman Fanatics via a form on the Furman Athletics website.
Even if you don’t want to join Furman Fanatics, students are encouraged to show up to games and cheer on the Dins.
With a newly renovated arena and a front-and-center student section, the Furman Fanatics are ready to make Timmons one of the toughest places to play in college basketball — starting with a men’s basketball’s exhibition game versus Alabama on Oct. 26.
