Williams Arena Seating Chart

The Williams Arena seating chart can be tricky. I personally think the seating chart makes the arena look larger than it actually is. Sitting in the 200 sections can make you feel far away from the action, but there are still plenty of good seats to choose from. When you look at a layout of Williams Arena, you may be wondering which one of these sections is the right section to sit in and then what row do you want to sit in. Some people prefer to be on the corner. But if you prefer to be in the best seats in the house, the center court sections are are 106 or 116, but sections 105-107 or 115 -117 also offer superb court views. I personally prefer to sit in section 105, rows 15-20. Best seats in the house!



One of the things you can't tell about Williams Arena from the seating chart is that it has a unique raised floor. The Williams Arena court is raised above the ground about 2 feet so that the players’ benches, officials’ tables, etc. are actually below the court. The fans in the first row, looking at the players, are at about knee-level so take that into consideration when visiting Williams Arena. Also, sections 109-113 are predominately students so take that into consideration when selecting tickets on line.

Williams Arena Atmosphere is one of a kind

Right across the street from Mariucci Arena, Williams Arena is in a great location on the University of Minnesota Minneapolis campus. Frat boys can walk there, suburbanites can park in one of the many ramps around and bar-goers in Dinkytown might be inebriated enough to walk the half-mile to Williams Arena.

I was recently at Williams Arena for the Colorado State game, which the Gophers men’s basketball team dominated. But it was more than the score of the game and the predictable outcome. It was what the atmosphere of Williams Arena brought me back to, that is, my playing days in high school. Williams Arena is the cavernous Target Center. It is more cozy and friendly. It’s more like, you know, a barn. I scored the Golden Gophers men’s basketball tickets from my boss, and watching Tubby Smith and his old-school pressing tactics really flooded with me memories.

Not to mention the student section at Williams Arena was an absolute hoot. There were five people dressed up in full ape costumes making a spectacle out of themselves. “The Barn” is always filled with a raucous student section consequently titled “The Barnyard” if you didn’t know.