Mackey Arena has a reputation as one of the loudest and most intimidating venues in college basketball. Through a unique partnership between Purdue Athletics and Uplause, that legendary atmosphere is now measured — and visualized — throughout the game.
A recent Journal & Courier feature on crowd noise at Mackey Arena put numbers behind something Purdue fans and visiting teams have known for years:
Mackey gets loud. Really loud.
Since Purdue began using Uplause technology, crowd noise has become a measurable and visible part of the game-day experience.
What makes the Purdue and Uplause partnership particularly unique is how the Uplause Live Noise Meter is used at Mackey Arena.
It isn't simply activated for occasional "MAKE SOME NOISE" moments.
The Live Noise Meter is on and visible throughout the game.
Fans can continuously see the noise level inside Mackey and get real-time feedback on the energy and effort they are putting into the game.
Cheer louder — and watch the numbers rise.
A big three-pointer, defensive stop or Purdue run can immediately be reflected in the numbers.
This creates a continuous feedback loop between the crowd and the game itself. Instead of simply experiencing the atmosphere, fans can see the impact they are making in real time.
And the numbers can be impressive.
Since Purdue began using Uplause technology, Mackey has recorded peaks including:
119.32 dB — Oregon, February 07, 2026
119.13 dB — Iowa State, December 06, 2025
The partnership goes beyond measuring who can create the loudest moment.
By keeping the Live Noise Meter visible throughout the game, Purdue has made crowd energy another piece of live information inside the arena — almost like a statistic generated by the fans themselves.
It encourages participation, creates competition around crowd records and gives Purdue another way to showcase one of its greatest assets:
The Mackey Arena atmosphere.
The data can also create opportunities for social media, sponsor activations, broadcast graphics and season-long comparisons.
Quantifying home-court advantage
Sports organizations measure almost everything — from player performance and ticket sales to digital engagement and sponsorship exposure.
But one of the most powerful elements of live sports has traditionally been difficult to quantify:
The crowd.
The Purdue and Uplause partnership is helping change that.
At Mackey Arena, thousands of fans create the energy.
Uplause measures it.
And throughout the game, the fans can see it.
Uplause helps teams and venues measure, visualize and analyze crowd energy with the Live Noise Meter, Live Data Feed and Uplause Pulse.
Your fans create the atmosphere. Uplause makes it measurable.