The buzz around Colonial Life Arena has been a long time in the making. Between years of Vista development, a westward push of USC's campus, and two SEC-leading teams, the 15-year-old arena is finally reaching its potential as a premier haven for college basketball.

The arena, much maligned for its immense size is finally starting to fill up, and outside of winning, one needs look no further than its location.

When constructed, the selling point was clear: USC needed to improve its facilities for basketball, and Columbia needed a concert venue. An old factory lot on the corner of Greene St and Lincoln St was the choice, and so began the resurrection of the West side of town.

Colonial Life Arena, then called The Carolina Center, was opened in 2002 to a crowd of 17,712, who watched as the Gamecocks Women's Basketball team defeated Clemson 72-58. Within two years, the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center was constructed, as well as the arena's lifeline to The Vista, Lincoln Street.

On any given game-day, thousands of fans pack The Vista's 40-plus eateries. The convenience is unmatched with little more than a 3-4 block walk to the arena, ample parking, and other than a temporary closure of Pendleton St, plenty of roads to ease traffic.

Now, on top of its proximity to The Vista, more than 3,000 students live within walking distance of the arena. An arena that was once on the periphery is now in the middle of campus, and it shows. Student attendance is helping bolster the atmosphere at both men's and women's games, including a sell-out of the men's game against Georgia.

Fans are now seeing the value in the venue where you can grab a bite, a pint, and watch two top-notch basketball teams. Currently, both squads rank in the top 20 in attendance nationally (Women are 1st, Men are 16th), and they both average over 12,000 fans per contest. The only school in the nation to make that claim. USC will need those fans now more than ever, since both teams are now leading the SEC in the standings.

At this point, it would be no exaggeration to say that Colonial Life Arena has become the epicenter of SEC basketball, and people are taking notice. It has been a long time in the making, but it only makes sense.

The arena, the location, the town. They're a perfect fit for nightlife and college basketball.