Kohl Center Seating Chart
The Kohl Center is the home of Wisconsin Badgers basketball and hockey on the University of Wisconsin campus in Madison. The 1998 arena seats over 17,000 for hoops, with a steep, loud bowl and a famous student section that makes it one of the Big Ten's toughest home courts.
Sections at Kohl Center
Kohl Center's seating bowl is organized into the following main sections. Section layout differs by event — a sports configuration and a concert configuration of the same arena are not the same chart.
- Floor — concert general admission and chairs
- Lower Bowl — 100s
- Club / premium level
- Upper Bowl — 200s
- Student Section — the Grateful Red
- Suites
Best seats at Kohl Center
Lower-bowl center sideline sections give the best Badgers basketball view. The arena is steep, so even the 200 level stays close to the floor — sit on the side opposite the student section to face the energy.
Tips before you go
The Kohl Center sits on the UW campus near State Street, so park in the nearby garages and walk through downtown Madison before tip-off. The student-section noise peaks for ranked Big Ten games — arrive for warmups to feel the full bowl.
How to read the Kohl Center seating chart
Kohl Center seats 17,287 in a bowl that wraps a central court, rink, or stage, so reading the chart starts at center and works outward. The lower bowl rings the floor closest to the action; a club or suite level sits in the middle; the upper bowl climbs above for the widest view. Lower-number sections sit nearest the action, and whether you are along a sideline or behind a baseline changes the view as much as the level does.
Three things decide an Kohl Center seat: how close you are to the floor, whether you face the action square on or from a baseline, and how high you sit. For an arena this size, the value sweet spot is usually the first few rows of the upper tier at center — close enough to read the play, cheap enough to justify, and high enough for the full picture. For a concert the stage usually sits at one end, so cross-check the official Kohl Center map against your ticket before you buy: a seat that's perfect for a game can sit behind the stage for a show.
Building a seating chart for an event at Kohl Center
Hosting a suite night, a group outing, or a private event in the Madison area? A seating chart keeps the group organized before you ever reach the gates. Map your party onto tables that mirror the suite or section layout, assign each guest a spot, and export a PDF so everyone knows where they sit. For a private event in a banquet space near Kohl Center, the same tool lays out rounds, banquet tables, and head tables, then prints a chart the venue's event-services team can work from. Capacity at Kohl Center runs to 17,287 for its main configuration, but most private events use a fraction of that in a club, suite, or adjacent hospitality space — exactly the scale the maker below is built for.
Hosting a private event at Kohl Center?
Build your own seating chart for the event — banquet rounds for the dinner portion, theater rows for the program, whatever the format calls for. The Seat Chart App maker handles layouts up to 500 seats and exports a print-ready PDF to share with the venue's event team.
Open the seating chart generatorFrequently asked questions
- How many seats does Kohl Center hold?
- Kohl Center has a capacity of 17,287 seats. Capacity varies by event configuration — a concert may use floor seating that a basketball game doesn't, and a private buyout uses a different count than a public event.
- What are the best seats at Kohl Center?
- Lower-bowl center sideline sections give the best Badgers basketball view. The arena is steep, so even the 200 level stays close to the floor — sit on the side opposite the student section to face the energy.
- What sections does Kohl Center have?
- Main sections include: Floor — concert general admission and chairs; Lower Bowl — 100s; Club / premium level. Full breakdown in the sections list above.
- Where is Kohl Center located?
- Kohl Center is in Madison, Wisconsin. Check the venue's official website for the exact address, parking options, and public transit access closest to your seat section.
- How do I plan a private event at Kohl Center?
- For private events, build a seating chart that maps to the venue's section layout using the Seat Chart App maker below. Drop tables to match your event's footprint within the venue's space, assign guests, and export a PDF to share with the venue's event-services team.