Attendance at Lobo games in The Pit has consistently been among the national leaders in college basketball, averaging over 15,400 fans per game since it opened. The Lobos finished in the top five nationally in attendance 16 times in their first 20 years at The Pit, reaching second five times, and they were in the top ten all but one season through 2002. The design of the arena makes it one of the loudest venues in college basketball, creating a hostile playing environment for visitors. A study of decibel levels at collegiate basketball arenas found that a game at The Pit registered as the loudest at 118 decibels, comparable to a turbo-fan aircraft at takeoff power. Noise levels up to 125 decibels have been measured, close to the pain threshold for the human ear. Contributing to the intimidating environment for visitors is the mile high elevation of The Pit, emphasized to visiting teams with a message along the wall of the tunnel from the locker rooms down to the playing floor saying, "Welcome to the legendary Pit, a mile high and louder than..."