The 10 Most Intimidating Stadiums In College Football
Any football player can tell you home field advantage is no lie.
The travel is a headache, the away locker room is uncomfortable and the atmosphere is unfamiliar. Not to mention thousands of screaming fans hoping to watch you fail. College football fans are some of the loudest and proudest in the sporting world today, and these college’s stadiums and their fans are the most intimidating to visit on game day.
Tiger Stadium, LSU
Capacity: 102,321
Tiger Stadium, or “Death Valley” to some, is perhaps the most dangerous place to play in college football. LSU packs the gigantic stadium with over 100,00 screaming Tiger loyalists. The purple and yellow end zones are an iconic symbol in college sports and LSU football is consistently ranked in the Top 25. Night games are known to get so ear-splitting, many fans have begun to call it “Deaf Valley.”
Ohio Stadium, Ohio State
Capacity: 104,944
Nicknamed “The Horseshoe” because of its unique shape, The Shoe is one of college football’s largest stadiums.
“The Buckeye Bounce” is a crowd favorite and the marching band dotting the “i” has become a tradition at The Ohio State University.
The popular “OH, IO” chant still makes its way around the stadium and as my good friend once said, “You can yell ‘OH’ anywhere in the world and you’re guaranteed to get an ‘IO’ back from somebody.”
Kyle Field, Texas A&M
Capacity: 106,511
The NCAA’s own version of The 12th Man fills Kyle Field to the brim every Saturday. Upon A&M’s move to the SEC and the popularity of Johnny Manziel, the Aggies are only trending upwards and major renovations have recently taken place due to the new mass of popularity.
The fans at College Station consistently show up to support their team and they will be crucial in supporting the young Aggies in tough SEC West play.
Michigan Stadium, Michigan
Capacity: 109,901
“The Big House” is the largest stadium in the United States and the third largest in the entire world. If that wasn’t intimidating enough, imagine it packed with well over 100,00 Wolverines.
Players jumping to touch the banner as the they enter on the field is one of the most famous traditions in college sports. The Horseshoe and The Big House is a big part in what makes the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry one of the greatest in sports.
Sanford Stadium, Georgia
Capacity: 92,746
Deemed “Between the Hedges” for the bold green hedges that surround the field, Sanford Stadium is one of the most popular stadiums in college football.
Located in the heart of UGA campus, Sanford is also famous as the walking grounds of Georgia’s famous mascot UGA. Athens is renowned for its pregame tailgates on Saturdays and the consistently filled stadium at kickoff.
Memorial Stadium, Clemson
Capacity: 81,500
Memorial Stadium might be smaller than most, but it perfectly compensates with crowd noise. When the Tigers charge down the hill touching Howard’s Rock, the fireworks go off, the balloons go up, and the fans lose their minds. Brent Musberger referred to the entrance as “the most dramatic 25 seconds in college football.”
This “Death Valley” may be a bit smaller than the one in Baton Rouge, but it’s certainly just as menacing.
Here’s a video of the Tigers running down the infamous hill.
Rose Bowl, UCLA
Capacity: 92,542
The Rose Bowl is once of the most distinguished stadiums on Earth having staged Olympics, World Cups, Super Bowls and concerts.
Many forget it’s also the home of the UCLA Bruins who, under head coach Jim Mora Jr., are making a serious return story in college football. Exciting new players like Brett Hundley and Myles Jack are filling seats and before long, UCLA fans will make the Rose Bowl one of the toughest places to play.
Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
Capacity: 102,455
The Volunteers have struggled in recent years, but that hasn’t stopped the loyal fan base from filling Neyland Stadium every game day. Tennessee boasts the eighth largest stadium in the world, but that certainly isn’t what makes it famous.
Visiting team fans probably won’t recall the gigantic stadium or the sea of orange, but instead the continuous chanting of the Tennessee favorite “Rocky Top.”
The song is played enough to drive any non-Volunteer mad and I have no doubt the visiting team’s ball players want to stay as far away from Neyland Stadium as possible.
Autzen Stadium, Oregon
Capacity: 54,000
Autzen’s capacity is just over 50,000 but on the field it feels as full as the biggest venues in the NCAA. The bright colors, unique shape, and crazy fan base have put Autzen on the rise as one of the most must-see stadiums in football.
Michigan State found that out the hard way week two as Oregon, fueled by a deafening home field crowd, blew out the Spartans in the second half.
Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama
Capacity: 101,821
Alabama has formed something of a dynasty in recent years, winning three championships over the span of four years. Bryant-Denny is the tenth largest stadium in the world and is somehow filled to the brim every football Saturday.
Part of the Crimson Tide’s success can be shared with the fans as the loyal bunch are as loud and proud as they come, especially when playing at Bryant-Denny Stadium.