OT: What's the worst big ten stadium?
Has to be either High Point Solutions Stadium, Ross Ade Stadium, or Spartan Stadium. I couldn't find a bathroom to save my life in EL or Piscataway and Ross Ade is always 40 percent full when we play there. Memorial Stadium (Champaign) and Byrd Stadium are probably up there too.
- I liked the atmosphere of Ryan Field and Ross Ade. I like how you are seperated from the action at Ryan by a single chain-link rope, and getting to slap the players on the shoulder pads as they entered at Ross Ade was cool.
- I'd like Kinnick Stadium more if the team wouldn't freaking lose every time I go. Friendliest fans I've seen.
- Illinois Memorial Stadium has had a wind blowing in from the farm both times I've been there. It smelled like manure....bad.
- Indiana's Memorial Stadium (pre-renovation) was kind of dumpy. The parking lot was a non-tailgating wreck of giant gravel pieces. Don't know if that's changed, but I hope it has.
- I liked the atmosphere at Camp Randall, but the people were jerks- might have been where I was sitting, because I've heard many people with better experiences.
- Metrodome- FAIL. Haven't been to TCF Bank Stadium yet.
- Spartan Stadium. Total dump....and that's not just because I don't like the team.
Still haven't made it to the Shoe, Happy Valley, Nebraska, or the new east coast schools.
Both are brutal. Went to a campus bar for pre-game and it was 95% Michigan fans. While that was fun, wtf? Next road trip we will stay in Chicago and take the train north for the game. Purdue isn't much better. Beyond boring.
Oh yeah - drinking on the L Purple Line prior to games @NW is a great tradition anyway.
I've been inside the stadiums at OSU, Purdue, Penn State, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Northwestern, but the only one where I've seen a game is Northwestern. Reaching our seats in the northwest corner was supremely awkward.
See, there's your problem...East Lansing IS a bathroom, that's why you couldn't FIND one...
except Indiana and whatever the new Minnesota stadium is called. Purdue definitely seemed like the worst, though the game I was at was the Lloyd-ball come from ahead loss to Brees, so my opinion could be clouded. I was at High Point last year so the night game and on-field domolition probably help it in my mind.
With a gun to my head, i would probably say High Point.
except Indiana and whatever the new Minnesota stadium is called. Purdue definitely seemed like the worst, though the game I was at was the Lloyd-ball come from ahead loss to Brees, so my opinion could be clouded. I was at High Point last year so the night game and on-field domolition probably help it in my mind.
With a gun to my head, i would probably say High Point.
MSU's stadium is worse than a penitentiary.
He was forced to go to one game with my Mom because of where she works. She had to take agents to the MSU vs ND game. He said he would never go back unless someone forced him at gunpoint.
Glowing review.
Worse whan a penitentiary? What was your dad in the can for?
Son, it's time we had a talk about my past....
I've been to 10 of the "original" (aka prior to recent expansion) 11 Big Ten stadiums for Michigan games. Purdue is by far the worst. Will be completing the tour this year @Wisconsin which I know will be a good one.
I have yet to visit Nebraska, Maryland or Rutgers, but here are my rankings for the other ten from best to worst (not including Michigan Stadium which being #1 goes without saying):
1a. Wisconsin (Camp Randall Stadium): Great atmosphere and environment for a stadium that is over a century old.
2. Minnesota (TCF Bank Stadium): Having attended the last Michigan game there, I was impressed with the smaller but quaint stadium. The atmosphere was great and there didn't appear to be a bad seat in the house. Easily accessible from downtown Minneapolis by their Metro System.
3. Northwestern (Ryan Field): Small, but always a good atmosphere, especially if NU is having a decent season. Similar to TCF Bank Stadium, it's easily accessible from downtown Chicago via the CTA.
4. Iowa (Kinnick Stadium): Much better since the recent renovations. Great atmosphere in the stadium, especially for a night game.
5. Indiana (Memorial Stadium): Never a problem obtaining tickets. Stadium is small and atmosphere (at least for the home team) is not always the best, but never had any issues in seven trips (1995, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2006, 2010, 2015).
6. Ohio State (Ohio Stadium): Having not been there since 1996, my ranking would probably be higher if I had gone since their recent renovations. In 1994, we were seated in the lower deck against the back cold cement wall with the over hang of the upper deck partially blocking our view of the field. Miserable.
7. Illinois (Memorial Stadium): Been both pre- and post renovations. Meh. Niether good nor really bad. I do like the Marching Illini (near the top of Big Ten Marching bands for me after the MMB, of course.)
8. Penn State (Beaver Stadium): To the piece-by-piece construction of it to the swaying of the upper deck in the endzone to the creepy and disgusting fan memorial of Paterno, this stadium is best when Michigan is kicking butt and their fans have not much for which to cheer (see 2015). Also, I hate their section letters; a little confusing to outsiders.
9. Purdue (Ross-Ade Stadium): Kind of dumpy and not very much too look at (similar to their campus as a whole). Had magnets stolen off my car in one my previous visits.
10. Michigan State (Spartan Stadium): Way too many ramps to upper deck, steep sections, small bathrooms with long wait times, not enough concessions, etc. Plus, it's in East Lansing. Enough said.
Waldo stadium is better
I have been to/seen in person, in order from best to last (limited to B1G + ND):
1.Michigan Stadium
2. ND
3. Kinnick
4. Ohio Stadium
5. Camp Randall
6. Ryan Field
7. Maryland
8. Spartan Stadium
I struggled with order from 3-5, which are pretty close. I don't particularly lie the architecture at Ohio, but it's a great venue.
However, Spartan Stadium easily takes last place. I've never been to Purdue or Illinois, but can't imagine they are worse. I would have ranked the metrodome last, but Minny now has a first class home, from what I see on the teevee.
To be a great stadium if it's as unsafe and/or crappy for visitors. If you can't take a family to a college game without fear of something bad happening (basing this on all the reports I've read on this board), it's a bad stadium.
The Big House is huge, beautiful and even opponents can enjoy the environment. That's how it should be. I would never even consider going to an ohio game in their place. I went to the Rutgers game in NJ a couple of years ago when we gave the game away. Surprisingly, the people there were pretty cool. I even tailgated with some Rutgers students in my Michigan jersey. (still not sure what they put in my shot glass but I survived). And it was a really fun, rowdy night environment.
But Ann Arbor is the best for obvious reasons.
GO BLUE!!
Hmmm. My takeaway from folks reporting their experiences in Ohio stadium is that they have all been surprised to have either been treated fairly well or, at worst, tolerated. But if everyone is continually surprised to not be treated poorly, is there real reason to be surprised?
Or maybe I just missed all the negative reports.
They have gotten much better. The worst was 2002 when they won The Game which finished at night.
Upper deck of sparty is the shits literally. There's no room in the concourse and as a 12 year old i found it intimidating just going to what passes as their bathroom surrounded by all the drunks yelling "Fuck Michigan" I was literally afraid i would get thrown in the trough
Stagg Field. Any time I sit in the West stands, it's uncomfortably warm. East stands are fine. But, it's not the sun. Probably some issue with the squash court underneath.
April 20th, 2017 at 10:10 PM ^
April 21st, 2017 at 12:00 AM ^
April 20th, 2017 at 10:25 PM ^
They have one restroom per ten thosand people.
The place is a dump and I've been to many high school
stadiums that are better.
My least favorite in rough order:
- Rutgers
- Northwestern
- Maryland
- Illinois
- IU
- MSU
I thought UM, OSU, Wisco, Neb, PSU, and Iowa were almost in a different category. More "big time" college football. Iowa maybe less so but the environment is so cool with fans being right on the field. You could probably throw MSU in this category with size and their upgraded scoreboard. I'm just bias and also hate the concourse.
April 21st, 2017 at 10:42 AM ^
The hell-hole in Champaign. I've only been to Maryland (prior to B1G), Wisconsin, Northwestern, Iowa and Illinois, and Illinois' "stadium" is the worst.
April 21st, 2017 at 11:15 AM ^
I went to a Purduh game in the early 2000's and sat in the endzone. There was a damn play clock right in line with the fans in the endzone. Couln't see half the stadium. On top of that, it's the size of a high school stadium and overall just sucks. So Ross-Ade gets my vote.