OT: What's the worst big ten stadium?

Submitted by ThadMattasagoblin on

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.

umich1

April 20th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^

I think a nice community service project would be to go put a coat of paint on Spartan Stadium. I'll even paint it white. But as a Michigan taxpayer that facility is an embarrassment.

DrMantisToboggan

April 20th, 2017 at 12:46 PM ^

Well Ryan Field is easily number one, and Northwestern doesn't give a shit about it. I played in front of more people in high school than they do for most of their home games. 

 

Second worst is Spartan Stadium. That place is a hell hole. Just a giant, cement trash pit.

Chick Evans

April 20th, 2017 at 4:16 PM ^

You wanna talk annoying PA sounds? I was at the Indiana game in 2011 (the one when both teams decided defense was optional) and swear I heard "First Down HOOOOOOOSIERS!!!" something like almost 50 times.

I hear it in my sleep to this day. It's haunting.

OwenGoBlue

April 20th, 2017 at 1:25 PM ^

I'm with you on Ryan Field, even if I always have a great time there. HS caliber stadium with a small parking lot and 4 port a potties next to it.

The best thing about going to games at NW (besides Michigan pulling out hilarious nonsense wins the last few times) are the plethora of teams represented in the parking lot. There are more combined Ivy League, Stanford, Duke, Johns Hopkins, etc. tailgates than Northwestern-branded ones. Everyone there likes college AND college football.

Plus it's basically a home game so that's fun, too.

1201 S. Main St.

April 20th, 2017 at 2:16 PM ^

I've been to several Big Ten Stadiums, and out of all of them, Ryan Field at Northwestern was the worst.  It is in kind of a cool spot, but the actual facility isn't great.  We sat first row by one of the corners and there was a track/sidewalk for people to walk to other sections right in front of us, so people were constantly in your way of watching the game.  Not to mention because of the giant path, even when you have seats close to the field, you are still far away viewing wise.  

Indiana Blue

April 20th, 2017 at 5:17 PM ^

must not include Spartan Dump Site.  Easily worst in the B1G.  Parking sucks, the ramps to the upper levels suck, zero space for concessions, the seating is bolted right to the concrete and very uncomfortable.  Easily worst I've been to - haven't gone to Rutgers, Maryland or Nebraska, but will be going to Camp Randall for the 1st time in November.

Go Blue!

BlueMan80

April 20th, 2017 at 5:08 PM ^

The visitors side is like a high school stadium. Then again, the home side isn't much better.
Their video scoreboard is small and crammed in the corner of an end zone. I kept calling it "the mini-tron" at a game a few years ago and the NW fans sitting next time had to admit it is one crappy video screen.

I think Illinois' stadium is pretty crappy. It's just a grey hulk as I recall.

We are back

April 20th, 2017 at 12:58 PM ^

I've been to almost all and I love Michigan Stadium but Camp Randall was rocking about 4-5 years ago when I was there, Calhoun destroyed us that game.



My list tho

Michigan stadium

Shoe

Camp Randall

Minnesota (its new so it's nice)

Nebraska

Happy valley

Kinnick

Illinois

Indiana

NW

Purdue

MSU it truly is a dump

Never been to Maryland or Rutgers and don't really plan on it any time soon, so they got left off



LSAClassOf2000

April 20th, 2017 at 1:36 PM ^

Now, this...this cart had to have spawned one hell of a tailgate, Miller notwithstanding.

As for the question the OP poses, I guess among the ones I've visited over the years, it's probably a tie between Ross-Ade and Spartan Stadium for aesthetic reasons mainly. Ryan Field, while amateur-looking is not the worst place to see a game, lack of amenities aside. 

JMK

April 20th, 2017 at 4:40 PM ^

Maryland Stadium is about a 20-25 minute drive from my house and full of Michigan fans one Saturday every other year. So +1 for that. Otherwise, it's bad. PA system in particular is like a bad high school gym. Maybe with UA money and Durkin there will be an impetus to improve the stadium. There's good high school football in the area and a lot of NFL fans between the Ravens and the Washington football club. There's potential. But not good now.

bluebyyou

April 20th, 2017 at 1:43 PM ^

I agree...it is big but was expanded largely by adding pieces with disparate architecture and the pieces don't mesh terribly well, at least aesthetically.  Like the rest of State College, it is also in the middle of nowhere.

PSU was considering a new stadium.

As for which stadium is worst, I'd suggest it is the one you lose in.

 

grumbler

April 20th, 2017 at 4:20 PM ^

I was there four years ago and, while the stadium was, indeed, ugly, the thing I found most jarring were all the signs and lights and noise from the PA system.  There was aparetly a giant toilet hooked to the PA that loudly flushed several times during the game, and there was a sort of video board on the face of the upper deck that flashed the words to all the cheeers, like the people couldn't remember the words to "We are... Penn State!" unless reminded.  All very weird and cheesy.

I must say that the fans around me were great.  Knowledgable and respectful even when Michigan played like crap.  

 

lhglrkwg

April 20th, 2017 at 5:17 PM ^

I've never been to a game there but I went to a hockey game at Pegula and walked by the stadium. It looks like some kind of basterdized erector set and looks structurally unsound. The exterior of the bleachers are just so steep and vertical and it looks patchwork. Ugly stadium

Ugly and unstable looking