OT: What's your favorite stadium besides the Big House?
We all know the Big House is the best college football stadium in the country. But what other school's stadium have you always liked or have wanted to attend a game at?
And just to avoid 50 of the same responses, the Rose Bowl for the Rose Bowl game doesn't count.
I'd love to attend a game at Clemson's Death Valley. Great tradition with the team entering the field running down the hill and touching Howard's Rock. A night game against FSU would be wild
I have been to Doak for a few FSU night and day games, they are awesome. Everyone tailgates at the condos across the street...it gets wild.
Went to the FSU @ Clemson game in 2013 when both were in the top 5. It was indeed crazy...because FSU was up by 40 early in the 4th quarter and the stadium was half empty.
Also was at the 2004 GT game where Calvin Johnson caught a last second TD in his second ever college game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JL6YQsw7Y4 (trigger warning: late game punt snap situation).
It's a great place to watch a game, but I think UGA is better.
Pretty awesome experience. Was an OT game that was pretty loud, especially late in the game. Bet it is an even better experience now that the team is elite nationally.
Only stadium that I enjoyed more Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech. That place rocked. Bigger isn’t always better.
Clemson has an amazing gameday environment. I walked through town to the stadium, following the Tiger paws on the street toward campus. The place reminded me of Ann Arbor in some ways. The folks are friendly, and the atmosphere is electric. You'd have to try pretty hard to walk through the tailgate area without somebody patting you on the back and handing you a cold beer. Another stadium on my bucket list is Sanford Stadium in Athens (which unfortuntately was also on Otis Reese's bucket list). I kind of want to see a game at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo because the scenery is breathtaking, but I'm guessing the tailgating at BYU leaves something to be desired.
Athens is WAY more similar to AA than Clemson.
I'm looking forward to it. So in what ways is Athens similar to AA?
I have enjoyed many games at Autzen. good tailgating. good beer available pre game next door in their practice facility. great stadium with enthusiastic fans, and generally an exciting team to watch.
This post made me realize the only other college football stadium I've been to is Spartan Stadium. That makes me sad.
Yeah... I realized that exact same thing last fall when my friends were talking about all the stadiums they have been to. Booked a last minute trip to Madison for the game at Camp Randall. Well worth it.
Booked and headed to South Bend for the opener this year and Chicago for the Northwestern game! Away games can be almost as fun as home games if planned well.
How much did you pay for the tickets? All I can find are tickets upwars of $400
One of my coworkers is a former Notre Dame football player and is selling me his tickets at face thankfully.
Sad!
So you've only been to one college football stadium.
The other is a sarcophagus.
except I watched a hockey game there, not a football game. The seats I had were horrible for watching hockey. It was an amazing game (4-4 Tie I believe) that I could not tell waht was going on during. I also couldn't drink at the tailgate all day as the cops carded me even though I wasn't drinking and was only a few weeks away from my 21st bday.
Iowa looks like it would be a fun stadium to go to. Nebraska too.
In Iowa City is a favorite of mine. Great mid-west hospitality, beautiful stadium where you're practically on top of the field. I honestly don't know how there's enough room on the sideline for the teams. Result of the game could have been better, but was a great experience.
Been there a couple of times and always enjoyed the atmosphere. Fans are cool - especially in victory since I haven't seen UM win there yet.
Have been to a few games at ND and thought it was fine but overrated. I have a good buddy who lives in Evanston and have been to Northwestern a couple of times including M00N. Seems like an oversized high school stadium but being near Chicago makes up for it.
Running distant 4th is the concrete abomination of Spartan Stadium and the drunkenness surrounding it. I would take my kids to any of the 3 places above wearing UM gear for any game but would never consider taking them to Staee.
since I work for Iowa Hospital, but I'll third Kinnick
Especially since "The Wave" started last year...
I haven’t been to many, outside of M I’ve seen games at Spartan Stadium which was full of Spartans, Ross-Ade which was full of bees, Beaver Stadium though not for a football game, Rice Eccles in Salt Lake City which has beautiful scenery, and Boise State which after a short while the blue field is annoying. Oh and I guess I’ve been to CMU, WMU, and some D2. My favorite of those is Rice Eccles
Atmosphere is epic. You can’t imagine the noise all 15 fans make after a raucous morning of tailgating.
Came here to say Kelly/Shorts Stadium. Maybe we can just roll all the in-state MAC venues into one sub-par answer.
being sarcastic, I might as well my toss in my alma mater’s field: Frank Muddy Waters stadium at Hillsdale College where maybe 200 students occasionally take a study break to go to a game. Then it’s right back to the books.
Was my favorite. Nice locker rooms, easy in/ out.
Yo momma stadium
I've been to a lot of venues. This is a great question, I could rant on about many. In the spirit of the post, after much thought, I've settled on Jordan-Hare in Auburn. I've witnessed 2 night games there. Unbelievable atmosphere
The stadium is loud, fans are uber-friendly and you can feel the energy mostly because the stands are so close to the field. The general Oil Tycoon T Boone Pickens vibe was that they expect to lose in big games (they were playing Georgia), so they may as well have one big party ... and they did, for the entire weekend. They actually won the game too, so the post-game party was probably ratcheted up a few notches. If you ever have the opporutnity to attend a game there, go.
Folsum Field in Boulder is a great stadium and running Ralphie is always a great site. Air Force stadium with the fly overs is a great atmosphere.
Washington's stadium right on the lake is beautiful. Texas has a great stadium and Austin is always a great time.
Went there for a night game against ASU in 2016. It was goregous.
Yep, FOLSOM FIELD.
Beer gardens and the Flatirons ..makes it easier to watch the program on the field at times. Been to anywhere from 1-3 games the past 5yrs or so. Company has a suite on the 50yd line.
Great place to see a show as well!
Maybe it's familiarity since I have been to many games at Darrell K. Royal Stadium, but I'm not that impressesd with the atmoshpere there. Keep in mind, I was going to games during most of the Mack Brown era when they were really good. They have one cheer the whole stadium takes part in during the second half when they spell out Texas which is cool and their intro video of longhorns running around Texas and Austin before entering the stadium was usually fun. Other than that, it felt like many of the fans were just trying to survive another game in the Texas heat.
I like how Lambeau Field's press boxes/luxury suites encircle most of the stadium.
I was at LSU @ Florida back in 2007. Was not that impressed with Florida's stadium - was very "NFL ish" in design and crazy loud music being piped in.
Stadiums that I would like to see in CFB:
1. Clemson
2. LSU - I've always been a fan of the way they do their field with the "5's' being marked on the field as opposed to just the "10's"
3. Texas - I'm sure the scenery there is quite nice and I've always wanted to check out Austin.
I went to a LSU @UF game when I first moved down here (2013, I think) and it was pretty nice. One thing I can say for sure is that no game should kick before 7PM there prior to November. Luckily I was on the west side of the stadium, where the glare of the sun reflecting off of the fans and LSU team on the other side was distracting but not like an atomic death ray.
Went to PSU, Illinois, MSU and ND and am not to fond of any of those stadiums. PSU was before the scandal, so the crowd was friendly. I got to see Alan Branch flatten Morelli as well.
I have to find LongLiveBo's MS Paint version. This belongs in the Louvre if you ask me.
(That I've Been To)
Best: Rose Bowl, Minnesota, Iowa, Utah
Worst: Rutgers, Nebraska, Indiana (pre-renovation)
Toss-Ups: OSU (great atmosphere, horribly ugly stadium, especially in the concourses), Northwestern (sad stadium, pretty cool surrounding area), Jerry World (probably cool for Cowboys games, sterile AF for college football)
That concourse in the shoe looks like the cell block from Shawshank redemption.
Northwestern. Sure, the stadium leaves a lot to be desired but I like that you are close to the field pretty much anywhere you are sitting. Also, Michigan fans show up in force so the tailgating and in-game experience as both great.
I love catching games at Northwestern. Sure it's like a glorified high school field but it's awesome to get great seats like that at an away game.
Oh and I saw Miami OH play at ND last season. The inside of their stadium looks like a tiny Big House and the surrounding area is very weird, but the concourses are super nice and very clean
OSU has some obstructed view seats. Charge $197 and you can't see the entire field? Absolutely unacceptable.
Outside of the Big House of course...
1. Tiger Stadium - LSU
2. Beaver Stadium - PSU
3. Notre Dame Stadium - ND
4. Darrell K. Royall Stadium - Texas
5. Rose Bowl - UCLA
6. Camp Randall - Wisconsin
7. Ohio Stadium - OSU
8. LA Colisseum - USC
9. Rentschler Field - UConn
10. Ryan Field - Northwestern
11. High Point Solutions Stadium - Rutgers
Death Valley inside. Ole Miss outside.
I enjoy Michigan's second home stadium, Ryan Field.
The only time I've ever been to Ryan field was the 'advent of the spread offense' game in 2000 when Michigan lost 54-51. Do not recommend.
I was at The Horror and Toledo and the MSU punt block, OSU last year, that one minnesota game when the running back had a long run to set up the game winner. We have fun dont we?
Ha, I also witnessed OSU last year and the failed 2 pt conversion vs OSU in '13. Maybe we should stop going to Michigan games.
You can give your tickets to me.
My all-time record at the big house is 28-4. We can work with those odds.
You either stopped going to games before the Rich Rod era or only pick the cupcakes.
I've been going to like 4-5 home games a year since 2013 and I'm at 14-8. 15-9 overall record if you throw in the two away games I've attended.
Please stop going to games.
one in a dark hospital room where my wife was fighting off pre-term labor with our twins. Loved the A-Train, but he hurt me that night, my friends.