Opinion rankings are just that: opinion, but there are trends with these things, and when it comes to stadium rankings of college football programs, Ohio Stadium (affectionately known as the Horseshoe), where Ohio State plays, is generally ranked pretty highly. The architecture, the updates, the history, and how loud it gets on the banks of the Olentangy all play into the atmosphere and the perception of a stadium.
The latest of these stadium rankings comes from our mothership, USA TODAY, and a panel of four writers that ranked the top 25 college football stadiums. Some leaned into the visual appeal, some into how hard it is to play, and some into tradition, but in the end, ten staff members came up with a comprehensive 25-stadium list, and Ohio Stadium is very high on the list as you’ll see below.
We go through the stadiums with the top ten first, from ten down to No. 1, then the rest of the top 25. This list will differ based on who makes it and from what part of the country it is penciled in from, but this is a more national one starting with No. 10.
No. 10 – Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida Gators
What USA TODAY says:
“Florida fans singing Tom Petty’s ‘I Won’t Back Down’ before the fourth quarter might be a new tradition. It’s also peak college football. The Swamp can roar with the best of them, even if the Gators haven’t matched their glory years in recent seasons. Consider last season: Florida went 4-2 at home, including an upset of Texas, and 0-6 away.”
No. 9 – Bryant-Denny Stadium | Alabama
What USA TODAY says
“You want history? How about the field where both Bear Bryant and Nick Saban walked the sideline while winning national championships by the bunches? It’s also one of the toughest places to win. Alabama is 65-3 at Bryant-Denny the past 10 seasons. When 100,000 sets of crimson-and-white pompoms start shaking in the stands, you know: It’s over.”
No. 8 – Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame
What USA TODAY says
“There might be no other stadium that is a pictorial stand-in for college than the ‘The House that Rockne Built.’ Looming outside the stadium wall is the mural of ‘Touchdown Jesus’ that overlooks the field. Lines and lines of some of the sport’s most memorable coaches and players. National championships galore. While the vibe might be different than that seen at some of the larger SEC fields, no one can deny that Notre Dame Stadium occupies a special place in the sport’s landscape.”
No. 7 – Neyland Stadium | Tennessee
What USA TODAY says
“Simply put, Neyland Stadium is “a different type of loud,” which is how former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield described playing there. And when the home team is thriving and “Rocky Top” plays on a loop, it’s pure psychological torture. Former Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn called it “the loudest place I ever played.” So loud, he said, the ball would tremble on the turf between plays.”
No. 6 – Sanford Stadium | Georgia
What USA TODAY says
“The environment ‘Between the Hedges’ has made the Bulldogs nearly unbeatable at home under coach Kirby Smart. While the literally barking from Georgia fans doesn’t always rattle your eardrums, Sanford Stadium can rumble when challenged. Georgia’s .918 home winning percentage during the Kirby Smart era is a credit to the program Smart built. It’s also a credit to Bulldogs fans.
No. 5 – Autzen Stadium | Oregon
What USA TODAY says
“Size doesn’t matter in the case of Autzen Stadium. While only boasting a capacity of 54,000, Oregon’s home field is one of the classes of the Big Ten and toughest places to place. The Ducks have lost just twice at home since hiring Dan Lanning in 2022. This stretch rivals the most dominant run of play at home in program history, a 21-game winning streak under former Chip Kelly that ended with a loss to Southern California in 2011.”
No. 4 – Kyle Field | Texas A&M
What USA TODAY says
Kyle Field supplies the SEC’s most singular experience. Yeah, there are some odd chants, routines and hand signs from the school’s Aggie Yell Leaders. But the 12th Man is indefatigable, and the Aggies storming out of the tunnel to ‘POWER’ before kickoff, while the stadium shakes, creates a scene suited for football heaven. A handful of SEC venues are tougher on road teams, but few stadiums are as memorable as this massive cathedral, especially when the fans sway in unison to the ‘Aggie War Hymn.’
No. 3 – Beaver Stadium | Penn State
What USA TODAY says
“There are few better spectacles than Penn State’s annual ‘White Out’ games. It’s especially intimidating in the evening when fans dress in white to provide visitors with an unsettling, eye-popping backdrop. Combined with the deafening roar provided by 100,000-plus fans, this makes Beaver Stadium one of the elite settings in the FBS.”
No. 2 – Ohio Stadium | Ohio State
What USA TODAY says
“The Horseshoe is one of the great venues in college football and one of the toughest places to win. The Buckeyes have lost just three games at home since 2016. Two of those losses have come in the rivalry against Michigan. Basically, any trip to Columbus with a crowd of more than 100,000 mostly against your team is as close to a guaranteed loss as you’ll find in the Power Four.”
No. 1 – Tiger Stadium | LSU
What USA TODAY says
“A night game in Baton Rouge is an animal unlike any other. Bear Bryant described Tiger Stadium as ‘the worst place in the world for a visiting team.’ LSU fans specialize in tailgating, full of culinary delights and plenty of imbibing. Then the game starts with the hostility on display that gives opposing players and fans something to forget. One thing to remember? The singalong for ‘Garth Brooks and ”Callin’ Baton Rouge.'”
The rest of the USA TODAY top 25 college football stadiums
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: USA TODAY ranks best 25 CFB stadiums. Where did Ohio State land?
Reporting by Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire / Buckeyes Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Phil Harrison, Buckeyes Wire | USA TODAY Network
