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8/15/2012, 07:28 PM
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College Football's Top 25 Toughest Places to Play
Yahoo! Contributor Network
By Eric Holden
The loudest, wildest fans in college football can be found at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Over 100,000 rowdy college students pack into the stadium on any given football Saturday, the same way they have been since it opened in 1922. Narrowing the rest of the top stadium atmospheres in college football down to just 25 schools is a truly subjective task, as there's no clear methodology for quantifying what makes for a "great" stadium atmosphere.
Perhaps it's the loudness generated from the crowd, or maybe it's the energy of the team. No one knows for sure how to define it, but some stadiums just seem to have that special "it factor" that makes a place great.
Here's a look at the top 25 stadium atmospheres in college football today:
25. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama: This stadium provides for one of the greatest home-field advantages in all of sports. Between 1929 and 2010, Alabama tallied a 212-50-3 record at home.
24. Carrier Dome, New York: Syracuse football fans are so rowdy that the Carrier Dome often goes by the nickname "The Loud House," a reflection of the intense crowd noise here.
23. Husky Stadium, Washington: This is the largest stadium in the Pacific Northwest, and opposing teams hate playing here because of the intense crowd noise. It is home to the Washington Huskies.
22. Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, New York: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium is the largest outdoor facility in Suffolk County, and it is usually filled to capacity on football gamedays. The Stony Brook Seawolves instantly became Long Island's top-drawing football team when Hofstra dropped football from its program in 2008.
21. Autzen Stadium, Oregon: Football fans in Oregon are passionate and knowledgeable. They get extremely loud when the Ducks are winning.
20. Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania: Penn State football has had its fair share of problems since the Jerry Sandusky scandal, but sports fans here still support the team like they always have. This is definitely one of the loudest stadium atmospheres in the nation.
19. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee: Sports fans in Tennessee eat, sleep and breath Tennessee Volunteers football. With a capacity of over 100,000, it's easy to see how this place gets rocking on football gamedays.
18. Faurot Field, Missouri: This is the second-largest stadium in Missouri, and it's the place to be on football Saturdays. Over 70,000 loud, wild, fun-loving fans pack into the stadium for every Tigers home game.
17. Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin: Let's be honest: There's not a whole lot to do in Wisconsin if you're not a football fan. Chances are, if you live in this state, you're either a diehard Green Bay Packers fan or a Wisconsin Badgers football supporter. One unique aspect of the stadium is the call-and-response chant from the crowd before kickoff, which gets every game started off with a bang.
16. Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium, South Carolina: There's a reason they call this place "Death Valley." Clemson has over a 70 percent winning percentage at home.
15. Lane Stadium, Virginia: I adore the game-day atmosphere at Lane Stadium, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. It was rated the No. 1 home-field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com, and for good reason: This is a scary place for opponents to play.
14. Sanford Stadium, Georgia: This venue is the seventh-largest in the NCAA, and sometimes it sounds like the loudest. The atmosphere here is great because the fans are fun and friendly, yet passionate about their Georgia Bulldogs.
13. Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida: Don't come here wearing Florida Gators gear. That's just asking for trouble. Doak Campbell Stadium is home to the Florida State Seminoles football squad, and it regularly packs in 82,000 screaming fans on football gameday.
12. Michigan Stadium, Michigan: No "top 25 stadium atmosphere" list could be completed without Michigan Stadium, home of the University of Michigan football. The fans here get loud and crazy, making it a fun, party-like atmosphere for all to enjoy.
11. Notre Dame Stadium, Indiana: There's a lot of rich history with this stadium, as it has been hosting Notre Dame Fightin' Irish football games since the 1930s.
10. Kyle Field, Texas: Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes Kyle Field. This monster of a stadium holds over 82,000 fans, and its always filled to capacity.
9. Kinnick Stadium, Iowa: The fans here are loud and loyal, never failing to cheer on the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football squad.
8. Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, West Virginia: This venue only holds 60,000, but you would never know it by the crowd noise. A passionate fanbase makes this place spectacular on gamedays.
7. Folsom Field, Colorado: Folsom Field, home of the Colorado Buffaloes, is one of the most underrated venues in college sports. The fans here always cheer hard and loud, and they are quite respectful and friendly to visiting fans.
6. Sun Life Stadium, Florida: The Miami Hurricanes aren't the force they were in the mid-'90s, but the fans in South Florida are just as loyal as ever.
5. Spartan Stadium, Michigan: There's plenty here that makes this stadium unique when it comes to "atmosphere." There is a "Spartan Walk" and a third-quarter cheer that never fails to get the crowd howling.
4. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alabama: Auburn's football team has had tremendous success at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the passionate fan base is a reflection of the squad's hard work on the field.
3. Tiger Stadium, Louisiana: The LSU Tigers have been playing at Tiger Stadium since 1924, and the reason they love it is because they win here far more often than not. Opposing teams have trouble getting their offenses rolling because the crowd noise here is legendary.
2. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida: They love their football at "The Swamp." Fans come from near and far to cheer on the Florida Gators, and the game-day atmosphere is always electric. The Gators have been playing here since 1930, and they pack in over 88,000 rabid fans on gamedays.
1. Ohio Stadium, Ohio: Ohio State Buckeyes football is a tradition, going strong at Ohio Stadium since the 1920s. Fans flock here in droves on football gamedays, and when they do, it's just about as noisy as a stadium can get.
Eric Holden, a Long Island resident, is a lifelong Stony Brook Seawolves football fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.
College Football's Top 25 Toughest Places to Play
Yahoo! Contributor Network
By Eric Holden
The loudest, wildest fans in college football can be found at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, home of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Over 100,000 rowdy college students pack into the stadium on any given football Saturday, the same way they have been since it opened in 1922. Narrowing the rest of the top stadium atmospheres in college football down to just 25 schools is a truly subjective task, as there's no clear methodology for quantifying what makes for a "great" stadium atmosphere.
Perhaps it's the loudness generated from the crowd, or maybe it's the energy of the team. No one knows for sure how to define it, but some stadiums just seem to have that special "it factor" that makes a place great.
Here's a look at the top 25 stadium atmospheres in college football today:
25. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama: This stadium provides for one of the greatest home-field advantages in all of sports. Between 1929 and 2010, Alabama tallied a 212-50-3 record at home.
24. Carrier Dome, New York: Syracuse football fans are so rowdy that the Carrier Dome often goes by the nickname "The Loud House," a reflection of the intense crowd noise here.
23. Husky Stadium, Washington: This is the largest stadium in the Pacific Northwest, and opposing teams hate playing here because of the intense crowd noise. It is home to the Washington Huskies.
22. Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium, New York: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium is the largest outdoor facility in Suffolk County, and it is usually filled to capacity on football gamedays. The Stony Brook Seawolves instantly became Long Island's top-drawing football team when Hofstra dropped football from its program in 2008.
21. Autzen Stadium, Oregon: Football fans in Oregon are passionate and knowledgeable. They get extremely loud when the Ducks are winning.
20. Beaver Stadium, Pennsylvania: Penn State football has had its fair share of problems since the Jerry Sandusky scandal, but sports fans here still support the team like they always have. This is definitely one of the loudest stadium atmospheres in the nation.
19. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee: Sports fans in Tennessee eat, sleep and breath Tennessee Volunteers football. With a capacity of over 100,000, it's easy to see how this place gets rocking on football gamedays.
18. Faurot Field, Missouri: This is the second-largest stadium in Missouri, and it's the place to be on football Saturdays. Over 70,000 loud, wild, fun-loving fans pack into the stadium for every Tigers home game.
17. Camp Randall Stadium, Wisconsin: Let's be honest: There's not a whole lot to do in Wisconsin if you're not a football fan. Chances are, if you live in this state, you're either a diehard Green Bay Packers fan or a Wisconsin Badgers football supporter. One unique aspect of the stadium is the call-and-response chant from the crowd before kickoff, which gets every game started off with a bang.
16. Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium, South Carolina: There's a reason they call this place "Death Valley." Clemson has over a 70 percent winning percentage at home.
15. Lane Stadium, Virginia: I adore the game-day atmosphere at Lane Stadium, home of the Virginia Tech Hokies. It was rated the No. 1 home-field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com, and for good reason: This is a scary place for opponents to play.
14. Sanford Stadium, Georgia: This venue is the seventh-largest in the NCAA, and sometimes it sounds like the loudest. The atmosphere here is great because the fans are fun and friendly, yet passionate about their Georgia Bulldogs.
13. Doak Campbell Stadium, Florida: Don't come here wearing Florida Gators gear. That's just asking for trouble. Doak Campbell Stadium is home to the Florida State Seminoles football squad, and it regularly packs in 82,000 screaming fans on football gameday.
12. Michigan Stadium, Michigan: No "top 25 stadium atmosphere" list could be completed without Michigan Stadium, home of the University of Michigan football. The fans here get loud and crazy, making it a fun, party-like atmosphere for all to enjoy.
11. Notre Dame Stadium, Indiana: There's a lot of rich history with this stadium, as it has been hosting Notre Dame Fightin' Irish football games since the 1930s.
10. Kyle Field, Texas: Everything is bigger in Texas, and that includes Kyle Field. This monster of a stadium holds over 82,000 fans, and its always filled to capacity.
9. Kinnick Stadium, Iowa: The fans here are loud and loyal, never failing to cheer on the University of Iowa Hawkeyes football squad.
8. Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, West Virginia: This venue only holds 60,000, but you would never know it by the crowd noise. A passionate fanbase makes this place spectacular on gamedays.
7. Folsom Field, Colorado: Folsom Field, home of the Colorado Buffaloes, is one of the most underrated venues in college sports. The fans here always cheer hard and loud, and they are quite respectful and friendly to visiting fans.
6. Sun Life Stadium, Florida: The Miami Hurricanes aren't the force they were in the mid-'90s, but the fans in South Florida are just as loyal as ever.
5. Spartan Stadium, Michigan: There's plenty here that makes this stadium unique when it comes to "atmosphere." There is a "Spartan Walk" and a third-quarter cheer that never fails to get the crowd howling.
4. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Alabama: Auburn's football team has had tremendous success at Jordan-Hare Stadium, and the passionate fan base is a reflection of the squad's hard work on the field.
3. Tiger Stadium, Louisiana: The LSU Tigers have been playing at Tiger Stadium since 1924, and the reason they love it is because they win here far more often than not. Opposing teams have trouble getting their offenses rolling because the crowd noise here is legendary.
2. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida: They love their football at "The Swamp." Fans come from near and far to cheer on the Florida Gators, and the game-day atmosphere is always electric. The Gators have been playing here since 1930, and they pack in over 88,000 rabid fans on gamedays.
1. Ohio Stadium, Ohio: Ohio State Buckeyes football is a tradition, going strong at Ohio Stadium since the 1920s. Fans flock here in droves on football gamedays, and when they do, it's just about as noisy as a stadium can get.
Eric Holden, a Long Island resident, is a lifelong Stony Brook Seawolves football fan. Follow him on Twitter @ericholden.