College and University Blog
Ten of the Best College Football Stadiums
Like millions of other college football fans, you’ve probably got a special soft spot in your heart for your favorite team’s home turf, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t plenty of other spectacular college football venues out there!
We’ve compiled a list of some of the largest, most popular, and most recognizable football venues in the U.S. so read on and enjoy the photos of these best college football stadiums!
1. Stanford Stadium | Georgia Bulldogs
Stanford Stadium | Athens, GA
Stanford Stadium in Athens, GA is home to the University of Georgia Bulldogs. This 92,746 seat outdoor stadium is the seventh largest in the NCAA and the 14th largest non-racing stadium in the world. Unofficially nicknamed “Between the Hedges” due to the line of hedges that border the field, the first UGA football game at Stanford Stadium was held in 1929.
2. The Rose Bowl | UCLA Bruins
Rose Bowl Stadium | Pasadena, CA
The world-famous Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA has been the site of the oldest bowl game since 1923 and home of the UCLA Bruins football team since 1982. This outdoor stadium can seat 91,500 fans and is registered as a National Historic Landmark as well as a California Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
3. Michigan Stadium | Michigan Wolverines
Michigan Stadium | Ann Arbor, MI
Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, MI is the largest stadium in the United States and the third largest stadium in the world. With an official capacity of 109,901, attendance often exceeds 111,000 when band members, staff, and others are included in the total count. No wonder its known as “The Big House!” The first night football game ever played at Michigan Stadium recently took place on September 10, 2011, versus the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
4. Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium | Texas Longhorns
Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium | Austin, TX
Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, TX has been home to the University of Texas Longhorns football team since 1924. With an official seating capacity of 100,119 this outdoor venue is the largest football stadium by seating capacity in Texas, the sixth largest NCAA stadium, and the ninth largest non-racing stadium in the world. Although it’s gone though several name changes and 13 renovations over the years, the stadium’s first game was played in 1924. Its gigantic HD screen, affectionately known as the “Godzillatron,” was the largest HD screen in the world when it was installed in 2006.
5. Tiger Stadium | LSU Tigers
Tiger Stadium | Baton Rouge, LA
Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, LA is home of the Louisiana State University Tigers. Known as “Dealth Valley,” renovations that increased seating capacity to 95,542 ranks the stadium as the sixth largest “city” in Louisiana by population when it’s filled to capacity. A distinct tiger’s eye graces the 50-yard line and Tiger is one of the few stadiums in college and professional football to designate yard lines ending in 5.
6. Camp Randall Stadium | Wisconsin Badgers
Camp Randall Stadium | Madison, WI
Home to the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team since 1917, Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, WI is the oldest stadium in the Big Ten Conference because its land became the site of the Badgers in 1895. Formerly natural grass, Camp Randall was one of the first football fields in the U.S. to convert to artificial turf in 1968. Nicknamed “The Camp,” Camp Randall seats 80,321.
7. Ohio Stadium | Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio Stadium | Columbus, OH
Ohio Stadium is located on the main campus of the Ohio State University in Columbus. Its 102,329 seats make it the fourth largest football stadium in the country and the seventh-largest non-racing stadium in the world. Unofficially known as “The Shoe” and “The Horseshoe,” special lighting must be brought in for night games because the outdoor stadium does not have field lighting. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
8. Memorial Stadium | Nebraska Cornhuskers
Memorial Stadium | Lincoln, NE
The University of Nebraska Cornhuskers’ Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE holds an ongoing NCAA record of an impressive 312 consecutive sellouts. The stadium is known as “Sea of Red” due to the massive number of fans wearing red apparel on game days. Opened in 1923, Memorial has gone through several expansions and renovations and currently has a seating capacity of 81,067.
9. Beaver Stadium | Penn State Nittany Lions
Beaver Stadium | University Park, PA
Named for a former governor of Pennsylvania, Beaver Stadium is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions in University Park, PA. The second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth largest stadium in the world, Beaver has an official seating capacity of 106,752 but record attendance comes in at over 110,000. The student section “S-Zone” is a popular tradition in which a group of students wear white and blue shirts to form the letter “S” in the stands.
10. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida Gators
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Gainesville, FL
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL is home of the Gators, hence its nickname “The Swamp” where “only Gators come out alive.” Originally built in 1930 but regularly expanded and renovated since, Gators’ game attendance often exceeds 90,000 people. Despite a stadium name change, the actual playing surface has been named “Florida Field” since the stadium’s original 1930 construction.
Melissa Rhone+
Melissa Rhone earned her Bachelor of Music in Education from the University of Tampa. She resides in the Tampa Bay area and enjoys writing about college, pop culture, and epilepsy awareness.