Stadiums are a big part of the college football experience. Some are better than others. Some have a lot more history. And some have amazing atmosphere.
A new ranking by ESPN tries to weigh all factors in an attempt to rank the best 25 stadiums in college football. The ranking was based on a poll of 14 ESPN writers.
The Big Ten is heavily featured with nine stadiums on the list, including all four new members. Fans have been debating the merits of stadiums for years, now there’s a ranking to add to the fire.
Due to their proximity and rivalry, I’m sure in the bars and tailgates, fans have specifically compared The Horseshoe at Ohio State and Happy Valley at Penn State.
Parts of Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania date back to 1909, but the main structure was built in 1960. It’s also the second biggest stadium in college football. ESPN says, ”College football has brought mega-stadiums to less-populated areas, and arguably none stands out like Beaver Stadium, the nation's second-largest venue by capacity. The stadium rises near Mount Nittany on the northern edge of State College, which has a population of around 41,000 but becomes the third-largest city in Pennsylvania for Penn State home games. The stadium's size and capacity (106,572) mirror Penn State's growth over time.”
Ohio Stadium has been around since 1922 and is also huge, clocking in as the 3rd largest stadium in the college football. ESPN writes, “Arguably no college football stadium is more synonymous with its original shape than Ohio Stadium. The venue opened in 1922 as the nation's first horseshoe-shaped stadium with double decks. Architect Howard Dwight Smith went with a horseshoe shape to accommodate track events in the open end, and so that all seats could face the field.”
So, which stadium is ranked higher? Penn State comes in 5th on the list and Ohio State 7th (New member Washington is sandwiched in at No. 6). Maybe ESPN writers voted for the bigger of the two, but I bet the White Out had a big influence on the voters.