School spirit: we offer up 10 stadiums that capture the very essence of college football

Football Digest, Dec, 2002 by Joe Donatelli

A COLLEGE FOOTBALL FAN'S life spans three acts.

Act I: You grow up cheering for your favorite team. Let's say it's Ohio State. Every Buckeyes victory makes your week complete. And your whole winter can be destroyed by a single loss to Michigan. If you're lucky, your parents are fans, too. The first time you enter Ohio Stadium, you're struck by its sheer enormity, blinded by the color red, and deafened by the roar.

Act II: You enroll at Ohio State, and for four (or five) years, the Horseshoe is the center of your social life every fall. The beer, the Buckeyes necklaces--it all creates something truly special. Time flies by in a blink.

Act III: You're one of those old farts in the parking lot, drinking imported beer and reliving college glories. You notice the little things, like the way campus police have engineered game-day traffic to an exact science. You also notice, with equal parts pride and sadness, how many of the best moments of your life came in this stadium--how through all three acts of your life, the players and coaches and friends came and went, but the stage remained the same.

As a tribute to sports' most cherished stages, we have ranked the top 10 college football stadiums, based on fans, tradition, and overall appearance. These findings are very unscientific and most definitely are open to debate among the old farts who are drinking imported beer.

1. Ohio Stadium, Ohio State

The single greatest tradition in college football is the dotting of the script "i" in "Ohio." And thanks to a recent $194 million renovation, the single greatest place to watch that tradition--and college football, period--is Ohio Stadium. Known for its classic, double-deck horseshoe design, it is hard to imagine Keith Jackson yelling "Whoah, Nelly!" at any other venue. With the third-biggest stadium in the nation, Ohio State has led the nation in attendance 20 times since 1922. The tailgating scene combines the perfect mix of Midwestern hospitality and pseudo-irrational student exuberance. With "Hang On, Sloopy" blaring at every tarn, you've got the best Saturday party in the country.

2. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida

The Swamp has earned a reputation as the most intimidating place to play in the nation, and rightfully so. As Peyton Manning and some pretty good Tennessee teams found out, the distractions are overwhelming. The deafening student section, the Chomp, Steve Spurrier. OK, Spurrier's gone, but he'll forever be known as the man who gave BHG Stadium its current moniker. "The swamp is where Gators live," Spurrier once said. "We feel comfortable there, but we hope our opponents feel tentative. A swamp is hot and sticky and can be dangerous." The question is, though: Can the Swamp maintain its aura now that Spurrier has moved on?

3. Michie Stadium, Army

The Black Knights might not be much on happy endings these days, but the awesome manner in which they start each home game is unparalleled. After cadets partake in a full-dress parade on The Plain before the game, skydivers jump into the stadium and deliver the game ball just before kickoff. The pageantry and school spirit are unmatched. Members of the Corps of Cadets jump from the stands to do pushups following every Army score, matching the Knights' points total. The scenically located stadium rests hard by the Hudson River, nestled against the rolling green of West Point.

4. Beaver Stadium, Penn State

In an era when athletic departments preach the tired Gospel of a schoolwide "football family," it was heartening to see Nittany Lions fans boo their troubled brothers in 2000. The booing was such a shock that the faculty senate passed an anti-booing resolution, embarrassing the school but drawing attention to the fact that Penn State's fans are among the best in the nation--very supportive during good times and willing to voice their displeasure when things are going poorly. With 107,282 seats, Beaver Stadium ranks second only to Michigan in total size, and those seats always are filled--win or lose, rain or shine.

5. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee

It may not be the biggest stadium, but Neyland's nonetheless awesome size is a living, ever-growing testament to East Tennessee's love for Volunteers football. (The area code in Knoxville is 865, or VOL. That's no coincidence.) Though the stadium dwarfs the campus, its seats offer a very complimentary view of the school, the smoke rolling off old Rocky Top, and the bridges spanning the Tennessee River, where hundreds of ships from the "Volunteer Navy" dock for a day of tailgating. Neyland currently ranks third in the nation in seating capacity, much to the school's dismay. Don't expect that to last long.

6. Husky Stadium, Washington

Easily one of the most scenic stadiums in the country, its north upper deck offers sweeping views of Mt. Rainier, the Olympic Mountain Range, and downtown Seattle. The stadium itself sits adjacent to Lake Washington. Did we mention that the place can get pretty loud? Seventy percent of its 72,500 seats are located between the endzones; ESPN has measured the sound at 130 decibels. Outside the stadium, you'll find one of the unique tailgating scenes anywhere, as some 5,000 boats arrive to partake in game-day festivities. Take the track off the field, and it's quite, possibly the perfect stadium.