Nothing is as electric as a college football stadium on a sun-splashed Saturday.
The pomp. The pageantry. The passion. It all oozes.
I have had the chance to attend games in all 18 Big Ten stadiums—as well as many others across the nation.
So, pick up your pom-pom and start shaking. Here’s my ranking of Big Ten stadiums, 18-16.
18 Rutgers, SHI Stadium
Rutgers is “the birthplace of college football,” so there is that. Did I mention that Rutgers is the birthplace of college football?
Anyway, at 52,454 seats, Rutgers’ football digs are puny, more befitting, say, an ACC school. (The additions of RU and Maryland are the ultimate case of buyer’s remorse, but that’s a story for another day.)
The venue is difficult to get to on a gritty, sprawling campus.
Atmosphere? Not overly collegiate. It’s concrete-y and has all the charm of a parking garage. Not even the nearby Raritan River warms the atmosphere.
Next!
17 Maryland, SECU Stadium
As the official Maryland website says, SECU Stadium is “nestled” in the corner of campus. And that’s one of the reasons why I like this place.
Students can roll out of their lofts, grab a bowl of Cap’n Crunch and stroll to the stadium in their Lululemon yoga pants, Vans, Uggs and hoodies.
It is an intimate venue of 46,185 on an underrated College Park, Md., campus famous for its columns–and “big city” feel.
Is SECU a wall of sound? Do coaches have sleepless Friday nights before visiting? No and no. But the place compensates with aesthetics and intimacy.
16 Indiana, Merchants Bank Field at Memorial Stadium
For years, this place was a cement tomb. Was it a stadium or a nuclear cooling tower rising off the northeast corner of 17th and North Dunn Streets?
Hot dog wrappers and plastic cups rattled around a sea of aluminum bleachers. Fans? The few who bothered to get up off the couch on a Saturday never got much further than the trunk of their tailgate to talk … hoops.
But, a funny thing happened a few years ago: IU started to win … big. You know the story.
Gotta credit “Coach Cig,” who has authored one of the top stories in the history of sports with this Lazarus act. No need to google it.
Now, 53,524 screaming zealots have been known to show up.
Both end zones have been bowled in, increasing intimacy at venue where the stands are pitched at a steep angle. Fans are close to the action. The press box? It’s still stuck in the 1960s. But the IU brass has applied a lot of lipstick to this pig.
Does IU have, dare I say: A home field advantage? What in the name of Harry Gonso is going on?
Winning (and money) cure all. This is proof.
Next up: No.s 13-15
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