Sorry Kyle Field. Your lofty power rankings at No. 1 after EA Sports College Football 25 gave you the crown has already dropped to No. 10 in mere days.
We’re of course completely joking, especially when it comes to SEC college football stadiums. Fans could make an ironclad argument for their venue and atmosphere throughout the conference as not only tops in the SEC, but across the entire country.
Having said that, it’s still fun to debate who is No. 1.
For The Athletic’s and FOX Sports’ preeminent college football analyst Bruce Feldman, it’s LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
“The place is just pure mayhem,” Feldman writes. “And it starts way before kickoff. I’ve heard from so many coaches over the years about how hostile the treatment of their teams is, from rattling their bus on arrival to dousing the visitors with booze. Just seeing Mike the Tiger in person adds another layer of intimidation to this.”
Fair enough. And then Feldman puts the cherry on top by sharing this hilarious anecdote from the truly one-of-a-kind Mike Leach.
“Mike Leach told me the story of the first time he went in there when he was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky. ‘There were these little old ladies with their grandchildren flipping off our bus,’ Leach said. ‘Then as we got closer, they start rocking our bus!’”
Now that’s a hostile environment!
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Feldman also has plenty of great things to say about the Texas Aggies’ Kyle Field, which he lists at No. 10. But he does have a slight burn.
“I’ve been there when the press box shakes,” recalls Feldman. “Kyle Field is an awesome building that gets really, really loud, and opponents complain that their sidelines smell like horse manure. My first trip for a game was Johnny Manziel’s debut against Florida. He was dynamic. The building shook. A&M lost, though. That’s why Kyle Field is not higher on my list, even if it’s No. 1 in EA Sports’ rankings.”
ESPN analyst (and unnecessary Tony Vitello hater) also has LSU’s Death Valley as No. 1 in his rankings, with the no-longer underrated Kyle Field No. 5. Funny enough, the former Alabama quarterback doesn’t have the Tide’s Bryant-Denny Stadium in his top 10, whereas Feldman has it all the way up to No. 2.
Like an old man yelling at the clouds, every fan will scream why theirs is tops. Let the debates rage on at fantastic college football tailgates throughout the SEC.
Matt Graham covers the SEC for The Sporting News. He’s been covering college football, the NFL, NBA, the Olympics, and MLB for almost 20 years for NBC Sports, Yahoo Sports, and USA TODAY Sports, where he also co-founded For The Win.
