LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – I've covered events in 50 college
football stadiums. Before I make it to Number 51, I decided it was time to rank
the first 50.
Last week, I posted the Bottom 10 at WDRB.com. Today, I gave
you my top 10, also at WDRB.com.
I don't want to forget the middle 30. I worked too hard to
get to all of them. Here goes:
40. Ross-Ade Stadium
(Purdue) – Funny what a sexier place it was when Bob Griese, Jim Everett and
Drew Brees were throwing spirals.
39. Orange Bowl
(Miami) – I'm sorry. I really am. I went there in 2004 with the University of
Louisville convinced I was going to fall in love. Didn't happen. I was happy to
leave without getting mugged. There's a reason the place has been dismantled.
38. Bill Snyder
Family Stadium (Kansas State) – You won't get mugged in this Manhattan. You
could, however, die of boredom. Just another stadium.
37. Superdome (Tulane) – The last time I covered a football
game there, the crowd was so sparse I could hear what the coaches were yelling
to players from the third-level press box – and 90 percent of crowd was there
to cheer for Stefan LeFors. Plus, I came
face to face with a rat there during the Final Four last spring.
36. Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma) – I remember two things from my
trip to Norman when Kentucky visited in 1980. Barry Switzer let his players run
their plays backwards the day before the game. They called it "Instant Replay,"
Fridays. Switzer did his post-game media conference at a hotel not far from the
stadium, fetching a few beverages on his way out the door.
35. M. M. Roberts Stadium (Southern Miss) – I've been home nearly two weeks – and I just dried out from my trip to Hattiesburg. Excellent
hospitality, plenty of tailgating. Just strange to see all the luxury seats tucked
in one end zone.
34-31. (Alphabetical order) Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky);
Memorial Stadium (Indiana); Papa John's Cardinal Stadium (Louisville);
Smith-Houchens Stadium (Western Kentucky) – You folks can sort this group out.
I get enough angry e-mails.
30. Raymond James
Stadium (USF) – I'm generally not a fan of teams playing second fiddle in NFL
stadiums, but the pirate ship is a nice touch in Tampa.
29. High Point
Solution Stadium (Rutgers) – The Scarlet Knights have put $102 million into the
place – and it shows.
28. Legion Field
(UAB) – I made my visit when Bear Bryant was coaching Alabama in 1980, not to
see UAB. I still remember seeing The Bear leaning against a goal post, wearing
the houndstooth cap before the game. You never forget that.
27. Beaver Stadium
(Penn State) – Fly to Harrisburg and then drive on narrow, twisting roads in
the worst traffic I can remember. No thanks. Mammoth facility packed with
students wearing white T-shirts. Pretty vanilla.
26. Ryan Field Stadium (Northwestern) – It's cold. It's old.
It sits in a great neighborhood. It's in the Chicago area. Works for me.
25. Williams-Brice Stadium (South Carolina) – It's warm.
It's renovated. It's massive. I'm not sure it belongs this high, but the
Gamecocks are very proud of the way their home has grown from about 17,000 to
more than 80,000.
24. Spartan Stadium (Michigan State) – Nothing terrible,
nothing terrific. I give it extra credit because it was the site of the
unforgettable tie game between MSU and Notre Dame in 1966. If you watched it,
you remember Coley O'Brien.
23. Reser Stadium (Oregon State) – Leads the league in
quirks. Opposing team dresses in the basement of the basketball arena across
the street from the stadium. I've never seen more orange. But I've got to
confess: best press parking on the list. Yes, I'm shallow that way.
22. Razorback Stadium (Arkansas) – Loud, colorful, great
replay boards. I'm taking another look Saturday.
21. Stanford Stadium (Stanford) – My trip was for a Super
Bowl, but I could sense that John Elway, Jim Plunkett and others played there.
20. Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati) – It's a bit undersized,
but that explains the charm. I love it that Nippert sits in the middle of
campus.
19. Scott Stadium (Virginia) – Another trip during the
Schnellenberger Era at U of L. Bonus points for The Lawn on the UVa campus as
well as the open-air press box.
18. Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU) – I'm disappointed the
Horned Frogs didn't follow through on their move to the Big East because their
fans embrace the game and the renovated stadium delivers a nice blend of
history and amenities. Plus, you have to love the name of the tailgating area –
Frog Alley.
17. Sun Devil Stadium (Arizona State) – Impossible to
criticize the sight lines, the climate or the list of unforgettable Fiesta
Bowls that have been played there, including U of L 34, Alabama 7 a highlight
of the Howard Schnellenberger Era.
16. Memorial Coliseum (USC) – I don't have time to list all
the famous guys who have played there. Just run the videos of the USC-Notre
Dame series.
15. Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas) -- Schnellenberger took
Louisville here, too. Too bad non-conference scheduling isn't as dynamic as it
used to be. No more trips to Austin.
14. Neyland Stadium (Tennessee) – Other than Candlestick
Park during the 1989 earthquake, the only other stadium I've felt shake was
this one – when everybody in Orange stood and roared. Schnellenberger played
there.
13. Ohio Stadium (Ohio State) -- Very loud, very large, very scarlet and
gray. I've heard that you don't want to miss the band. Schnellenberger played
there, too.
12. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida) – Pictures of the
original stadium are hanging in the press box at The Swamp. My, how you have
grown. The Gator chomp makes opposing players snap on their chinstraps. Did
Schnellenberger play there? What do you think?
11. Doak Campbell Stadium (Florida State) – The only place
where you'll see more pyrotechnics is Thunder Over Louisville. Schnellenberger?
Yes.
Copyright 2012 WDRB News. All Rights Reserved.
Rick Bozich ranked the 50 college football stadiums where he has covered events. Places 11-40 are ranked here.
