SEC football stadiums rankings: Swamp at Florida bests Tiger Stadium
Come holy day, tens of thousands of believers gather at SEC cathedrals far and wide - a hundred-thousand strong at some venues - and they'll scream bloody murder when the opposing quarterback goes behind center. They'll scream other things, too, that aren't fit to print. Some of those stadiums will even tremble amid the roar and the vigor.
If an official's call goes against the home team, boos will rain down, and maybe some water bottles and beer cans, too.
Just after the dawn of the 20th century, a record-breaking crowd at a Tennessee-Alabama game turned so rowdy that police halted the game prematurely, and a Birmingham city official predicted college football wouldn't last in the South.
If he could only see what it's become.
I've covered games at every SEC stadium, and I've been to nearly all of them more than once. With one exception, each is worth visiting. Pack your drinkin' shoes - and your ear plugs.
Here's how I rank the SEC's toughest stadiums:
1. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida
Combine gator chomps with the din of noise and Gainesville's humidity, and Steve Spurrier aptly said "only Gators get out alive" from The Swamp. Florida fans belt Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" before the fourth quarter to create one of college football's most memorable scenes. Florida boasts a .714 home winning percentage against SEC opponents the past 10 years, compared to .486 on the road in conference games. That's the definition of home-field advantage.
2. Tiger Stadium, LSU
Former Arkansas running back Darren McFadden once said of Death Valley: "The fans are relentless." That's especially true for night games. After LSU fans spend the day sucking down hooch, they're in no mood to take prisoners.
QUARTERBACK RANKINGS: Big Ten | SEC | ACC | Big 12
UNDER RADAR: Five sleeper candidates for Heisman Trophy
3. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
Tennessee fans are ruthless. Former Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield described experiencing "a different type of loud" while playing as an opponent in Neyland. And when "Rocky Top" plays on a loop, it's psychological torture.
4. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama
Alabama fans, spoiled by the Nick Saban era, don't always roar as fiercely as others listed above, but last season's game against Georgia served a reminder that Tide fans can bring the noise when they feel they must. Alabama is nearly unbeatable at home the past 20 years.
5. Sanford Stadium, Georgia
Kirby Smart almost never loses at home. That's partially a credit to the environment "Between the Hedges." Georgia fans literally bark their way into the stadium. Sometimes, the stadium noise isn't quite elite, but, when challenged, this venue can rumble.
6. Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina
The Gamecocks peck above their weight at home, playing in one of the SEC's most underrated venues. The stadium comes alive when Darude's "Sandstorm" plays, and fans wave white towels chanting "U-S-C! U-S-C!"
7. Kyle Field, Texas A&M
Kyle Field towers like no other, and it literally shakes when the noise swells. Love or mock the Aggie Yell Leaders, you can't deny they create a unique scene, and the Aggies entering to "POWER" is one of college football's best intros.
8. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn
Some say Jordan-Hare uncorks a strange voodoo magic on opponents. Or, perhaps Auburn fans just create a tough environment. Find someone who loves you the way Auburn fans love to "Swag Surf."
9. Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Oklahoma
Oklahoma's stadium fits neatly into the SEC tapestry, and the Sooner Schooner cruising the field paints a scene fit for the nation's premier football conference. With a capacity of 80,126, the "Palace on the Prairie" doesn't match the SEC's top colossuses, but it holds its own.
10. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas
Texas earns its reputation for having a bit of a "wine and cheese crowd" amid its 100,119 capacity, but Longhorns fans still can turn it up for big games. Texas has won 14 of its last 15 at home, resulting in triumphant renditions of "The Eyes of Texas."
11. Faurot Field, Missouri
Several years ago, then-Missouri coach Barry Odom bought thousands of tickets and gave them away free to coax fans into the stadium. Fans will buy their own tickets, and Faurot perks up - if the Tigers are good. Missouri has won nearly 60% of its home conference games since joining the SEC.
12. Davis Wade Stadium, Mississippi State
When Mississippi State fans get their cowbells clanging at full force, it sounds like a swarm of locusts has descended upon the stadium, allowing a venue with a capacity of 60,311 to buzz beyond its size.
13. Razorback Stadium, Arkansas
No school ever embraced being the "Pigs" quite like Arkansas, and the "Calling of the Hogs" ranks among the SEC's neater traditions. Fans consistently turn out, and yet Arkansas' SEC home record remains too bleak.
14. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Mississippi
No SEC tour can be deemed complete without sipping a tailgate drink in The Grove. As for the stadium environment, coach Lane Kiffin once compared it to a high school venue. As the Rebels climbed these past few years, though, the vibe in the stadium improved, too.
15. Kroger Field, Kentucky
Kentucky became a tricky road trip at the height of the Mark Stoops era, and a basketball-leaning fan base would show up. Although it lacks the viciousness of many SEC venues, the conference's most modern stadium is a decent place to take in a game.
16. FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt sprints away with the cellar spot. No other SEC school would play a season with a scoreboard held up by a crane. If you want to know which SEC foe Vanderbilt is hosting, peep the stands. They'll be tinted with the opponents' colors, as road fans visit Nashville to get a taste of the honky-tonks and take over Vanderbilt's small stadium.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
7 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Ty Simpson can take Alabama football to title without being Mac Jones
When Alabama did not add a transfer quarterback in the winter free agency period, it signaled Simpson would make his first career start in the opener against Florida State. Optimists will say Simpson could become the next Mac Jones, a backup turned star who threw for 4,500 yards in 2020. Sure, it's possible, and maybe I'll be selected as the next James Bond. By the time Jones became Alabama's full-time starter, he'd already proven himself after filling in as starter for an injured Tua Tagovailoa the previous season and delivering four standout performances. Simpson has neither Jones' experience nor his inimitable supporting cast that included DeVonta Smith, Najee Harris and John Metchie III to warrant 2020 comparisons. PATH TO PLAYOFF: Sign up for our college football newsletter Smarter comparisons would include Blake Sims and Jake Coker, who were longtime backups before starting for Alabama in their final seasons. Coker won a national championship as a steadyhanded guide for the 2015 Crimson Tide. He enjoyed the luxury of handing the ball to Derrick Henry 25-plus times per game. Unfortunately for Simpson, I don't see a future Heisman Trophy winner in his backfield, and Alabama's defense has not, for several years, played to the level it did in 2015. Still, if Simpson performs to the level Sims and Coker did as starters, that should allow Alabama to find a soft landing after experiencing turbulence, complete with a loss to Vanderbilt, in DeBoer's debut. Alabama quarterbacks have experienced a high floor of performance for the better part of two decades, so we must look elsewhere to produce a recent worst-case comparison for Simpson. Consider the case of Brock Vandagriff. Like Simpson, Vandagriff signed with an elite program as a five-star prospect. Vandagriff chose Georgia, and he failed to win competitions against JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett IV and later against Carson Beck. After three seasons as a seldom-used Georgia backup, Vandagriff finished his career last season starting for Kentucky, where he struggled. I view Simpson as neither Jones nor Vandagriff. He's something else. He's a bridge away from the Nick Saban era, a bridge that eventually will connect to Keelon Russell, a promising five-star freshman who became DeBoer's first quarterback signee at Alabama. Can Ty Simpson be for Alabama what Jake Coker was? There's optimism, there's pessimism, and there's realism. Simpson being a bridge seems most realistic. Bridge quarterbacks can become success stories. Again, I think of Coker, an effective bridge that took Alabama to the Jalen Hurts era. Optimists also would say Simpson fits DeBoer's system better than Jalen Milroe. Perhaps true, but DeBoer nonetheless chose Milroe as his starter last season, and Milroe's speed became a fallback plan for the offense when all else failed. Simpson moves well, but he doesn't sprint with Milroe's track-star pace. So, he'll need to be more efficient than Milroe. DeBoer, in the spring, said he desired a "playmaker," not "a game-manager" to emerge from the quarterback competition, and, on that note, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb describes Simpson as "an incredible playmaker." In truth, Alabama needs a healthy blend of playmaking and efficiency. Milroe was a playmaker, and he performed at a Heisman level in Alabama's takedown of Georgia, but consistency eluded him in his lone season playing for DeBoer, and turnovers became an issue. He didn't receive enough support, either. Simpson should expect more help after the maturation of some young receivers and the arrival of Isaiah Horton, a transfer from Miami. Milroe could've used someone like Horton to help complement Ryan Williams and Germie Bernard. "We really did a great job hitting on Isaiah Horton, who physically has a presence, but he's really smooth," DeBoer told me in April. What is Ty Simpson's ceiling? That's left to answer If Simpson is an Alabama-caliber starting quarterback, then why didn't he start earlier in this career? That's the question I ask myself. Bryce Young initially blocked his path. No shame in that, but when Simpson later failed to beat out Milroe, I found it a bit unusual that he didn't transfer and start elsewhere. Simpson would tell you he stayed put because he belongs at Alabama. "I had no doubt where I wanted to be," even after Saban's retirement, Simpson told the Tuscaloosa News in January. I won't fault him for loyalty, and no one questions Arch Manning's ability just because he waited his turn behind Quinn Ewers. But, we saw more of Manning last season than we've seen of Simpson throughout his entire career. Simpson's ceiling remains a mystery, and how high you believe it extends depends on whether you identify as an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist. Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@ and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
Reuters
19 hours ago
- Reuters
Tour Championship counts toward career earnings for first time since ‘18
August 14 - However the $40 million prize pool is doled out next week, each player to compete at next week's Tour Championship will earn "official money" in the eyes of the PGA Tour. The entire purse at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta will be considered "official money," Front Office Sports and others reported this week. It's a departure from how the tour tabulated career earnings from 2019-24. During that time, the FedEx Cup playoffs were contracted from four to three tournaments and the Tour Championship introduced the "starting strokes" staggered start that rewarded players for their standing in the season-long points race. This year, the tour is doing away with that start, so all 30 players to qualify for the Tour Championship will start at even par rather than, say, Scottie Scheffler opening at 10 under par. The leader after 72 holes of stroke play at East Lake will be crowned not only the winner of the Tour Championship but also the FedEx Cup champion. Because of that, the PGA Tour changed how it hands out bonus money for the season-long points race. The winner of the Tour Championship and FedEx Cup will receive $10 million that counts toward that player's official career earnings, rather than a bonus. The change makes the Tour Championship the most lucrative tournament of the season, as the $40 million total prize purse easily outpaces the $25 million on offer at The Players Championship. --Field Level Media
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Georgia TV station airs ultimate awkward error over NFL quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s last name
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has a uniquely spelled last name, with autocorrect or missing one letter leading to a hilariously disastrous result, like what happened Wednesday night. Savannah, Georgia's CBS affiliate, WTOC, aired an interview with Penix, incorrectly putting an X as the last letter of his name. Instead, WTOC's chyron read, ' Michael Penis Jr' alongside 'Falcons quarterback'. The news station has not commented on the error and the video package no longer appears on WTOC's website. Penix is in his second season with the Falcons, after being selected No 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the team. The former Washington Huskies signal caller enters the fall as the starting quarterback for Atlanta for the first time, usurping veteran Kirk Cousins. Savannah CBS affiliate WTOC had a bit of an oopsie during last night's evening newscast... — Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) August 14, 2025 Fans on social media have found WTOC's error hysterical, with some incredulous how this made it to air without being caught. 'Sounds like someone got the shaft from their job today,' one NFL fan said. 'I've noticed how there seems to be a developing art of failing to proofread chyrons across tv. This is the MVP of that movement,' a second football supporter added. During Wednesday's join practice with the Tennessee Titans, Penix was in the middle of a massive fight between the teams, a rarity for the starting quarterback. It was Penix saying his words 'went a little bit too far' before the brawl with Tennessee that sparked the chaos.
