Ranking the stadiums for the 2024 college football preseason top-25 teams (2024)

I have been to Manhattan many times, and I can’t imagine myself voluntarily going back for any reason. The stadium is fine, and K-State has invested in its facilities over the years. But it’s certainly not nice enough to convince me to take a flight from Phoenix to Kansas City and drive another two hours.

Despite Arizona’s recent success rebuilding the football program, football game days in Tucson are still lacking behind the basketball atmosphere. Students tend to stay for the first half before leaving to enjoy Arizona’s college experience. The school was nearing renovation plans before COVID put that on hold, so we’ll see if Brent Brennan can build on Jedd Fisch’s momentum and bring on more facility work.

The L.A. Coliseum is one of the few stadiums on this list that I have actually been to, and it’s not a place that has me rushing to go back — even after the renovations. That being said, the games against Penn State and Notre Dame should be incredible there. And the new club amenities look phenomenal if you can afford to enjoy them. Los Angeles is one of my favorite cities to visit — just not for college football.

Kyle Field is a needlessly large stadium for a football program that hasn’t won its conference title since 1998. Watching mediocrity with 102,000 other people sounds exhausting, to be honest.

While I haven’t made a visit to Mizzou since the move to the SEC, Faurot Field has always been a solid place to watch football. There’s not really a bad seat — unless you’re stuck sitting on a bunch of rocks behind the end zone. And the school is consistently making improvements to the stadium itself. A major renovation is already in the works.

Hard Rock Stadium is a beautiful venue for NFL games and major sporting events (besides the ones organized by CONMEBOL), but it’s not a great fit for the Miami Hurricanes. Even when Miami is a contender — which hasn’t been recently — the team rarely sells out the stadium. But hey, it’s still Miami. There are certainly worse places to watch college football.

For a state with draconian laws about alcohol consumption, Utah manages to have one of the more underrated environments in college football. Plus, there’s no denying that the mountain backdrop looks awesome. Big 12 fans should absolutely look to make a trip there.

Honestly, the stadium looks incredible, and Norman lives for college football. We’re at the point in the list where the separation between the stadiums is pretty slim. I just don’t want to hear “Boomer Sooner” 200 times in three hours. SEC fans should get used to that.

I’ve enjoyed all my trips to Knoxville, and Neyland Stadium seems like the kind of stadium that will make your jaw drop. Tennessee is even planning major renovations on the stadium for the next few years because of course they are. There’s always room to make a stadium bigger and better in the SEC.

Admittedly, the last time I went to Boone Pickens Stadium, it was among the newest stadiums in college football. The facility and atmosphere were super impressive at the time, so I’d be curious to see how it’s held up the past 12 years. The school completed a $55 million renovation of the stadium this offseason as well.

Seeing the players enter the field from The Hill is one of the cooler traditions in college football, and it has to be a thrill to see it in person. The stadium itself will likely feel more modern with the renovation phases completed.

You don’t even have to be a college football fan to know that seeing a game at Notre Dame Stadium is bucket-list worthy.

It’s just a preposterous amount of people in a single stadium. It’s been 17 years since my visit to the Big House for a game, and I’d love to see how the renovations have changed the feel of the stadium. Game days in Ann Arbor are also tough to beat.

Texas is constantly putting money into the stadium, and while most fans are still stuck with metal bleachers, DKR Memorial Stadium is an elite venue. Austin might have changed a ton over the years, but Texas football game days remain fantastic.

Another stadium that I have been to in person, and I’d absolutely love to go back. It checks all the boxes: impressive (and HUGE) stadium, game-day atmosphere, college town and passion. Beaver Stadium is worth visiting.

Like I mentioned earlier, the separation between these stadiums is so small that you could basically interchange any of the top 10. The Horseshoe is what comes to mind when many people think of iconic college football stadiums. It’s a place that every college football fan should try to experience in person.

It’s among the more picturesque stadiums in the country — fall Saturdays between the hedges. And with Georgia looking to win three titles in four seasons, the atmosphere in Athens is guaranteed to be electric.

I’ve heard legendary things about The Grove on game days at Ole Miss. I wouldn’t care if the stadium was 10 rows of bleachers in a public park — it would still be top five because of The Grove.

I know that this isn’t a tailgating list, but if you’ve ever seen videos of the pregame food scene at LSU, you’d understand. Plus, there’s the whole “Saturday Night at Death Valley” thing. I must experience all of that.

It’s architecturally unique, loud and I’m partial to the Pacific Northwest. Other stadiums are larger, but Autzen Stadium is among the best venues that college football has to offer. We’ll certainly see that on display when Ohio State travels to Eugene on Oct. 12. The new Big Ten is going to be wild.

Alabama is like a ridiculously rich person who loves hosting parties for 100,000 friends. Bryant-Denny Stadium is that mansion. Who is going to say no to a party at a mansion? Exactly. But for real, this is an iconic stadium that is constantly getting improved. They’re never satisfied at Alabama, and it shows (in a good way). We’ll have to see if all that remains true in the post-Nick Saban era.