Editor’s note: This article is part of our College Football Stadium Rankings series, highlighting the most interesting venues across the country.
By Scott Dochterman, Austin Meek, Mitch Sherman and Cameron Teague Robinson
The Big House. The Horseshoe. Jump Around. The White Out. The Tunnel Walk. And, of course, the Rose Bowl.
These structures, traditions and nicknames are embedded into Big Ten culture and its accompanying stadium experiences. For more than a century, Big Ten stadiums have produced legendary atmospheres befitting of college sports’ oldest conference. Last week, The Athletic’s college football staff ranked the top 25 stadiums, and nine Big Ten stadiums landed on our list, with three others receiving votes.
Here, Big Ten writers Mitch Sherman, Austin Meek, Cameron Teague Robinson and Scott Dochterman provide their spin on many of the topics that have Big Ten fans buzzing about the great stadium debate. Feel free to comment below on your favorites and other topics related to Big Ten stadiums (and check back for more superlatives by conference throughout November).
What is your favorite Big Ten stadium?
Dochterman: I find charm and awe in each of the stadiums, but there’s one that truly feels like a religious experience, and that’s a White Out at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium. When there are 107,000 fans decked out in white waving pom-poms, chanting “We Are … Penn State” and adding a hundred or so “ohs” to The White Stripes’ “Seven Nation Army,” it doesn’t get more electrifying than that. The outside currently looks like a giant Erector Set, but it belies the incredible atmosphere that takes place at night during a White Out.
Meek: I’ll out myself as the person on our staff who voted Autzen Stadium No. 1. I’m not exactly unbiased: Both of my kids were born in Eugene, and I spent many Saturdays in the Autzen press box writing about the Ducks as a newspaper columnist. Autzen isn’t the biggest or the loudest stadium on this list, but the ambiance is unmatched. Hearing Don Essig say, “It never rains in Autzen Stadium” is one of my favorite college football traditions, and “Shout” is an underrated stadium anthem. There’s simply no place I’d rather be on a fall Saturday.
Sherman: I’ve regularly logged Saturday office hours at Memorial Stadium during more than half of the time required for Nebraska to accumulate an NCAA-record streak of 409 consecutive sellouts. The Huskers’ home stadium, of course, holds its own spot on my list. But I chose Ohio Stadium as my favorite because of its sheer size and unapologetic absence of anything that might be mistaken as understated. My first trip for a game, in 2020 without fans in attendance, paid no justice to its ability to serve as an intimidating venue. But when I returned twice in 2024, for a Nebraska visit and Ohio State’s CFP first-round matchup against Tennessee, it was clear that the Horseshoe holds its own among the top spots in the sport.
Teague: Camp Randall Stadium holds a special place in my heart because as a college senior I made the trip to cover Bowling Green vs. Wisconsin and it was my first time experiencing “Jump Around.” But Big Ten expansion travel has made me partial to the West Coast stadiums. Oregon is amazing — it’s unbelievably loud and the mountains in the backdrop are breathtaking. But I picked Washington at No. 1. Husky Stadium gives you everything you want: noise, the Seattle downtown skyline, a view of Mount Rainier, the students banging down the gates to get in their seats, and then, most importantly, there’s the view of Lake Washington on the east end of the stadium. Between the lake, people tailgating on it, the mountains and the trees, it just barely edged out Autzen Stadium for me. It’s a perfect mix of wild atmosphere and unbelievable scenery — plus they have a real Husky named Dubs II.
Washington’s Husky Stadium has added some impressive views to the Big Ten. (Joe Nicholson / Imagn Images)
What is the most underrated Big Ten stadium?
Dochterman: I’m blown away that Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium didn’t crack the top 25. I think it’s a huge whiff on our part. The stands are 7 yards from the sideline, which has flustered many opposing players like Wisconsin running back Melvin Gordon, who heard “100 percent committed” the entire 2013 game, referencing his decommitment. Since 2008, the Hawkeyes are 5-2 in Iowa City against top-five competition with the losses coming to Penn State on the game’s final play in 2017 and against Michigan in 2022 when Connor Stalions received the game ball in the pink locker room. It’s so loud that Penn State had eight false start penalties in a No. 4 vs. No. 3 showdown in 2021. And there’s nothing in sports like The Hawkeye Wave.
Meek: In true Minnesota fashion, Huntington Bank Stadium doesn’t always get its due but is too humble to complain about it. Built in 2009, it has modern amenities without losing the classic feel. I’m a big fan of the Twin Cities in general, and Minnesota’s stadium captures both the urban setting and the coziness of the campus. Fans there seem to have a good sense of humor, especially when the Dramatic Gopher appears on the screen.
Sherman: Kinnick Stadium received mention in our tabulation of votes, but not enough. Iowa’s home stadium is a top-25 venue. And if you visit at night, it might rank in the top 10. Noise levels at Kinnick increase exponentially after sunset. So does the difficulty to play well for a visitor. Just ask the Big Ten blue bloods who have tried and failed. A touch of crisp fall air and the riffs of AC/DC turn Kinnick into an experience that’s tough to duplicate. And The Wave to hospitalized children after the first quarter is unmatched as a tradition.
Teague: I’m fond of Indiana’s Memorial Stadium. It’s on the smaller side, just over 52,000 capacity, but I really like the setup. I haven’t been since Curt Cignetti took over, but I covered two games there, once in college and once while on the Ohio State beat, and both have been a pleasure even when Indiana hasn’t been great. The fans can get loud inside the stadium, but it’s more so the look and vibe for me. It looks amazing, with a good mix of new renovations and an older feel. And now that Indiana is one of the best teams in the country, I think it will begin to rise up people’s list of favorite Big Ten stadiums.
What is the most overrated Big Ten stadium?
Dochterman: It’s definitely The Big House. It’s more like The Big Home. It has the tradition, a blue-blood program, the pregame banner and, of course, the nickname. But the bowl structure allows the sound to carry from Ann Arbor all the way to Ypsilanti. Michigan Stadium has more seats than any football stadium in America, but you really wouldn’t know it once you’re in it. It doesn’t have that intimidating aura like Ohio State’s Death Star or the sinking feeling the press box is going to collapse into the bottom bowl like at Camp Randall Stadium. There’s no question it’s iconic; it’s just overrated.
Meek: It’s the Rose Bowl, and it’s not close. We have to distinguish between the Rose Bowl game, which is amazing, and the stadium itself, which is pretty meh. One day each year, the people in bowl jackets sprinkle fairy dust that transforms the Rose Bowl into one of the most magical places in sports. If you visit the Rose Bowl on one of the other 364 days of the year, you’ll probably be underwhelmed. The San Gabriel Mountains are great, but as a home venue for UCLA, the Rose Bowl is nothing special.
Sherman: You’ve gotta be rated to be overrated. So Camp Randall is already ahead of more than half of the stadiums in the Big Ten. But it’s kind of a one-trick pony. The pre-fourth quarter “Jump Around” is unique and exhilarating. Otherwise, what do you get at a Wisconsin game that isn’t readily available at other stadiums in the Big Ten? Tasty brats? The experience in Madison has untapped potential. To start, it would help if the huge Wisconsin base of students showed up for the opening kickoff. They arrive notoriously late. And this year, the students are missing the only competitive moments for the Badgers.
Teague: I’m going with the Rose Bowl, as well. I think we have to differentiate between UCLA home games and the actual Rose Bowl itself. The Rose Bowl is remarkable, and it’s not just the weather or the sunset. When you walk up to the stadium and see the Rose Bowl signature on the building, that gives you chills, and when you step onto the field there’s just a history you feel radiating off of it. The fans are packed in tight and when you look up, it’s a special atmosphere for college football. But for UCLA games? Not so much. I agree with Austin if you visit the Rose Bowl on any day that isn’t New Year’s Day, you will likely leave disappointed.
The Big House at Michigan is the largest stadium in the country. (Ezra Shaw / Getty Images)
Superlatives
Pregame band routine: Ohio Stadium, Ohio State. The Buckeyes may be defending national champions, but what I find most impressive is the way The Best Damn Band In The Land enters Ohio Stadium. The precise marching and stepping could make a Prussian general stand and applaud. Then the dotting of the “i” is pure Americana. — Dochterman
Best view: Husky Stadium, Washington. This comes with a caveat, because nothing in American sports beats the spectacle at sunset in Pasadena. But for four quarters at Husky Stadium, fans seated properly can peer into Union Bay — a part of Lake Washington, which connects to the saltwater Puget Sound. Visitors can catch their first sight of the stadium while sailgating on a vessel before kickoff. — Sherman
Worst pregame traffic: Beaver Stadium, Penn State. Woe to the person who approaches Beaver Stadium from the wrong direction. You’re probably OK if you get in the right lane, but if you take the wrong approach, prepare to be turned around, rerouted and sent into the hinterlands. Plus, you’ll probably lose cell service once you get within a mile of the stadium, so prepare to navigate the old-fashioned way. — Meek
Best walk: Ohio Stadium, Ohio State. For as large as Ohio Stadium is, the athletic department does a nice job of maneuvering walker traffic around the stadium and even through the parking lots farther into campus. My wife brought her family for a game this year and they walked around the entire stadium, to the Buckeye trees and even to the ESPN and Fox pregame sets all before taking their seats. For many people who visit for the first time, there’s a lot they want to see and experience, and Ohio State does a nice job of letting people enjoy it without being rerouted from closed sidewalks and streets. — Teague Robinson
Overlooked: SECU Stadium, Maryland. As an urban campus in the greater Washington, D.C., area, Maryland never enters the conversation for anything football-related. However, the fall foliage around College Park is brilliant in early fall and Maryland’s stadium has its own, quaint charm. — Dochterman
Best campus setting: Indiana’s Memorial Stadium sits a short walk from the heart of a sprawling campus, close to downtown Bloomington and many options for food and drink. Large areas of green space near IU’s stadium provide a spot for relaxation and pre-game activities. And historic Assembly Hall is situated directly to the east of the football venue. — Sherman
Best tradition: The Hawkeye Wave, Kinnick Stadium, Iowa. There’s just nothing better. I’d argue this is the coolest tradition in all of college football. Just getting fans and the players to turn and wave at the pediatric patients at the hospital is awesome, but you know it’s a big deal when visiting teams start to do it, as well. There are louder, larger and more historic traditions in college football, but none more meaningful and powerful. — Teague Robinson
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