Top 10 largest college football stadiums

[MaineRed]

A few observations: I didn't realize the Colliseum held that many people now. I thought there'd be more orange at Tennessee.

I'm not a fan of the Colliseum. What is the deal with those areas behind the end zone and in the corner where there are no seats? It looks so dumb IMO. They have those temporary bleachers and then nothing else on that end. I've never liked the atmosphere there. At least not the one captured on TV.

If you look close at the picture of Tennessee there are a lot of folks who aren't in their seats. Must have been taken at the end of a blowout or something as you can see a lot of gray bleachers.

[Chip R]

I'm not a fan of the Colliseum. What is the deal with those areas behind the end zone and in the corner where there are no seats? It looks so dumb IMO. They have those temporary bleachers and then nothing else on that end. I've never liked the atmosphere there. At least not the one captured on TV.

They must have done some renovations on it cause a few years ago, IIRC, they onlyseated about 80K or so for a game. I wonder if they have done some renovations on it cause I heard it was in bad shape a few years ago.

If you look close at the picture of Tennessee there are a lot of folks who aren't in their seats. Must have been taken at the end of a blowout or something as you can see a lot of gray bleachers.

Yeah, you may be right cause all I've heard about UT games was that Neyland Stadium is a sea of orange.

[BuckeyeRed27]

I'm not a fan of the Colliseum. What is the deal with those areas behind the end zone and in the corner where there are no seats? It looks so dumb IMO. They have those temporary bleachers and then nothing else on that end. I've never liked the atmosphere there. At least not the one captured on TV.

If you look close at the picture of Tennessee there are a lot of folks who aren't in their seats. Must have been taken at the end of a blowout or something as you can see a lot of gray bleachers.

The field of at the Colliseum is pushed towards one end of the stadium. So that area where there are no seats is a lot further away from the actual field than you would think. You could still probably have people sit there but it would be some awful seating. The visitors section is a joke there too. It is in the upper decks behind the temp bleachers. So to see the field you are looking through those bleachers to the field.

[Chip R]

The field of at the Colliseum is pushed towards one end of the stadium. So that area where there are no seats is a lot further away from the actual field than you would think. You could still probably have people sit there but it would be some awful seating. The visitors section is a joke there too. It is in the upper decks behind the temp bleachers. So to see the field you are looking through those bleachers to the field.

I wonder if the same people who built Soldier Field in Chicago built the Colliseum because both were huge - Soldier Field used to hold around 120K - and were one end of the stadium.

[IslandRed]

For what it's worth, the Coliseum was not purpose-built for football, although it's been played there all along. It originally had a track around the field and was built with the idea of hosting an Olympics (which it did, twice). So that's why the seating configuration looks funky in places. It's actually better than it used to be, I understand they removed the track and added closer sideline seats back in the '90s.

[Blimpie]

I thought there'd be more orange at Tennessee.

I agree. That photo must have been taken when they were all out on the highway paving crews...or sleeping in their deer stands, perhaps.

[MartyFan]

IU is expanding the stadium in Bloomington...and they can't draw 40,000 a game except when a Big Ten team's fans come to visit.

Don't look now but IU is poised to explode as a real force in BigTen Football...when they win the fans will come.

Maybe someone should get that plan to Mr.C?

[improbus]

Don't look now but IU is poised to explode as a real force in BigTen Football...when they win the fans will come.

Maybe someone should get that plan to Mr.C?

As soon as they improve, their coach will leave.

As a side note, I know the "SEC is better than the Big Ten" has been beaten to death, but here is what sealed it for me. I lived in Lexington for three years. Lexington is obviously a basketball town and yet they still filled 65,000 seats for every game, even during the lean years. The same goes for Starkeville, Oxford, and Columbia. South Carolina is a historically abysmal football program, and yet they always sold out or close to it. There are no road/home games. In the Big Ten, OSU plays home games in Columbus, Evanston, Bloomington, Champaign, Minneapolis, and during some season, West Lafayette.

[guttle11]

As soon as they improve, their coach will leave.

As a side note, I know the "SEC is better than the Big Ten" has been beaten to death, but here is what sealed it for me. I lived in Lexington for three years. Lexington is obviously a basketball town and yet they still filled 65,000 seats for every game, even during the lean years. The same goes for Starkeville, Oxford, and Columbia. South Carolina is a historically abysmal football program, and yet they always sold out or close to it. There are no road/home games. In the Big Ten, OSU plays home games in Columbus, Evanston, Bloomington, Champaign, Minneapolis, and during some season, West Lafayette.

That doesn't make the SEC better at anything. It means their fans value college football more than others. That's their thing. The NFL struggles to compete in Georgia and especially Jacksonville.

The Midwest (outside of OSU/Michigan) is much more of a college hoops area than college football. How many SEC schools can't fill up a basketball arena without UK fans' help? And then you have the NFL and baseball. Sports interests in Big Ten country are very diverse. Much less so in the SEC.

[improbus]

That doesn't make the SEC better at anything. It means their fans value college football more than others. That's their thing. The NFL struggles to compete in Georgia and especially Jacksonville.

The Midwest (outside of OSU/Michigan) is much more of a college hoops area than college football. How many SEC schools can't fill up a basketball arena without UK fans' help? And then you have the NFL and baseball. Sports interests in Big Ten country are very diverse. Much less so in the SEC.

I was talking about college football. The expectations for SEC football are astronomical. Urban Meyer was at the SEC Media Day and looked around the room and said that 10 coaches think that their team is going to be playing in the SEC title game in Atlanta. In the Big Ten, there are maybe 3-4 teams each year that even think they have a chance.

I do agree about basketball, but the talk here is about football. Also historically, the SEC schools don't have pro teams to compete with. Wisconsin would keep the Pack over the Badgers, Minneapolis would keep the Vikings over the Gophers, etc... What else is there to watch in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina, etc...

[gonelong]

I was talking about college football. The expectations for SEC football are astronomical. Urban Meyer was at the SEC Media Day and looked around the room and said that 10 coaches think that their team is going to be playing in the SEC title game in Atlanta. In the Big Ten, there are maybe 3-4 teams each year that even think they have a chance. .

Some of that has to do with having two divisions, I'd think. The SEC is rolling right now, should make for some interesting in season match-ups this year. Fall Saturday's are my favorite time of year.

GL

[improbus]

Some of that has to do with having two divisions, I'd think. The SEC is rolling right now, should make for some interesting in season match-ups this year. Fall Saturday's are my favorite time of year.

GL

Yeah, but I don't think divisions would help IU, Purdue, NU, Minnesota, Iowa, or Michigan State win the Big Ten.

[IslandRed]

There are expectations and then there's reality. There might be ten SEC schools that THINK they're going to Atlanta, but realistically only 6-7 have any justification for it. Furthermore, gonelong's right -- the bar of contending is lower in a conference with divisions. It's easier to win a six-team division, or hope you can win a six-team division, than an 11-team division. Doesn't mean the league itself is any easier, it's just the math. It's no different than in baseball. When they went to division play, more teams became contenders.

[gonelong]

Yeah, but I don't think divisions would help IU, Purdue, NU, Minnesota, Iowa, or Michigan State win the Big Ten.

Probably not, but it'd let them think they could.

GL

[*BaseClogger*]

Yeah, but I don't think divisions would help IU, Purdue, NU, Minnesota, Iowa, or Michigan State win the Big Ten.

I think most of those teams could compete in a division that doesn't include Ohio State...