Nothing matches the vibes of a home night game at Tiger Stadium in Death Valley.
Due to its traditions and the difficulty it presents opponents, LSU football's home stadium garnered the No. 1 spot in ESPN's top 25 college football stadiums . Tiger Stadium beat other heavy-hitters like the Rose Bowl (UCLA) and Michigan Stadium (Michigan) for the top spot.
Fourteen college football writers from ESPN voted on the list, with 42 stadiums getting at least one vote. The writers were asked to rank their top 20 stadiums, with no parameters on how to vote. Twenty points were awarded to the top stadium, 19 to second, 18 to third, and so on. Tigers Stadium won the honors with 247 points, edging out UCLA (209 points) and Michigan (182).
Here's what you need to know about ESPN ranking Tiger Stadium as the best college football stadium:
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ESPN college football stadium rankings
Before Tiger Stadium, LSU played its home games at State Field, located on the old LSU campus in Downtown Baton Rouge. Tiger Stadium opened in 1924 and holds a capacity of 102,321 fans, making it the second-largest stadium in the SEC and the seventh-largest in college football.
The Tigers have a 444-156-18 at Tiger Stadium. Former legendary Alabama coach Paul "Bear" Bryant posted a 14-2 record at Tiger Stadium but also said, "Baton Rouge happens to be the worst place in the world for a visiting team. It's like being inside a drum."
Here's what ESPN's Chris Low wrote about Tiger Stadium being ranked as the No. 1 college football stadium in the ESPN top 25:
"Soaking up the atmosphere on a Saturday night in Tiger Stadium is pure nirvana for football fans, and it's hardly just the football game. The food at all the tailgating spots is divine, and we're talking about dishes from gumbo to shrimp boils to jambalaya being stirred in giant pots by fans hydrating with cold beverages and sporting their purple and gold attire (and, yes, beads too).
Mike the Tiger, LSU's live mascot, roams around in his spacious zoo-like enclosure just north of the stadium. He used to hang out on the field in his cage on wheels just outside the opponents' locker room, but he no longer leaves his habitat to go inside the stadium for games. Having opened in 1924 and now with a capacity of 102,321, Tiger Stadium has been listed as one of "America's Most Treasured Stadiums" by the Historic Stadium Caucus. And when the Golden Band From Tigerland hits those first four notes upon stepping onto the field for pregame festivities, there's nothing else quite like it."
SEC record in ESPN top 25 stadiums
The next ranked SEC team was Alabama's Bryant-Denny Stadium at No. 9 with 115 points. Neyland Stadium (Tennessee) ranked No. 10. Kyle Field (Texas A&M, 13th), Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn, 17th) , Samford Stadium (Georgia, 18th), and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Florida, 20th) also cracked the top 20. Ole Miss's Vaught-Hemingway Stadium was ranked No. 21. At the same time, newcomer SEC programs Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma) and Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas) rounded out the top 25, at 24 and 25, respectively.
- 1. Tiger Stadium, LSU ― 247 points, est. 1924
- 9. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama ― 115 points, est. 1917
- 10. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee ― 112 points, est. 1921
- 13. Kyle Field ― 91 points, est. 1927
- 17. Jordan-Hare Stadium ― 69 points, est. 1939
- 18. Samford Stadium, Georgia ― 66 points, est. 1929
- 20. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida ― 61 points, est. 1930
- 21. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium ― 51 points, est. 1915
- 24. Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium , Oklahoma ― 40 points, est. 1923
- 25. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas ― 38 points, est. 1924
This article originally appeared on Lafayette Daily Advertiser: LSU football's Tiger Stadium ranked No. 1 in ESPN's top 25 college football stadium rankings
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