The Oklahoman

Big 12 football stadiums ranked: Does Utah or Oklahoma State have toughest home venue?

By Justin Martinez, The Oklahoman,

2 days ago

Homefield advantage is a real thing in the Big 12 .

The new-look conference has plenty of venues that opposing teams should strike fear into opposing teams. From OSU's Boone Pickens Stadium to Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium, the list is long.

Here are the rankings for the Big 12's toughest stadiums to play in. This list factors in max capacity, crowd atmosphere and team success.

Big 12 football stadium rankings

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16. David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, Kansas

Max capacity: 51,500

It's hard to rank Kansas, which won't play its home games at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium this season. The venue is undergoing a $448 million renovation that'll be completed before the start of the 2025 campaign.

Kansas will play its home games at the Kansas City Chief's Arrowhead Stadium instead. It's one of the most feared places to play in for NFL teams, and it boasts a max capacity of 76,416.

But, when it comes to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, it's in the No. 16 spot because it'll be empty this season. It'll surely climb the list in 2025, especially if the Jayhawks continue their resurgence under head coach Lance Leipold.

15. TDECU Stadium, Houston

Max capacity: 40,000

There was plenty of excitement within the Houston fan base entering last season, which marked the program's first in the Big 12. The Cougars broke their program record for the most season tickets sold.

But that excitement turned into frustration when Houston went 4-8 (2-7 Big 12), including 3-4 at home. The program then fired head coach Dana Holgorsen on Nov. 26.

Better days seem to be ahead for Houston under newly-hired head coach Willie Fritz, and that could lead to TDECU Stadium becoming a more feared place to play in. Until then, it sits at No. 15 on this list.

14. Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona State

Max capacity: 53,599

Arizona State recorded an average home game attendance of 43,081 in 2022, which marked its lowest average since 1968. And while that number increased to 48,845 last season, there were still some low points.

The first one that comes to mind is Arizona State's 29-0 home loss to Fresno State on Sept. 16. Sun Devil Stadium was practically empty by the end of the game, and the some of the fans who stuck around began to watch the Colorado-Colorado State game on their phones.

Arizona State finished last season with a 3-9 (2-7 Pac-12) record, and it went 2-6 at home. It could be in for another tough season as it now makes the move to the Big 12.

13. Arizona Stadium, Arizona

Max capacity: 50,782

Arizona is in the process of turning its home atmosphere around.

The Wildcats went 11-18 at Arizona Stadium from 2018-22, but they posted a 5-1 record last season. Arizona than implemented numerous changes this offseason to improve the fan experience, including new concession locations to reduce concourse congestion and a “Cat Cruiser” rideshare option for fans in the Phoenix area.

Those are all encouraging signs for the atmosphere at Arizona Stadium, which ranks No. 13 for now. It could certainly climb this list if the program continues to have success under newly-hired head coach Brent Brennan.

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12. McLane Stadium, Baylor

Max capacity: 45,140

McLane Stadium has one of the better home atmospheres in the Big 12 when Baylor is playing well. That was apparent in 2021 when the Bears went 12-2 (7-2 Big 12), including 7-0 at home.

But the Bears haven't been very good since then. They've gone 4-10 at home in the past two seasons, and the average attendance dropped from 45,463 in 2022 to 43,388 in 2023.

Baylor should be marginally better this season, although it'll likely be in the bottom half of the conference standings once again. That doesn't bode well for the atmosphere at McLane Stadium.

11. Folsom Field, Colorado

Max capacity: 50,183

The Coach Prime effect is a real thing at Colorado.

With first-year head coach Deion Sanders leading the way last season, the Buffaloes sold out every home game for the first time in program history. They even hosted ESPN's College Football GameDay for the first time since 1996.

The buzz around Folsom Field was there, but it's only No. 13 on this list because it didn't prove to be too difficult of a place to play. Colorado went 2-4 at home last season and will likely be a middle-of-the-pack team in the Big 12 this season.

10. Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati

Max capacity: 40,000

Nippert Stadium used to be one of the nation's toughest places to play in. While it didn't face the stiffest competition in the AAC, Cincinnati went 31-1 at home from 2018-22 under head coach Luke Fickell.

But Fickell left for Wisconsin prior to last season, and Cincinnati struggled in its Big 12 debut. The Bearcats went 3-9 (1-8 Big 12), including 1-6 at home.

Nippert Stadium still comes in at No. 11 on this list because of what it used to be during the Fickell era. It has the potential to be one of the toughest Big 12 stadiums to play in if Cincinnati can regain its footing under head coach Scott Satterfield.

9. FBC Mortgage Stadium, UCF

Max capacity: 45,301

Similar to Cincinnati, UCF dominated at home prior to its move from the AAC to the Big 12. The Knights went 35-4 at FBC Mortgage Stadium from 2017-22.

UCF then went 6-7 (3-6 Big 12) last season. And while that marked its first losing campaign since 2020, it still went 4-2 at home.

The atmosphere didn't waiver at FBC Mortgage Stadium, which is nicknamed "The Bounce House" because it's susceptible to considerable shaking when its crowd jumps in unison. That consistency despite a down season makes this stadium worthy of the No. 9 spot.

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8. Amon G. Carter Stadium, TCU

Max capacity: 46,000

Amon G. Carter Stadium was the stuff of nightmares for opposing teams in 2022. TCU went 13-2 (9-0 Big 12), including 7-0 at home, and it reached the College Football Playoff's championship game.

But the Horned Frogs took a step backwards last season. They went 5-7 (3-6 Big 12) and only finished 4-3 at home.

Fans still poured into Amon G. Carter Stadium. But, now that TCU is two years removed from its CFP run, the No. 8 spot seems fair for a program that'll likely finish in the bottom half of the Big 12 standings again this season.

7. Jack Trice Stadium, Iowa State

Max capacity: 61,500

Iowa State went 10-2 at home from 2020-21, but it went just 6-7 at home from 2022-23.

Still, it's never easy to play at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa State ranked second in the Big 12 last season in average home game attendance (60,384), which nearly matched the entire population of Ames, Iowa (66,950).

Fans show up. And with Iowa State viewed by some people as a dark horse to compete for a Big 12 title, Jack Trice Stadium could easily crack the top five of this list if the team has a strong season.

6. Jones AT&T Stadium, Texas Tech

Max capacity: 60,454

Tech Tech has been a pretty average team in the Big 12 under head coach Joey McGuire. The Red Raiders have gone 15-11 (10-8 Big 12) during his two seasons at the helm.

Despite that, Texas Tech thrives at Jones AT&T Stadium. The Red Raiders have gone 11-3 at home in the last two seasons compared to 3-8 on the road.

That says a lot about Texas Tech's fans, who continue to create an electric atmosphere at every home game. They deserve a ton of credit for Jones AT&T Stadium landing at No. 6 on this list.

5. Bill Snyder Family Stadium, Kansas State

Max capacity: 50,000

While it isn't the biggest stadium in the biggest city, Bill Snyder Family Stadium continues to be a difficult environment for opposing teams.

Kansas State has gone 11-3 at home in the last two seasons. It's also on a 14-game sellout streak that dates back to a win over South Dakota State on Sept. 3, 2022.

Kansas State fans are loyal, and they'll surely pack Bill Snyder Family Stadium this season to watch a team that has the talent to compete for a Big 12 title.

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4. Lavell Edward Stadium, BYU

Max capacity: 63,470

BYU didn't have a ton of success last season as it made its Big 12 debut. The Cougars went 5-7 (2-7 Big 12).

Still, BYU managed to go 4-2 at home compared to 1-5 on the road. Lavell Edward Stadium is the largest stadium in the conference, and its seat are regularly filled with passionate, CougarTail-loving fans.

There's an argument for Lavell Edward Stadium to be even higher on this list. But it lands at No. 4 because BYU is expected to finish towards the bottom of the Big 12 standings once again.

3. Milan Puskar Stadium, West Virginia

Max capacity: 60,000

West Virginia went 9-4 (6-3 Big 12) last season, which marked its best record since 2016, and it thrived at home.

The Mountaineers went 5-1 at Milan Puskar Stadium, and their faithful fans created an incredible atmosphere from the tailgating before kickoff to the singing of "Take Me Home, Country Roads" after wins.

West Virginia should finish in the top half of the Big 12 standings once again this season, and it'll surely rely on the boost that it gets at home. It's an environment that every college football fan should check out at least once.

2. Boone Pickens Stadium, Oklahoma State

Max capacity: 53,855

Good luck walking out of Boone Pickens Stadium with a road win.

Oklahoma State has gone 32-7 at home since 2018, and it was as dominant as ever this past season. The Cowboys went 6-1, and they recorded a sellout crowd for all seven games.

From the Paddle People to the tight sidelines, it's not hard to see why opposing teams struggle at Boone Pickens Stadium. And, considering OSU has sold every ticket for its 2024 home games prior to the start of the season for the first time in program history, it's safe to assume that trend will continue.

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1. Rice-Eccles Stadium, Utah

Max capacity: 51,444

Big 12 teams will quickly learn this season why Rice-Eccles Stadium is such a difficult place to play in.

Utah has gone 32-3 at home since 2018, including 6-1 last season. Its fans create a deafening atmosphere, which is lethal when paired with a Salt Lake City elevation of 4,637 feet.

It might seem premature to say a newcomer boasts the Big 12's toughest stadium to play in. But Utah was picked to finish first in the conference's preseason poll, and it's poised to defend its home field as it competes for a Big 12 title.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Big 12 football stadiums ranked: Does Utah or Oklahoma State have toughest home venue?