The Pac-12 puts great football on the field every week and the fans of each team come out in bunches to support their team and the Pac-12 brand. All 12 teams have pretty solid home field advantages, so that will not be the only thing this list takes into account. It is tough to win on the road in the Pac-12, regardless of the crowds, but there is no denying that a raucous crowd can push a sub-par team to beat a ranked team. Many of the stadiums have a rich history, as well as great crowds, so that will also play a role in this list.
Grading for this list was based on numerous factors, but the two primary ones were history and crowd energy. With that being said, lets take a look at the best, and worst, stadiums in the Pac-12 conference. This week will showcase Pac-12 stadiums 12-7.
12. California Memorial Stadium – Cal Bears
There is not a lot of history, not a lot of buzz, and not a lot of winning going on in Cal Memorial Stadium. With seating for 60,000, you would think that it would be loud whether the team is winning or losing, but the truth is that it is a pretty quiet stadium. Jared Goff has the ability to lead Cal back to powerhouse status and with that I expect Cal Memorial Stadium to start rocking like it’s the mid-2000’s again.
11. Martin Stadium – Washington State Cougars
When the Cougars are playing well- or playing Washington- Martin Stadium is rocking. Otherwise, this place is pretty dead. The stadium only seats 40,000 people and there is no real history whatsoever, but with Connor Halliday and the exciting Mike Leach offense leading the Cougars, Martin Stadium may be loud for every game this season.
10. Reser Stadium – Oregon St. Beavers
This is where the list starts to get hard. Spots 10-5 could be put in any order and fans could make arguments for each stadium to be higher or lower on this list. Coming in at #10 is Reser Stadium, home of the Oregon State Beavers and exciting senior quarterback Sean Mannion. This stadium gets loud, but does not have much history and is on the small side capacity-wise. Until those things change, Reser Stadium cannot be higher on this list.
9. Stanford Stadium – Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Stadium has all the potential in the world to be a great atmosphere with great fans, but the truth is that it just is not. For a team that is ranked in the top 10 every year, the fans are awfully quiet during games. It is a great stadium that fits 50,000 people, but until the fans start making some noise Stanford Stadium will remain in the bottom half of the conference.
8. Arizona Stadium – Arizona Wildcats
This is where tradition and history really hurt a stadium on this list. Arizona Stadium has some of the best fans and gets some of the most raucous crowds in the Pac-12. The Zona Zoo is loud and great and if Arizona Stadium had more seats and more history behind it, it would be much higher on this list.
7. Rice-Eccles Stadium – Utah Utes
You could switch 7 and 8 and nothing would be wrong, but in Utah, these fans live for their Utes football. For a small stadium and for as mediocre of a football team that Utah tends to put out, Rice-Eccles Stadium is a huge home field advantage for the Utes. Their crowd is fantastic and it has been a tough place to play for every ranked team. If Utah could add more seats and field a better football team, Rice-Eccles Stadium could definitely be a top stadium in the Pac-12.
This part of the list is not to offend or take any shots at any particular fan base. Each team ranked 7-12 has great fans and, for the most part, really support their teams through the good and bad times. What separates these six stadiums from the top six is the history and size. No team in the Pac-12 looks forward to going on the road during conference play and with a few upgrades, and some better talent on the field, all six of these stadiums have the potential to be top stadiums in the conference. Check back tomorrow to find out the order of the top stadiums in the Pac-12.
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