Stadiums: everyone loves them and people pay a lot of money to go and see their favorite teams play in them. Some stadiums are better than others and some have a greater history than others. It is no different in the Pac-12 conference and today we will see the best the conference has to offer. The previous article showcased the bottom half (12-7) of the stadiums in the Pac-12, so now it is time to take a look at the top stadiums in the conference.
Pac-12 Stadiums: 6-1
6. Folsom Field – Colorado Buffaloes
Folsom Field in the Rocky Mountains was a really tough decision for this list. Their isn’t much history in the stadium, but some of the rituals and the great fans make it one of the best stadiums to see a game in the Pac-12. The crowds are always active and loud, even with the terrible football that has been on the field over the past few years and the running of Ralphie the Buffalo is something every football fan should go see. If only the team played with the intensity of its mascot.
5. Sun Devil Stadium – Arizona St. Sun Devils
Time to get to the upper echelon stadiums in the Pac-12. History hurt Arizona Stadium, but as you can see, it really helps Sun Devil Stadium. It seats 71,000 people, but doesn’t get very loud. There hasn’t always been the best football either, but the reason that this stadium is ranked 5th in the conference is the four National Championships and the one Super Bowl that have been played here, putting Sun Devil Stadium in the top half.
4. Autzen Stadium – Oregon Ducks
Autzen Stadium has seen nothing but high-scoring offenses and winning for the last five years and some of the loudest fans in the conference have come with the winning. The Oregon Ducks fan base makes it extremely hard to come up to Eugene and win a football game. These fans are passionate about their Ducks and helped earn Autzen Stadium a #4 ranking on this list.
3. Husky Stadium – Washington Huskies
Husky Stadium is home to some of the greatest fans in the Pac-12 and one of the best fan bases in the country. No team ever goes to Seattle and thinks they are going to win easily, no matter the talent level of the Huskies. The fans go crazy and the loud siren that signals when the Huskies score makes the crowd go crazy. Husky Stadium gets the #3 ranking solely on their fans – that is how good they are. The stadium also seats 72,000, which helps this place get loud.
2. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum – USC Trojans
Not only does LA Memorial Coliseum have some of the richest history in the country, it also has great fans. 93,000 people attend each USC game and they have been able to see multiple Heisman Trophy winners, national championship teams, and some of the greatest players the sport has ever seen. Oh yeah, and it hosted the Olympics. The Coliseum could easily be put at #1, but in my personal opinion it does not top the next stadium.
1. Rose Bowl Stadium – UCLA Bruins
When a stadium hosts a game referred to as “The Granddaddy of Them All” and is recognized as a national historical landmark, it has to be ranked #1 on a list of the best stadiums. The Rose Bowl is right up there with Michigan Stadium as the best stadium in college football. Sure, fans come out to watch UCLA and the 90,000+ fans that attend the games do make some noise, but that is not the reason why the Rose Bowl Stadium is #1 on this list. When people think of college football they think of The Rose Bowl.
The top four spots on this list cannot be argued. The order, maybe, but these are the top four stadiums in the Pac-12. I would even argue and say that you cannot even debate the #1 spot, but that is just me. Spots 5 and 6 can be put in any order, but between history and energy level I put them in the order they appear. UCLA may or may not be the best football team in the Pac-12 this season, but they certainly have the best stadium in the conference.
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