Saw a thread on Reddit CFB where a Florida fan recently visited every SEC football stadium and ranked them based on capacity, campus proximity, year-round access, architecture, and upkeep. I'll link but summarize so you don't have to click. Time to claim another championship.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/hdrt5w/quarantine_quest_finished_visiting_all_sec/

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On a grading scale from 0-19

Elite tier: Texas A&M (17), Alabama (16), Georgia (16), Florida (15), LSU (15)

Solid: Tennessee (13), Arkansas (13), Auburn (12), South Carolina (10), Missouri (10), Kentucky (10)

Smaller but still good: Mississippi State (8), Mississippi (8), Vanderbilt (6)

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Anyway, when I graduate from A&M and actually make some money, I'm hoping to get to go experience some other SEC stadiums on gameday, also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame.

But until then, I was wondering how those of you who have made it to a few other SEC stadiums rank them.

Damn, I want football and I want to be able to travel to other stadiums. BTHO all the current b.s.

I've been to games at LSU and UGA, both were very fun experiences, from the tailgating to the game watching experience to the the local bars. Incidentally it rained at both games I attended, 2013 at LSU and last year at UGA.

How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

Alpha Texan said:

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Saw a thread on Reddit CFB where a Florida fan recently visited every SEC football stadium and ranked them based on capacity, campus proximity, year-round access, architecture, and upkeep. I'll link but summarize so you don't have to click. Time to claim another championship.

https://www.reddit.com/r/CFB/comments/hdrt5w/quarantine_quest_finished_visiting_all_sec/

Quote:

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On a grading scale from 0-19

Elite tier: Texas A&M (17), Alabama (16), Georgia (16), Florida (15), LSU (15)

Solid: Tennessee (13), Arkansas (13), Auburn (12), South Carolina (10), Missouri (10), Kentucky (10)

Smaller but still good: Mississippi State (8), Mississippi (8), Vanderbilt (6)

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Anyway, when I graduate from A&M and actually make some money, I'm hoping to get to go experience some other SEC stadiums on gameday, also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame.

But until then, I was wondering how those of you who have made it to a few other SEC stadiums rank them.

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Personally, leaving out Kyle Field, UT, UK and Vandy (the 3 I haven't been to, yet), I think I'd have Auburn at the top, followed closely by Bama and UGA, then LSU, Florida and Arkansas in the next tier, followed by Mississippi State, USC, Missouri, and Ole Miss.

Nobody is as up to date as Kyle. Bama is probably closest, but some of the concourses in the older parts of the stadium are still small and cramped. Florida is similar--great sightlines, but most everything behind the stands is dated. UGA is very nice, but I think that the reddit rankings misplace the location value. Somewhat like Kyle Field, while centrally located on campus, it's not close to the bar district, which can be a major plus (see Bama if you want the perfect stadium location--close to the heart of campus, and close to bars--for most places, it's one or the other).

Auburn is severely underrated by a lot of folks. It's not as up to date as Kyle, and not as big as several of the stadiums, but other than that, its just real good all the way around and doesn't have bad seats.

Usually Tennessee is ranked higher but I agree with this assessment, not top tier. Actually kind of a dump on the outside, pretty impressive inside.

Alpha Texan said:

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How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

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They were all great. We were invited to an LSU tailgate pre-game with lots of beer and delicious gumbo and assorted Cajun foods. After the game we went to dinner at a local steakhouse and Les Miles was there with some recruits and coaches. I told him he coached a hell of a game and he came over to our table and introduced himself and we chatted for a while. Maybe everyone wouldn't have been so gracious had we won, but it was a good time.

THE_CHOSEN_ONE said:

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Alpha Texan said:

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How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

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They were all great. We were invited to an LSU tailgate pre-game with lots of beer and delicious gumbo and assorted Cajun foods. After the game we went to dinner at a local steakhouse and Les Miles was there with some recruits and coaches. I told him he coached a hell of a game and he came over to our table and introduced himself and we chatted for a while. Maybe everyone wouldn't have been so gracious had we won, but it was a good time.

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Based on username didn't they have to?

Alpha Texan said:

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How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

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My experience is that the LSU fans are fine but if you are young and looking for a fight you will probably find one.

rootube said:

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Alpha Texan said:

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How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

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My experience is that the LSU fans are fine but if you are young and looking for a fight you will probably find one.

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Agreed...98 % of the LSU fans were super nice last year and were fun to talk to. Just go along with the playful banter and you'll have fun.

Of course there were the occasional a-holes like every school has but just ignore them

The tailgating and scene around the stadium/campus on gameday is electric. Baton Rouge as a college town is kinda trash with not much of a bar scene however

"also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame."


Those folks never did figure out how we could sync the yells with half of us in the North End zone and half in the South.

rsf0626 said:

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rootube said:

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Alpha Texan said:

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How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

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My experience is that the LSU fans are fine but if you are young and looking for a fight you will probably find one.

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Agreed...98 % of the LSU fans were super nice last year and were fun to talk to. Just go along with the playful banter and you'll have fun.

Of course there were the occasional a-holes like every school has but just ignore them

The tailgating and scene around the stadium/campus on gameday is electric. Baton Rouge as a college town is kinda trash with not much of a bar scene however

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I agree. I have some friends who are lifelong LSU fans that tailgate and they are amazing. Having said that, I have seen brawls break out on Kyle Field two times in my life (~40 years of watching games). Both times were against LSU so there is something there. Going to a game at LSU is just like going to Mexico as a young person. Everyone should do it at least one time in your life but it probably wouldn't hurt to get your shots and bring a wingman.

Alpha Texan said:

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Anyway, when I graduate from A&M and actually make some money, I'm hoping to get to go experience some other SEC stadiums on gameday, also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame.

But until then, I was wondering how those of you who have made it to a few other SEC stadiums rank them.

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Start saving your money now.... that nd trip wont be cheap.

Best away stadiums/atmospheres I've been to

Clemson - very loud, great intro, fans are into it
Alabama - no other way to describe it than you feel like you're about to get beat as soon as you walk in
Florida - feels cozy yet packed in, fans are engaged, love the color contrast, decently loud
Auburn - if A&M had less money but the same fan support
Oklahoma - big stadium, decently loud, like Bryant-Denny-lite
Texas Tech - could cut the hostility with a knife, they just wanted to beat us more than anything, fortunately that day it didn't work out for them
Mississippi State - decent, rely too much on the cowbells for noise though, too many drunk Mississippians for my taste, felt like there was about 85,000 brain cells around me
Texas - fans show up late and leave early, all day-dreaming about Vince and Colt
Baylor (Floyd Casey) - the tarp was the most impressive feature of the entire venue

As much as we like to criticize, Kyle beats all of them

which spots had the worst fans and best fans with regard to how they treat visitors? I'm guessing that Miss St and Tech were the worst based on that post?

I've been to games at:

Penn St. - I'm from Pa. Everyone up here thinks it's the best. Doesn't compare to SEC IMO.

LSU - Was warned the people were going to be dicks, but I had quite the opposite experience. Was welcomed to many tailgates.

Jerry World - I know everyone hates on it, but the 50/50 crowd split made for a cool scene to me. This was 5 or 6 years ago before Arkansas really started sucking and the game felt like it mattered.

UCLA - We took over the Rose Bowl. One of the most famous stadiums. One of the best game experiences ever including Pasadena until the 4th Qtr or the game.

USC - These fans were actually the worst. But it was like 110 degrees....

Clemson - Great fans. Great atmosphere.

But for my money none of them compare to a Kyle Field trip.

Since becoming proud Aggie parents in 2010, the family has traveled to the following games

2010 - Baylor stadium not good (new stadium on the Brazos looks nice), parking was poor, not much to do in Waco before the game (Ags beat Robert Griffin)

2011 - OU stadium very nice, parking was okay, street with restaurants and shops walkable to the stadium, lots of nice tailgating fans (Ags lost, experienced an earthquake in Norman)

2012 - Alabama stadium and field simply the best, handicap parking and bus after the game was good, close to the stadium a street with patio restaurants to enjoy the parade of Roll Tide cars before the game, fans were extremely nice (great fall day as Johnny and Swope beat the Tide)

2013 - Arkansas stadium okay (not the same, when as a kid I could see the Ozarks and sunset from the seats), parking was terrible, gameday atmosphere was fun with a couple of rude fans in our section, a few restaurants on the other side of campus but not an easy walk (Ags won, the next day we drove my parents to New Orleans to celebrate their 50th wedding anv)

2014 - Auburn stadium old, but nice field, parking was good, great gameday atmosphere with friendly tailgaters, lots of shops and restaurants around the campus but a long walk to the stadium (great fall day as Kyle Allen lead the Ags to victory in only his second start and first start against a SEC opponent)

2015 - Vanderbilt stadium small but a nice adjacent hotel, parking okay, gameday atmosphere lacking, Nashville was a fun city to visit for a couple of days with lots of entertainment and great restaurants, Ags sang the Aggie War Hymn in the Ryman after the Grand Ole Opry show (Ags won, cold & rainy miserable gameday weather the weekend before Thanksgiving)

2016 - MSU stadium feels like a DII school, not sure about parking as we took a shuttle from our hotel in Columbus, good gameday atmosphere, walkable campus with a clock museum and cheese shop (Ags lost unexpectedly to the Bulldogs; family met Coach Ray Perkins at Anthony's Cafe, a catfish place in West Point)

2017 - Ole Miss nice little stadium, parking was good, gameday atmosphere was not great due to bad weather, people in Oxford were very friendly, great restaurants around the town square (Ags won, on the way we ate at Warehouse #1 in Monroe highly recommend)

2018 - Alabama, see above (Ags lost, recommend Chuck's Fish in Tuscaloosa, met Coach Avery Johnson at a breakfast caf downtown)

2019 - Georgia stadium okay, hard to walk for grandparents, parking was okay, gameday atmosphere was not good due to rainy weather, Silver Dog greeters were really nice and helpful, fans were not as friendly as other places, Athens was a fun town with great shops and restaurants (Ags lost, highly recommend Last Resort, Chuck's Fish, and Mama's Boy]

2020 - no travel plans, unless Texas Aggies play in their first SEC Championship!

Future plans:
2021 Mizzou; 2022/2024 South Carolina or Auburn; 2023 Tennessee, 2025 Kentucky

BTHO tu forever!!!

Happy 4th of July!!! (I stand for liberty and justice for all, even for those that don't!)

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SEC Stadiums are racist and should be torn down

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Except for Missouri. Some say that state was north of the line.

wangus12 said:

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SEC Stadiums are racist and should be torn down

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Actually, it's not the stadium. Until you can say toes matter, the foot doesn't matter. So "football" is racist.

Just rename it "kickball," then it will be socially acceptable to enter a stadium again.

mike073 said:

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"also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame."


Those folks never did figure out how we could sync the yells with half of us in the North End zone and half in the South.

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OP - Save your money and skip the trip to ND. Most overrated and disappointing trip I have ever taken in college football. Clemson was a great trip. Almost any SEC trip is likely 10x better than a trip to ND. They have a "storied history," but was disappointed with their fans and unless you simply like history, disappointing gameday atmosphere. Clemson on the other had were good hosts, campus was really nice, tailgating all over, loud, and even more discernible "culture" than at ND.

I have LOVED the SEC road trips. They are a zillion times better than the Big 12!

As far as the stadiums themselves, A&M has the best and it's not even close with only one exception, Alabama. I thought Alabama was in a league of their own. Then we redid Kyle and blew them out of the water.

Georgia's stadium itself was fun too with how you can look into it without actually being in the stadium and how they do the light show at the end of the 3rd quarter.

The other stadiums are nothing special.

Athens, Georgia is a ton of fun. The food is especially awesome. Arkansas is beautiful and a fun drinking area close to campus. Wicked traffic after the game.

South Carolina. The State Fair is across the parking lot and lots of fun. Free with a game ticket. Great bar scene, BBQ, and midnight yell on state Capitol steps. Also not far from amazing city of Charleston.

Ole Miss tailgating is supposed to be great, but isn't for me. The Square is badass and Memphis is just an hour away. Vandy is actually a great road trip. Nashville Lower Broadway honky tonks until 3am and a plethora of great restaurants.

Auburn has the most beautiful women, and lots of cool traditions to check our very near and on campus. Similar to Aggieland.

Non-SEC fun trips were UCLA (minus the game ending of course) and OU. Bonus awesome trip every year that I miss is the Big 12 baseball tournament in Oklahoma City. Crap trips I don't miss at all are tu, Baylor, and tech.

Great thread! Thanks OP!

C2 Ag 93 said:

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mike073 said:

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"also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame."


Those folks never did figure out how we could sync the yells with half of us in the North End zone and half in the South.

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OP - Save your money and skip the trip to ND. Most overrated and disappointing trip I have ever taken in college football. Clemson was a great trip. Almost any SEC trip is likely 10x better than a trip to ND. They have a "storied history," but was disappointed with their fans and unless you simply like history, disappointing gameday atmosphere. Clemson on the other had were good hosts, campus was really nice, tailgating all over, loud, and even more discernible "culture" than at ND.

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Arkansas plays @ ND this year so was thinking about going before COVID hit. Cheapest ticket on stubhub was like $200 though. Doesn't sound like I'd be missing much then

hogfan14 said:

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C2 Ag 93 said:

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mike073 said:

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"also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame."


Those folks never did figure out how we could sync the yells with half of us in the North End zone and half in the South.

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OP - Save your money and skip the trip to ND. Most overrated and disappointing trip I have ever taken in college football. Clemson was a great trip. Almost any SEC trip is likely 10x better than a trip to ND. They have a "storied history," but was disappointed with their fans and unless you simply like history, disappointing gameday atmosphere. Clemson on the other had were good hosts, campus was really nice, tailgating all over, loud, and even more discernible "culture" than at ND.

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Arkansas plays @ ND this year so was thinking about going before COVID hit. Cheapest ticket on stubhub was like $200 though. Doesn't sound like I'd be missing much then

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I've been to a game at Notre Dame. Everyone should go once. Lot's of historical aspects, plus schedule time to go through the Studebaker museum.

We have the best stadium the best fans the best atmosphere the best updates the best modifications the best tailgates then best traditions the best uniforms best the best band the best halftime show the best everything not only in the SEC but in the nation. Hands down!

Alpha Texan said:

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How was the experience with the fans at LSU?

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Am an LSU grad & season tix holder since mid-40s. Get to stadium 5+ hrs before KO and enjoy a total day.

When UGA plays at LSU though, I wear R&B, UGA gear as am also a grad of UGA.

As I move about the taiegate lots I am barely noticed in LSU gear but in UGA gear peeps stop me, invite me in, offer drinks and food, etc. I get a fantastic, fun experience. Also get a (very) few bad comments from kids and drunks, peopls I am ashamed to have representing my school, but never anything near a fight. Guess with 200k on campus some of those must be expected.

Things must have changed

Out of the ones I've been too.... Except A&M I rank like this...

Florida
Auburn
LSU
Arkansas
Alabama
South Carolina

mike073 said:

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"also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame."


Those folks never did figure out how we could sync the yells with half of us in the North End zone and half in the South.

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South Bend is gonna be awesome

Alpha Texan said:

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Anyway, when I graduate from A&M and actually make some money, I'm hoping to get to go experience some other SEC stadiums on gameday, also pretty excited for a chance to go to Notre Dame.

But until then, I was wondering how those of you who have made it to a few other SEC stadiums rank them.

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How much time do you have left in school? I strongly suggest to NOT save your money!

When I was in school I went to games at Bama, Arkansas, Ole Miss, LSU, South Carolina, Auburn, and Vanderbilt. With the exception of Vandy and USCe all of those trips were VERY inexpensive. Grab some buddies, pile into the truck and just drive. You won't regret it.

I've added UF, MSU, and UGA to that list post grad and while they're all great, those trips don't compare to doing it as a student and interacting with all of the other students.

While worrying less about money is nice, things like wives, and jobs add other obstacles. It's never going to be easier to just pick up and go to any game you want than it is while on college. Take advantage of that!

And also - I promise your 26/27 year old self will be more than happy to pay off the extra $200 of student debt it will cost to give you a memory that will last a lifetime

Sadly/thankfully, I only have 1 more year. And I don't think there's gonna be an opportunity to do that this season because COVID stadium regulations. But I do kinda wish I would've gone for it in the last 3 years... buy the cheapest tickets and just sleep in a motel 6 and go for the experience.

I saw Notre Dame play LSU at ND. Drive from Chicago takes longer than it should due to a toll right at the IL/IN border but game day atmosphere was decent. Fans are not overly knowledgeable and really did not get into the game until the 4th quarter. Tailgating is pretty average but the stadium is pretty cool. Other stadiums I think are worth visiting are Army, Airforce, Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Clemson. Clemson had the best tailgating by far. Nebraska was also very good for tailgating and the Aggies won.

Count me as another pouring cold water on the Notre Dame experience. It's the northerners' version of what a good gameday atmosphere should be like. They have no idea that it's somewhat lame. Also, you won't see any female above a five, if that kind of thing matters to you.

TennAg said:

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Count me as another pouring cold water on the Notre Dame experience. It's the northerners' version of what a good gameday atmosphere should be like. They have no idea that it's somewhat lame. Also, you won't see any female above a five, if that kind of thing matters to you.

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If that means 5yo females at ND...