Originally posted by TarHeelNation11:
My criteria is a hodgepodge of sightlines, atmosphere, etc. An asterisk denotes I've been there.
1. Kenan* -- to be honest, this is #1 simply due to bias. It's a pretty stadium on a pretty campus, and I love games there, but it definitely has some major problems, some that can be addressed and some that can't.
2. Clemson* -- Death Valley embodies everything college football is about. Huge stadium, a sea of orange (hey what a novel concept!! Fans wear the actual team color and not green, yellow, pink, or whatever random color), the band blaring an iconic fight song, chants, pageantry, the walk down the hill touching Howard's Rock. Amazing.
3. Florida State* -- big time atmosphere, with fans who truly know football and are perfectionist. They can be up by 35 and get on to a player if he isn't hustling. Great looking women for the most part. Great band / fight songs. Minus points for *some* of their fans being obnoxious assholes, including one (during the UNC-FSU game that we won in Doak under Butch Davis) drunk dude in the alumni season ticket section telling my 15-year-old-brother that he was going to "kick his ****ing a**, even if he is only 15." My brother, an offensive lineman, stood up and looked around; the dude realized how big he was and immediately shut his mouth
Every stadium has those type of fans though. No worries.
4. Georgia Tech* -- I love Bobby Dodd Stadium. It has so much history (oldest stadium in the ACC I believe) and GT Football has such underrated history, tradition, and pageantry -- no one knows about their traditions anymore though because they've been mediocre for 25 years and are now dwarfed by UGA and the SEC. And because in that time, their student body has morphed drastically from smart good ol' boys to Duke-level nerds who care nothing for football. But anyway, great setting to watch a game, nestled among skyscrapers. Very intimate, close-to-the-action seating. Seen many a game there.
5. NC State* -- it's a shame that Moo fans are so trashy/rude/obnoxious, because from a purely football standpoint, Carter-Finley is a NICE stadium in which to watch football. I know that's an unpopular opinion, but I've sat pretty low down in the lower level and the sightlines are absolutely fantastic (because their field is lowered.....hint hint). Maybe one day, when UNC is dominating in football and Moo is still toiling with 6-win seasons, Carolina fans can turn CF Carolina Blue.
I haven't been to any of the rest of the stadiums (isn't it weird that in America, "stadiums" is universally accepted and used, even by writers, when technically, it should be "stadia" ?), but here's my opinion on them from afar.
6. Virginia Tech -- nice setting, great atmosphere and tradition. That one stand would give me vertigo though. So steep.
7. Virginia -- on campus, decent looking, would be nicer if they filled it past 50% capacity. But you could say the same about Kenan some games.
8. Louisville -- looks to be excellent facilities and I've heard good things. Plus they sell beer.
9. Wake Forest -- despite how uber lame and unexciting WF is, in general, it looks like a nice stadium. Clemson fans sure do enjoy filling it every other year.
10. Pittsburgh -- I mean, they used this stadium in The Dark Knight Rises, so that's pretty cool. The downside is of course, no one knows that Pitt football exists.
Not even their students.