According to ESPN we have 42nd best football stadium.

[CCUIrmo]

I know we are not always a "winning" program but we do have a pretty darn good stadium and atmosphere when things are going. Even when not going it is pretty good, especially at night. Reading what they say about others, it seems it has nothing to do with being a "nice" stadium with bells and whistles but more about best to play in.
They really think App St, Maryland, Idaho, Penn (not penn st, but Penn), Wyoming, UTEP and some others are really better?
Just seems like a weird ranking to me.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Without looking at the rankings, but based on some of the teams you mentioned, I'm willing to bet that ranking also takes into account the setting.

App State definitely has a much better setting than us:

Our stadium doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not particularly historic (Penn's is 100+ years old). It's not on campus. It's off-campus setting is far from picturesque. Of course, once you're INSIDE the stadium, I'd stack the environment up against most anyone else. But for the other factors mentioned, it's not that great.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

Without looking at the rankings, but based on some of the teams you mentioned, I'm willing to bet that ranking also takes into account the setting.

App State definitely has a much better setting than us:

Our stadium doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not particularly historic (Penn's is 100+ years old). It's not on campus. It's off-campus setting is far from picturesque. Of course, once you're INSIDE the stadium, I'd stack the environment up against most anyone else. But for the other factors mentioned, it's not that great.

Must be an ''environmental wacko'' ranking - we have no trees!

 

[Uscg1984]

Meh, depends on what you are looking for. I go to a college football game looking for excitement, and when our team does its part, I think Williams-Brice holds its own with anyone in that category.

It looks like that list puts a lot of stock in setting. Without looking, I assume the University of Montana is high on that list as its setting under Mount Sentinel is pretty awesome. But any Montana fans who are looking for setting can simply hike Mount Sentinel (or any of the thousands of other hiking trails within easy driving distance of Missoula) any day of the week. When they show up to the stadium in Saturdays, they are looking for excitement and their eyes are usually on the field.

 

[18IsTheMan]

Without looking at the rankings, but based on some of the teams you mentioned, I'm willing to bet that ranking also takes into account the setting.

App State definitely has a much better setting than us:

Our stadium doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not particularly historic (Penn's is 100+ years old). It's not on campus. It's off-campus setting is far from picturesque. Of course, once you're INSIDE the stadium, I'd stack the environment up against most anyone else. But for the other factors mentioned, it's not that great.

Meh, depends on what you are looking for. I go to a college football game looking for excitement, and when our team does its part, I think Williams-Brice holds its own with anyone in that category.

It looks like that list puts a lot of stock in setting. Without looking, I assume the University of Montana is high on that list as its setting under Mount Sentinel is pretty awesome. But any Montana fans who are looking for setting can simply hike Mount Sentinel (or any of the thousands of other hiking trails within easy driving distance of Missoula) any day of the week. When they show up to the stadium in Saturdays, they are looking for excitement and their eyes are usually on the field.

Yep, as I noted above, our setting kills us.

 

[Uscg1984]

Our stadium doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not particularly historic (Penn's is 100+ years old). It's not on campus. It's off-campus setting is far from picturesque. Of course, once you're INSIDE the stadium, I'd stack the environment up against most anyone else. But for the other factors mentioned, it's not that great.

I know we routinely call our stadium "off-campus" because it's not contiguous with the heart of the campus, but there are definitely different levels of "off-campus" and Williams-Brice is certainly better than most. At least the university owns the stadium (and now much of the land around it). The primary parking for the stadium, in the fairgrounds, is about 1/4 mile from the portion of the campus that includes the track facility and softball complex. So, things are improving on that front as the university continues to grow in the direction of Williams-Brice. If the university can acquire the fairgrounds at some point, it would all be fully contiguous.

Our "off-campus" is certainly nothing like Miami's "off-campus" where the school shares a stadium with other tenants, some 20+ miles away from campus.

 

[adcoop]

Our stadium needs a better facade. That's the main thing. They have made improvements, but the Fairgrounds takes away from it and there are still too many warehouse type buildings taking away from the surroundings.

 

[will110]

Without looking at the rankings, but based on some of the teams you mentioned, I'm willing to bet that ranking also takes into account the setting.

App State definitely has a much better setting than us:

Our stadium doesn't have a lot going for it. It's not particularly historic (Penn's is 100+ years old). It's not on campus. It's off-campus setting is far from picturesque. Of course, once you're INSIDE the stadium, I'd stack the environment up against most anyone else. But for the other factors mentioned, it's not that great.

Williams-Brice opened 90 years ago this fall...that's pretty historic. Outside environment isn't great, but if you're ranking stadiums that seems fairly irrelevant from inside the building. I've always thought the light bars over both decks was a really cool feature that gives Willy B a unique look as well.

That App State stadium , for example, is in a beautiful setting, but the stadium isn't anything special. It looks like any other medium sized college stadium.

Penn's Franklin Field, which you mention, is really old (opened 1895), but beyond that what's the draw? How is this -



better than this?

 

[18IsTheMan]

Williams-Brice opened 90 years ago this fall...that's pretty historic. Outside environment isn't great, but if you're ranking stadiums that seems fairly irrelevant from inside the building. I've always thought the light bars over both decks was a really cool feature that gives Willy B a unique look as well.

That App State stadium , for example, is in a beautiful setting, but the stadium isn't anything special. It looks like any other medium sized college stadium.

Penn's Franklin Field, which you mention, is really old (opened 1895), but beyond that what's the draw? How is this -

View attachment 612233

better than this?
View attachment 612235

I don't know what to say other than the ranking takes into account the overall aesthetic/setting/experience/historicity/etc.

 

[RUMMENIGGE]

 

[RUMMENIGGE]

I know we are not always a "winning" program but we do have a pretty darn good stadium and atmosphere when things are going. Even when not going it is pretty good, especially at night. Reading what they say about others, it seems it has nothing to do with being a "nice" stadium with bells and whistles but more about best to play in.
They really think App St, Maryland, Idaho, Penn (not penn st, but Penn), Wyoming, UTEP and some others are really better?
Just seems like a weird ranking to me.

No way Byrd stadium should be ranked ahead of Williams Brice. I heard the area around Byrd stadium is rough.

 

[PrestonyteParrot]

We're #1 on something

 

[Uscg1984]

Yep, as I noted above, our setting kills us.

Right. My point was that for "real world" purposes, I think the authors of that list greatly overstate the importance of the setting. But whatever, I'm sure if Architectural Digest ranked football stadiums, they would have a list that looks very different from Sports Illustrated's or Outdoor Living magazine. Based purely on aesthetics, the ancient coliseum in Rome would have to rank very high, but it's been a long time since anything exciting happened inside it.

They also probably succeeded in getting a lot of clicks, which was likely the real purpose.

 

[Dutch Cock]

How many stadiums have Cockabooses for partying a rocks throw away? Does App St Mountaineers stadium have mountain stills close by for partying?

 

[RUMMENIGGE]

Williams-Brice opened 90 years ago this fall...that's pretty historic.

I remember the first game I went to was in 1977 and the stadium at the time had a new west section but the rest of the stadium was 1934 and 1940s and 1950s renovations version. I remember walking around the exterior of the stadium and the west side was concreate and the rest of the stadium was white with a sheet metal or tin skin with big light poles mounted on the exterior of the stadium and little shack for seating (The Coop?) that was sitting at top east stands around the 50 yard line

I know King Ward will blast me for saying this, but I hope they never team down the north endzone and keep it intact. I feel like the next renovation at Williams Brice will be adding a beer garden and the north endzone will be demolished to make room for the beer garden.

. I've always thought the light bars over both decks was a really cool feature that gives Willy B a unique look as well.

Thanks to two legends Coach Dietzel and Coach McGuire for two astonishing original sports facilities was created.

 

[muscleknight]

They should open a strip club in the north end zone. Strippers keep 80% and NIL gets 20%.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

They should open a strip club in the north end zone. Strippers keep 80% and NIL gets 20%.

Are we talking about a lot of $1 bills? Haven't been to a strip club since my 20's.

 

[muscleknight]

Are we talking about a lot of $1 bills? Haven't been to a strip club since my 20's.

$100 minimum

 

[bayrooster]

I know we routinely call our stadium "off-campus" because it's not contiguous with the heart of the campus, but there are definitely different levels of "off-campus" and Williams-Brice is certainly better than most. At least the university owns the stadium (and now much of the land around it). The primary parking for the stadium, in the fairgrounds, is about 1/4 mile from the portion of the campus that includes the track facility and softball complex. So, things are improving on that front as the university continues to grow in the direction of Williams-Brice. If the university can acquire the fairgrounds at some point, it would all be fully contiguous.

Our "off-campus" is certainly nothing like Miami's "off-campus" where the school shares a stadium with other tenants, some 20+ miles away from campus.

As a student I walked from campus to the stadium almost every Saturday (Edit: the home games! ) during football season. Getting back to campus in the dark after a lot of beers was sometimes challenging though.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

As a student I walked from campus to the stadium almost every Saturday during foorball season. Getting back to campus in the dark after a lot of beers was sometimes challenging though.

After a lot of beers just walking was hard for me. Driving was much easier.

 

[b.wun]

Gamecock Park has added a lot to the atmosphere. UF shouldn't be in the list. It is on Campus but not great otherwise.