Favorite and least favorite opposing SEC stadiums

#1
Cat_fan54

Cat_fan54

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#1
I understand this isnt directly related to volunteer football, just thought this might be an interesting question. What are your favorite and least favorite SEC stadiums to watch a game in? I've been to Commonwealth, the Swamp, and Auburn. Auburn was pretty fun, nice stadium! Obviously I love commonwealth. But UF is my least favorite by far. Terrible stadium with terrible fans and its extrememly hot!

Any opinions?
 
#2
#2
Cat_fan54 said:
I understand this isnt directly related to volunteer football, just thought this might be an interesting question. What are your favorite and least favorite SEC stadiums to watch a game in? I've been to Commonwealth, the Swamp, and Auburn. Auburn was pretty fun, nice stadium! Obviously I love commonwealth. But UF is my least favorite by far. Terrible stadium with terrible fans and its extrememly hot!

LSU is awesome. I did enjoy the nice wide ailes at Commonwealth, and not having to stand in line in the bathroom, but when there are that many empty seats those things are not an issue. Also, I hated sitting on icy seats.

Any opinions?
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#3
#3
Been to Swamp, UT, Columbia, Sanford, Jacksonville and Vandy.

Stadium and atmosphere has to go to JAX and the Cocktail party. I know this is a UT board but if you've never been you owe it to yourself to go at least once. I took a UT fan down about 3 years ago and he's been going with me ever since.

Didn't like Vandy just because it was so dull.
 
#4
#4
Best LSU...Great party and the fans there are rabid IMO!
Worst Mobile on the turf...That place is a craphole!

All in all none touch the hallowed grounds of Neyland!
 
#6
#6
Nothing beats the religious experience in Neyland. I actually did enjoy a game at The Swamp in 2001. It was even hot then, and that game was in December.
Alabama was sort of lame when I went, but they sucked then.
Georgia was the worst experience of my life (at a sporting event). We played terribly, and then a group (about 15 guys) of UGA frat guys tried to jump me and a friend. Not sure what they were so pissed about...they won the game.
Vanderbilt was really boring too. It didn't feel like an SEC conference game.
 
#7
#7
I have to say mt best was Vandy, my cousin and I went to the Auburn-Vandy game last year and that place was nuts (as nuts as it can be at vanderbilt). My worst was the swamp just because it's so hot and they played the game at 3:30
 
#8
#8
orange'nwhite25 said:
I have to say mt best was Vandy, my cousin and I went to the Auburn-Vandy game last year and that place was nuts (as nuts as it can be at vanderbilt). My worst was the swamp just because it's so hot and they played the game at 3:30
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Ahh I remember that game! College Gameday was there right? Vandy ended up winning in the closing minutes if I remember correctly! I think its safe to say that was the most intese and fired up game that Vandy has ever hosted, and that its usually not like that. That was a fantastic game though, represented the SEC well on college gameday!
 
#9
#9
I enjoy Vandy because one of my family members is a hardcore tailgater (won tailgater of the year last year), so he has cool setup and has a good time.

Neyland trumps all.
 
#10
#10
Dudley was pretty rowdy in the late 90's when the Vols came to town. Not many better feelings in the world than going into a rival's stadium and outnumbering their fans 3:1. It was priceless seeing their cheerleaders give up by the time the 2nd half rolled around. I went Jordan-Hare a few years back and it was good experience overall other than the fact we lost in the last few minutes. I'm hoping to make down to the Grove this fall. Is there anyone that has been there who'd be willing to rate the experience?
 
#12
#12
I've been to the Grove a few times. Great gameday experience and fans are very polite unless its the typical frat boy at any school. It doesn't hold a candle to Neyland though!! :)
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#13
#13
I'm making the trip to Vaught-Hemingway and the Grove this year for the ut game. I have high hopes.
 
#14
#14
Ole Miss is great road trip. Give yourself enough time to walk thru the Grove if you don't plan on doing any tailgating - the scenery is second to none. Parking is not bad at all if you're early enough and don't mind a moderate hike. The stadium is farily nice and not overly cramped like we were at Vandy (no leg room whatsoever - and thats saying a lot coming from a regular at BDS). I haven't been since they added the new jumbotron, but looks pretty cool from pics - I like the way the incorporated the Lyceum into the design.

I'd rank the visiting stadiums/campuses that i've been to as:


6) Miss St. - worst I've ever been treated by opposing fans (Every time), car vandalized twice, Starkville sux, driving back on US82 very easy to get a ticket in Reform and Gordo - Will never go back.
5) Aub - I hate auburn. Period, but it still isn't as bad as Starkville
4) Vandy - ZERO leg room, too small, portals too narrow, no atmosphere
3) Arkansas - stadium tight to field, good view of ozarks
2) Tennesssee - stadium size impressive, good sight lines, fireworks over the river, all of the crimson there last October, well treated by fans and even students
1) Ole Miss - The Grove, the babes, the South!
 
#15
#15
Enjoyed the seating at Commonwealth(UK), and the Legion Field experience was neat. Was also at the Swamp in 2001, that was fun... but the stadium did have a worn down feel to it(so does Neyland, but this was more cheeseball 1950s touristy Florida than just OLD). Vanderbilt just felt like Tennessee decided to play a home game somewhere else.

Bryant Denny would be cooler if it hadn't been for the 6-3 loss... great sightlines, but also the only occasion where I've been concerned for my safety after the game. Bama fans were lined up on the ramps to harass the Tennessee fans on their way down, including more than a few who decided they just wanted to fight someone.
(note: I didn't see any sober fans harassing anyone, if you can't drink without trying to start a fight I suggest sobriety)

Georgia Dome is kind of depressing... not a fan of domes, and it ruins the tailgating/southern football experience by having the SEC championship game in the middle of a major metro downtown. Very comfortable stadium, but I'm a fan of sunshine and natural weather.
 
#16
#16
Vanderbilt is boring. Plus when they score they blow that stupid horn that sounds like a giant fart.
 
#17
#17
Been to:
Georgia
Kentucky
South Carolina
Florida

Best - Florida
Worst - Georgia

I think a lot of it has to do with the experience you had while there.

UT 1-1 in the Swamp when I went
UT 0-1 in Athens...not a fun trip
 
#18
#18
footballref said:
Best - Florida
Worst - Georgia
Click to expand...

I'm the exact opposite. UGA was a heck of a trip win or lose but no way I'll ever go back to Gainesville. I don't base it on just the game since it's the whole experience when traveling.
 
#20
#20
I got carried away, so this isn't SEC only. Thought it would be fun anyway.

10) Carrier Stadium (Syracuse)
What's the deal? You get Carrier Air Conditioning to sponsor your dome, and you don't even get air conditioning in the deal? Epic Fail. This is also where I learned that Beer + Heat + Humidity + Close Game = Vol fans puking all over the bleachers.

9) War Memorial, Little Rock (Arkansas)
I felt like I was at an oversized high-school game. The endzone bleachers were crap. The area around the field was crap. The tunnels were crap. The parking lot had more holes than Obama's health care plan. And dangit, it was cold. Valve-oil freezing cold.

8) Memphis
All the personality of Al Gore, and none of the charm.

7) The Rose Bowl
Beautiful landscaping, beautiful scenery, horrible horrible view in the stands. The closer you are to field level, the less vertical separation there is between rows. They stuck the pep band at the bottom where the seat angle was so flat that I couldn't see the field for the trombone player's head in front of me. It's one of only two places I've had anything thrown at me. UCLA fans like to chuck ice, and lots of it.

6) Kentucky
It felt like a big FCS or Sun Belt conference stadium, nowhere near SEC East calber. Nice, but too vanilla for my tastes.

5) Vanderbilt
Same thing as Kentucky, but it at least has some personality. I hate the gigantic bullhorn.

4) Florida
This is the only other place I've had things thrown at me. A brick (after the game) and beer bottles filled with piss (during the game) in 95 made me question why the hell they had to put the UF student section behind the visiting band. Also the only place I've ever punched a fan. Try to touch the majorette I'm assigned to get safely back to the bus, and I'll touch you back.

Despite this, the stadium screams attitude. It's not "huge" but it feels like it was made for fans to really get into and influence the game.

3) Arizona State
Maybe it's that the National Championship game was here, or that for some reason it reminded me a little bit of Neyland Stadium, but the mountains rising over the stadium are gorgeous when lit from behind by a setting sun.

2) Auburn
Beautiful campus, beautiful stadium, wonderful fans. My only time there (98), a group of tailgating Auburn fans gave me some ribs even though I was in full POTSMB uniform. People waved and were friendly. Then we won. Then some of the fingers went down when they waved. At least they don't throw things.


1) Georgia
It's like Auburn, but nicer and with worse fans. The stadium was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Set in a nice thicket and ringed by trees, the arboreal nature of the setting was simply breathtaking. The numbers on the scoreboard both years I had the opportunity to march there (96, 98) made it an even more beautiful setting.

I just can't figure out why the mascot is the bulldog; I've never seen more birds anywhere else in my life. Drunk fans, sober fans, boy scouts (not kidding), grandmothers (again, not kidding), all let us know that we were Number 1, saluting us angrily as we drove onto campus and marched into the stadium.
 
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#21
#21
Best far and away was LSU (especially since I was there for the '05 Monday Night upset). Their stadium is nice, huge, and easily the loudest (on par with Neyland). Florida has a good gametime environment but the stadium is nothing special. I've been to every stadium but Kentucky, but they don't really play football there.
 
#22
#22
On the nationwide theme....I thought the Rose Bowl was strange in that it didn't have a concourse, it was just a bowl with lemonade stands around the perimeter. Other than the historical value, it was crap.
 
#23
#23
My two favorite are Neyland and LSU. To me there is NOTHING like a night game at LSU during SEC play. It is absolutely amazing. However, pound for pound Neyland/UT gives as good experience as any.


As far as my least favorite, I hate Vandy and I hate South Carolina.
 
#24
#24
Well, my favorite opposing SEC stadium is without a doubt Death Valley at Baton Rouge! It's absolute pandemonium there at night. The 2005 game was unbelievable!! I had never in my life been in a stadium as loud as that was in the first half. Even all the games I have been to at Neyland doesn't compare! Then of course we shut them up in the 2nd half! :)

My least favorite is Vanderbilt. Just because it's so plain jane. Nothing really exciting about gameday there. And no, the size has nothing to do with it because Georgia Tech's stadium is tiny but it has great gameday atmosphere!
 
#25
#25
I will rank the ones I have been to (not including Neyland):

1) Florida: It helps that I am 2-0 there (2001, 2003) and attnded Spurrier's last home game....a loss. The crowd is right on the field and like someone said earlier, it is an intimidating place with LOADS of noise. If I HAD to pick the loudest stadium, it would be the Swamp. Fans were pretty rough before the games.

2) LSU: 2 visits and neither time was UT playing. 2002 Ole Miss and 2003 Arkansas. The Ole Miss game was absolutely nuts. Eli Manning led Rebs playing a night game in Tiger Stadium. GREAT experience....and I was sitting in the student section.

3) Auburn: Cool college town and beautiful campus. Best fans I have experienced. The eagle taking flight at the beginning is fun to see. The sound system was horrid though, speakers sounded busted as hell and they play too much music through the speakers. Upper deck was steep as hell too.

4) Ole Miss: The Grove is a cool sight. Fans can be iffy and the stadium isn't too bad. I have been doing work in Oxford all this week and they are pumped for this upcoming season. Female scenery is nice too.

5) South Carolina: Newer stadium was nice though I couldn't see half of the endzone I was sitting above. Sightline was pretty crappy in that regard. It got kind of loud. The bird call was horrible, as was the area surrounding the stadium. Just blah other than the train thing they have. It is like they dropedd the stadium in an industrial area.

6) Arkansas: It was a tough call between Fayetteville and Starkville. Fayetteville is situated in a beautiful part of the South. Stadium was alright and the jumbotron was pretty sweet at the time. Coldest game I have ever been to. They also had the worst fans I have experienced. Calling the Hogs was fun to see though.

7) Miss State: Stadium was pretty pathetic. Felt like I was at a JUCO game or something. The kids playing under the aluminum stands reminded me of high school games. Cowbells didn't get too out of hand. Fans were nice for the most part. Felt like it was more of a chance to get together than an SEC game. Talk about flat, you can see for miles and miles fromt he top fo the stands. Water towers everywhere.


Never been to Georgia, Alabama, Kentucky or Vandy (though I did go to Adelphia).


adamyq said:
On the nationwide theme....I thought the Rose Bowl was strange in that it didn't have a concourse, it was just a bowl with lemonade stands around the perimeter. Other than the historical value, it was crap.
Click to expand...

I agree. Not the best of places to watch a game, minus the sun setting over the Pasadena mountains.
 
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