Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football stadiums from worst to first
Re-ranking all 18 Big Ten football stadiums from worst to first
Only nine weeks remain until the 2025 college football season kicks off in Dublin, Ireland, with Iowa State vs. Kansas State. Past that, we're less than 10 weeks away from the Big Ten season, which begins on Thursday, Aug. 28, with Wisconsin vs. Miami (OH), Rutgers vs. Ohio, Minnesota vs. Buffalo and Nebraska at Cincinnati.
Unlike last year, the Big Ten did not undergo significant changes this offseason. June 2024 was spent projecting the upcoming performance of new members USC, UCLA, Oregon and Washington, plus how those respective performances will impact the conference landscape. The answer: Oregon won the conference title, USC and Washington moderately struggled, though each made a bowl game, and UCLA showed steady growth under first-year coach DeShaun Foster.
That landscape has significantly more clarity entering 2025, now that each former Pac-12 power has a year as a Big Ten member. Specifically, one facet that gained clarity in 2024 is how the West Coast locations compare to the Big Ten's classic football venues. All four new locations showed well, with one doing so more than the rest.
For more, here is where each falls in our updated Big Ten football stadium power rankings, Summer 2025 edition.
18. SHI Stadium (Rutgers Scarlet Knights)
Capacity: 52,454
Opened: 1994
Rutgers' stadium lacks any distinctive characteristic, other than it being located nearly 3,000 miles away from Eugene, Oregon. Cross-country travel is the biggest headline when the West Coast members visit the Scarlet Knights.
17. SECU Stadium (Maryland Terrapins)
Capacity: 51,802
Opened: 1950
Maryland's stadium, like Rutgers', lacks a clear identity. The building will be 75 years old in 2025 and has some history -- it has hosted 10 Division I NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championships. It doesn't have much for football history, however.
16. Ross-Ade Stadium (Purdue Boilermakers)
Capacity: 57,236
Opened: 1924
Don't mistake these bottom-tier rankings as a statement that the stadiums are poor. Now that Northwestern's old Ryan Field is gone, no program in the conference has a truly 'bad' home venue. Ross-Ade Stadium has a clear identity when Purdue is good, especially during the Jeff Brohm era from 2017-22. Still, the building itself leaves a lot to be desired. The stadium is more than 100 years old, and it shows.
15. Huntington Bank Stadium (Minnesota Golden Gophers)
Capacity: 50,805
Opened: 2009
Minnesota's Huntington Bank Stadium has a chance to rise in these rankings. Its on-campus location and clear college feel are far superior to the program's former home in the Metrodome from 1982-2008.
14. Memorial Stadium (Illinois Fighting Illini)
Capacity: 60,670
Opened: 1923
Illinois just delivered arguably the best season in Memorial Stadium history in 2024, finishing with 10 wins and a No. 16 national ranking. The stadium itself is fine -- it blends in with many other Midwest venues. Illinois delivering on sky-high expectations in 2025 could see the stadium's in-game environment improve, which would help this ranking.
14. Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium (Northwestern Wildcats)
Capacity: 12,023
Opened: 2024 (temporary)
Northwestern's temporary lakefront venue is almost as much of a practice field as it is a Big Ten football stadium. However, it deserves points for its unique feel. The views of Lake Michigan are terrific and the stadium environment is far better than the old Ryan Field, even with a 12,000-seat capacity and high ticket prices.
12. Memorial Stadium (Indiana Hoosiers)
Capacity: 52,626
Opened: 1960
Indiana's stadium falls into a category with Illinois: Midwest venues that all feel and look the same. Indiana's Memorial Stadium has a bit more potential than the Illini's Memorial Stadium, due to the fan turnout and enthusiasm during Curt Cignetti's record-setting first year in charge. This venue is one to watch entering 2025.
11. Spartan Stadium (Michigan State Spartans)
Capacity: 75,005
Opened: 1923
Spartan Stadium is a Big Ten classic. It creates a unique gameday feel, which is an important data point for this ranking. Michigan State's biggest issue at the moment is catching back up to the conference's best.
Get more (Michigan State) news, analysis and opinions on Spartans Wire
10. L.A Memorial Coliseum (USC Trojans)
Capacity: 77,500
Opened: 1923
L.A. Memorial Coliseum would rank among the top venues in the Big Ten if all non-football events were considered. The venue has hosted two Summer Olympics (1932 and 1984 -- plus another upcoming in 2028), the Los Angeles Rams (1946-79, 2016-19), the Los Angeles Dodgers (1958-61), a Super Bowl (I) and more. Unfortunately, USC football struggles to bring the same terrific in-game environment that those events did.
Get more (USC) news, analysis and opinions on Trojans Wire
9. Michigan Stadium (Michigan Wolverines)
Capacity: 107,601
Opened: 1927
As we noted last year, Michigan Stadium is the most overrated of any venue in the sport. It is the largest stadium in the country. But since the stadium was built out more than up, a significant chunk of those seats are located a significant distance from the field itself. Michigan's program history and success give this building significant history, which counts for this ranking. But the actual in-game environment is not close to the conference's best.
Get more (Michigan) news, analysis and opinions on Wolverines Wire
8. Memorial Stadium (Nebraska Cornhuskers)
Capacity: 85,458
Opened: 1923
Nebraska's Memorial Stadium can be one of the sport's best venues when the Cornhuskers are good. Of course, the program has performed below expectations nearly every year since joining the Big Ten in 2011. The venue's ranking receives a minor downgrade for the quantity of empty seats during the program's record sellout streak.
Get more (Nebraska) news, analysis and opinions on Cornhuskers Wire
7. Kinnick Stadium (Iowa Hawkeyes)
Capacity: 69,250
Opened: 1929
Kinnick Stadium has become a Big Ten classic. It creates a fantastic in-game environment, has a clear identity and importantly, has established a terrific tradition in the 'Hawkeye Wave.' Its No. 7 ranking has a lot to do with the quality of the conference's other venues.
Get more (Iowa) news, analysis and opinions on Hawkeyes Wire
6. Husky Stadium (Washington Huskies)
Capacity: 70,138
Opened: 1920
It's hard to beat Husky Stadium's backdrop, architecture, in-game environment and history. The stadium should be an immediate addition to any Big Ten fan's must-visit list. It's one of the true gems of the sport.
Get more (Washington) news, analysis and opinions on Huskies Wire
5. Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin Badgers)
Capacity: 80,321
Opened: 1917
Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium checks every necessary box. It is unique, rich with history, fosters a terrific in-game environment and has well-known traditions. All that the venue is missing is a College Football Playoff game or two -- an event that will showcase it on a national stage.
4. Autzen Stadium (Oregon Ducks)
Capacity: 54,000
Opened: 1967
Autzen Stadium was on full display in 2024 as the Ducks went 13-0 during the regular season and captured the Big Ten title. Its atmosphere is impressive for a 54,000-seat stadium. Thanks to that environment and the team being a perennial conference contender, it should continue to be one of the toughest places to play in the sport.
Get more (Oregon) news, analysis and opinions on Ducks Wire
3. Beaver Stadium (Penn State Nittany Lions)
Capacity: 106,572
Opened: 1960
Beaver Stadium's atmosphere and the home-field advantage it creates are second to none. The stadium combines sheer size with distinct architecture that gives it a unique feel -- different from Michigan Stadium. Penn State's CFP win over SMU last season saw Beaver Stadium at its peak.
Get more (Penn State) news, analysis and opinions on Nittany Lions Wire
2. Ohio Stadium (Ohio State Buckeyes)
Capacity: 102,780
Opened: 1922
Not much needs to be written about Ohio Stadium. Like Beaver Stadium, it puts unique touches on a 100,000-seat stadium. That creates one of the best gameday environments in the world, regardless of the sport.
Get more (Ohio State) news, analysis and opinions on Buckeyes Wire
1. Rose Bowl Stadium (UCLA Bruins)
Capacity: 89,702
Opened: 1922
This ranking doesn't have much to do with the Rose Bowl during UCLA home games, which can often lack energy and volume. The ranking also considers the Rose Bowl Game, arguably the best annual event on the college football calendar. The stadium would rank closer to the L.A. Coliseum if the Rose Bowl game were ignored.
Get more (UCLA) news, analysis and opinions on UCLA Wire
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