On the first day of College Football 25 “Rankings Week,” EA Sports released its official list of toughest places to play, giving us a sneak peek at the stadiums that will provide the biggest challenge to visiting opponents in the game.
The general consensus of college football fans ahead of the list’s release was that LSU would likely occupy the top spot as the hardest stadium to play in, with Penn State potentially vying for a claim to that title.
However, when EA released the list, and neither of those teams was among the top two, fans immediately began losing their minds, especially when they saw who topped the chart.
Kyle Field, home of the Texas A&M Aggies, will be the toughest place to play in College Football 25 when it releases in less than three weeks.
Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium—which many visiting fan bases have called a “wine and cheese crowd”—checks in at No. 2 on the list.
It’s not until No. 3 that we see what most consider the most hostile road environment in college football—LSU’s Tiger Stadium, a.k.a, Death Valley.
Ohio Stadium (Ohio State) and Sanford Stadium (Georgia) are ranked Nos. 4 and 5, respectively, and Penn State’s Beaver Stadium finally appears at No. 6.
Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin) and Gaylor Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma) are ranked Nos. 7 and 8, respectively, while Florida State’s Doak Campbell Stadium and Florida’s Benn Hill Griffin Stadium, colloquially known as “The Swamp,” round out the Top 10.
So, how did EA come up with these rankings? According to the release, the game’s development team used several indicators to come up with the list, “factoring in historical stats such as home winning %, home game attendance, active home winning streaks, team prestige, and more.”
Here’s a look at the entire Top 25 list, courtesy of EA.
1. Kyle Field – Texas A&M
2. Bryant-Denny Stadium – Alabama
3. Tiger Stadium – LSU
4. Ohio Stadium – Ohio State
5. Sanford Stadium – Georgia
6. Beaver Stadium – Penn State
7. Camp Randall Stadium – Wisconsin
8. Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Oklahoma
9. Doak S. Campbell Stadium – Florida State
10. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Florida
11. Autzen Stadium – Oregon
12. Memorial Stadium – Clemson
13. Neyland Stadium – Tennessee
14. Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn
15. Williams-Brice Stadium – South Carolina
16. Michigan Stadium – Michigan
17. Lane Stadium – Virginia Tech
18. Rice-Eccles Stadium – Utah
19. Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium – Texas
20. Kinnick Stadium – Iowa
21. Notre Dame Stadium – Notre Dame
22. Spartan Stadium – Michigan State
23. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium – Arkansas
24. Albertsons Stadium – Boise State
25. Davis Wade Stadium – Mississippi State
The “Toughest Places to Play ” will significantly impact gameplay, as EA spells out in Tuesday’s release.
“We laid out the significant impact that Homefield Advantage can have on the outcome of games in EA SPORTS™ College Football 25 during our Gameplay Deep Dive Campus Huddle. Audio and in-game modifiers such as blurred routes, incorrect play art, confidence and composure effects, and screen shaking are some of the immersive impacts away teams and players will be forced to contend with.”
If you’re upset with the rankings or that a particular team is missing don’t lose too much sleep. EA clearly states that the rankings are “subject to change in future updates,” so there’s still hope for them to get it right. However, at launch, the 12th Man will be the biggest thorn in your side as a visiting team, so good luck with that.
