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2015 FBS College Football Stadium Experience Rankings

The fact that UNLV is as high as #53 tells me this is seriously flawed. The stadium is old, has dirt parking lots, is very far away from town, and literally no one goes. It's a lousy experience by any measure.
 
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Deer Head said:
Ive seen Pitt in about 30 stadiums. Rutgers is by far the worst. Dead serious. Everything about it is terrible.
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Atmosphere and location (its a pretty far walk from much of anything, including parking) may be lacking but I think the stadium itself is decent. The upper deck feels about a million miles from the field but it seems like a pretty standard venue.
 
BFo8 said:
The fact that UNLV is as high as #53 tells me this is seriously flawed. The stadium is old, has dirt parking lots, is very far away from town, and literally no one goes. It's a lousy experience by any measure.
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StadiumJourney is usually pretty spot on but I think sometimes their reviewers tend to be homers. On their site, they gave UNLVs stadium 4 out of 5 stars while site visitors gave it 2.5.

Still one of my favorite websites.
 
I really do like Heinz and now that the south end is somewhat closed in, I like it much more

I love the “quality of opponent” statement in the Beaver Stadium writeup
 
djbpitt said:
Even when it's full, there's no way that Heinz is better than VT's or Wisky's stadiums.
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I agree with you about the atmosphere but both stadiums are dumps when you get food or go to the bathroom. They are both similar to Beaver Stadium as relics.
 
briano25 said:
This doesn't surprise me. I remember talking to FSU fans at the casino after the game and they said it was the best trip they were ever on. The North Shore makes for a great time on game day.
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Living out of the area I've encountered lots of various fans over the years, including some who have gone to games with me, and none have ever viewed playing at Heinz as detrimental.

And I've said it before, the only stadium that has ever made me really dislike HF is Navy's.
 
pittmeister said:
Oh this is too good!


28. Heinz Field (Pitt)

33. Beaver Stadium (PSU)

69. High Point Solutions Stadium (Rutgers)

106. Milan Puskar Stadium (WVU)


LOL!

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/news/12-30-2015/1304/2015-fbs-college-football-stadium-experience-rankings?utm_content=buffere116a&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer
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If the Cathedral of Learning was within walking distance to Heinz, it would be #1 but it's not. I would say that the Stadium is better after they closed it and we are spoiled as a fan base with the amenities that are simply a line item in the budget and is static.
 
One thing I never got is this "bigger is better" mentality of college football. It is just a penis measuring contest. I think everyone agrees that Cameron Indoor Stadium (Duke) is the best venue for atmosphere in college BB. The Pete is right up there. So is the ACC (Notre Dame). But places like Bryce Jordan dwarfs them in capacity. In baseball Wrigley and Fenway are the holy grails with PNC Park not far behind. All are under 40K. No one would even think about comparing whatever Miami's NFL stadium is or Ralph Wilson over Lambeau or Heinz Field. Only college football which has forever been built on perception can pull off this stadium size ruse.
 
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Here is an odd statement but I believe it to be true. Heinz field's amenities actually hurts the Heinz field / game day atmosphere.. What I mean by that, you have so much damn room to walk around behind the scenes, the great hall, the countless concession stands, the ramps, etc. that you always have about 2-3k people doing something other than watching the game. I've been to countless games and there seems to be just as many people around the stadium (outside) and walking around in the stadium than people on their butts watching the game.

It is far from being a tough place to play. Herbstreit said this when Winston was starting his career off at Heinz.. Cant pick a better place to play for a freshman, or something to that effect.. Even steeler games with a packed house doesn't create much noise, far from some of the other nfl venues where noise is a factor. But hey, the food options is nice so that's what's important..
 
The writer is a Michigan guy so Heinz's rating might have been a backhanded shot at PSU. But I think his perspective was more of a "fan boy" for the sake of the article. Then again, the erector set isn't terribly comfortable and outside of tailgating, you have to stroll down over the hill into town for much else. Still, that place jumps when they actually play someone.
 
ThePanthers said:
I think Pitt fans shit on Heinz Field, yet most away fans I talk to, or see on messageboards discussing Heinz love it.
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True. Visiting fans like Heinz Field more than Pitt fans. It is because the stadium does not truly feel like a home field advantage and the amenities around the stadium are nice if you visit once every five years. The casino is great... once... but if you go to most games you don't give a **** about it. Being near downtown is nice... if you don't often visit downtown Pittsburgh.

There is a reason so many fans want Pitt in the Pinstripe Bowl... and it has little to do with the quality of that bowl itself.
 
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HailtoPitt said:
True. Visiting fans like Heinz Field more than Pitt fans. It is because the stadium does not truly feel like a home field advantage and the amenities around the stadium are nice if you visit once every five years. The casino is great... once... but if you go to most games you don't give a **** about it. Being near downtown is nice... if you don't often visit downtown Pittsburgh.

There is a reason so many fans want Pitt in the Pinstripe Bowl... and it has little to do with the quality of that bowl itself.
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great post.. It's very welcoming to opposing fanbases and opposing teams. This isn't a good thing..
 
Just looked at the list and I've been to:

1, 6, 18, 24, 28, 33, 37, 46, 70, 78, 106, 108, 117 and 123.

A couple I've been to multiple times, and I didn't count bowl games.
 
HailtoPitt said:
True. Visiting fans like Heinz Field more than Pitt fans. It is because the stadium does not truly feel like a home field advantage and the amenities around the stadium are nice if you visit once every five years. The casino is great... once... but if you go to most games you don't give a **** about it. Being near downtown is nice... if you don't often visit downtown Pittsburgh.

There is a reason so many fans want Pitt in the Pinstripe Bowl... and it has little to do with the quality of that bowl itself.
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:rolleyes:
 
BFo8 said:
The fact that UNLV is as high as #53 tells me this is seriously flawed. The stadium is old, has dirt parking lots, is very far away from town, and literally no one goes. It's a lousy experience by any measure.
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Living in lv for the past 13 years I would say that stadium is unimpressive. The dirt lots stink. If you are a visitor it makes for a great road trip. For the home team its bad. Its on the outskirts of town and makes Heinz feel like it its on campus.
 
Swervin27 said:
Here is an odd statement but I believe it to be true. Heinz field's amenities actually hurts the Heinz field / game day atmosphere.. What I mean by that, you have so much damn room to walk around behind the scenes, the great hall, the countless concession stands, the ramps, etc. that you always have about 2-3k people doing something other than watching the game. I've been to countless games and there seems to be just as many people around the stadium (outside) and walking around in the stadium than people on their butts watching the game.

It is far from being a tough place to play. Herbstreit said this when Winston was starting his career off at Heinz.. Cant pick a better place to play for a freshman, or something to that effect.. Even steeler games with a packed house doesn't create much noise, far from some of the other nfl venues where noise is a factor. But hey, the food options is nice so that's what's important..
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I agree with this. ESPECIALLY on the club level, where people prefer to be at the bar than in their seats.

But even in the bourgeoisie seats, the way the end zone ramps are configured, in many cases they are as good as vantage points as any, and you aren't tethered to seats and all the rules and decorum that goes along with sitting in seats.
 
I think one reason Heinz Field is so appealing for visitors is that it is a completely different experience than most college football stadiums/environments. For one, how many are truly downtown in a major city? How many truly have all the amenities, bathrooms, concession stands, Big TV Scoreboard, etc...

Most college football stadiums are fairly utilitarian, benches, crowded egress ways, limited concessions, even the most "storied" of stadiums. Heinz is different.
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
Most college football stadiums are fairly utilitarian, benches, crowded egress ways, limited concessions, even the most "storied" of stadiums. Heinz is different.
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And there is nothing wrong with that, imo. You don't build a strong fan base because there is a bigger jumbotron or because more options to buy hotdogs exist. In fact, those things may be detrimental to building a strong fan base. How many fans have ever said... "I'm not going to the game today because there aren't enough food options inside of the stadium"? There aren't more food options for the pleasure of the fans. There are more food options because someone has figured out that they can sell more stuff when the lines are shorter before the game and at halftime.

As I have said many times on here, Heinz Field is one of the best college football venues for visiting fans, or for Pitt fans who come to a game once every 5 years. One can be amazed by all of the Steeler trophies and food options in the Great Hall. One can take a tour of downtown. Eat at Primanti's. Ride the Gateway Clipper. Visit the smoky casino. Get a cheap game ticket. Etc.

But until Pitt builds it's own PITT stadium in Oakland, the program is never going to thrive.
 
th
 
recruitsreadtheseboards said:
I agree with this. ESPECIALLY on the club level, where people prefer to be at the bar than in their seats.

But even in the bourgeoisie seats, the way the end zone ramps are configured, in many cases they are as good as vantage points as any, and you aren't tethered to seats and all the rules and decorum that goes along with sitting in seats.
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I cannot express how irritating this is for me as a Pitt fan. Everyone wants to complain about poor attendance, bad fans, etc., but then the same people stay inside during the game to drink. Get your ass in your seat with your precious cocktail and show respect for the student athletes.
 
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pitt-girl said:
I cannot express how irritating this is for me as a Pitt fan. Everyone wants to complain about poor attendance, bad fans, etc., but then the same people stay inside during the game to drink. Get your ass in your seat with your precious cocktail and show respect for the student athletes.
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Agreed! Get to your seat and cheer your team on. I've never understood why someone would go to a game and then spend most of their time inside.
 
Some surprises for me were seeing LSU Tiger Stadium at #17. Haven't been to a live game in quite awhile but the experience there is electric. And LSU fans are always gracious to their opponents, with the most hateful cheer being "Tiger Bait". Tennessee at #40 is also quite a shock. I've been there only once - back in 2001 or 2002 - and it was college football spectating at its best. Even though UT is not the power it was then, they deserve a higher ranking. And last, UK at #90 is just crazy. Commonwealth Stadium seats over 70,000, and it's the SEC fer chrissakes! Almost nothing beats being in Lexington KY in October, where you can visit Keeneland Race Track and watch live, quality thoroughbred racing in the afternoon, and then head to campus to watch a Wildcat football game at night. For those who've never been to Lexington, you ought to consider visiting there in October to be treated to a real "daily double"
 
briano25 said:
This doesn't surprise me. I remember talking to FSU fans at the casino after the game and they said it was the best trip they were ever on. The North Shore makes for a great time on game day.
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Visitors love coming to the North Shore its a destination stadium not a cow pasture, mudhole or some inner city dump !
Some of the FSU people we met took in a Pirates game which makes it even better. I've heard lots of compliments from NC, Louisville, FSU, Virginia, ND fans.
I guess its the PITT fans who don't like the place not our visiting fans!
We think its great since every home game for us is like an away game for local Pittsburgh people. Lots of hotels, parking at the hotels, restrauants, bars, fun, etc.!
A rapid transit system like an expansion of the T to Oakland would really make it a great place.
 
BuffetParrothead said:
Visitors love coming to the North Shore its a destination stadium not a cow pasture, mudhole or some inner city dump !
Some of the FSU people we met took in a Pirates game which makes it even better. I've heard lots of compliments from NC, Louisville, FSU, Virginia, ND fans.
I guess its the PITT fans who don't like the place not our visiting fans!
We think its great since every home game for us is like an away game for local Pittsburgh people. Lots of hotels, parking at the hotels, restrauants, bars, fun, etc.!
A rapid transit system like an expansion of the T to Oakland would really make it a great place.
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So you think Heinz Field is great because it always feels like an away game?
 
Maybe it was cited above but Mountaineer Stadium at 106 seems a little high. Lincoln Financial Field (Temple) seems a bit too low. Move Mountaineer down two and Lincoln Financial up two. That should do it!
Heinz Field is too big. We need to grow into it! I don't think we will ever sell it out for all games but we need to get up over 55K on average.
 
pitt-girl said:
I cannot express how irritating this is for me as a Pitt fan. Everyone wants to complain about poor attendance, bad fans, etc., but then the same people stay inside during the game to drink. Get your ass in your seat with your precious cocktail and show respect for the student athletes.
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That's why I don't go "club." Way too tempting to sit there and pound beers and some Jameson and watch the game on the tv. I know it doesn't make sense, just save money and go to local bar but I'd do it.. So instead I lower my standards and rub elbows with you ruffians..
 
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