OT: D1

[IUP24]

It doesn’t look like a fun place to watch a game.

James Franklin has now lost 7 in a row to The Overrated State University.

Honest opinion, and this is really unpopular, but most of those "cathedrals" of college football are actually junk stadiums. They are all pretty bad. Ohio State is decrepit. I've been to The Shoe numerous times for games and concerts. The access/egress points in and out of the stadium are horrific. The method in which you have to navigate around the stadium is maddening. The construction of the steps would not be to code today. The bathrooms and facilities are disgusting. It's horrifyingly bad. OSU people act like it's the most sacred place in the world. I actually have wondered multiple times while inside of that stadium, "if something were to actually happen here, how would I quickly get out?" Answer is that you wouldn't. Very, very dangerous set up.

Penn State is the same way. Beaver Stadium is basically an erector set that they just kept kind of building onto.

I've been to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. It's as bad as Ohio Stadium. The upper bowl essentially has a permanent version of portajohns as restrooms that they just dropped into the middle of an already narrow concourse.

The only two I've been to that I can say are really, really nice stadiums are Notre Dame and Clemson. It is my understanding that some of the schools in the south (Bama, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, etc.) do more to modernize and upgrade them than schools in the north. Like at Clemson, you don't have near the issues of movement around the stadium that you do at OSU.

I've been to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Outside of it is phenomenal. The limestone construction is gorgeous. You get inside and it's falling apart. Pitt gets a ton of flack for their stadium arrangement with the Steelers. But every time I visit another college stadium it just reinforces to me more that I like to attend games where I have legitimate security systems to enter the stadium, spacious concourses, bathrooms where you aren't standing at a prison urinal (Ohio State), and just better mobility pathways through the stadium. I understand the "experience" that many believe they get at those stadiums, but man they are just awful.

[IUP24]

I've been to a couple of games there, and it isn't a fun place for a visiting team. Not only are there not many tickets available for visiting fans, but when I went they divided the small contingent of visitors into two sections at opposite ends of the stadium to dilute the sound they could make.

They put one section by the visiting band. The other section is on the same side in the upper deck. They actually keep them about as far away from the student section as possible.

[Fightingscot82]

Honest opinion, and this is really unpopular, but most of those "cathedrals" of college football are actually junk stadiums. They are all pretty bad. Ohio State is decrepit. I've been to The Shoe numerous times for games and concerts. The access/egress points in and out of the stadium are horrific. The method in which you have to navigate around the stadium is maddening. The construction of the steps would not be to code today. The bathrooms and facilities are disgusting. It's horrifyingly bad. OSU people act like it's the most sacred place in the world. I actually have wondered multiple times while inside of that stadium, "if something were to actually happen here, how would I quickly get out?" Answer is that you wouldn't. Very, very dangerous set up.

Penn State is the same way. Beaver Stadium is basically an erector set that they just kept kind of building onto.

I've been to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. It's as bad as Ohio Stadium. The upper bowl essentially has a permanent version of portajohns as restrooms that they just dropped into the middle of an already narrow concourse.

The only two I've been to that I can say are really, really nice stadiums are Notre Dame and Clemson. It is my understanding that some of the schools in the south (Bama, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, etc.) do more to modernize and upgrade them than schools in the north. Like at Clemson, you don't have near the issues of movement around the stadium that you do at OSU.

I've been to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Outside of it is phenomenal. The limestone construction is gorgeous. You get inside and it's falling apart. Pitt gets a ton of flack for their stadium arrangement with the Steelers. But every time I visit another college stadium it just reinforces to me more that I like to attend games where I have legitimate security systems to enter the stadium, spacious concourses, bathrooms where you aren't standing at a prison urinal (Ohio State), and just better mobility pathways through the stadium. I understand the "experience" that many believe they get at those stadiums, but man they are just awful.

Pitt fans still romanticizing about Pitt Stadium don't have good memories. I was only there a few times and it stunk. Literally. Smelled like wet unfinished basement. The bathrooms smelled like summer music festival outhouses on day three. All bleachers. NO. PARKING.

I hate the southeast but boy do they build a nice stadium complex.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

Pitt fans still romanticizing about Pitt Stadium don't have good memories. I was only there a few times and it stunk. Literally. Smelled like wet unfinished basement. The bathrooms smelled like summer music festival outhouses on day three. All bleachers. NO. PARKING.

I hate the southeast but boy do they build a nice stadium complex.

Pitt Stadium was a dump - especially toward the end.

I do find it funny most of the 'we need an on-campus stadium' crowd is probably too young to have experienced the joy of game day in Oakland.

Driving in Oakland always sucks. On game day back then, take that times 10.


But, it was a different era. Pitt playing at Acrisure doesn't bother me. It's easy to get in and out. Nice bars/restaurants.

Hell, UCLA plays in Pasadena. The Rose Bowl and the USC Coliseum are both fossils.

[IUP24]

Pitt fans still romanticizing about Pitt Stadium don't have good memories. I was only there a few times and it stunk. Literally. Smelled like wet unfinished basement. The bathrooms smelled like summer music festival outhouses on day three. All bleachers. NO. PARKING.

I hate the southeast but boy do they build a nice stadium complex.

All the talk about an atmosphere, experience, etc. End of the day, it's a football game played on the same sized field as all the others. As a fan, I enjoy my "experience" significantly more knowing it is safer in terms of security, access/egress, and mobility through the concourse. And having an actual seat is nice too. And to be clear, Acrisure Stadium is bad compared to many other NFL stadiums.

My friend has been to Bama and Georgia both. He said it rivals most newer NFL venues. Another friend of mine has been to LSU. Same story there. Neyland Stadium is really, really bad - I can tell you that from experience. But that southeast stretch of a few states have some gorgeous facilities.

And for what it's worth, I've been to Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. That's an awesome stadium too. I would go back there in a second.

[IUP24]

Tell that to the core teams in the conference who have run things since its inception.

On a related note, show me a highly successful DI-A/FBS program located outside its conference's core, historical geographic footprint that has been highly successful, maintaining or exceeding its pre-conference membership, modern era level of success.

I hate everything that's occurred within college football over the last 10 years (even the playoff, which is an entirely different conversation). That said, if this stretch of uncertainty helps to get things back to a more geographical footprint and regionalized format, I'm okay dealing with temporarily turbulent waters.

If down the road this results in about 80 teams playing in 3-4 conferences, all broken into 2 geographically aligned divisions, we are mostly back to what college football used to be.

[Fightingscot82]

All the talk about an atmosphere, experience, etc. End of the day, it's a football game played on the same sized field as all the others. As a fan, I enjoy my "experience" significantly more knowing it is safer in terms of security, access/egress, and mobility through the concourse. And having an actual seat is nice too. And to be clear, Acrisure Stadium is bad compared to many other NFL stadiums.

My friend has been to Bama and Georgia both. He said it rivals most newer NFL venues. Another friend of mine has been to LSU. Same story there. Neyland Stadium is really, really bad - I can tell you that from experience. But that southeast stretch of a few states have some gorgeous facilities.

And for what it's worth, I've been to Cardinal Stadium in Louisville. That's an awesome stadium too. I would go back there in a second.

I think for Pitt specifically, they have so many casual fans that the experience matters. Because Acrisure is designed to work for NFL crowds, its a good place for a game, even if 40% is empty. My best NFL stadium experience is Lucas Oil stadium. That's older now but top to bottom just incredible. Ironically I was there for the inaugural Big Ten championship game. Worst was Highmark (formerly Rich Stadium or Ralph Wilson Stadium). But at least that's well known. A friend told me that the Las Vegas stadium is just unworldly.

[IUP24]

I think for Pitt specifically, they have so many casual fans that the experience matters. Because Acrisure is designed to work for NFL crowds, its a good place for a game, even if 40% is empty. My best NFL stadium experience is Lucas Oil stadium. That's older now but top to bottom just incredible. Ironically I was there for the inaugural Big Ten championship game. Worst was Highmark (formerly Rich Stadium or Ralph Wilson Stadium). But at least that's well known. A friend told me that the Las Vegas stadium is just unworldly.

Regarding Pitt, it's interesting that nobody outside of Western PA tends to care about Pitt's stadium arrangement. In fact, get out of Western PA and a lot of people actually think it's cool and unique. Many Ohio State fans I talk to say, "That's really cool that Pitt gets to play in the Steelers' stadium."

Lucas Oil is newer than Acrisure. I am going there in December to see the Steelers play. I've heard really good things about the stadium and that it's a nice place to see a game. My friend went to Vegas for the Steelers game a couple weeks back. Said it was unlike anything he's ever seen before.

[IUPNation]

Honest opinion, and this is really unpopular, but most of those "cathedrals" of college football are actually junk stadiums. They are all pretty bad. Ohio State is decrepit. I've been to The Shoe numerous times for games and concerts. The access/egress points in and out of the stadium are horrific. The method in which you have to navigate around the stadium is maddening. The construction of the steps would not be to code today. The bathrooms and facilities are disgusting. It's horrifyingly bad. OSU people act like it's the most sacred place in the world. I actually have wondered multiple times while inside of that stadium, "if something were to actually happen here, how would I quickly get out?" Answer is that you wouldn't. Very, very dangerous set up.

Penn State is the same way. Beaver Stadium is basically an erector set that they just kept kind of building onto.

I've been to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. It's as bad as Ohio Stadium. The upper bowl essentially has a permanent version of portajohns as restrooms that they just dropped into the middle of an already narrow concourse.

The only two I've been to that I can say are really, really nice stadiums are Notre Dame and Clemson. It is my understanding that some of the schools in the south (Bama, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, etc.) do more to modernize and upgrade them than schools in the north. Like at Clemson, you don't have near the issues of movement around the stadium that you do at OSU.

I've been to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Outside of it is phenomenal. The limestone construction is gorgeous. You get inside and it's falling apart. Pitt gets a ton of flack for their stadium arrangement with the Steelers. But every time I visit another college stadium it just reinforces to me more that I like to attend games where I have legitimate security systems to enter the stadium, spacious concourses, bathrooms where you aren't standing at a prison urinal (Ohio State), and just better mobility pathways through the stadium. I understand the "experience" that many believe they get at those stadiums, but man they are just awful.

So basically The Cig is on par with the big boys! Everyone plays in a dump!

[Ship69]

Honest opinion, and this is really unpopular, but most of those "cathedrals" of college football are actually junk stadiums. They are all pretty bad. Ohio State is decrepit. I've been to The Shoe numerous times for games and concerts. The access/egress points in and out of the stadium are horrific. The method in which you have to navigate around the stadium is maddening. The construction of the steps would not be to code today. The bathrooms and facilities are disgusting. It's horrifyingly bad. OSU people act like it's the most sacred place in the world. I actually have wondered multiple times while inside of that stadium, "if something were to actually happen here, how would I quickly get out?" Answer is that you wouldn't. Very, very dangerous set up.

Penn State is the same way. Beaver Stadium is basically an erector set that they just kept kind of building onto.

I've been to Neyland Stadium in Knoxville. It's as bad as Ohio Stadium. The upper bowl essentially has a permanent version of portajohns as restrooms that they just dropped into the middle of an already narrow concourse.

The only two I've been to that I can say are really, really nice stadiums are Notre Dame and Clemson. It is my understanding that some of the schools in the south (Bama, LSU, Georgia, Clemson, etc.) do more to modernize and upgrade them than schools in the north. Like at Clemson, you don't have near the issues of movement around the stadium that you do at OSU.

I've been to Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Outside of it is phenomenal. The limestone construction is gorgeous. You get inside and it's falling apart. Pitt gets a ton of flack for their stadium arrangement with the Steelers. But every time I visit another college stadium it just reinforces to me more that I like to attend games where I have legitimate security systems to enter the stadium, spacious concourses, bathrooms where you aren't standing at a prison urinal (Ohio State), and just better mobility pathways through the stadium. I understand the "experience" that many believe they get at those stadiums, but man they are just awful.

Notre Dame? They must have improved that stadium a lot since I was there in 2014, because I sure didn't think it was anything special. Given their football tradition, I thought it was kind of a letdown. Didn't help that it had snowed the night before and they cleared the snow off for Notre Dame rooters while leaving it piled in the stands in the visitors' section. Made Northwestern's overtime victory over them, helped by Kelly's poor coaching, all the more enjoyable.

I guess I'm old school in that I grew up going to games in old stadiums and they don't really bother me. I go primarily to see the game on the field. Most of the discomfort now arises from the fact that they try to cram 100,000 people into some of these stadiums in the pursuit of more money. The seats at Penn State are ridiculously narrow. And I was not impressed when a couple I knew took their six-month-old kid to a game and were charged full admission, even though the kid wasn't taking up a seat.

[EyeoftheHawk]

So basically The Cig is on par with the big boys! Everyone plays in a dump!

If we’re talking in generalities, I guess so!

The Cig is a borderline embarrassment at this point. It’s sad when area high schools have better stadiums. I’d trade The Cig with West Shamokin’s stadium straight up right now, and that’s a tiny AA high school in the middle of nowhere. Anyone ever been to Windber High School’s stadium? Talk about a great facility. It would be the best in the PSAC, not that the bar is high.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

If we’re talking in generalities, I guess so!

The Cig is a borderline embarrassment at this point. It’s sad when area high schools have better stadiums. I’d trade The Cig with West Shamokin’s stadium straight up right now, and that’s a tiny AA high school in the middle of nowhere. Anyone ever been to Windber High School’s stadium? Talk about a great facility. It would be the best in the PSAC, not that the bar is high.

In fairness, there's not a nice stadium in the West. They are all relics to the 70s. Shepherd has the nicest in the PSAC and it's not even close.

As for Miller, IHS has a nicer venue.

[IUP24]

Notre Dame? They must have improved that stadium a lot since I was there in 2014, because I sure didn't think it was anything special. Given their football tradition, I thought it was kind of a letdown. Didn't help that it had snowed the night before and they cleared the snow off for Notre Dame rooters while leaving it piled in the stands in the visitors' section. Made Northwestern's overtime victory over them, helped by Kelly's poor coaching, all the more enjoyable.

I guess I'm old school in that I grew up going to games in old stadiums and they don't really bother me. I go primarily to see the game on the field. Most of the discomfort now arises from the fact that they try to cram 100,000 people into some of these stadiums in the pursuit of more money. The seats at Penn State are ridiculously narrow. And I was not impressed when a couple I knew took their six-month-old kid to a game and were charged full admission, even though the kid wasn't taking up a seat.

I personally thought ND was pretty well kept and a very nice facility. It wasn't fancy, but the stadium itself I thought was in good shape. And I didn't feel like you were crammed in there. I thought it had the ode to the "echoes" of the past, but kept in good overall condition.

[EyeoftheHawk]

I personally thought ND was pretty well kept and a very nice facility. It wasn't fancy, but the stadium itself I thought was in good shape. And I didn't feel like you were crammed in there. I thought it had the ode to the "echoes" of the past, but kept in good overall condition.

I haven’t seen a game there but have been to the stadium. I liked it as well. Just something about the place I suppose.

What surprised me most about Notre Dame is the size of the campus. It’s pretty small. It’s also hidden in South Bend, which is a dump in my opinion. You also don’t see signs everywhere pointing you to Notre Dame. It’s almost like they want to remain hidden. Very odd.

[IUPbigINDIANS]

I haven’t seen a game there but have been to the stadium. I liked it as well. Just something about the place I suppose.

What surprised me most about Notre Dame is the size of the campus. It’s pretty small. It’s also hidden in South Bend, which is a dump in my opinion. You also don’t see signs everywhere pointing you to Notre Dame. It’s almost like they want to remain hidden. Very odd.

South Bend is glamorized in movies, etc. You're right. Aside from the small campus, the actual 'city' is a total dump.