When looking at the largest sports stadiums around the US, 14 college football stadiums kick off the list before a single professional stadium. Let’s take a look at the 25 biggest college football stadiums, many of which are among the biggest stadiums anywhere on the globe.
The 25 Biggest College Football Stadiums
It is worth noting that while these are the 25 biggest college football stadiums, none of them are home to the largest NCAA single-game crowd.
On Sept. 10, 2016, the Tennessee Volunteers and Virginia Tech Hokies played the “Battle at Bristol” at Bristol Motor Speedway with 156,990 people in attendance. This total was more than 40,000 more people than the next largest regular-season crowd. Here’s a list of the county’s 25 biggest college football stadiums.
25. Husky Stadium (Capacity: 70,083)
We begin our journey with the Pac-12 in the Pacific Northwest. Husky Stadium, home to the University of Washington football team, is an incredible stadium that overlooks Union Bay at one end and can hold slightly over 70,000 fans. That is up from 30,000 when it was first opened in 1920.
24. Kinnick Stadium (Capacity: 70,585)
Next, we head to the Midwest, as Iowa is the Big 10’s first entrant. Built in 1929, Kinnick Stadium initially held an impressive 53,000. Its remarkable size for the time is highlighted by the fact that it’s nearly 100 years old.
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Recent renovations to the venue have added 1,600 seats in 2019, with more expansion on the horizon. Even with the projects, they have only added 17,600 seats to the stadium since it was first constructed.
23. Spartan Stadium (Capacity: 75,005)
At 75,005, Spartan Stadium is slightly smaller than in 1957. Its highest-recorded attendance is 80,401, but this stadium is somewhat dwarfed by the Spartans’ in-state rivals.
22. Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (Capacity: 76,212)
The first SEC stadium on our list belongs to the Arkansas Razorbacks. After seating around 50,000 in 2000, the stadium expanded to 72,000 in 2001. Since then, further developments have grown the total to 76,212.
21. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Capacity: 77,500)
When it opened in 1923, Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum had a capacity of 75,144. That rose as high as 105,000 before returning close to its original size in 2019. The capacity wouldn’t dip under 100,000 until the 1964 renovations following the 1963 Billy Graham Crusade, which saw 134,254 people in attendance. Many teams have played in the Coliseum, but the USC Trojans have been tenants since 1923.
20. Notre Dame Stadium (Capacity: 77,622)
Home of the Fighting Irish, the Notre Dame Stadium had a capacity of 54,000 in 1930. It was not extended significantly until 1997, when it jumped to over 80,000. The stadium remained that size until 2017 when the attendance was reduced to its present size of 77,622.
19. Williams-Brice Stadium (Capacity: 77,559)
The home of the South Carolina Gamecocks has stood at a capacity of 80,250 since 1996. However, in 2020, the Gamecocks renovated three club areas, reducing the capacity to under 80,000 and dropping Williams-Brice Stadium two spots on this list. Interestingly, the record attendance is nearly 5,000 higher than the reported capacity (85,199).
18. Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium (Capacity: 79,560)
An absolutely incredible stadium to look at from the outside, the home of the Florida State Seminoles was slightly reduced in 2016. Once holding as many as 82,300, the capacity has now dropped to just under the 80,000 mark.
17. Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 80,126)
The capacity of Oklahoma’s stadium was reportedly reduced by around 6,000 in 2019. Reducing the capacity at Williams-Brice Stadium gained Oklahoma a spot back, but other schools have still outpaced the university. Before the reduction, it would have ranked as the 13th-biggest college football stadium. The stadium originally opened in 1925 with a capacity of 16,000.
16. Camp Randall Stadium (Capacity: 80,321)
Built in 1917 with a capacity of 11,900, the Camp Randall Stadium has grown significantly in the following 100+ years of Badgers football. The stadium once stood at 82,123 but was reduced to its present capacity in 2005.
15. Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 81,500)
“Death Valley” is one of the more intimidating atmospheres for visiting teams. The stadium was expanded regularly between 1980 and 1991. The attendance record was set in 1999 in Tommy Bowden’s first year as head coach.
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In the first game Bowden would play coach against his father, Bobby, a whopping 86,092 people attended the game, almost 5,000 over capacity.
14. Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 85,458)
One of many Memorial Stadiums around the NCAA, the one at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has the ominously named student section “The Boneyard.” The stadium was initially built in 1923 with a capacity of 31,080.
13. Jordan-Hare Stadium (Capacity: 87,451)
Home of the Auburn Tigers, the Jordan-Hare Stadium was built to meet the demand for a bigger stadium in 1939. It seated only 7,500, but 15,000 people were projected to fill the area around the field. The stadium has expanded numerous times over the years, most recently to 87,451 in 2004.
12. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Capacity: 88,548)
The final stadium under 90,000 and the fourth SEC home on this list is more commonly referred to as “The Swamp.” The Florida Gators home gets its lovable moniker due to being built in a sinkhole, elevating noise levels to deafening levels and exacerbating Gainesville’s humid fall climate. While the capacity is 88,548, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium regularly holds over 90,000 for Florida football games.
11. Cotton Bowl Stadium (Capacity: 92,100)
Our final entrant before the top 10 has not had a home team since the SMU Mustangs called it home in 1999. However, the Cotton Bowl hosts one of college football’s biggest rivalries — the Red River Showdown. The stadium boosted from a capacity of 68,252 to 92,100 following significant renovations in 2008, which completely encircled the second deck.
10. Rose Bowl (Capacity: 92,542)
While most famous for hosting the Rose Bowl Game (first used in 1923), the stadium is also the home of the UCLA Bruins. The first Rose Bowl Game had an attendance of 43,000 — it now holds more than double that and is recognized as a National Historic Landmark.
The 90,000 mark is the official count for the Tournament of Roses. Due to rough years and lackluster attendance, UCLA has lowered its capacity to 69,747 seats for regular-season games.
9. Sanford Stadium (Capacity: 92,746)
Sanford Stadium is one of the most recognizable stadiums in college football due to the privet hedges surrounding it. The stadium has grown three-fold from a capacity of 30,000 when it was first opened in 1929.
Fans have only rushed Dooley Field once after beating Tennessee in 2000. Many believe that while the hedges create a mystique, they also double as crowd control because they conceal a low chain-link fence surrounding the field.
8. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Capacity: 100,077)
The first of the eight 100,000-capacity college football stadiums, Bryant-Denny Stadium, was the fifth-biggest NCAA stadium in 2010 when it topped 100,000 for the first time. The stadium significantly exceeds its original 1929 capacity of 12,000. Alabama’s home is the first of four SEC stadiums that can seat over 100,000 people.
7. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Capacity: 100,119)
The biggest college football stadium outside the Big Ten and SEC belongs to Texas. Renovations to the south end zone removed seating from 2019-2020, reducing capacity to 95,594. However, with the expansion project complete, DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium returned to its max capacity of 100,119, moving one spot ahead of Alabama.
6. Tiger Stadium (Capacity: 102,321)
LSU extended Tiger Stadium to over 100,000 in 2012. Since then, they have registered a capacity crowd of 102,321 nine times. Two have come this season: the season opener against the Southern Jaguars and the showdown with Tennessee on Oct. 8, 2022. The stadium originally opened in 1924 with 12,000 seats.
5. Neyland Stadium (Capacity: 102,455)
Neyland Stadium had a capacity of just 3,200 when it was constructed in 1921. The Tennessee Volunteers’ home first topped a capacity of 100,000 in 1996 and set a record attendance of 109,061 for a game against Florida in 2004.
4. Kyle Field (Capacity: 102,733)
Kyle Field saw its attendance climb over 100,000 for the first time in 2014. The home of Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, is currently the biggest college football stadium outside of the Big Ten. The record attendance of 110,663 occurred in 2014 against Ole Miss and was the largest football game attendance in the state of Texas.
3. Ohio Stadium (Capacity: 102,780)
Brutus, Brutus, Brutus, can’t you see? “The Horseshoe” just hypnotizes me. On the bank of the Olentangy River, “the Horseshoe” has seen its capacity bounce between 100,000 and 105,000 over the past two decades.
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However, the highest-recorded attendance came in 2016 against arch-rival Michigan (110,045). While it’s less than 50 seats larger than Kyle Field, a few seats are all that matters to put Ohio State at three.
2. Beaver Stadium (Capacity: 106,572)
The home of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Beaver Stadium was first expanded to over 100,000 in 2001. While it has a registered capacity of 106,572, it held 110,889 in 2018 against Ohio State.
University officials have expanded the stadium, but a much-needed facelift of the whole facility is currently being planned by Penn State. Narrow concourses, outdated plumbing, and a lack of concession options hinder the university from hosting other high-profile events at Beaver Stadium.
Which Is the Biggest Stadium in College Football?
1. Michigan Stadium (Capacity: 107,601)
Michigan Stadium owns the nickname “The Big House,” and it’s easy to see why. The Michigan Wolverines have continuously possessed one of the biggest stadiums in all of college football.
When the stadium was built in 1927, it had a capacity of 72,000. However, athletic director Fielding Yost pictured a day when Michigan would need 150,000 seats. The stadium previously held a larger audience (109,901) between 2010 and 2015, during which its record was reached at a whopping 115,109 spectators against Notre Dame in 2013.
