Top 20 Largest College Football Stadiums in the USA for 2023-2024

I can tell you get a rush of joy when you watch your favorite college team play and win games at home and away from home. Yes, I understand how you feel. Who doesn’t want their team to be the theme song for everyone? Nobody! In this article, you’ll learn about some of the largest college football stadiums and some of the most important college football matches. College football, or soccer as some refer to it, unquestionably provides entertainment on the field in various ways. 

You don’t want to miss a single second of the game because it’s so captivating. What you are about to read is a list of the largest college football stadiums in the United States and the locations of some notable events in the country. In 1869, only about 100 people showed up on the Rutgers campus for the first-ever college football game. Fast forward 147 years to Sept. 10, 2016, when Bristol Motor Speedway hosted an NCAA-record 156,990 paid fans for a special Tennessee-Virginia Tech neutral site game.

Due to extraordinary renovations and multimillion-dollar projects, college football has become accustomed to crowds of 100,000 or more. Seven schools will have home stadiums with a six-figure capacity in 2020. There are approximately 140 notable stadiums in the United States, but for the purposes of this article, we will only look at college stadiums. There are many large college stadiums to choose from, but we’ve highlighted the top 25 here.

RANK	SCHOOL	STADIUM	CAPACITY
$1	Michigan	Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, Mich.)	107,601
$2	Penn State	Beaver Stadium (University Park, Pa.)	106,572
$3	Ohio State	Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)	102,780
$4	Texas A&M	Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)	102,733
$5	Tennessee	Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)	102,455
$6	LSU	Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, La.)	102,321
$7	Alabama	Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)	101,821
8	Texas	Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)	100,119
9	Georgia	Sanford Stadium (Athens, Ga.)	92,746
10	UCLA	Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)	91,136
11	Florida	Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Gainesville, Fla.)	88,548
12	Auburn	Jordan-Hare Stadium (Auburn, Ala.)	87,451
13	Oklahoma	Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Norman, Okla.)	86,112
14	Nebraska	Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, Neb.)	85,458
15	Clemson	Clemson Memorial Stadium (Clemson, S.C.)	81,500
16	Notre Dame	Notre Dame Stadium (South Bend, Ind.)	80,795
17	Wisconsin	Camp Randall Stadium (Madison, Wisc.)	80,321
18	South Carolina	Williams-Brice Stadium (Columbia, S.C.)	80,250
19	Florida State	Doak Campbell Stadium (Tallahassee, Fla.)	79,560
20	Southern Cal.	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Los Angeles)	77,500
21	Arkansas	Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium (Fayetteville, Ark.)	76,000
22	Michigan State	Spartan Stadium (East Lansing, Mich.)	75,005
23	UAB	Legion Field (Birmingham, Ala.)	71,594
24	San Diego State	SDCCU Stadium (San Diego, Calif.)	70,561
25	Iowa	Kinnick Stadium (Iowa City, Iowa)	69,250

What is a Stadium?

A stadium is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events that consists of a field or stage surrounded by a tiered structure that allows spectators to stand or sit and watch the event. This article lists the largest stadiums in the United States, ranked by their capacity for spectators. The figures represent the permanent total capacity of each stadium, which includes seating and any official standing areas.

The capacity includes movable seating, which multi-purpose stadiums use to convert the stadium for different sports on a regular basis, as well as retractable seating for safe standing, but it does not include any temporary seating or standing, such as for concerts. The stadiums in the list are ordered by the largest of these capacities. Note that race tracks, closed or inactive stadiums, and figures derived from temporary spectator capacity are not included in this list.

In the United States and Canada, American football, also known as gridiron, is a team sport in which two teams of eleven players compete on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offensive, or team in possession of the oval-shaped football, tries to advance down the field by rushing or passing the ball, while the defense, or team without possession of the ball, tries to stop the offense and reclaim control of the ball. In this post, we share the largest football stadiums in the United States, you’ll find even more interesting information about one of the most popular sports in the United States.

If the offense fails to gain at least 10 yards in four downs or plays, the ball is turned over to the defense; if they succeed, the drive is restarted with a new set of four downs.

A touchdown is scored by kicking the ball through the opponent’s goalposts, while a field goal is scored by pushing the ball into the opposing team’s end zone. The team with the most points at the end of a game wins. 

The terms “gridiron” or “American football” are preferred in English-speaking countries where other styles of football are popular, such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football is a team sport that evolved from soccer and rugby in the United States. The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869, between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton, with rules based on soccer rules at the time.

15 Largest College Football Stadiums in the USA

1. Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbo)

With a capacity of 109,901, Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the United States and the third-largest stadium in the world. The stadium is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, at the University of Michigan. It was established in 1927. The stadium is also known as Michigan’s Big House. The 2014 NHL Winter Classic was held at the stadium, and it was an incredible game between the Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

2. Beaver Stadium (University Park, Pa.)

Beaver Stadium is the second-largest college football stadium in the United States and the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere. It was also the first stadium in the Western Hemisphere to have its interior included in Google Street View. University Park, Pennsylvania, is home to the stadium. It was founded/constructed in 1960. The stadium has a unique feature in the form of house shoe seating.

Penn State’s football team plays at Beaver Stadium. Penn State’s sports teams used to play their home games on the grassy area in front of the old main primary classroom building on campus before the Beaver Stadium was built.

3. Kyle Field (College Station, Texas)      

With a capacity of 102,733, Kyle Field is the third-largest college football stadium in the United States and the largest in the Southeastern Conference. It is the home of the Texas A&M Aggies football team, and it is one of the largest football stadiums in the United States. Texas A&M University is the state’s oldest institution of higher learning. The university recently renovated the stadium to improve the fan experience. They added canopies and improved the acoustics, making it one of the best stadiums in the United States.

4. Neyland Stadium (Knoxville, Tenn.)      

This is a lovely American stadium that was built/established in 1921. The stadium is in Knoxville, Tennessee, United States of America. The stadium at Nayland has a capacity of 102,455. The stadium was renovated in 2009. This stadium ranked fourth on the list of the largest college football stadiums in the United States, is one of the largest in the country. On September 18, 2004, the stadium had a record attendance of 109,061 people. In 1970, the stadium hosted the Billy Graham Crusade, which featured President Richard Nixon as a special guest speaker.

5. Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge, La.)   

Tiger Stadium is the country’s fifth-largest college football stadium. The capacity of the fan is 102,321. In the year 1924, the stadium was founded/built. It is situated in the city of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The stadium’s acoustics are extremely loud, making it both unique and beautiful. “Death Valley” is a nickname for Tiger Stadium. It was given the name Death Valley because, when a game is in progress, the stadium can become extremely loud, making rival teams uncomfortable and making it an extremely intimidating place for opposing teams.

6. Ohio Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)        

This magnificent stadium ranks sixth among the nation’s largest college football stadiums. It has a capacity of 102,082 people and is known as “The Shoe” or “the House that Harley Built.” The stadium is located in Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State University. With a capacity of 66,210 fans, Ohio Stadium was once the largest stadium west of the Allegheny Mountains. Ohio Stadium is currently the world’s largest stadium to implement a zero-waste program to divert 90% of trash from landfills through recycling and composting. On Nov. 26, 2016, it had a record attendance of 110,045 people.

7. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Tuscaloosa, Ala.)   

With a capacity of 101,821, this stadium ranks seventh among the largest college football stadiums in the United States. It was completed and opened in 1929. Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is home to this lovely stadium. The stadium is distinguished by its high walls and seating. A total of 101,821 people attended a game at the stadium. The Alabama Crimson Tide football team plays in this outdoor stadium.

The stadium was named after George H. Denny, the former president of the University of Alabama who served from 1912 to 1932. The Alabama football team has a good home-win ratio in the stadium. The team has won approximately 69 percent of its home games in Bryant-Denny.

8. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Austin, Texas)         

The Texas Memorial Stadium, formerly known as the War Memorial Stadium, is the eighth-largest college football stadium in the United States. When it opened in 1924, the stadium was hailed as the largest sports facility of its kind in the Southwest, with a capacity of 100,119. It was built in 1924 and first opened in 1925. It’s also on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. The Longhorns football team plays their home games at the DKR. 

In the stadium, the Longhorns football team has won nearly 80% of its games. On Sept. 15, 2018, the stadium set a new attendance record with 103,507 people in attendance.

9. Georgia Sanford Stadium (Athens, Ga.)

In 1929, Sanford Stadium, also known as “Between the Hedges,” was founded/built. This magnificent stadium can be found in Athens, Georgia. It has a capacity of 92,746 people. Hedges ranks ninth among the country’s largest college football stadiums. It’s also the country’s fifth-largest on-campus stadium. On Sept. 21, 2019, the stadium had a record seating capacity/attendance of 93,246.

10. Rose Bowl (Pasadena, Calif.)

The Rose Bowl is a stadium in Pasadena, California, United States. With a seating capacity of 92,542, it is the tenth-largest college football stadium in the United States. UCLA has been playing there since 1982. The stadium was built/founded in the year 1922. It has hosted numerous sporting events, including two Olympic Games (1932 and 1984), five Super Bowls, and numerous FIFA World Cup and Women’s World Cup matches. A National Historic Landmark designation has been given to the stadium.

11. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

The University of Florida’s football stadium is named after Ben Hill Griffin. It has a campus in Gainesville, Florida. With a seating capacity of 88,548, this beautiful football stadium was built in 1930. The stadium is ranked eleventh among the nation’s largest college football stadiums. Surprisingly, the stadium, dubbed “The Swamp,” has been expanded, renovated, and improved numerous times over the years.

12. Memorial Stadium

Memorial Stadium, also known as “The Sea of Red,” was founded/built in 1923 and has a seating capacity of 85,458 people. The University of Nebraska’s football stadium is located on Lincoln, Nebraska’s campus. The stadium is the twelfth largest in the United States for college football. The stadium is the home of the Nebraska Cornhuskers football team and a number of other university and state events.

13. Jordan–Hare Stadium

This beautiful football stadium is located on the Auburn University campus in Auburn, Alabama, United States of America. Before it was expanded in 2004, it had a seating capacity of 87,451. The stadium is one of the largest college football stadiums in the United States, ranking 10th overall. The Auburn University Tigers football team plays their home games at the stadium.

Jordan Hare hosted its first football game on November 10, 1939, between the Auburn Tigers and Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. The stadium was known as Auburn Stadium at the time.

14. Frank Howard Field

Frank Howard Field, also known as “Death Valley,” is an American football stadium. It is located in Clemson, South Carolina, and has a seating capacity of 81,500 people. It was constructed between 1941 and 1942. The stadium is one of the best and largest in the country for college football. The stadium is currently the largest in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). The Clemson Tigers, an NCAA Division I FBS football team, based in Clemson, South Carolina, play their home games at this large college football stadium. The stadium has been expanded several times over the years.

15. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

With a seating capacity of 77,501, this is one of the largest college football stadiums in the United States. It was built/founded in 1923 and renovated to its current capacity in 2008. A day before the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the stadium was designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Conclusion

The largest college stadium in the United States is Michigan Stadium, which is followed by Penn State Beaver Stadium, Texas A&M Stadium, and others. Each stadium has a seating capacity of at least 80,000 people. You can learn more about these stadiums by conducting in-depth research on each of them individually.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the size of a football field?

The standard field dimensions in American football are 120 yards long and 53 1/3 yards wide. According to the definition, a standard football field covers 57,600 square feet or 1.32 acres. These measurements are consistent across high school, college, and professional (NFL) football.

What is the maximum capacity of a football stadium?

The capacity and size of the stadium vary depending on the popularity of the host team, but a standard stadium should hold at least 100,000 spectators at any given time.

Which college football stadium in the United States has the largest capacity?

With a capacity of 109,901, Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the United States.

What is the oldest college football stadium in the United States that is still in use?

Bobby Dodd Stadium is the oldest continuously used stadium. It was built in 1913 and has been in use ever since.

What are the three largest college football stadiums in the United States?

The following are the three largest college football stadiums in the United States:

1. The University of Michigan Stadium (Ann Arbor, Mich.)

2. Beaver Stadium at Penn State (University Park, Pa.)

3. Kyle Field, Texas A&M (College Station, Texas)

What is California’s largest stadium?

The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, with 92,542 seats, remains California’s largest stadium in terms of capacity.

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