SEC stadium rankings: Newcomers Oklahoma, Texas lag behind legacy league members after convention growth

EA Sports activities turned heads when it launched its evaluation of school soccer’s hardest locations to play forward of the upcoming “Faculty Soccer 25” online game launch. Recreation builders pegged Texas A&M as the game’s prime home-field surroundings and listed 9 SEC venues among the many prime 15.

Whereas loads of respect was proven to the SEC and its rabid fan bases with a powerful illustration close to the highest, EA’s ordering of the SEC environments was a lightning rod for controversy. Did Kyle Area actually deserve the highest spot forward of LSU’s Tiger Stadium, which is notoriously perilous for guests throughout night time video games?

What about Georgia coming in at No. 5 on the listing? The Bulldogs have been dominant at house beneath coach Kirby Good. However is that largely the byproduct of a expertise benefit and a positive SEC East schedule?

Faculty soccer realignment 2024 hyperlinks: Large Ten stadium rankings | Large Ten rivalry rankings | SEC stadium rankings

Whereas some components are quantifiable, choosing the right stadium surroundings within the SEC requires nuance. As Texas and Oklahoma be a part of the SEC for the 2024 season, we got down to take a deeper and extra detailed take a look at the hierarchy of SEC house environments.

1. LSU

LSU is 11-0 in house night time video games via two seasons beneath coach Brian Kelly. Its solely house lack of the Kelly period got here in an 11 a.m. native time begin in opposition to Tennessee in 2022, lending credence to the assumption there’s simply one thing totally different about Tiger Stadium at night time. The venue is appropriately nicknamed Loss of life Valley because it’s a spot the place goals go to die, particularly when the lights are on and the followers have spent all day fueling up.

2. Alabama

Alabama owned a 21-game house profitable streak earlier than a loss to Texas at Bryant-Denny Stadium final season. The Crimson Tide had been so dominant at house beneath Nick Saban that the legendary coach sometimes needed to prod Bama college students to stay engaged via what appeared like a endless collection of blowout wins. However when a high quality foe involves city, this place is deafening and sometimes demoralizing for opponents.

3. Florida

The Gators have dropped two house video games in every of the previous two seasons whereas looking for their footing beneath coach Billy Napier. Nevertheless, it should take greater than a few years to alter Ben Hill Griffin Stadium’s popularity as a nightmare venue for opponents. The Gators went 32-2 inside “The Swamp” from 2005-09 throughout City Meyer’s heyday as coach.

4. Tennessee

Neyland Stadium ranked solely seventh amongst SEC venues in EA Sports activities’ listing of hardest locations to play. Underestimate the orange madness at your personal peril. Former Oklahoma star quarterback Baker Mayfield as soon as referred to as Neyland Stadium “a special kind of loud” and stated it “was most likely the most effective recreation expertise I’ve had.”

5. Auburn

Auburn is simply 12-10 at Jordan-Hare Stadium over the previous three seasons after a collection of shut losses in opposition to top-15 foes Georgia, Alabama and Ole Miss final season. However Auburn is unmatched in its potential for miracles. Simply contemplate that the “Prayer at Jordan-Hare” and the “Kick-Six” to beat Georgia and Alabama occurred in consecutive video games throughout November of 2013.

6. Georgia

Georgia is 41-1 at house over the past seven seasons and owns the nation’s longest house profitable streak at 32 video games. Whereas the Bulldogs trustworthy deserve loads of credit score for the group’s success at Sanford Stadium, a lot of that dominance ought to most likely be attributed to the expertise benefit amassed by UGA beneath coach Kirby Good.

7. South Carolina

South Carolina’s stadium packs a punch, particularly for a program not considered a historic energy. Williams-Brice Stadium shakes when “Sandstorm” comes on, and the Gamecocks have notched some huge house wins beneath Shane Beamer. Beating Florida and Auburn was essential to getting the Gamecocks bowl-eligible in 2021, and an upset of No. 5 Tennessee altered the playoff image in 2022.

8. Texas A&M

Texas A&M’s “twelfth Man” and “Aggie Yell” are among the many most distinctive faculty soccer traditions and provides Kyle Area a singular really feel amongst its SEC friends. However EA Sports activities put an excessive amount of inventory in these components when rating A&M because the nation’s hardest place to play. Appalachian State certain appeared undaunted in 2022 when it left with a 17-14 victory.

9. Oklahoma 

If this was 2023 and we had been rating the most effective Large 12 stadiums, “The Palace on the Prarie” would probably sit at No. 1. However the Sooner trustworthy should show that OU’s home-field benefit is best than that of the SEC’s legacy applications. Visits from Tennessee and Alabama in 2024 will give the Sooners an opportunity to set the document straight.

10. Texas

Texas went 6-0 at house in 2023, however the marquee guests had been Kansas and Kansas State. The Longhorns had been a middling 9-4 at Darrell Ok Royal Memorial Stadium over the 2021 and 2022 seasons. A go to from Georgia on Oct. 19 this season will give Bevo and “The Eyes of Texas” a possibility to flex on the SEC and present that DKR belongs within the dialog as a premier SEC surroundings.

11. Mississippi State

The noise generated by tens of hundreds of ringing cowbells offers Davis Wade Stadium a loudness issue you would not sometimes count on from a venue with a capability of *solely* 61,337. Drop the Bulldogs into one other league and their home-field benefit could be thought of among the many finest.

12. Arkansas

When Arkansas is rocking and the hogs are referred to as, it is a beast that may cap out above a number of the others on this listing. However the Razorbacks are a pedestrian 15-11 at house beneath coach Sam Pittman after stumbling to a 3-4 house document final season. A few these losses had been of the non-competitive selection, and the wins had been in opposition to Western Carolina, Kent State and FIU.

13. Ole Miss

If we had been rating the most effective pregame scenes, Ole Miss would land considerably increased on the listing due to The Grove’s deserved popularity as a must-see tailgating vacation spot. A 19-2 house mark over the past three seasons is spectacular, however the vibe inside Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is extra genteel than daunting when in comparison with its SEC opponents. 

14. Missouri

Since becoming a member of the SEC in 2012, Missouri has made strides to get Memorial Stadium/Faurot Area on par with different SEC venues. If the Tigers had pulled off the upset in opposition to No. 1 Georgia in 2022, maybe the venue would rank increased on the listing. Alas, they fell 26-22 and narrowly missed out on a monumental house victory.

15. Kentucky

Any program that sells the naming rights of its soccer stadium to a grocery retailer chain is punting on this competitors. Kentucky’s 9-6 house mark over the previous two seasons is nothing particular, and UK is simply 2-6 in opposition to SEC guests over the previous two seasons.

16. Vanderbilt 

There’s an ongoing stadium renovation to modernize FirstBank Stadium. Sadly for the Commodores, these enhancements will merely make the venue much more interesting for opposing followers trying to take pleasure in a weekend in Nashville.