EA Sports activities stirred up a whole lot of debate when it unveiled its rankings of the hardest locations to play for the upcoming School Soccer 25 online game. I’ve my very own ideas based mostly on some 30 years of overlaying the game wherein I’ve attended video games at and been on the sidelines for lots of the most charged stadium atmospheres within the nation.
The loudest and craziest venue I’ve been to is the previous Orange Bowl. When there was an enormous Miami sport there — often a Florida State go to — nothing was fairly prefer it. The closest factor I’ve seen is LSU’s Tiger Stadium. My colleagues at The Athletic had their very own ideas on the EA Sports activities listing, and now right here’s my rating of the ten hardest locations to play in school soccer.
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School Soccer 25’s Hardest Locations to Play: Debating the rankings
1. LSU: Tiger Stadium
The place is simply pure mayhem, and it begins approach earlier than kickoff. I’ve heard from so many coaches over time about how hostile the remedy of their groups is, from rattling their bus on arrival to dousing the guests with booze. Simply seeing Mike the Tiger in particular person provides one other layer of intimidation to this.
Mike Leach advised me the story of the primary time he went in there when he was the offensive coordinator at Kentucky.
“There have been these little previous women with their grandchildren flipping off our bus,” Leach stated. “Then as we obtained nearer, they begin rocking our bus!”
Depend Leach amongst these awed by Mike the Tiger — and the complete expertise.
I keep in mind being there in 2007 when Florida and Tim Tebow got here into Loss of life Valley on a Saturday evening for a top-10 showdown. Les Miles went for it 5 instances on fourth down and his staff — and their trustworthy — had his again each step of the best way for a come-from-behind 28-24 win. It was a document crowd on the time of 92,910. It gave the impression of twice as many individuals had been packed in there at a stadium that now holds greater than 100,000.
There was additionally the legendary Earthquake Sport in 1988. Technically, there have been fewer than 80,000 followers in there to see LSU upset Auburn, 7-6. However a seismograph registered an earthquake after Tommy Hodson related on a fourth-down TD cross with lower than two minutes to play.
I requested former LSU staffer and longtime Louisiana media member Derek Ponamsky in regards to the loudest he’s ever heard the place for a sport, and he stated it was in 2019 when one other Florida staff, ranked No. 6, visited.
“That sport was insane from the second we stepped off the bus,” he stated. “Ja’Marr (Chase’s) TD and our cease on fourth down within the purple zone was virtually pretty much as good because the Earthquake Sport or Rueben Randle’s catch and run in 2010 towards Alabama. However that stadium was a jet engine for six hours. It was LOUD earlier than they even took the sector. ‘School Gameday’ on campus. It was electrical.”
In the event you meet somebody who has by no means been round school soccer however needs the total expertise, there is just one place they should go to get it on full blast: LSU’s Loss of life Valley.
2. Alabama: Bryant-Denny Stadium
My favourite go to right here was for the 2010 Iron Bowl — the Cam Newton sport. There was a ton of drama surrounding Auburn and Newton that season based mostly on the NCAA’s investigation into his recruitment.
Within the wake of this sport, an Alabama staffer was let go due to their choice to play the Steve Miller Band tune “Take the Cash and Run” over the stadium sound system throughout warmups. It solely added to the raucous power within the constructing that day. The Tide jumped all around the Tigers early, going up 24-0, however Newton was Superman that season. He led Auburn to a 28-27 comeback win, snapping a 20-game dwelling win streak for the Crimson Tide.
Bama additionally deserves a whole lot of credit score for ratcheting up the stadium power with the lights, audio and video boards they’ve added over time. It may well really feel like a fairly mind-scrambling expertise after they obtained rolling.
3. Penn State: Beaver Stadium
The Nittany Lions’ White Out video games are deafening. Penn State often saves it for the hardest matchup of the season, though with Fox’s current “Massive Midday” technique factoring into Massive Ten scheduling, generally it doesn’t find yourself that approach.
The Nittany Lions have gained six of their previous seven prime-time White Outs, with six of these being towards ranked opponents — together with the 2016 win over No. 2 Ohio State. The lone defeat was towards No. 4 Ohio State by one level, 27-26, in 2018. Final yr, Penn State shut out No. 24 Iowa, 31-0.
However I can communicate from expertise that it’s not simply the White Outs that make this place particular. The environment final November when No. 3 Michigan visited Completely happy Valley was the loudest midday kickoff sport I can keep in mind within the final decade — louder than some other “Massive Midday” sport I’ve been at — with virtually 111,000 individuals in attendance. Michigan, which had probably the most skilled staff within the nation in 2023, did win that sport, 24-15.
4. Ohio State: Ohio Stadium
The Buckeyes have been the Massive Ten’s most dominant program for a very long time now, so whoever reveals up often is dealing with a stacked staff with a extra gifted roster. Nonetheless, the Horseshoe is a towering constructing that feels a lot completely different, and extra intimidating, than the Massive Home at archrival Michigan. The group is available in prepared to interrupt its opponent early and appears shocked if there’s something aside from a dominant Buckeyes displaying.
5. Virginia Tech: Lane Stadium*
The asterisk is right here as a result of I’m pondering of what this place has been prior to now, not essentially what it’s been in recent times. I get it. The outcomes not too long ago point out in any other case. As colleague Pete Sampson famous, The Hokies are 2-10 at dwelling towards Prime 25 groups prior to now decade, however when the Hokies are taking part in properly, this place is exclusive. I’ve been right here for just a few Hokies beatdowns of top-10 groups the place the place rocks. It has some Tiger Stadium vibes to it, and there’s one thing particular to it as properly.
It solely takes the primary two seconds of “Enter Sandman” to play and I get goosebumps. It occurs each time, much more than a decade later. It instantly takes me again to how Lane Stadium comes alive like no different venue, differently than Camp Randall Stadium and “Soar Round.” That’s frenzied; that is extra ominous.
It additionally completely match with their model of play. Based mostly totally on their vaunted particular groups, but additionally their aggressive protection, the Hokies had been school soccer’s preeminent sudden-change/quick-strike staff. It usually felt like they had been one large swing away from turning the sport round or blowing it open.
There was a decade-plus of Hokie magic from the late ’90s into the 2000s within the peak Frank Beamer days the place Lane was a chamber of horrors. In 1999, Virginia Tech confronted three Prime 25 groups — Syracuse, Miami and Boston School — and outscored them by a mixed 143-24 at dwelling. In 2002, Tech smashed Nick Saban’s No. 14 LSU squad, 26-8. The following yr, a top-10 Hokies staff hammered No. 2 Miami, 31-7. In 2004, the Hokies beat No. 6 West Virginia. In 2005, they beat up on No. 15 Georgia Tech and No. 13 Boston School by a mixed rating of 81-17. In 2009, Lane Stadium hosted successive top-20 wins over Nebraska and Miami.
If Brent Pry can get the Hokies rolling once more, Lane will grow to be an opponent’s worst nightmare.
6. Florida: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
In my expertise, The Swamp isn’t fairly within the class with LSU and Bama, however it’s proper there with Tennessee and Georgia in terms of a big-time, true SEC heavyweight experiences. Being there within the ’90s within the Steve Spurrier days to see the Gators face FSU and Bobby Bowden was incredible.
7. Tennessee: Neyland Stadium
In my first journey to Knoxville, I noticed Tennessee play Georgia within the late ’90s. The Vols had been actually rolling again then, and I obtained to be on the sector in the long run zone behind the Dawgs’ offense after they had been backed up inside their very own 10. I couldn’t even hear the particular person subsequent to me. It was a sea of orange, and it’s simple to see why so many Prime 25 groups have gotten thumped there over time when UT was using excessive. Georgia was No. 13 that day and misplaced to the Vols, 38-13.
8. Oregon: Autzen Stadium
I keep in mind one rival staffer telling me that they need to pump in noise in apply the week earlier than they face the Geese. It doesn’t seem to be a spot that measurement — seating 54,000 — could be that loud. It simply didn’t make sense to him. However in a matchup of high 10 groups, the Geese pounded their guests by virtually three touchdowns.
Autzen Stadium can also be a spot the place you may see virtually each sort of climate possible in the identical day. Oregon has been nice there for a very long time and has defeated 31 of its previous 32 opponents at Autzen.
9. Georgia: Sanford Stadium
I keep in mind seeing a superb Boise State staff are available in there ranked No. 18 towards No. 13 Georgia in 2005. The Broncos simply got here unglued and regarded overwhelmed, dropping 48-13. It was 38-0 earlier than the Broncos settled down. Jared Zabransky, who was a very good QB for Boise State, had his first two passes intercepted and turned it over six instances within the first half.
It doesn’t really feel prefer it’s been any simpler for guests now that the Dawgs are much more gifted. UGA has gained 13 consecutive video games towards Prime 25 opponents at Sanford Stadium.
10. Texas A&M: Kyle Subject
I’ve been there when the press field shakes. Kyle Subject is an superior constructing that will get actually, actually loud, and opponents complain that their sidelines odor like horse manure. My first journey for a sport was Johnny Manziel’s debut towards Florida. He was dynamic. The constructing shook. A&M misplaced, although. That’s why Kyle Subject will not be increased on my listing, even when it’s No. 1 in EA Sports activities’ rankings.
When A&M has been actually good, the Aggies have nonetheless struggled at dwelling greater than they need to. Manziel led them to a win at Bryant-Denny Stadium in 2012, however the subsequent yr, as wild because it felt to be in Kyle Subject for the rematch, A&M misplaced.
(Prime photograph: Jonathan Bachman / Getty Pictures)