All across the country, Americans love their sports. Football, baseball, basketball, hockey—you name it, and someone in the United States has probably tried to start a team dedicated to it.
With so many sports being played at the professional level in our country, it’s only natural that there would be plenty of stadiums to go around as well.
These 10 stadiums are among the biggest and most iconic in America; take a look!
1.) Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl, located in Pasadena, California, is the biggest stadium in the US, with a capacity of 92,542.
The stadium is home to the annual Rose Bowl game, which is one of the most important college football games in the country.
The stadium has also hosted five Super Bowls, most recently in 1993.
The Rose Bowl remains one of the few stadiums in the US that still has an area where grass can grow; it’s called the field of dreams and people are allowed to play on it for free.
The Rose Bowl has been around since 1922, so you know it’s worth checking out!
2.) Ohio Stadium
Also known as The Horseshoe or The Shoe, Ohio Stadium is the sixth-largest stadium in the world, the third-largest stadium in America, and the largest stadium in the United States that is not used for professional football.
It is home to the Ohio State Buckeyes football team. With a seating capacity of 102,329, Ohio Stadium is one of the most iconic stadiums in college football.
From its opening in 1922 until 2009, Ohio Stadium was the largest college football stadium in the country.
It has also been named one of the seven wonders of American sports by Sports Illustrated. Unlike some stadiums, it’s actually fairly cheap to attend an event at Ohio Stadium.
Tickets range from $35-$75 and are available on Ticketmaster. Fans enter through Gate 6 off of Woody Hayes Drive. Parking near the stadium can be difficult because the parking lots fill up quickly but there are other parking options around campus if you’re willing to walk a little bit more.
On game day, many hotels offer shuttle services for fans who want them so you don’t have to worry about getting back late at night without one!
There are a few restaurants and bars within walking distance of the stadium where you can grab a bite before the game or after. As long as you plan ahead and get your tickets early, attending an OSU football game will be one of your best experiences yet!
3.) Michigan Stadium
The largest stadium in the United States is Michigan Stadium, home of the University of Michigan Wolverines.
With a capacity of over 107,000 people, it’s nearly twice as large as the second biggest stadium on this list. If you’re ever in Ann Arbor on a football Saturday, make sure to check out a game at The Big House!
With teams like Ohio State coming to town and always a heated rivalry with the Buckeyes, there’s never a dull moment when visiting UM.
It might be one of the best stadiums for college football in America, but we’ll have to wait until next year for the Wolverines to take on Alabama or Clemson for their shot at national glory.
Sports Illustrated said that Michigan Stadium is not just the nation’s biggest stadium; it is also the country’s most intimidating setting.
Even if you aren’t a fan of U-M, if you find yourself in the area during football season (or any time of year), it’s worth stopping by. The cost of admission is free and tours are available throughout the week.
4.) Beaver Stadium
Beaver Stadium, located in University Park, Pennsylvania, is home to the Penn State Nittany Lions.
The stadium has a capacity of 106,572, making it the second-largest stadium in the US. The stadium is named after James A. Beaver, a former governor of Pennsylvania and president of the university’s board of trustees.
Beaver Stadium is also home to the largest student section in all of college football. For every game, over 95% of available seats are filled by students.
In addition to hosting the Nittany Lions’ games, Beaver Stadium hosts many other events such as concerts and graduation ceremonies.
The first concert was held on June 17, 1970, with Country Joe and the Fish. Other notable performers include Paul McCartney (who holds the record for playing there five times), Elton John, Billy Joel, Madonna, U2, and Bruce Springsteen.
The Rolling Stones have performed at Beaver Stadium six times and have played there more than any other venue worldwide.
It is one of two venues along with Notre Dame Stadium to host both an AFL Championship Game and a Super Bowl.
On November 18, 1973, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys 16-13 in Super Bowl X. The Philadelphia Eagles followed suit twenty years later when they beat the Buffalo Bills 20-19 in Super Bowl XXVIII on January 30, 1994.
5.) Sanford Stadium
Sanford Stadium is the on-campus playing venue for Georgia Bulldogs football. The U.S. state of Georgia’s oldest and largest stadium, it is the tenth largest stadium in the NCAA and the fifteenth largest in the world, with a seating capacity of 92,746.
Sanford Stadium was built in 1929 to replace Woodruff Field and has been expanded or renovated many times since its original construction.
It can host both artificial turf and grass playing surfaces. In 2001, then-Georgia head coach Mark Richt installed what was then considered modern field lighting (since retired) and had the college board approve removing some seats in 2002 as well as reducing capacity from 104,000 to 90,400. In 2008, however, renovations were completed that created wider concourses that improved traffic flow.
These resulted in a reduction of capacity that reduced the maximum number from 107,612 to 92,746. In 2012, an upper deck was added to the west side stands; this increased capacity to 92,746, which now remains after all these years.
The current stadium uses a turf surface developed by AstroTurf rather than natural grass like most other stadiums in use today. However, until 2016, there was an option to install natural grass if needed.
Former players may not be happy about their hallowed ground being turned into a soccer pitch but at least they won’t have to worry about sitting in the rain or snow while watching their team play.
6.) Neyland Stadium
Neyland Stadium, located in Knoxville, Tennessee, is the largest stadium in the United States. It has a capacity of 102,455 and is home to the University of Tennessee Volunteers football team.
The stadium was built in 1921 and has been renovated several times since then. Neyland Stadium is named after Robert Neyland, who was the head coach of the Volunteers from 1926 to 1952.
He compiled an impressive record of 165-31-12. One of his many accomplishments included winning six SEC championships during his tenure.
He coached for one season at Texas A&M before retiring from coaching and became athletics director for the university until his death in 1962.
He is still considered the greatest coach in American history by ESPN.
In 2006, Neyland Stadium underwent another renovation that includes the addition of luxury suites and a larger press box with two rows of press booths for radio/television broadcasting. The construction cost $126 million. Renovations were completed on September 27, 2009.
The stadium now has the following features: 804 club seats, 26 skyboxes (with up to 12 people per skybox), 74 suites (each suite accommodates 20 people), 507 loge boxes (which seat 4-6 people each), 13 elevators and escalators, 576 restrooms, 17 ticket windows and 5 gates.
8.) Bryant–Denny Stadium
- Located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Bryant–Denny Stadium is the home of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team.
- With a capacity of over 101,000 fans, it is the seventh largest stadium in the NCAA and the tenth largest in the United States.
- The stadium opened in 1929 and has undergone several expansions since then.
- It is named after former University of Alabama president George H. Denny and former head coach Paul W. Bear Bryant.
- Home to college football’s annual Iron Bowl, Bryant-Denny Stadium is known as one of the most intimidating places to play.
- In 2008, ESPN ranked it as the second-best stadium in all of college football behind Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium.
- Additionally, Sports Illustrated rates its tradition as second only to Notre Dame’s Touchdown Jesus mural at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
- And Forbes ranks it as the number one game day experience in all of college football!
- Bryant-Denny Stadium was honored with numerous awards for excellence including Sports Turf Managers Association Field of the Year (2008), Athletic Business Magazine Athletics Management Award (2009), The Birmingham News Press Club All-Alabama Building Award (2010), and Architectural Review’s Project of Distinction Award (2011). 10.
9.) Williams Brice Stadium
Williams-Brice Stadium is the home of the South Carolina Gamecocks football team. It is located in Columbia, South Carolina, and has a capacity of 80,250.
The stadium opened in 1974 and is currently the 20th largest stadium in college football. Williams-Brice Stadium is also the site of the annual Palmetto Bowl.
During this game, the Battle of the Palmetto State rivalry game between Clemson University and the University of South Carolina is played on alternating years with each university hosting one year during an eight-year period.
In addition to being used for collegiate games, it is used for high school football games including all-region championship games that are played in any part of SC.
The stadium was named after Roy D. Doc Williams, who was a coach at the school from 1936 to 1964, as well as athletic director from 1950 to 1973. In 1994, the playing field was renamed Ernest W. Spangler Field after former Gamecock letterman Ernest W. Spangler from Greenwood (1932–1934).
10.) Kyle Field
Located in College Station, Texas, Kyle Field is home to the Texas A&M Aggies football team. The stadium has a capacity of 102,733 people, making it the largest stadium in the state of Texas and the fifth largest stadium in the United States.
The facility underwent a $485 million renovation prior to the start of the 2015 season. The expansion increased seating capacity by nearly 8,000 seats, including additional club and suite seating.
In addition, the renovations updated Kyle Field’s infrastructure with improved audio-visual technology and included new concourses with wider aisles, restrooms and concession stands as well as providing better protection from the weather.
Other additions include a large high-definition video board at the south end zone which replaced the former white scoreboard tower that was in place since 1967.
Also added are the two massive end zone screens measuring 36 feet tall by 164 feet wide.
Finally, four light poles were installed on either side of the playing field for night games. Prior to the renovations, these stadiums had been ranked 3rd and 4th in terms of attendance. These improvements have helped them climb up to 2nd and 3rd respectively.
11.) Memorial Coliseum
Memorial Coliseum, located in Los Angeles, California, is the largest stadium in the United States.
It is also the home of the USC Trojans football team. The Coliseum has a capacity of over 93,000 people and has been used for a variety of events, including the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Texas A&M’s Kyle Field: Texas A&M’s Kyle Field is one of the biggest stadiums in the country with a capacity of 102,733. Home to College Station’s Texas A&M Aggies Football Team, it can seat up to 104,600 fans when set up for basketball games or other sporting events.
Tiger Stadium: Tiger Stadium on LSU’s campus was renovated and opened again in 2008 with an initial seating capacity of 92,400 (since reduced to 92,321).
The $300 million renovation project included replacing every seat in the stadium with wider seats that will accommodate those who are taller than average; widening concourses; adding club seats and outdoor suites; two video boards – one near each end zone; two sets of double-decker stands for student seating; enclosing the upper deck by wrapping around both sides of the stadium from end zone to end zone, creating the Jungle–a long stretch of bench-style seats.