Check out what Kansas State football's Avery Johnson had to say during Big 12 media days
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Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Yahoo
Ranking all 16 Big 12 football stadium atmospheres from worst to first
The Big 12 might not be the SEC or Big Ten when it comes to overall athletic tradition, but when it comes to college football, it is no slouch. Several iconic programs, brands and stadiums call the Big 12 home. With the middle of the offseason in full swing, it is the perfect time to evaluate the off-field qualities that make college football unique. Earlier this month, we ranked the Big 12's 16 football stadiums, as well as the conference's top home and road uniforms, its best helmets and which stadiums hold the largest crowds. With so much change around the Big 12 in recent years, the conference looks and feels a lot different, and if we are being honest, has lost some of its luster with Oklahoma and Texas no longer in the fold. Still, several storied programs are helping shape the identity of the new-look Big 12 — and Colorado is leading the charge. A founding member of the conference in 1996, the Buffaloes are back to where they belong and shining in nearly every aesthetic category. They boast the Big 12's best stadium, the sixth-best home uniform, the fifth-best road uniform and the second-best helmet. Under head coach Deion Sanders, Colorado has reemerged as a nationally relevant brand. We have another ranking to dive into: evaluating the Big 12's toughest venues to visit. College football is all about the atmosphere, so which teams take advantage of a raucous crowd? Here are our power rankings of the Big 12's 16 stadium atmospheres. 16. David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium (Kansas Jayhawks) Capacity: ~40,000 (47,233 before recent renovations) : 14 It is challenging to rank Kansas, as it has not played any games at its renovated stadium yet. If it resembles the renderings, the Jayhawks' home venue will likely move up this list next year. 15. Space City Financial Stadium (Houston Cougars) Capacity: 40,000 Stadium rank: 13 Big market college football schools can often lead to worse crowds since there are other things to do. Houston is one of those places. When it fills, it's decent, but it doesn't quite match other Big 12 venues yet. 14. Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati Bearcats) Capacity: 40,124 Stadium rank: 12 Nippert is the third-oldest stadium in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and underwent significant upgrades in 2015. It has character and an urban vibe, but it has lost considerable crowd support since the glory days under Luke Fickell. It could vault up this ranking if the Bearcats recapture that swagger that saw them go 31-1 at home from 2018-22. 13. FBC Mortgage Stadium (UCF Knights) Capacity: 44,206 Stadium rank: 16 UCF was dominant during its time in the AAC from 2017 to 2022. The Knights were so good that the stadium's nickname became "The Bounce House." However, consistency depends on the opponent and kickoff time, peaking its ranking at No. 13. 12. Arizona Stadium (Arizona Wildcats) Capacity: 50,782 Stadium rank: 15 Arizona might have been in the process of turning its home atmosphere around, but then Jedd Fisch left for Washington, and Brent Brennan's first year in charge did not go as planned. If they reverse their current negative trend, it can be a fantastic atmosphere, especially for night games. 11. Mountain America Stadium (Arizona State) Capacity: 53,599 Stadium rank: 11 Arizona State's home attendance has only increased since Kenny Dillingham took over, but until I see a full season with fans showing up for their team with sky-high expectations, Mountain America Stadium falls just outside our top 10. 10. McLane Stadium (Baylor Bears) Capacity: 45,140 Stadium rank: 8 McLane is one of the better atmospheres in the conference when the Bears are playing well. Exemplified by their six-game winning streak to end the 2024 regular season and in 2021 when the Bears went 12-2, including a 7-0 home mark. Unfortunately, the energy is not always at max levels, but hopefully that changes this year with an up-and-coming Baylor squad. 9. Folsom Field (Colorado Buffaloes) Capacity: 50,183 Stadium rank: 8 Folsom Field is a beautiful setting with views of the Flatirons, but when Colorado is bad, the atmosphere is equally as bad. I was there during the 1-11 season, and once the Buffs got down by double digits, the crowds would flock to the exits. The Deion Sanders effect is real in Boulder, but he will have to continue winning to keep CU fans in their seats. 8. Amon G. Carter Stadium (TCU Horned Frogs) Capacity: 46,000 Stadium rank: 3 Amon G. Carter Stadium is intimate and sleek. It is loud when the Horned Frogs are rolling, especially in big games, such as when Colorado opened the season there in 2023. 7. Jack Trice Stadium (Iowa State Cyclones) Capacity: 61,500 Stadium rank: 10 Cyclone fans are loyal, and the entire program is underrated. Matt Campbell consistently has Iowa State punching above its weight, and the fans show out when the team wins, which has recently been a lot. 6. Milan Puskar Stadium (West Virginia Mountaineers) Capacity: 60,000 Stadium rank: 7 Milan Puskar Stadium could fluctuate between having the best stadium atmosphere in the Big 12 and falling outside the top 10, depending on the team's performance. Last time Rich Rodriguez was head coach, it was arguably one of the best environments in the country, and now that he is back, the Mountaineers could be back as well. 5. Rice-Eccles Stadium (Utah Utes) Capacity: 51,444 Stadium rank: 5 I have been to games at Rice Eccles, and it is electric, but I do think the atmosphere gets overrated at times. It deserves a spot in the top 5, but that is as high as I can go. 4. Boone Pickens Stadium (Oklahoma State Cowboys) Capacity: 53,855 Stadium rank: 2 Boone Pickens would typically be in the top 3 or possibly even No. 1, but with the drastic step back the program took last year, the atmosphere suffered as well. The fans are right on top of the field, and when the Cowboys are good, it is one of the loudest stadiums in the country. 3. Jones AT&T Stadium (Texas Tech Red Raiders) Capacity: 60,229 Stadium rank: 4 Tortillas fly, and chaos begins at every Texas Tech home game. Any place that throws tortillas gets a bump in my book. The Red Raiders' home venue is one of the most intimidating places to play after dark. 2. Bill Snyder Family Stadium (Kansas State Wildcats) Capacity: 50,000 Stadium rank: 9 Not a flashy venue by any means, but the nonstop support is there—a proper college town environment with a loud and loyal fan base. 1. LaVell Edwards Stadium (BYU Cougars) Capacity: 63,470 Stadium rank: 6 I don't find LaVell Edwards Stadium to be that attractive, but it is a daunting place to play a road game. As the largest stadium in the Big 12, the crowd is automatically loud, add in the high elevation, and you've got yourself a college football atmosphere dream. Night games in Provo are a special kind of electricity that we witnessed multiple times in 2024. Follow Charlie Strella on X, Threads, and Instagram. Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions. This article originally appeared on Buffaloes Wire: Power ranking all 16 Big 12 football stadium atmospheres
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Check out what Kansas State football's Cody Stufflebean had to say at Big 12 media days
Check out some of what Kansas State football player Cody Stufflebean had to say while speaking at Big 12 Conference media days.
USA Today
3 days ago
- USA Today
Did Deion Sanders' absence affect Colorado's recruiting? 'I got on the phone with him'
Colorado football fans had been getting a little worried about the state of recruiting in Boulder under head coach Deion Sanders. On July 8, the Buffaloes stood at 97th nationally for the 2026 class rankings, according to the 247Sports composite. The Buffaloes only had six commitments at that point from high school or junior college players for 2026. Sanders also has been away from campus with a health issue while a number recruits came to visit Boulder in June before deciding which colleges to join in 2026. So if he's not there to see them, what happens then? USA TODAY Sports discussed this with recruits who said they were told that Sanders was out sick when they visited. None said Sanders' absence played a role in their decisions. Despite his absence, Colorado has been on a roll lately with three new commitments from recruits since July 10, including four-star linebacker Rodney Colton Jr. from Georgia. In Colton's case, it didn't matter if Sanders wasn't on campus when he visited Boulder in June. Sanders talked to him by phone instead. 'I got on the phone with him when I went over there for my (visit),' said Colton, who had more than 30 scholarship offers. 'I was on the phone with him (July 12) too. He was just like, `We don't recruit guys who don't want to get in here and play.'' Colorado staff explained Deion Sanders' absence to recruits Colorado since has moved up to 80th in the 247Sports rankings, as of July 16, with nine commitments for 2026, which still ranks last in the Big 12 Conference. However, these rankings are the full story in Colorado's case because they only include high school and junior college recruits. Sanders has been more selective about the high school recruits he brings in and instead has relied on the transfer portal to fill out much of his roster. The rankings don't reflect that dynamic and therefore don't mean much in the way of predicting the quality of his overall 2026 recruiting class. But his absence still raised questions about its impact on recruiting, especially since Sanders doesn't travel away from campus to recruit players. He instead relies on recruits visiting him in Boulder. And his presence is often the biggest draw for recruits to Boulder – a big reason Colorado gave him a new $10 million-per-year contract earlier this year. POWER RANKINGS: How the Big 12 stacks up from No. 1 to No. 16 So what if he's not there when they come over to see his program? Recruits said it came to down to other factors, as it often does, such as relationships with assistant coaches and culture. Colorado's assistant coaches and staff welcomed the recruiting visitors in Sanders' absence and told them why Sanders couldn't be there. A local offensive line recruit, Tripp Skewes, was one of them. He visited in June but later decided to join Vanderbilt instead of Colorado, increasing concerns among Buffaloes fans. 'It didn't make a difference,' Skewes said of Sanders' absence. 'I understood he was sick and would rather him focus on getting healthy.' Skewes said a big part of his decision was Vanderbilt assistant coach Jeff Nady. 'The main reason I chose Vandy is because of Coach Nady and strength of schedule,' Skewes told USA TODAY Sports. June visitors to Colorado not fazed by temporary absence Sanders suffered his health setback in May and missed a wave of recruiting visitors who came through Boulder in June before the NCAA window for visits ended June 22. A 'dead period' for recruiting visits now lasts through most of August. But of Colorado's nine high school or junior college commitments for 2026, seven visited the Colorado campus in June when Sanders was out, underscoring the fact that his absence didn't matter for them at least. That includes four-star cornerback Preston Ashley from Mississippi, who chose Colorado over Florida State and visited the same weekend as Colton June 20. Some Colorado recruits who visited in June are still deciding which college to join, including offensive line recruit Ben Gula of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Gula said he's narrowed his choices to Colorado or Central Florida. Asked if Sanders' absence mattered to him, Gula said, 'It definitely did matter to me but to be completely honest I am happy I got to spend more time with their (offensive coordinator) because generally I'm going to be around him a lot more and it was awesome getting to talk ball with one of the most established coaches in college football.' Gula said recruits were told that Sanders was 'in the hospital and wasn't able to be there.' Sanders was away at his estate in Texas during his sabbatical but returned to address the news media at Big 12 media days in Frisco, Texas, July 9. He is expected to return to the Colorado campus as soon as next week. New Colorado recruit: 'This is where I want to be' In the meantime, Sanders' message to recruits still seems to matter even if he wasn't there temporarily. He has often stressed the vast amount of NFL experience on his coaching staff, which includes Pro Football of Famers Marshall Faulk and Warren Sapp. Gula said that makes a difference to him '100%.' 'Colorado has an almost Hall-of-Fame level coaching staff with the amount of coaches that have had that NFL experience' Gula said. Sanders has emphasized the quality of his staff to recruits over any money they'd get from deals with the university or third parties for their names, images and likenesses (NIL). Colton said NIL concerns weren't an issue to him. 'I ain't really too much of a money person,' said Colton, who chose Colorado over Florida State, Mississippi and others. 'Money cool and all, but money is just materialistic things to me. It just buys you materialistic stuff, I guess. To me I'm not really about the money. I just want to ball.' Colton's relationship with Colorado linebackers coach Andre' Hart sealed the deal, he said. Colton also said he liked the idea of exposing his name and brand to a different part of the country, far from Georgia. 'Everything about coach Hart Is just amazing, and then who don't want to get coached by Deion, Prime Time?' Colton told USA TODAY Sports. 'The big part is like the culture out there and like family. Everything out there is family, so I'm like, 'OK, this is where I want to be.'' Colorado opens preseason camp in late July before opening the season Aug. 29 at home against Georgia Tech. Many of the recruits who committed for 2026 are expected to enroll in January. Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: bschrotenb@
