Photo Credit: EA Sports
Texas A&M hasn’t won double-digit games in 12 years, but the Aggies at least have bragging rights heading into the 2024 season.
Virtual bragging rights, that is.
EA Sports revealed the top 25 toughest places to play for its upcoming College Football 25 game on Tuesday, and Texas A&M’s Kyle Field tops the list. The SEC dominates the top of the list, as Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium is No. 4 and the only one in the top five outside of the conference.
Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium, LSU’s Tiger Stadium and Georgia’s Sanford Stadium are also included in the top five:
- Kyle Field – Texas A&M
- Bryant-Denny Stadium – Alabama
- Tiger Stadium – LSU
- Ohio Stadium – Ohio State
- Sanford Stadium – Georgia
- Beaver Stadium – Penn State
- Camp Randall Stadium – Wisconsin
- Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium – Oklahoma
- Doak S. Campbell Stadium – Florida State
- Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – Florida
- Autzen Stadium -Oregon
- Memorial Stadium – Clemson
- Neyland Stadium – Tennessee
- Jordan-Hare Stadium – Auburn
- Williams-Brice Stadium – South Carolina
- Michigan Stadium – Michigan
- Lane Stadium – Virginia Tech
- Rice-Eccles Stadium – Utah
- Darrell K. Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium – Texas
- Kinnick Stadium – Iowa
- Notre Dame Stadium – Notre Dame
- Spartan Stadium – Michigan State
- Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium – Arkansas
- Albertsons Stadium – Boise State
- Davis Wade Stadium – Mississippi State
One look at this list underscores just how difficult life will be in the SEC and the Big Ten following conference realignment.
Of the top 25 stadiums, 12 of them reside in the SEC now that former Big 12 powerhouses Texas and Oklahoma are in the league. There is essentially no easy road game remaining in the conference.
As for the Big Ten, seven of the 25 stadiums are in the league thanks to the addition of Oregon.
Penn State and Wisconsin are in the top 10 alongside Ohio State, while the reigning champion Michigan Wolverines check in at No. 16.
The toughest stadiums to play rankings will be a highly anticipated feature in the upcoming game, as it will be far more difficult to walk into daunting environments and come away with wins in dynasty mode or road to glory.
Some of the unique stadiums, player entrances, atmospheres and realistic graphics were on full display when EA Sports released the trailer:
Unique stadiums, student sections, traditions and the overall atmosphere on Saturday afternoons and evenings all separate college football from the NFL. Being able to realistically replicate the impact of such stadiums on gameplay is one of the things the upcoming game will surely be judged by, and EA Sports will clearly make things feel different at different stadiums.
College Football 25 is the first edition of the game since NCAA Football 14 and will feature real-life players thanks to name, image and likeness opportunities available for the current-day athletes.
But the virtual versions of those athletes will also have to face raucous crowds when they go on the road, especially if the game is at one of these 25 stadiums.
The game will be released on July 19 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.