Perhaps what college football does best is tradition. It bonds the fresh-faced undergrads of today to the alums of yesteryear. And like most historic rites, they must be performed on hallowed ground. Stadiums in college football are the cathedrals of these customs, whose expressed purpose is, in part, to maintain the purity of the game.
While professional football stadiums have eschewed tradition (looking at you Acrisure Stadium) and built in each and every creature comfort, college football stadiums keep one thing at the forefront, The Game.
Nothing better exemplifies this than ESPN’s recent ranking of the Top 25 college football stadiums. This list puts the Rose Bowl as the second-best college football stadium behind only LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. UCLA Bruins‘ home field offers exactly everything you need to enjoy a football game without the silly distractions of modernity, plopped down in perhaps the most scenic views in all of sports.
The ‘Gran Daddy of the All’ beat out iconic stadiums such as Notre Dame Stadium (4th) and intra-LA rival, USC Trojan’s stadium, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum by 20 spots. It is also the top-rated Big 10 stadium. Michigan (3rd), Penn State (5th), Ohio State (7th), Wisconsin (8th), and Nebraska (16th) were the other conference schools to be featured.
UCLA Bruins Homefield Advantage
Broadcaster Keith Jackson used to marvel (repeat it in his legendary voice) about the majestic San Gabriel Mountains hovering in the distance at the Rose Bowl. Good luck finding a more picturesque backdrop for any football stadium on the planet, especially at sunset. Sure, the stadium is old and in need of repairs, but there’s a reason it was established as a National Historic Landmark.
The Rose Bowl Game is held there every year. The stadium also has hosted five Super Bowls, an Olympic gold medal match in soccer and multiple World Cup finals. Although UCLA doesn’t draw big crowds for home games, the blend of history, pageantry and scenery surrounding the iconic 92,542-seat stadium in Pasadena, California, makes it a must-visit for any college football fan.
Chris Low, ESPN
The UCLA Bruins have played their home games in the Rose Bowl since 1982. They have also played 12 times in the Rose Bowl game with a record of 5-7. Their most recent appearance was after the 1998 season, a 31-38 loss to Wisconsin.
