Ranking the loudest stadiums in the Big Ten (#8. TCF Bank Stadium)

More socially acceptable tbh
i guess that may be true? idk if its that or its just more socially acceptable to be loud at Vikings/Wild games versus Gopher games. lots of people sitting behind you, etc. which can pressure you to sit down and be quiet versus vikes games where everyone is on their feet regularly, which is in part driven by the way they work the PA, etc.
 


i guess that may be true? idk if its that or its just more socially acceptable to be loud at Vikings/Wild games versus Gopher games. lots of people sitting behind you, etc. which can pressure you to sit down and be quiet versus vikes games where everyone is on their feet regularly, which is in part driven by the way they work the PA, etc
Its a younger and MUCH drunker crowd at Vikings games. I actually don't think the Wild crowd is much louder than a Gopher crowd it's different too because it's a smaller, indoor venue.
 

Its a younger and MUCH drunker crowd at Vikings games. I actually don't think the Wild crowd is much louder than a Gopher crowd it's different too because it's a smaller, indoor venue.
Re Vikings: i suppose that could be true, but wasn't my experence when I was there that they were "much" drunker. there's tuned up people everywhere. Feels like some of the difference is those at Vikings games are cheering regardless of age (maybe it comes with the you're paying so much for a ticket, you best get into it?).

Re Wild: ugh I fucked up my edit so nvm haha
 

Re Vikings: i suppose that could be true, but wasn't my experence when I was there that they were "much" drunker. there's tuned up people everywhere. Feels like some of the difference is those at Vikings games are cheering regardless of age (maybe it comes with the you're paying so much for a ticket, you best get into it?).

Re Wild: ugh I fucked up my edit so nvm haha
It might depend where you are sitting at Vikings games but especially in the cheaper sections the fans are all plastered.
 



Nebraska seats 90k.
If you’ve been to these places I feel likes its not close.

Tier 1 - Michigan, Ohio state, penn state, Nebraska, Wisconsin, iowa - always huge event no matter what


Tier 2 - Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota - can be as good as tier 1 for a game but inconsistent and if you’re at the wrong game could seem like a ghost town

Tier 3 - ghost town is the norm at Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana

Tier 4 - northwestern
 

It might depend where you are sitting at Vikings games but especially in the cheaper sections the fans are all plastered.

I grew up going to half the Vikings home schedule at the Dome and have been an Iowa season ticket holder for half a decade. I think college football attracts a more affluent crowd with the academic tie to one’s team. My theory is certainly a theory, but I am surrounded by a loud, not drunken, crowd in my section. Our upper deck seats for the Vikes was far more blue collar.
 

Any of the Big Ten stadiums can be amazing atmospheres for a single game, in the perfect circumstances. We had it against Penn State in 2019, but prior to that (and since) it's tough to find that until perhaps going back to TCU in 2015?

I'm sure if you look hard and long enough, you can find the same thing at Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana, and Northwestern.
 



If you’ve been to these places I feel likes its not close.

Tier 1 - Michigan, Ohio state, penn state, Nebraska, Wisconsin, iowa - always huge event no matter what


Tier 2 - Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota - can be as good as tier 1 for a game but inconsistent and if you’re at the wrong game could seem like a ghost town

Tier 3 - ghost town is the norm at Rutgers, Maryland, Illinois, Indiana

Tier 4 - northwestern
Your tiers are good but I might be tempted to move Michigan to tier 2. Was thoroughly unimpressed by the big house in almost every way. Atmosphere is not great and the crowd is very docile overall.

would love to see it for an Ohio state game but was not impressed when I was there. Stadium is very over rated based mostly on size.
 

Your tiers are good but I might be tempted to move Michigan to tier 2. Was thoroughly unimpressed by the big house in almost every way. Atmosphere is not great and the crowd is very docile overall.

would love to see it for an Ohio state game but was not impressed when I was there. Stadium is very over rated based mostly on size.
Yeah. But it’s hard to put it in a tier with Purdue, Minnesota, and Michigan state when they haven’t had a crowd of less than 50k in over 80 years.

maybe their are tier to themselves
 

Yeah. But it’s hard to put it in a tier with Purdue, Minnesota, and Michigan state when they haven’t had a crowd of less than 50k in over 80 years.

maybe their are tier to themselves
Never been to Nebraska, Maryland or Rutgers but have been to all the others. From just an atmosphere/look/feel standpoint I would rank them like this.

Penn State
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Iowa
Minnesota
Michigan State
Purdue
Michigan
Illinois
Indiana
Northwestern

Very unscientific just based on where it was fun to go.
 

Your tiers are good but I might be tempted to move Michigan to tier 2. Was thoroughly unimpressed by the big house in almost every way. Atmosphere is not great and the crowd is very docile overall.

would love to see it for an Ohio state game but was not impressed when I was there. Stadium is very over rated based mostly on size.
was it against us?
 



was it against us?
Yes, so their fans were not as invested as they probably would be against an Ohio State or other opponent they feared more at the time. That said, they were quiet most of the time until the situation called for them to get loud and even then it wasn't anywhere close to on par with places like Penn State, Ohio State or Wisconsin.

Just a really bland boring environment. Once you got past the sheer size of the bowl there wasn't really anything else impressive about it. Top of the stadium is basically at ground level so as you drive up there isn't anything impressive to catch your eye and the inside isn't much better.

Just a big huge bowl that holds a lot of people.
 

Yes, so their fans were not as invested as they probably would be against an Ohio State or other opponent they feared more at the time. That said, they were quiet most of the time until the situation called for them to get loud and even then it wasn't anywhere close to on par with places like Penn State, Ohio State or Wisconsin.

Just a really bland boring environment. Once you got past the sheer size of the bowl there wasn't really anything else impressive about it. Top of the stadium is basically at ground level so as you drive up there isn't anything impressive to catch your eye and the inside isn't much better.

Just a big huge bowl that holds a lot of people.
just was curious. my significant other is a michigan family, and they care next to nothing about us so may have something to do with it, but I also get what you're saying.
 

Its a younger and MUCH drunker crowd at Vikings games. I actually don't think the Wild crowd is much louder than a Gopher crowd it's different too because it's a smaller, indoor venue.
The fact that at the Vikings they play ear splitting loud music and etc ... probably has a lot to do with the Vikings crowds being ok with noise too.

It kinda filters out the folks who might otherwise complain ...
 

just was curious. my significant other is a michigan family, and they care next to nothing about us so may have something to do with it, but I also get what you're saying.
yeah, I was just underwhelmed. You hear all the hype about "The Big House" and then you see it and it is nothing close to what you were picturing in your head. Just a big boring bowl.
 

i think one of the biggest things the gameday coordinators at the U need to figure out is how to get the fans into the moment. It happes at Vikings games and Wild games and even so when they both sucked. I get we're a pro sports town, but they also need to be better at generating their in game atmosphere
I think the Vikings fanbase, and the Wild's are just so much more built in. When the Vikes played their two seasons on campus, the place was always full. I remember that overtime winner against the Jets, the place was rocking.
I feel like the Gophers already have enough gameday things. The key jingle, Battle Hymn, Golden Gopher First Down, the Rouser are all well established, as well as the newer one Do the Gopher. The U can always try another shot at a stadium Ski U Mah chant I suppose.
 

yeah, I was just underwhelmed. You hear all the hype about "The Big House" and then you see it and it is nothing close to what you were picturing in your head. Just a big boring bowl.
makes perfect sense. never having been there, i'll have to convince them to take me to see for myself
 

yeah, I was just underwhelmed. You hear all the hype about "The Big House" and then you see it and it is nothing close to what you were picturing in your head. Just a big boring bowl.
Yeah. It’s definitely at the bottom of the top tier.

My list would go:
Nebraska*
Penn State*
Ohio state
Iowa*
Wisconsin*

Michigan

Michigan state
Minnesota*
Purdue

Indiana
Illinois
Maryland**
rutgers**

northwestern

* = have been to multiple times
** = haven’t been to
 

Michigan State
Purdue
Michigan
Illinois
Indiana
The rest I get ... but just wondering what you felt like the detractors were for these.

I think IU has done some semi-recent major upgrades to their stadium? Others may have as well.
 

The metrodome was probably the loudest in the Big Ten for the very few big games that occurred there.

For those who attended Gopher games in the Dome, things got quite loud and even a little intimidating during the Holtz years of 1984-'85.


BTW, I've never been to Bloomington, Indiana for a Hoosier home game, but I would anticipate that they will climb the rankings this year and beyond.
 

my friend about broke my ankle when he jumped on my back when we thought it was TD insead of a half yard short

no worries, we got time left, a big QB, and only half yard to go



WTF, motion to the shotgun and only get one play off?
Epic fail. Just watching the clock wind down for those 18 seconds or so with no snap was a low, low, low point in Gopher football futility.
 

Your tiers are good but I might be tempted to move Michigan to tier 2. Was thoroughly unimpressed by the big house in almost every way. Atmosphere is not great and the crowd is very docile overall.

would love to see it for an Ohio state game but was not impressed when I was there. Stadium is very over rated based mostly on size.
I would move Nebby down based on my small sample size of one game. Big crowd? Yes. In game atmosphere? Meh. Pointed this out before, but their tailgate lots are not really close to the stadium and a highway overpass and railroad tracks separates them from the stadium. Haymarket area is fun, but still a 10 minute walk over.
 

People have been talking up Indiana because they hung in a game vs Ohio State that they were almost blown of out in the first quarter and they have a loudmouth coach. Indiana has done very little over the last three years that impresses me. I'll be impressed if they sustain any success.

Their fans care even less than Gopher fans and are almost as pathetic as Northwestern fans.

I have been there though and Bloomington is one of my favorite Big Ten campuses and the much improved stadium has very nice sight lines and incredible tailgating. in terms of design and layout, Memorial Stadium is second to our stadium in the Big Ten in good design and flow. If they ever move to the top it could be a great environment with steep stands and a closed in bowl now.
Not defending Wildcats but NW has like 8,000 undergrads. 1/3 are from Illinois. They get better crowds now but, yeah, gameday is very underwhelming.
 


I went to a Vikings?Packers game at TCF.....the atmosphere was pretty good, not great. Anyone else have an opinion on the Vikings game experience when played at TCF?
 




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