Baylor: Floyd Casey Stadium
According to a 2010 report by Bleacherreport.com, Floyd Casey Stadium is the 8th least-intimidating stadium in college football. That ranking is definitely not helped by the large green tarp behind the southeast endzone, inserted because of the lack of attendance. With the tarp, the stadium's capacity maxes out at 46,000, but the tarp is sometimes taken off when Baylor hosts a school with a traveling fanbase.
Standing since: 1950
Capacity: 50,000
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Waco, TX)
Traditions: Old Fite, the fight song
Iowa State: Jack Trice Stadium
With hill seating in the corners of Jack Trice Stadium, the field is lower than the ground surrounding the stadium. Opened in 1975, the Cyclone's home venue is the newest stadium in the Big 12. The stadium is named after Jack Trice, Iowa State University's first ever African-American athlete.
Standing since: 1975
Capacity: 55,000
Surface: Grass
Location: On campus (Ames, IA)
Traditions: ISU Fights, the fight song
Kansas: Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium is the seventh-oldest stadium in college football, and is the first known collegiate stadium west of the Mississippi River. The Jayhawks' home turf is dedicated to the Kansas University students who died in World War I.
Standing since: 1921
Capacity: 50,071
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Lawrence, KS)
Traditions: Not much for football...basketball is a whole different story.
Kansas State: Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Bill Snyder Family Stadium hosted the first ever athletic competition in Big 12 history in 1996, when Kansas State hosted Texas Tech. The stadium is named after former Wildcat head coach Bill Snyder, the winningest coach in K-State history.
Standing since: 1968
Capacity: 50,000
Surface: GameDayGrass 3D60H (turf)
Location: On campus (Manhattan, KS)
Traditions: General purpleness, school fight song Wildcat Victory.
Missouri: Faurot Field (at Memorial Stadium)
The stadium consists of a horseshoe shape, with an open grass seating area behind one endzone. In the grass area, there is a block "M", made with painted white stones. As tradition, the teams' seniors take a stone from "M" as a souvenir after playing their last home game.
Standing since: 1926
Capacity: 71,004
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Columbia, MO)
Traditions: Diamond-patterned endzone, block "M" in grass behind endzone, sometimes called "The Zou".
Oklahoma: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
A very clean-cut and visually-pleasing venue, Memorial Stadium is the largest sports arena in the state of Oklahoma. Sooner Schooner, the conestoga wagon mascot of Oklahoma football, rides out onto the field after every Sooner score, and leads the team onto the field before each home game. An old venue and a winning program provide for a traditionally-oriented atmosphere at Memorial Stadium on gamedays.
Standing since: 1923
Capacity: 82,112
Surface: Grass
Location: On campus (Norman, OK)
Traditions: The 'Sooner Schooner' wagon, driven by ponies Boomer and Sooner, rides out onto the field after each Oklahoma score.
Oklahoma State: Boone Pickens Stadium
Boone Pickens Stadium is the oldest stadium in the Big 12, but not quite the biggest. The west endzone yields a multi-purpose indoor practice facility for Cowboy athletics, allowing for only sixty thousand crazed orange fans to pile into the stadium on gameday. A great number of renovations have been made to the former "Lewis Field" since 1920, including a complete renovation from 2003-2009. The stadium still sits on its original soil.
Standing since: 1920
Capacity: 60,218
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Stillwater, OK)
Traditions: Pistol Pete, "The Waving Song" and "Ride 'Em Cowboys" fight songs. General orangeness.
Texas: Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium
Symbolic of Texas, this stadium is big. Seating over 100 thousand, Texas Memorial Stadium is the sixth-largest stadium in the NCAA and it has the largest seating capacity of any venue in Texas. Newly-renovated Cowboys Stadium in Dallas has the largest overall capacity due to party plazas capable of holding up to 31,000 fans. Accompanied by Bevo and a sea of burnt orange, this stadium is considered to be one of college football's most acclaimed venues.
Standing since: 1924
Capacity: 100,119
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Austin, TX)
Traditions: Bevo, the school mascot, charges onto the field before every game. Hook 'em Horns hand signal, and the unveiling of the world's largest Texas flag before every game (as seen above). "Smokey the Cannon" is fired at kickoff and after every Longhorn score.
Texas A&M: Kyle Field
Another old, historic Texas football stadium, Kyle Field yields some of the most unique traditions in football. Caked in maroon, the student section at Kyle Field is considered to be one of the loudest in the country, and the "Midnight Yell" pep-rallies before games hold no exception. The Corps of Cadets at A&M pack every home game, and cries of "Gig 'em" can be heard all around College Station on gamedays. Oh, and by the way, it's also "Home of the 12th man." Enough tradition for ya?
Standing since: 1927
Capacity: 83,002
Surface: Grass
Location: On campus (College Station, TX)
Traditions: In 1922, the Aggies were playing in a bowl game when, due to injuries, they did not have enough players. They had just eleven, and no one on the bench. Coach D. X. Bible then called out E. King Gill from the student section, a basketball player for A&M, to be the 12th man for the Aggies. Gill gladly suited up and manned the sideline while A&M went on to win the game. Gill's selflessness and spirit for his school symbolize the passion of Aggie fans, and the school student section has since then embraced the fact that they are "Home of the 12th Man." Other traditions include the "Gig 'Em" yell and the Corps of Cadets attending every home game. Maroon-outs and "Midnight Yell" pep-rallies also contribute to the unique tradition of A&M football.
Texas Tech: Jones AT&T Stadium
While this venue might not have as much tradition as the other Texas stadiums, Jones AT&T Stadium still contains interesting architectural features. The black and red endzones provide for a sharp, clean-cut look that is consistent throughout the stadium. There is a small grass area behind one endzone, with the school logo painted nicely in the center. Before every game, the "Masked Rider" leads the Red Raiders out onto the field, cloaked in black atop his/her trusty steed, "Midnight Matador".
Standing since: 1947
Capacity: 60,454
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Lubbock, TX)
Traditions: The "Masked Rider" rides out onto the field before every game. He/she is cloaked in black, wearing a black mask and a red cape. The Masked Rider rides atop a black stallion, "Midnight Matador", while leading the team onto the field.
THE AWARDS:
Ranking the Big 12's stadiums in many different categories.
Biggest stadium:
1. Texas
2. Texas A&M
3. Oklahoma
4. Missouri
5. Texas Tech
6. Oklahoma State
7. Iowa State
8. Kansas
9. Baylor
9. Kansas State
Oldest stadium:
1. Oklahoma State (before major renovations)
2. Kansas
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Missouri
6. Texas A&M
7. Texas Tech
8. Baylor
9. Kansas State
10. Iowa State
Best tradition:
1. Texas A&M (12th man, Gig 'Em, etc.)
2. Oklahoma (Sooner Schooner)
3. Texas (Bevo)
4. Texas Tech (Masked Rider)
5. Missouri (Block "M" stones)
6. Oklahoma State (Pistol Pete)
7. Kansas State (fight song)
8. Kansas (fight song)
9. Baylor (fight song)
10. Iowa State (fight song)
Prettiest stadium:
1. Missouri
2. Texas Tech
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma State
7. Kansas State
8. Kansas
9. Iowa State
10. Baylor
Best endzone design:
1. Missouri
2. Texas Tech
3. Oklahoma State
4. Kansas State
5. Texas
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Kansas
9. Baylor
10. Iowa State
Best stadium (overall):
1. Texas
2. Texas A&M
3. Missouri
4. Oklahoma
5. Oklahoma State
6. Texas Tech
7. Kansas State
8. Kansas
9. Iowa State
10. Baylor
On a side note...
Only 3/10 Big 12 fields were grass, the rest were turf.
All stadiums are on-campus.
The oldest stadium was opened in 1920 (Oklahoma State), while the newest stadium was opened in 1975 (Iowa State).
Next time, I tour the Big East!
Iowa State: Jack Trice Stadium
With hill seating in the corners of Jack Trice Stadium, the field is lower than the ground surrounding the stadium. Opened in 1975, the Cyclone's home venue is the newest stadium in the Big 12. The stadium is named after Jack Trice, Iowa State University's first ever African-American athlete.Standing since: 1975
Capacity: 55,000
Surface: Grass
Location: On campus (Ames, IA)
Traditions: ISU Fights, the fight song
Kansas: Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium is the seventh-oldest stadium in college football, and is the first known collegiate stadium west of the Mississippi River. The Jayhawks' home turf is dedicated to the Kansas University students who died in World War I.
Standing since: 1921
Capacity: 50,071
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Lawrence, KS)
Traditions: Not much for football...basketball is a whole different story.
Kansas State: Bill Snyder Family Stadium
Bill Snyder Family Stadium hosted the first ever athletic competition in Big 12 history in 1996, when Kansas State hosted Texas Tech. The stadium is named after former Wildcat head coach Bill Snyder, the winningest coach in K-State history.
Standing since: 1968
Capacity: 50,000
Surface: GameDayGrass 3D60H (turf)
Location: On campus (Manhattan, KS)
Traditions: General purpleness, school fight song Wildcat Victory.
Missouri: Faurot Field (at Memorial Stadium)
The stadium consists of a horseshoe shape, with an open grass seating area behind one endzone. In the grass area, there is a block "M", made with painted white stones. As tradition, the teams' seniors take a stone from "M" as a souvenir after playing their last home game.
Standing since: 1926
Capacity: 71,004
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Columbia, MO)
Traditions: Diamond-patterned endzone, block "M" in grass behind endzone, sometimes called "The Zou".
Oklahoma: Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
A very clean-cut and visually-pleasing venue, Memorial Stadium is the largest sports arena in the state of Oklahoma. Sooner Schooner, the conestoga wagon mascot of Oklahoma football, rides out onto the field after every Sooner score, and leads the team onto the field before each home game. An old venue and a winning program provide for a traditionally-oriented atmosphere at Memorial Stadium on gamedays.
Standing since: 1923
Capacity: 82,112
Surface: Grass
Location: On campus (Norman, OK)
Traditions: The 'Sooner Schooner' wagon, driven by ponies Boomer and Sooner, rides out onto the field after each Oklahoma score.
Oklahoma State: Boone Pickens Stadium
Boone Pickens Stadium is the oldest stadium in the Big 12, but not quite the biggest. The west endzone yields a multi-purpose indoor practice facility for Cowboy athletics, allowing for only sixty thousand crazed orange fans to pile into the stadium on gameday. A great number of renovations have been made to the former "Lewis Field" since 1920, including a complete renovation from 2003-2009. The stadium still sits on its original soil.
Standing since: 1920
Capacity: 60,218
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Stillwater, OK)
Traditions: Pistol Pete, "The Waving Song" and "Ride 'Em Cowboys" fight songs. General orangeness.
Texas: Darrell K Royal- Texas Memorial Stadium
Symbolic of Texas, this stadium is big. Seating over 100 thousand, Texas Memorial Stadium is the sixth-largest stadium in the NCAA and it has the largest seating capacity of any venue in Texas. Newly-renovated Cowboys Stadium in Dallas has the largest overall capacity due to party plazas capable of holding up to 31,000 fans. Accompanied by Bevo and a sea of burnt orange, this stadium is considered to be one of college football's most acclaimed venues.
Standing since: 1924
Capacity: 100,119
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Austin, TX)
Traditions: Bevo, the school mascot, charges onto the field before every game. Hook 'em Horns hand signal, and the unveiling of the world's largest Texas flag before every game (as seen above). "Smokey the Cannon" is fired at kickoff and after every Longhorn score.
Texas A&M: Kyle Field
Another old, historic Texas football stadium, Kyle Field yields some of the most unique traditions in football. Caked in maroon, the student section at Kyle Field is considered to be one of the loudest in the country, and the "Midnight Yell" pep-rallies before games hold no exception. The Corps of Cadets at A&M pack every home game, and cries of "Gig 'em" can be heard all around College Station on gamedays. Oh, and by the way, it's also "Home of the 12th man." Enough tradition for ya?
Standing since: 1927
Capacity: 83,002
Surface: Grass
Location: On campus (College Station, TX)
Traditions: In 1922, the Aggies were playing in a bowl game when, due to injuries, they did not have enough players. They had just eleven, and no one on the bench. Coach D. X. Bible then called out E. King Gill from the student section, a basketball player for A&M, to be the 12th man for the Aggies. Gill gladly suited up and manned the sideline while A&M went on to win the game. Gill's selflessness and spirit for his school symbolize the passion of Aggie fans, and the school student section has since then embraced the fact that they are "Home of the 12th Man." Other traditions include the "Gig 'Em" yell and the Corps of Cadets attending every home game. Maroon-outs and "Midnight Yell" pep-rallies also contribute to the unique tradition of A&M football.
Texas Tech: Jones AT&T Stadium
While this venue might not have as much tradition as the other Texas stadiums, Jones AT&T Stadium still contains interesting architectural features. The black and red endzones provide for a sharp, clean-cut look that is consistent throughout the stadium. There is a small grass area behind one endzone, with the school logo painted nicely in the center. Before every game, the "Masked Rider" leads the Red Raiders out onto the field, cloaked in black atop his/her trusty steed, "Midnight Matador".
Standing since: 1947
Capacity: 60,454
Surface: FieldTurf
Location: On campus (Lubbock, TX)
Traditions: The "Masked Rider" rides out onto the field before every game. He/she is cloaked in black, wearing a black mask and a red cape. The Masked Rider rides atop a black stallion, "Midnight Matador", while leading the team onto the field.
THE AWARDS:
Ranking the Big 12's stadiums in many different categories.
Biggest stadium:1. Texas
2. Texas A&M
3. Oklahoma
4. Missouri
5. Texas Tech
6. Oklahoma State
7. Iowa State
8. Kansas
9. Baylor
9. Kansas State
Oldest stadium:1. Oklahoma State (before major renovations)
2. Kansas
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Missouri
6. Texas A&M
7. Texas Tech
8. Baylor
9. Kansas State
10. Iowa State
Best tradition:
1. Texas A&M (12th man, Gig 'Em, etc.)
3. Texas (Bevo)
4. Texas Tech (Masked Rider)
5. Missouri (Block "M" stones)
6. Oklahoma State (Pistol Pete)
7. Kansas State (fight song)
8. Kansas (fight song)
9. Baylor (fight song)
10. Iowa State (fight song)
Prettiest stadium:
1. Missouri
2. Texas Tech
3. Oklahoma
4. Texas
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma State
7. Kansas State8. Kansas
9. Iowa State
10. Baylor
Best endzone design:
1. Missouri
2. Texas Tech
3. Oklahoma State
4. Kansas State
5. Texas
6. Texas A&M
7. Oklahoma
8. Kansas
9. Baylor
10. Iowa State
Best stadium (overall):1. Texas
2. Texas A&M
3. Missouri
4. Oklahoma
5. Oklahoma State
6. Texas Tech
7. Kansas State
8. Kansas
9. Iowa State
10. Baylor
On a side note...
Only 3/10 Big 12 fields were grass, the rest were turf.
All stadiums are on-campus.
The oldest stadium was opened in 1920 (Oklahoma State), while the newest stadium was opened in 1975 (Iowa State).
Next time, I tour the Big East!
