ACC Stadiums: What to expect on your next Road Trip
Aug 20th 2008 - Written by: Scott Swinney
In my many years of traveling the Atlantic Coast Conference, I’ve had the opportunity to visit all of the member institutions and their various stadiums. Today, I will bring you some insight in to those stadiums and what to expect if you are heading for a road trip this season.
1- Clemson: Memorial Stadium sits right on Lake Hartwell and one can envision themselves tooling around the lake on game day, but make no mistake about it, Death Valley is the place to be when the Tigers are in town. Traditions such as Howard’s Rock, Running Down The Hill, and All-Orange uniforms make Clemson football special. Add in the fan support, all that orange, and the fact that this is the loudest stadium in the ACC and the Tigers leap to the top of our list.
2- Virginia Tech: The gap between Clemson and Virginia Tech isn’t as wide as some would like to believe. Lane Stadium doesn’t have the years of tradition as some other schools boast, but they have made up for lost time the past 15 years. Recent expansion has increased capacity to 67,000, and the place typically rocks, from the first note of the Hokies’ entrance song, “Enter Sandman”, to the final gun. In my opinion, the pre-game atmosphere at Virginia Tech is a little lacking due to limited tailgating space for visitors, but once inside you know this is big-time football.
3- Florida State: Once viewed as one of the most intimidating stadiums, Doak Campbell has seen its mystique diminish the last few years with the decline in Seminole football. Don’t take that to mean this isn’t a great place to see a game… the tradition of Chief Osceola, extravagant tailgate parties, beautiful women (sorry Jen Sterger but you aren’t in the top 10 % at FSU) and Bobby Bowden roaming the sidelines add up to a memorable trip to Tallahassee.
4- NC State: This one is painful to rank so high but the Wolfpack and its fans have elevated the game day experience at Carter-Finley Stadium in recent years. The Wolfpack fans are passionate and when things are going well, this is probably the third loudest stadiums in the ACC. Traditions are very few at NC State, and the tailgating is limited to four hours before kick-off, which almost dropped the Wolfpack a few slots but the atmosphere once inside the stadium, puts State in the top half of ACC Stadiums.
5- Virginia: Scott Stadium is one of the most picturesque stadiums in the country. Set in the hills of the Shenandoah Valley, one gets the impression of peace and tranquility but the recent additions to this stadium, having formed a bowl, seems to keep all the sound inside. Virginia is still very much, “Mr. Jefferson’s University”, so you will encounter lots of frat boys in coat and tie in the student section and a whole lot of flying liquor bottles if you’re the opposition.
6- Georgia Tech: The skyline of Atlanta, lunch at the Varsity, The Cheetah, and The Ramblin Wreck, are all things to look forward to when visiting Bobby Dodd Stadium at Grant Field. Originally built in 1913, this is the oldest on-campus stadium in D-1, and it feels like it. Renovations in 2003 increased capacity to 55,000 but unless Georgia or Clemson are coming to town you will rarely find a packed house. Make sure you go by and see the statue of John Heisman when visiting Grant Field.
7- North Carolina: Kenan Stadium is consistently ranked near the top of the most beautiful stadiums in college football. Sure, beautiful makes for a nice view, as Kenan appears as if it was dropped down in the middle of the Carolina pines but intimidating, it is not. Don’t get me wrong this place can be very loud if UNC is playing well but UNC and playing well, haven’t gone together much since Mack Brown bolted for Texas.
8- Wake Forest: What used to be one of the worst game day experiences in the ACC has changed since Jim Grobe came to town. The Deacon student body, fans and administration are trying to turn Winston-Salem in to a Wake Forest town, but the lack of alumni in the area limit the ability to pack the house on a weekly basis. The game day atmosphere is very friendly and inviting with lots of public parking. The stadium is spacious and the sight lines are very good, even if sitting on the grassy hill behind the end zone.
9- Boston College: Alumni Stadium on a cool crisp autumn night is one of the best places to watch a college football game in the league. The Chestnut Hill Stadium provides you with views of the Boston skyline in the distance but at a capacity of 44,000, it seems to fit more with the Big East, than it does the ACC. Boston College may not fit in with the football crazy schools of the South but it’s worth the trip to Boston to check out a game.
10- Maryland: I know Byrd Stadium has done quite a bit in the past few years to upgrade the place but the atmosphere at Maryland is still lacking. This stadium is set down in the middle of campus which makes it convenient for students to roll out of bed 10 minutes before kickoff and still catch kickoff. The facilities are nice but the lack of excitement and support for Maryland football make this a must miss stadium on the ACC tour.
11- Duke: Okay, the only reason this isn’t 12th is because I’m not ranking Miami due to their move out of the Orange Bowl. Wallace Wade Stadium is the only stadium outside of Pasadena to host the Rose Bowl and that’s about all one can say that’s positive. One other positive is that Duke can only go up in these rankings as they improve their facilities. This place has a track around the field that puts the fans further away from the action which, in turn, makes it tough for the 5,000 Duke fans to make any noticeable noise. Please note that there are plenty of tickets available and the visiting team typically outnumbers Duke fans 2 to 1.
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