As a lifelong sports fanatic, I’ve seen some pretty amazing games. I’ve been to some world-class venues like Madison Square Garden, Yankee Stadium, and the Prudential Center. But I’m a 19-year old living in New Jersey, and my sports travels have only been local. While everyone has some sort of bucket list consisting of skydiving or visiting Europe, I have one strictly for sports. Here is the list of the 10 sports arenas and stadiums that I need to one day see a game in.
10. Tiger Stadium, LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
They call it Death Valley because it’s where good teams go to die. Saturday nights in Baton Rouge are arguably the best atmosphere in the SEC. A capacity of 102,000 makes it the fifth largest stadium in the United States and provides a home-field advantage that is second to none. In fact, the LSU Tigers are 62-8 in home games since 2004.
9. Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois
Wrigley has been hosting baseball games since 1914, but it’s still arguably one of the best venues in all of professional sports. It’s known for its iconic ivy-covered outfield wall, hand-turned scoreboard, and extremely loyal fan base. For baseball fans and sports fans alike, Wrigley Field is the place to be.
8. Fenway Park, Boston, Massachusetts
As a Yankees fan, I’ve seen a lot of history being made at Fenway. But all rivalries aside, this is a true American ballpark. Like the previous stadium, it’s been around for over a 100 years and keeps getting better. One of my lifelong dreams is to grab a cup of wicked hot chowdah and catch a Sox game.
7. United Center, Chicago, Illinois
Clearly Chicago fans are doing something right. The United Center is the home of the Blackhawks, winners of the Stanley Cup in three of the last five years. Throughout this incredible run, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten the chills while watching a game there on TV.
6. Lambeau Field, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Lambeau is synonymous with champions. Every game at this old-fashioned bowl-shaped stadium is like a three-hour party. The crowd is always buzzing, and with the success they’ve had in recent years thanks to the arm of Aaron Rodgers, Lambeau has become that much more intimidating to opponents. I’d love to head up to Lambeau for a game, preferably when the weather is above freezing.
5. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
Here’s a fun fact: I snuck into this stadium once. Yup, I was taking a tour of the school and pretty much squeezed under a couple of fences and through a tunnel and wound up right above field-level. Besides this, the fans at Auburn are very passionate about their football. I’ve experienced them first-hand, but never for game day.
4. Beaver Stadium, Penn State, State College, Pennsylvania
Penn State football games seem like the gold standard for tailgating and in-game experience. The student section is probably the best in the country. When you have 107,000 fans yelling and wearing white, it’s easy to fall in love with the atmosphere.
3. Kyle Field, Texas A&M, College Station, Texas
I read once that the fans in this cavernous stadium are so loud, that it’s common for the upper deck to physically sway back and forth. Due in large part to lack of any real success for the Aggies for a long time, this stadium certainly falls under the radar. But there aren’t many as good as this one.
2. Ohio Stadium, Ohio State, Columbus, Ohio
I can’t imagine the sight of the sea of red in Ohio Stadium. Over 100,000 fans who live and breathe college football. Over 100,000 fans who feel that championships are in their birthright. It just doesn’t get any better…or does it?
1. Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
The Big House. The Maize and Blue. Jim Harbaugh. The winningest program in the history of college football. The pageantry and tradition associated with a Michigan home game earns it the number one spot on my list.
