No Place Like Home: The 10 Worst Home Field Advantages in College Football

Samuel Smith — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 08:43:46 -0400

I believe it's about time we gave credit where credit is due.

Yeah, we all know about the Big House and Death Valley, but which stadiums in college football can accomplish a more notable feat: having such a bad home field advantage that it actually feels like a home game for the visitors?

Which fans are so quiet that you may actually see the backup punter napping on the bench? Which teams have higher attendance at basketball games?

We all know these schools by name, but I think it's time we honored their accomplishments in a list. Here are my top 10 worst home field advantages in college football.

Each team is listed with their average attendance last year and their home win percentage since 1970.

10. UTEP (Sun Bowl): 36,569; 39 percent

UTEP has high attendance for a mid-major. If it wasn't for their 39 percent win percentage they wouldn't even be considered, but the results speak for themselves.

9. Oregon State (Reser Stadium): 41,374; 45 percent

Attendance is a joke at Reser, and it's by far the worst home field in the Pac-10.

8. Idaho (ASUI-Kibbie Activity Center): 11,479; 50 percent

Ok, somebody tell Idaho that they're not in the Arena League. Maybe that win percentage is high because the opposing teams spend the whole game wondering why they are playing football in a gymnasium.

7. Wake Forest (BB&T Field; formerly Groves Stadium): 32,595; 43 percent

One of the few stadiums on the rise on my list, but attendance is still low because of their small stadium. It's just not very intimidating.

6. Vanderbilt (Vanderbilt Stadium at Dudley Field): 34,629; 38 percent

The joke of SEC football. It's often a trap game coming into Dudley Field because teams have a hard time getting pumped up to play in one of the quietest stadiums in the nation. Big props to the Commodores for using a negative as a positive—that's what high academic standards are for.

5. Northwestern (Ryan Field): 24,589; 38 percent

Wow. Attendance speaks for itself—and the fact that you lost to Duke at home last year doesn't help.

4. Duke (Wallace Wade Stadium): 20,064; 41 percent

If only the Cameron Crazies liked football.

3. Buffalo (UB Stadium): 13,568; 25 percent

I don't know much about Buffalo except for the fact they have won 25 percent of their home games. That's bad.

2. Kent State (Dix Stadium): 8,999; 41 percent

Maybe if the Golden Flashes break past 10,000 in attendance this season, they'll beat Buffalo.

1. Eastern Michigan (Rynearson Stadium): 7,448; 46 percent

Honestly, I know more high school football games that get 7,500 in attendance.

Honorable Mention: Ole Miss, Baylor, Stanford, UNLV, Ohio

Bleacher Report - Articles by Samuel Smith

No Place Like Home: The 10 Worst Home Field Advantages in College Football