The Athletic has live coverage of Alabama vs. Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff first round.
Editor’s note: This article is part of our College Football Stadium Rankings series, highlighting the most interesting venues across the country.
The College Football Playoff’s expansion to 12 teams last year brought with it the long-awaited debut of postseason football on the campuses of FBS teams. Notre Dame, Penn State, Texas and Ohio State hosted first-round games — and all four won in that round and the next at bowl sites to advance to the semifinals.
Four new teams will get the chance to host Playoff games this weekend, as postseason games are coming to Oklahoma on Friday and Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Oregon on Saturday. Texas A&M’s Kyle Field and Oregon’s Autzen Stadium both placed in the top 10 of The Athletic’s college football stadium rankings in October, and Oklahoma and Ole Miss boast tradition-rich environments as well.
So what should you know about the environments in Norman, College Station, Oxford and Eugene, whether you’re traveling to the game, watching from home or thinking about a future road trip? Four of The Athletic’s college football writers who have attended multiple games at these venues share their expertise.
Kevin Jairaj / Imagn Images
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Oklahoma
No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama | 8 pm ET Friday, Dec. 19 | Tickets
Location: Norman, Okla.
Capacity: 80,126
Year built: 1923
Distinctive Feature: Heisman Park. Oklahoma has seven Heisman Trophy winners, behind only USC for the most, and you can find a statue of all seven outside the east side of the stadium. Each statue is distinct, from Billy Vessels to Baker Mayfield to Kyler Murray. The bar to get a statue at Oklahoma is pretty darn high, and these are the Sooners that clear it.
What you need to do if you go: Watch for the Sooner Schooner. Debuted in 1964, the horse-drawn covered wagon leads the Oklahoma team out of the tunnel before the game, and it also rides out onto the field after every score. Led by ponies named “Boomer” and “Sooner,” it’s reminiscent of the transportation used during the 1889 Land Rush, sending new settlers to the Indian Territory. The name “Sooners” refers to the people who claimed the land before the legal start time.
Tradition to know: The famous “Play Like A Champion Today” slogan was not started by Notre Dame. Rather, Oklahoma coach Bud Wilkinson in the 1940s wrote it on a sign inside the stadium tunnel for players as they headed toward the field, decades before the Irish used it. It’s now a sign players tap above as they leave the locker room. Notre Dame didn’t begin using the phrase until the 1980s. So if you watch a game at Oklahoma and see that famous saying, remember who actually started it.
What to eat: Midway Grocery & Deli, in its current form for 70 years, is a great place to get a sandwich. You can get the famous Vulcan, or The Coach, which is named for legendary Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer.
Memorable moment: The longest winning streak in Division I history belongs to Oklahoma, which won 57 consecutive games from 1953 to 1957. That streak was bookended, coincidentally, by home losses to Notre Dame. While the 7-0 loss in 1957 is not a good memory for the home crowd, the overall record still stands above the rest.
Favorite thing: I like “Boomer Sooner,” the fight song. It’s iconic in college football. You may hear it upward of a hundred times at a game and it won’t leave your head for days, but I still enjoy it.
Quotable: “We want to build a university our football team can be proud of.” — Oklahoma president George L. Cross, speaking to a state appropriations committee in 1951, responding flippantly when asked how good the football team would be.
— Chris Vannini
Alex Slitz / Getty Images
Kyle Field, Texas A&M
No. 7 Texas A&M vs. No. 10 Miami | Noon ET Saturday, Dec. 20 | Tickets
Location: College Station, Texas
Capacity: 102,733
Year built: 1927
Distinctive feature: Aggie Park. The entirety of the well-manicured park around Kyle Field — most of which was renovated a decade ago — is worth exploring. It’s a great tailgating scene, and you can get a feel for campus and take a photo underneath the giant Aggie Ring. Aggie Park opened recently in 2022, and it’s a gorgeous, 20-acre spot where ESPN’s “College Gameday” sets up when it comes.
What you need to do if you go: Midnight Yell. There’s nothing like it. Around 11:15 or so the night before games, the bars at Northgate empty and fans make their way to the stadium for Midnight Yell practice. Depending on the game, the crowd can get massive. I was there for yell practice before the Texas game in 2024, and it was pushing 60,000.
Tradition to know: Yells. Aggies don’t cheer. They yell. And they don’t boo, they hiss. Nothing sounds quite like an Aggie game. The Yell Leaders coordinate complex yells that every Aggie spends a couple days learning in what’s called fish camp before enrolling as freshmen. The yells are a big part of what makes A&M games one of the most unique experiences in college football.
What to eat: 1775 BBQ. If you’re in Texas — especially central Texas — don’t leave without getting real Texas brisket. And none in College Station is better than 1775 BBQ, true Texas pit barbecue. If you can’t get there when they’re open, try Cooper’s. It’s not as good, but it’s an authentic Texas pit.
Memorable moment: Texas A&M used to build a giant bonfire before the Texas game but the tradition ended in 1999 when it collapsed, killed 12 people and injured 27 more. Eight days later, amid tons of tributes, Brian Gamble recovered a fumble on a sack to seal a 20-16 win. Gamble, still on his knees, raised his hands to the sky in tribute and softly pumped his fists as the crowd roared. The moment still brings some Aggies to tears.
Favorite thing: When the opening bars of the “Aggie War Hymn” hit, hang on. Aggies are about to saw ’em off. The swaying does shake parts of the stadium and offers a visual unlike anything in the sport.
Quotable: “It’s as loud of a place as I’ve ever been. To the point the press box is shaking, it’s so loud. And we played in the daytime.” — Former Alabama/Notre Dame offensive coordinator Tommy Rees
— David Ubben
Justin Ford / Getty Images
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Ole Miss
No. 6 Ole Miss vs. No. 11 Tulane | 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 20 | Tickets
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Capacity: 64,038
Year built: 1915
Distinctive feature: The Grove. This is arguably the most famous and best tailgate scene in college football, set in a 10-acre area in the middle of campus, where fans are allowed to set up tents but not cars, RVs or trailers. The school estimates the area swells to 100,000 people on gamedays, which can make it less fun if you don’t like huge crowds. But just for the experience, take a walk through what The New York Times in 2006 called “the mother and mistress of outdoor ritual mayhem.”
What you need to do if you go: Rowan Oak, the antebellum home William Faulkner lived in until his death in 1962. It sits on four acres and is surrounded by 29 acres of woods. The home is owned by Ole Miss and open year-round. Faulkner, who often attended Ole Miss games and became identified with the town and the school, restored the house and estate and renamed it after two types of trees that aren’t actually found on the property.
Tradition to know: Hotty Toddy. Plenty have heard it said, without knowing more about it. Well when you go to games you better know if you want to fit in. It starts with someone asking: “Are you ready?” Then the response is supposed to be a four-stanza call:
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty
Who the hell are we, Hey!
Flim flam, bim bam,
Ole Miss, By Damn
But if time is an issue, “Hotty Toddy” will suffice.
What to eat: Chicken on a stick. Gas station food doesn’t carry a stigma in Oxford, especially the chicken on a stick from the 4 Corners Chevron. A few decades ago, the owner of the station created a recipe — simple skewered chicken without onions, pickles, etc. — that quickly became popular with students late at night. It eventually became a gameday tradition for anyone who could get in. Current owner Rafiq Rupani told the Ole Miss website this year that he’s made sure never to run out: “I don’t care what I have to do. I’ll make sure I have chicken.”
Memorable moment: The Walk of Champions. Ole Miss has one of the more memorable walk-in traditions in college football: Two hours before kickoff, fans line up on a brick pathway that begins at the Walk of Champions arch. Busses drop the team off at the arch, and the players, coaches and staff go through the arch, The Grove, and eventually into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The tradition began in 1985 under head coach Billy Brewer, a former Ole Miss player who wanted players to experience the gameday atmosphere.
Favorite thing: The stadium itself feels small but has a big-game atmosphere. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. It makes for a very tough place to play, especially when Ole Miss has momentum.
Quotable: “I hope you win. I know you will. Hotty Toddy, I love you, go Rebels!” — Katy Perry, in a 2021 video saying she could not be the ESPN “College GameDay” guest picker again. Seven years earlier, Perry, who had no personal connection to Ole Miss, made a memorable appearance as the guest picker, then stayed to watch Ole Miss upset Alabama and partied with fans in downtown Oxford.
— Seth Emerson
Ali Gradischer / Getty Images
Autzen Stadium, Oregon
No. 5 Oregon vs. No. 12 James Madison | 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday, Dec. 20 | Tickets
Location: Eugene, Ore.
Capacity: 54,000
Year built: 1967
Distinctive feature: Tucked in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Autzen is the smallest big stadium in college football. The views are lovely and lush thanks to the Pacific Northwest climate — even though “It never rains in Autzen Stadium.” Public address announcer Don Essig drops his famous catchphrase at the start of every game. It’s a little white lie, of course. But what really makes Autzen unique is the worst seat in the house isn’t that far from the field, and its layout makes it one of the loudest stadiums in America.
What you need to do if you go: Walk to the stadium via the Autzen footbridge. The bridge is reserved for bikes and pedestrians, crosses the Willamette River and connects Alton Baker Park with Autzen Stadium. It leads to a path lined with maple and fir trees. It’s not a long walk, but it feels like taking a pregame hike.
Tradition to know: “Shout” at the start of the fourth quarter. The classic comedy movie “Animal House” was filmed on the University of Oregon campus. As an ode to that history, the Autzen video board plays the famous scene from the movie with Otis Day and the Knights belting out the Isley Brothers song at a Delta Tau Chi frat party. Sing along. Clap along. Kick your heels up. Throw your hands up. Throw your head back.
What to eat: Go to the Wild Duck Cafe, which has had dishes named after Oregon legends Sabrina Ionescu and Marcus Mariota, and have The Sasquatch burger with a Sunshine of Autzen cocktail to wash it down. Grab dessert at Prince Puckler’s, right next to Hayward Field, Oregon’s world-class track and field stadium.
Memorable moment: A duck on a motorcycle. America’s favorite mascot, as Essig calls the Oregon’s rambunctious Duck, leads the team out of the tunnel on the back of a Harley-Davidson, its engines amplified in the stadium and blaring.
Favorite thing: Those massive 100,000-seat stadiums are something to behold for the enormity and grandeur of it all. What makes Autzen maybe my favorite stadium is the intimacy of the event and how manageable gameday is in Eugene. It’s big-time college football, scaled to a size that feels more personal. It’s the difference between attending a house party and a three-floor club that has a cover to get in.
Quotable: “We’ve had some good environments at Autzen, some great environments, matter of fact. I’m hoping this one is going to take the cake. I’m excited to see what Autzen does because it never disappoints.” — Oregon linebacker Bryce Boettcher.
— Ralph D. Russo
The College Football Stadium Rankings series is part of a partnership with StubHub. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
