Toughest Places to Play in Pac-12

BuffsCountry ranks the Pac-12's toughest atmospheres to play in.

Last week, BuffsCountry wrote about the best stadiums in the Pac-12. It was controversial which was to be expected.

This week we decided to make it even more controversial and rank the Pac-12 stadiums by toughest places to play.

For the best stadiums the criteria was mostly how special a place is, what makes it unique, etc. For toughest places to play, it’s all about atmosphere and, of course, how loud the place can get.

12. Arizona

Not much to say about this one. They rarely pack the stadium. The games do not kickoff until 8 p.m. usually and by the fourth quarter, everybody has already left. It’s boring, it’s bland. Half the people in the stadium are retired. They have the toughest place to play in basketball and the easiest place in football.

Sean Logan/The Republic

11. Stanford

Look, I had them ranked as the worst stadium in the Pac-12 so of course it’s not a tough atmosphere. It seats over 50,000 people but it rarely sounds that way. If they do pack the stadium, which is rare, it doesn’t appear to be too intimidating.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

10. UCLA

Like I said during the rankings of the stadiums, UCLA gets to cheat. It’s one of the best stadiums because of the tradition but it is not a tough place to play. I don’t remember the last time UCLA had a sellout at the Rose Bowl. The students don’t go to the games because it’s too far away from campus. And the rumors are the fan experience isn’t great.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

9. Cal

I have a soft spot for Cal. I’m not sure what it is, but I actually like the place as a football venue. In its current state, however, it is not an intimidating place to play. When the crowd is alive and rowdy, it can be really tough. But those occasions have been few and far between in recent years.

8. Oregon State

I think with the right conditions, this can be a tough place to go into and get a win. The stars haven’t aligned in recent years. But that fan base seems to be as rejuvenated as ever under Jonathan Smith and I think it could prove to be a very difficult place to travel to. Just not yet.

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

7. Arizona State

Sun Devil Stadium is one of the more polarizing stadiums in the Pac-12. I think whether or not it is a tough place to play depends on who you ask. I cover Colorado. They had no problem walking in there and beating them a year ago. It’s not a place I would put in the top half in the Pac-12 but it is right on the edge.

Rob Schumacher/The Republic, Arizona Republic

6. Southern California

If this were the 00s, they would be much higher on this list. But those days appear to be long gone and there isn’t the same amount of intimidation walking into the Coliseum. If the sellouts start coming again, their ranking can change but for now it’s just not that intimidating of a place to play.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

5. Washington

Ah the No. 2 stadium in the Pac-12. This is why I say there’s a big difference between the two rankings. Husky Stadium is beautiful and it’s an awesome place to go watch a game as a fan. But if you’re a player, there’s not much to be scared about. The architecture does a poor job of holding the sound in and it only comes from the side so the sound doesn’t percolate throughout the stadium. It is dry (figuratively) and you can barely hear it on television.

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

4. Washington State

This is another one that probably depends on who you ask. I have it at No. 4 mostly because the Colorado Buffaloes have had nightmares in Pullman in recent years. The weather is almost always horrible and the fans are crazy. Not a place that I would want to go to, ever. Pullman is that place you want to go in and get out as soon as possible.

James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

3. Colorado

It’s tough to find a spot for Colorado. At its peak, it was probably one of the toughest places to play in the nation. Those days are long gone but it hasn’t lost its intimidation factor. Folsom holds the sound in brilliantly, it is one of the loudest 50,000 fan stadiums in the country. It is usually packed, depending on the score. And the elevation has to play a factor here. Nobody wants to go to elevation and play.

Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

2. Utah

Speaking of elevation. This place has been almost impossible to win at over the years. You’re not going to have much going for you walking into Rice-Eccles stadium. There is a reason Utah’s home record is so good. They didn’t lose a home game last season. First, teams are dealing with the elevation. Depending on the season, they are also dealing with the weather. And everybody but Darren Rovell knows that fans in Utah are lunatics.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

1. Oregon

This place has gotten really tough out there. Oregon has some of the most passionate fans in the country. They have had run-ins with athletes. The place sells out virtually every game. This is the toughest place to play in the Pac-12 right now, nobody wants to walk into Autzen as an away team. 

Troy Wayrynen-USA TODAY Sports

Five of the bottom six schools in stadium capacity are in the top six of this list. A place isn't tough because it can hold a bunch of people.