By: Kipp Branch

TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services

I pretty much think about football year-round these days.

Yes, it is early in the 2023 baseball season, and basketball playoffs are starting our greatest game in this country is football, and in this part of the world it is SEC Football in the greatest conference ever created.

I have been to many SEC football stadiums over the years and here are my rankings from 14 to1 in the most intimidating scale.

14.Vanderbilt: FirstBank Stadium is the only stadium in the SEC where the visiting team is the home team on Saturdays in the fall.

It is formerly known as Dudley Field. Vandy has struggled in football for so long that I don’t know when the trend will change. Vandy fans just don’t turn out for home games.

13.Kroger Field/Kentucky: My saying is that in college football if you have a stadium named after a corporation then you don’t have much of a home field advantage. The Wildcats home field is named after a grocery store. Go figure.

12.Faurot Field/Missouri: Can someone explain to me again why Missouri is in the SEC?

Can have some juice at times for night games but not a hard place to win at.

11.Davis-Wade Stadium/Mississippi State: Without the cowbells this place is just above Vanderbilt.

MSU is a historic bottom-feeder in the conference with a stadium that seats around 60k.

10.Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium/Arkansas: I can only remember the place being loud only once and that is when Texas played there in 2021. Other than that, it always looks half full on the TV most of the time.

9.Vaught-Hemingway Stadium/Ole Miss: Ole Miss is a tough place to visit these days with Lane Kiffin running the show.

It is one of the smaller stadiums in the conference capacity wise, but holds its own on big game days.

8.Williams-Brice Stadium/South Carolina: When the Chickens are good this place rocks, just ask Tennessee last fall when their playoff hopes were crushed at South Carolina.

They have a loyal loud fanbase, but when things go bad at home, they will find their car keys and get gone as quick as anyone.

7.Kyle Field/Texas A&M: Bigger is not always better. Yes, Kyle Field holds over 100K, and it has its moments. It is the least intimidating big stadium in the country.

6.Neyland Stadium/Tennessee: Neyland has its moments… like Alabama in 2022, but over the past decade it just hasn’t had much bite at all. Another historic 100K venue that was built in 1921. Could start rising again on this list soon.

5.Sanford Stadium/Georgia: I had season tickets in the 1990’s.

Sanford has its moments like Auburn 2007, LSU 2013, and Tennessee in 2022. It has become more intimidating during the Kirby tenure but still has too many wine and cheese fans that attend for the social aspects of posting a social media picture, etc. rather than being hard core college football fans.

4.Ben Hill Griffin Stadium/Florida: When the Gators are good The Swamp is a hostile environment that is very intimidating.

All of you Georgia fans that say move the game UGA/UF out of Jacksonville to home and home better be careful on what you wish for. You have been warned.

3.Bryant-Denny Stadium/Alabama: Alabama is always going to be a tough place to play. Always has been and always will be. History, national titles, and a 100K seat stadium make it so.

2.Tiger Stadium/LSU: You do not want to roll in here at night. Period end of story. Well documented on how tough this environment is.

1.Jordan-Hare Stadium/Auburn: Ask Nick Saban if he likes playing at Auburn?

Ask any coach in the SEC if they like playing at Jordan-Hare, even if Auburn is bad?

When Auburn is rolling this is the most intimidating place in the SEC to play. Jordan-Hare is loud and the fans are loyal and show up to yell rather than sip wine and take photos.

Hugh Freeze is about to remind us on how intimidating Jordan-Hare is over the next decade.