Kirk Herbstreit Names the Best Atmosphere in College Football
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Kirk Herbstreit, the lead analyst on ESPN’s College GameDay, has both played in and called games from some of college football’s most historic venues. The former Ohio State quarterback is widely regarded as one of the sport’s top voices, and his new podcast, Nonstop, co-hosted with fellow ESPN analyst Joey Galloway, has been gaining steam throughout the 2025 season.
On his most recent episode, Herbstreit talked about his Week 10 itinerary, which started in Salt Lake City for College GameDay before wrapping up in Knoxville, where he called the Oklahoma-Tennessee game.
Herbstreit called the SEC game between the No. 14 Vols and No. 18 Sooners, which Oklahoma won 33-27, and he left blown away by the electric atmosphere that Neyland Stadium has to offer – not that this was his first time experiencing Knoxville on a Saturday night.
"We always debate college football, the atmospheres are great, where's the best," Herbstreit said regarding Tennessee's Neyland Stadium. "I know they didn't win the game, but I'm just going to tell you, if you get a chance to go and they're ranked and the opponent they're playing is ranked, going to Knoxville is an electric, as good as there is atmosphere when they host, especially a night game in the SEC. Oklahoma took their best punch."
If you've ever been to Knoxville for a game, especially at night for a big game as Herbstreit said, you'd find it hard to argue. The place is certainly electric. Is it the best? That's nearly an impossible statement to make. Practically all big-time programs can deliver for a ranked game on a Saturday night, but you won't hear me fight this one.
"They (Oklahoma) went into that environment, took Tennessee's best and got out of there with a win," Herbstreit added. "That was an impressive atmosphere and a great win for Brent Venables.
The cherboarded end zone, the "Vol Navy" tailgate, "Rocky Top" blasting in your ears, the Vols put on a show in front of 101,915 people, which makes Neyland Stadium the sixth largest by capacity in college football.
Tennessee's had a rough go of things for the last two decades, with just two 10-win seasons since 2007, but the fan base continues to show up like it's 1998. The Vols are now 6-3 on the year and No. 23 in the AP Top 25.
Where Neyland Stadium Ranks Among the 10 Largest College Football Stadiums by Capacity
- Michigan Stadium – 107,600 (Ann Arbor, Michigan)
- Beaver Stadium – 106,572 (University Park, Pennsylvania)
- Ohio Stadium – 102,780 (Columbus, Ohio)
- Kyle Field – 102,733 (College Station, Texas)
- Tiger Stadium – 102,321 (Baton Rouge, Louisiana)
- Neyland Stadium – 101,915 (Knoxville, Tennessee)
- Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium – 100,119 (Austin, Texas)
- Bryant–Denny Stadium – 100,077 (Tuscaloosa, Alabama)
- Sanford Stadium – 93,033 (Athens, Georgia)
- Cotton Bowl – 92,100 (Dallas, Texas)
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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