Ranking Big Ten football stadiums by capacity for 2026

Ranking Big Ten football stadiums by capacity for 2026

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Ranking Big Ten football stadiums by capacity for 2026

You can’t tell the history of college football without talking about the Big Ten, the oldest FBS conference in the nation. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten has been helping to advance the sport for more than a century, with tens of thousands of talented players and hundreds of coaches appearing for the schools during that period.

Customs change over the course of 130 years, and one of the defining characteristics of Big Ten schools now is the raucous crowds they draw to their games. Penn State has perhaps the most captivating and deafening environment in sports history with their infamous White Out games, and Michigan has one of the more iconic stadiums in the country that seats nearly 110,000 fans.

Opponents know they are in for three-and-a-half hours of psychological torture when coming to a Big Ten stadium. Now, let’s look at each of these teams and see just how many fans their homes can hold.

No. 18 — Ryan Field

Renderings of the new Ryan Field, the home for Northwestern football starting during the 2026 college football season.

Team: Northwestern Wildcats

Location: Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern is set to open its newly rebuilt Ryan Field this season. Penn State will play as the visiting team in the grand re-opening of Ryan Field, which will now seat 35,000 fans.

No. 17 — SECU Stadium

COLLEGE PARK, MARYLAND - OCTOBER 08: Roman Hemby #24 of the Maryland Terrapins scores in the fourth quarter against the Purdue Boilermakers at SECU Stadium on October 08, 2022 in College Park, Maryland. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Team: Maryland Terrapins

Location: College Park, Maryland

SECU Stadium, home of the Maryland Terrapins, opened in 1950 and seats 46,185 fans.

No. 16 — Huntington Bank Stadium

Nov 29, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers celebrate with Paul Bunyan’s Axe after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Team: Minnesota Golden Gophers

Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota

Huntington Bank Stadium opened up back in 2009 and contains 50,805 seats for Golden Gophers fans.

No. 15 — SHI Stadium

Scarlet Knights fans are shown at SHI Stadium to root for Rutgers during the first game of their season, Thursday, August 28, 2025.

Team: Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Location: Piscataway, New Jersey

52,454 people are able to squeeze into SHI Stadium, which opened up back in 2009, to watch Rutgers games.

No. 14 — Memorial Stadium

The Ohio State Buckeyes take the field prior the NCAA football game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. on Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021.Ohio State Buckeyes At Indiana Hoosiers

Team: Indiana Hoosiers

Location: Bloomington, Indiana

Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana seats 53,524 fans to watch their Indiana Hoosiers.

No. 13 — Autzen Stadium

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

Team: Oregon Ducks

Location: Eugene, Oregon

54,000 fans are able to pack into Autzen Stadium, which opened in 1967, to watch Oregon.

No. 12 — Gies Memorial Stadium

Dec 5, 2020; Champaign, Illinois, USA; A general view during the first half in a game between the Illinois Fighting Illini and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports

Team: Illinois Fighting Illini

Location: Champaign, Illinois

Gies Memorial Stadium is a historical sight, opening up more than a century ago back in 1923, where 60,670 fans are able to sit and watch Illinois football.

No. 11 — Ross-Ade Stadium

Purdue Boilermakers fans yell in excitement Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, during the 100th annual Old Oaken Bucket game at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette. Indiana Hoosiers defeated the Purdue Boilermakers, 56-3.

Team: Purdue Boilermakers

Location: West Lafayette, Indiana

Ross-Ade Stadium — another team’s home that’s been around for more than a century — has 61,441 seats for Purdue fans.

No. 10 — Kinnick Stadium

Iowa Hawkeyes fans fill the stadium for a football game against the Minnesota Golden Gophers Oct. 25, 2025 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.

Team: Iowa Hawkeyes

Location: Iowa City, Iowa

Kinnick Stadium, which opened in 1929, holds just shy of 70,000 seats for fans.

No. 9 — Husky Stadium

Oct 5, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies fans rush the field to congratulate players following a victory against the Michigan Wolverines at Alaska Airlines Field at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Team: Washington Huskies

Location: Seattle, Washington

Husky Stadium opened up back in 1920 and has 70,138 seats for fans.

No. 8 — Spartan Stadium

Sep 7, 2024; College Park, Maryland, USA; Michigan State Spartans mascot Sparty stands on the sidelines during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

Team: Michigan State Spartans

Location: East Lansing, Michigan

74,866 seats sit in Spartan Stadium, which opened in 1923, for Michigan State fans.

No. 7 — United Airlines Field

Sep 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; A general overall view of United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before a game between the Wisconsin Badgers and the USC Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Team: USC Trojans

Location: Los Angeles, California

United Airlines Field, home of the USC Trojans since 1923, contains 77,500 seats.

No. 6 — Camp Randall Stadium

Sep 7, 2024; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; General view of Camp Randall Stadium during the third quarter of the game between the South Dakota Coyotes and Wisconsin Badgers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Team: Wisconsin Badgers

Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Camp Randall Stadium, which holds 80,321 seats, has been a site for Badgers fans to watch games since 1917.

No. 5 — Memorial Stadium

LINCOLN, NE - DECEMBER 12: Last minute snow removal takes place before the game between the Nebraska Cornhuskers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Memorial Stadium on December 12, 2020 in Lincoln, Nebraska. (Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)

Team: Nebraska Cornhuskers

Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

Memorial Stadium, opened in 1923 in Lincoln, Nebraska, allows 85,458 to fill into its seats.

No. 4 — Rose Bowl Stadium

Nov 19, 2016; Pasadena, CA, USA; The Rose Bowl Stadium before the game between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Team: UCLA Bruins

Location: Pasadena, California

91,136 seats fill up the Rose Bowl, which opened up in 1922, for UCLA fans.

No. 3 —  Ohio Stadium

Ohio State Buckeyes fans rush the field to celebrate their 39-38 win over Penn State in the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Oct. 28, 2017.

Team: Ohio State Buckeyes

Location: Columbus, Ohio

More than 100,000 seats line the stands at Ohio Stadium, which opened in 1922, for Ohio State fans.

No. 2 — Beaver Stadium

The Penn State Nittany Lions run onto the field to play Minnesota in a White Out game at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in State College. Penn State won, 45-17.Hes Dr 102222 Whiteout

Team: Penn State Nittany Lions

Location: Centre County, Pennsylvania

One of the loudest venues in the country, Beaver Stadium, which opened in 1960, offers 106,572 seats for Nittany Lions fans to sit in

No. 1 — Michigan Stadium

Fans cheer on before kickoff of a game between Michigan and Western Michigan at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021.09042021 Umpregame 14 Michigan Stadium overview

Team: Michigan Wolverines

Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan

Michigan Stadium, creeping up on its 100-year anniversary in 2027, is the biggest stadium in the Big Ten with 107,601 seats.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Ranking Big Ten football stadiums by capacity for 2026

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