Ohio Stadium is the third-toughest place to play in college football, according to EA Sports.
EA Sports announced the 25 toughest places to play in EA Sports College Football 26 on Tuesday, and the Shoe placed third on the list behind only LSU’s Tiger Stadium and Penn State’s Beaver Stadium. It’s a one-spot jump up the list for the Shoe from last year, when Ohio Stadium was ranked fourth behind Texas A&M’s Kyle Field, Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium and Tiger Stadium.
Death Valley reigns supreme! Weve got your #CFB26 Toughest Places to Play.
— EASPORTSCollege (@EASPORTSCollege) June 24, 2025
See Top 25 List https://t.co/aaIN8H84Y7 pic.twitter.com/oWoanjQ3Xv
The rankings determine how much of a home-field advantage each team has in the game.
Whether Ohio Stadium ranks as college football’s third-toughest place to play in real life can be reasonably debated from both sides. While the Shoe is the third-largest stadium in college football behind only Michigan Stadium and Beaver Stadium, it's had a reputation in recent years for not getting as loud as it should be – particularly during the noon games that have become so prevalent on Ohio State’s schedule since FOX’s Big Noon Saturday began in 2019.
When the crowd is at its best, though, the Shoe can get as loud as any stadium in college football, such as it did during Ohio State’s home playoff game against Tennessee last season. And it’s proven to be a very tough place to play for most opponents as Ohio State has lost just three home games since 2018.
Former Indiana center Mike Katic, who was with the Hoosiers for three losses at the Shoe from 2020-24, said he thought Ohio Stadium should have been ranked above Beaver Stadium.
Coming from someone who had to hear the snap count in Beaver and Ohio Stadium, Ohio Stadium is louder and its not close. #PTSD https://t.co/zaRdnuuGxu
— Mike Katic (@KaticMichael) June 24, 2025
EA Sports College Football 26, the second edition of the new college football video game since its revival last year, will be released on PlayStation and Xbox Series X|S on July 10. Early access for the deluxe edition of the game will be available on July 7. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was revealed earlier this week to have a 99 overall rating in the game, is on the cover for the standard edition of the game alongside Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams.
