Neyland Stadium has emerged victorious over fifteen other college football facilities in a recent playoff bracket hosted by Athletic Business magazine and AthleticBusiness.com.
Neyland was actually given an eighth seed in the ‘100k+’ region – the lowest given in the bracket – but defeated LSU’s Tiger Stadium, Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium and Texas A&M’s Kyle Field on it’s way to the championship matchup. After working it’s way through the powerhouse stadiums of the SEC West, Neyland Stadium was pitted against Clemson’s Memorial Stadium – a number one seed in the ‘Sub-100k’ region.
If you’re a fan of revenge, then the facilities championship round should serve as slight redemption for the 2004 Peach Bowl when Clemson defeated Tennessee by the final score of 27-14. Because Neyland Stadium opened up a can of you-know-what on Memorial Stadium.
The final tally for the championship round saw Neyland Stadium receive 34,127 votes (80.54%) to Memorial’s 8,246 votes (19.46%).
Here’s a look at the bracket:
Here’s what Athletic Business had to say about Neyland Stadium:
Congratulations to Neyland Stadium, winner of the 2014 College Facility Playoff. The iconic home of the Tennessee Volunteers takes home the crown after amassing more than 80,000 votes over the course of the playoff.
One of college football’s most iconic venues has received some major upgrades in recent years, most notably to its aging infrastructure, but no amount of money can change one of the stadium’s best features, its location. The stadium sits along the banks of the Tennessee River where the “Vol Navy” tailgates via boat before games.
Tennessee has invested millions of dollars over the years to keep its historic stadium on par with the nation’s elite. Always known for its large size and orange-clad fans, Neyland Stadium now has an improved infrastructure and all the modern amenities to wow fans and players alike. Completed in 2006, Phase I of the renovations widened the facility’s concourses, added an East Club and LED signage throughout. Phase II saw a modernization of the stadium’s west concourse, a new media center and the Peyton Manning Locker Complex — one of the finest game day locker rooms in the nation. Phase III, completed in time for the 2010 season focused on exterior upgrades, adding new plazas and facades to the stadium. Between the renovations, a raucous home crowd and its picturesque setting along the Tennessee River, there is no doubt that Neyland Stadium is truly one of the nation’s best stadiums.
