Fansided

College football stadiums: Ranking the 10 best game-day experiences

By Phil Poling

GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Florida Gators celebrate with fans following a 35-31 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 10: Florida Gators celebrate with fans following a 35-31 victory over the South Carolina Gamecocks at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium on November 10, 2018 in Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /
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MORGANTOWN, WV – OCTOBER 25: West Virginia Mountaineers Defensive Lineman Reese Donahue (46) holds up the West Virginia flag to celebrate the victory after the game between the Baylor Bears and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 25, 2018, at the Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
MORGANTOWN, WV – OCTOBER 25: West Virginia Mountaineers Defensive Lineman Reese Donahue (46) holds up the West Virginia flag to celebrate the victory after the game between the Baylor Bears and the West Virginia Mountaineers on October 25, 2018, at the Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV. (Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

player. 877. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Milan Puskar Stadium . 9. West Virginia Mountaineers. Morgantown

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium wasn’t constructed until 1980 but opened with a John Denver dedication where he performed his hit, “Country Roads,” in front of a sold-out crowd. It holds around 60,000 fans, too, making Milan Puskar Stadium the most populous city in West Virginia on Mountaineer game days. Where else does that happen?

It’s placed in a beautiful spot on West Virginia University’s campus, between Ruby Memorial Hospital and the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility. It’s taken the Mountaineers a few years to catch up with college football’s elite programs when it comes to facilities (and they’re still chasing), but recent renovations to the field and stadium continue to elevate WVU.

The Mountaineers have posted a 42-17 mark in front of their fans at Milan Puskar since 2010. They’ve even hosted ESPN’s College GameDay a couple of times, albeit in defeat. Night games are special anywhere in college football, but the Mountaineer Maniacs make things difficult for even the best visiting team’s when they come to Morgantown. West Virginia has a night game scheduled in 2019 on a Thursday – Halloween – in Waco against the Baylor Bears.

Regardless of where the Mountaineers play, “Country Roads,” is a staple following a West Virginia game (or wedding, birthday party, etc. – really anything worth celebrating). The fans put an arm around one another and often the players join the stands to belt out the lyrics. There’s a reason they call West Virginia, “Almost Heaven.”