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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CLEMSON, SC – NOVEMBER 17: Players of the Clemson Tigers run onto the field prior to their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Clemson Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
CLEMSON, SC – NOVEMBER 17: Players of the Clemson Tigers run onto the field prior to their game against the Duke Blue Devils at Clemson Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Clemson, South Carolina. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /

Clemson Tigers. Clemson. Memorial Stadium . Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 7. player. 879

Frank Howard Field at Clemson Memorial Stadium is one of the toughest places to play in college football. Since 2010, Clemson’s posted a 58-5 record at home, including unblemished records (7-0) in four of the last five seasons.

Memorial Stadium holds about 81,500 fans, and the Tigers have done well at filling those seats. For 38 straight seasons, Clemson’s finished in the top 20 for average attendance.

Known to many as, “Death Valley,” Clemson also has one of the most exhilarating entrances in sports. After leaving the locker room, instead of heading straight for the field, the players and coaches load up on three buses and are taken to the other end of the stadium.

There, they’ll line up at the top of, “The Hill,” and rub “Howard’s Rock,” before taking the field. The rock is actually from Death Valley, Calif., given to former head coach Frank Howard from a friend. As each player runs down the hill, they’ll rub Howard’s Rock and prepare for battle. It’s been dubbed, “the most exciting 25 seconds in college football.”