LiDAR geometry studyStadium Research•14 min read

Which College Football Stadium Has the Steepest Stands?

A 138-program LiDAR analysis of FBS seating-bowl rake, measuring substantial supported seating sections with a frozen 16-sector method.

By Rankrly Research · Updated August 19, 2026

Frozen stadium score

Median of the four steepest supported sector rakes.

Sixteen radial sectors, ~1 m structural cells and ~2 m profile bins. Continuity guards reject deck, wall and concourse jumps.

A stadium can look intimidating because it is tall, enclosed, sunken or tightly framed without actually having the steepest seating surface. This study asks a narrower physical question: how steep are each stadium's steepest substantial, continuously supported seating sections?

This is different from Rankrly's field-depth study: field depth measures where the playing surface sits; seating rake measures the angle of the spectator structure itself.

What “steep” means

Rake is the angle of a substantial supported seating surface above horizontal, not the height of the stadium or depth of the field.

35.0°

How one stadium becomes one score

Sixteen directions. Four steepest supported sectors. One median.

The stadium is sampled radially around the field. Each sector can contribute one supported seating-plane rake; the final score is the median of the four steepest valid sector rakes.

Authoritative ranking

All ranked stadiums, using one frozen score

74 of 138 FBS programs passed every required validity check and are ranked below. Each stadium score is the median of its four steepest supported sector rakes.

Showing 74 of 74 ranked stadiums

Neyland Stadium

Tennessee · SEC

38.11°Details

What this score looks like

38.11°

Four sectors used in the score

39.06°38.95°37.27°37.18°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

39.06°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

Amon G. Carter Stadium

TCU · Big 12

37.78°Details

What this score looks like

37.78°

Four sectors used in the score

38.92°38.10°37.46°36.75°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

38.92°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

Ohio Stadium

Ohio State · Big Ten

36.78°Details

What this score looks like

36.78°

Four sectors used in the score

37.15°37.05°36.52°35.98°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

37.15°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

Lincoln Financial Field

Temple · American Athletic

36.15°Details

What this score looks like

36.15°

Four sectors used in the score

37.11°36.43°35.86°33.81°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

37.11°

Supported

11 / 16

Coverage

69%

M. M. Roberts Stadium

Southern Miss · Sun Belt

35.77°Details

What this score looks like

35.77°

Four sectors used in the score

36.24°35.89°35.65°35.48°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

36.24°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

Florida · SEC

35.42°Details

What this score looks like

35.42°

Four sectors used in the score

36.47°35.43°35.41°34.06°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

36.47°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

Tiger Stadium

LSU · SEC

35.35°Details

What this score looks like

35.35°

Four sectors used in the score

35.54°35.37°35.34°35.01°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

35.54°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

Jordan-Hare Stadium

Auburn · SEC

35.10°Details

What this score looks like

35.10°

Four sectors used in the score

35.56°35.46°34.73°34.70°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

35.56°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

Arizona Stadium

Arizona · Big 12

34.88°Details

What this score looks like

34.88°

Four sectors used in the score

35.47°35.24°34.52°34.46°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

35.47°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#10

Kyle Field

Texas A&M · SEC

34.77°Details

What this score looks like

34.77°

Four sectors used in the score

37.92°35.63°33.90°33.90°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

37.92°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#11

DKR Memorial Stadium

Texas · SEC

34.74°Details

What this score looks like

34.74°

Four sectors used in the score

34.91°34.89°34.59°33.85°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

34.91°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#12

Memorial Stadium

Oklahoma · SEC

34.47°Details

What this score looks like

34.47°

Four sectors used in the score

35.09°34.67°34.27°33.48°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

35.09°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#13

Beaver Stadium

Penn State · Big Ten

34.40°Details

What this score looks like

34.40°

Four sectors used in the score

36.09°34.45°34.34°33.96°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

36.09°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#14

Davis Wade Stadium

Mississippi State · SEC

34.04°Details

What this score looks like

34.04°

Four sectors used in the score

34.39°34.10°33.98°33.53°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

34.39°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#15

Memorial Stadium

Indiana · Big Ten

33.72°Details

What this score looks like

33.72°

Four sectors used in the score

35.73°34.96°32.48°32.21°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

35.73°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#16

Williams-Brice Stadium

South Carolina · SEC

33.51°Details

What this score looks like

33.51°

Four sectors used in the score

34.31°33.52°33.50°33.46°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

34.31°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#17

Sanford Stadium

Georgia · SEC

33.43°Details

What this score looks like

33.43°

Four sectors used in the score

34.61°33.81°33.05°32.57°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

34.61°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#18

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

USC · Big Ten

32.88°Details

What this score looks like

32.88°

Four sectors used in the score

33.34°33.01°32.74°31.90°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

33.34°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#19

Bobby Dodd Stadium

Georgia Tech · ACC

32.83°Details

What this score looks like

32.83°

Four sectors used in the score

32.86°32.84°32.82°32.32°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

32.86°

Supported

15 / 16

Coverage

94%

#20

Memorial Stadium

Illinois · Big Ten

32.45°Details

What this score looks like

32.45°

Four sectors used in the score

33.13°32.68°32.23°32.16°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

33.13°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#21

Lane Stadium

Virginia Tech · ACC

32.42°Details

What this score looks like

32.42°

Four sectors used in the score

32.61°32.43°32.41°32.22°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

32.61°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#22

Camp Randall Stadium

Wisconsin · Big Ten

32.14°Details

What this score looks like

32.14°

Four sectors used in the score

34.20°34.03°30.24°28.01°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

34.20°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#23

Kinnick Stadium

Iowa · Big Ten

31.99°Details

What this score looks like

31.99°

Four sectors used in the score

36.40°36.04°27.94°27.30°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

36.40°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#24

Scott Stadium

Virginia · ACC

31.83°Details

What this score looks like

31.83°

Four sectors used in the score

32.60°32.01°31.65°31.14°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

32.60°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#25

Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium

East Carolina · American Athletic

31.79°Details

What this score looks like

31.79°

Four sectors used in the score

32.58°32.26°31.33°30.92°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

32.58°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#26

Raymond James Stadium

South Florida · American Athletic

31.25°Details

What this score looks like

31.25°

Four sectors used in the score

31.91°31.47°31.03°30.94°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

31.91°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#27

Cajun Field

Louisiana · Sun Belt

30.90°Details

What this score looks like

30.90°

Four sectors used in the score

34.16°32.34°29.47°22.26°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

34.16°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#28

Rice-Eccles Stadium

Utah · Big 12

30.73°Details

What this score looks like

30.73°

Four sectors used in the score

31.34°30.73°30.73°29.73°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

31.34°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#29

Nippert Stadium

Cincinnati · Big 12

30.35°Details

What this score looks like

30.35°

Four sectors used in the score

30.89°30.39°30.31°30.28°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

30.89°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#30

Rice Stadium

Rice · American Athletic

29.77°Details

What this score looks like

29.77°

Four sectors used in the score

30.35°29.77°29.76°29.34°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

30.35°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#31

InfoCision Stadium

Akron · Mid-American

29.53°Details

What this score looks like

29.53°

Four sectors used in the score

30.91°29.55°29.50°29.50°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

30.91°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#32

Autzen Stadium

Oregon · Big Ten

29.39°Details

What this score looks like

29.39°

Four sectors used in the score

32.72°30.20°28.58°28.48°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

32.72°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#33

FirstBank Stadium

Vanderbilt · SEC

29.27°Details

What this score looks like

29.27°

Four sectors used in the score

29.68°29.64°28.89°28.26°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

29.68°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#34

Milan Puskar Stadium

West Virginia · Big 12

29.14°Details

What this score looks like

29.14°

Four sectors used in the score

29.55°29.25°29.04°27.81°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

29.55°

Supported

15 / 16

Coverage

94%

#35

Acrisure Stadium

Pittsburgh · ACC

29.02°Details

What this score looks like

29.02°

Four sectors used in the score

30.93°30.84°27.19°26.54°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

30.93°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#36

Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium

Wake Forest · ACC

29.00°Details

What this score looks like

29.00°

Four sectors used in the score

29.39°29.24°28.76°28.53°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

29.39°

Supported

12 / 16

Coverage

75%

#37

Maverik Stadium

Utah State · Pac-12

28.93°Details

What this score looks like

28.93°

Four sectors used in the score

29.96°29.25°28.62°28.43°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

29.96°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#38

Centennial Bank Stadium

Arkansas State · Sun Belt

28.55°Details

What this score looks like

28.55°

Four sectors used in the score

29.83°28.65°28.45°28.19°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

29.83°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#39

Carter-Finley Stadium

NC State · ACC

28.20°Details

What this score looks like

28.20°

Four sectors used in the score

29.37°28.26°28.14°27.97°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

29.37°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#40

DATCU Stadium

North Texas · American Athletic

27.94°Details

What this score looks like

27.94°

Four sectors used in the score

28.54°28.03°27.86°27.67°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

28.54°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#41

Michie Stadium

Army · American Athletic

27.64°Details

What this score looks like

27.64°

Four sectors used in the score

32.55°32.06°23.23°23.01°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

32.55°

Supported

15 / 16

Coverage

94%

#42

Mackay Stadium

Nevada · Mountain West

27.41°Details

What this score looks like

27.41°

Four sectors used in the score

27.64°27.44°27.38°24.98°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

27.64°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#43

Falcon Stadium

Air Force · Mountain West

27.34°Details

What this score looks like

27.34°

Four sectors used in the score

27.80°27.40°27.28°27.20°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

27.80°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#44

Valley Children's Stadium

Fresno State · Pac-12

27.29°Details

What this score looks like

27.29°

Four sectors used in the score

28.51°27.48°27.10°25.01°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

28.51°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#45

Memorial Stadium

Kansas · Big 12

27.09°Details

What this score looks like

27.09°

Four sectors used in the score

28.22°27.15°27.04°26.97°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

28.22°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#46

Scheumann Stadium

Ball State · Mid-American

27.04°Details

What this score looks like

27.04°

Four sectors used in the score

30.95°27.44°26.65°26.51°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

30.95°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#47

Doak Campbell Stadium

Florida State · ACC

26.77°Details

What this score looks like

26.77°

Four sectors used in the score

27.65°27.00°26.53°25.95°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

27.65°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#48

Gesa Field

Washington State · Pac-12

26.74°Details

What this score looks like

26.74°

Four sectors used in the score

27.10°26.91°26.58°26.37°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

27.10°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#49

Veterans Memorial Stadium

Troy · Sun Belt

26.63°Details

What this score looks like

26.63°

Four sectors used in the score

28.29°26.67°26.58°26.41°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

28.29°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#50

California Memorial Stadium

California · ACC

26.59°Details

What this score looks like

26.59°

Four sectors used in the score

28.61°27.41°25.76°25.72°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

28.61°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#51

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Navy · American Athletic

26.28°Details

What this score looks like

26.28°

Four sectors used in the score

26.64°26.41°26.14°25.54°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

26.64°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#52

Wallace Wade Stadium

Duke · ACC

26.17°Details

What this score looks like

26.17°

Four sectors used in the score

26.77°26.35°25.99°25.32°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

26.77°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#53

Ross-Ade Stadium

Purdue · Big Ten

25.87°Details

What this score looks like

25.87°

Four sectors used in the score

26.74°25.94°25.81°25.42°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

26.74°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#54

Memorial Stadium

Missouri · SEC

25.74°Details

What this score looks like

25.74°

Four sectors used in the score

26.46°26.43°25.05°24.63°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

26.46°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#55

Reser Stadium

Oregon State · Pac-12

25.72°Details

What this score looks like

25.72°

Four sectors used in the score

31.07°27.58°23.85°22.72°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

31.07°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#56

Allen E. Paulson Stadium

Georgia Southern · Sun Belt

25.61°Details

What this score looks like

25.61°

Four sectors used in the score

26.72°25.67°25.55°20.00°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

26.72°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#57

Dix Stadium

Kent State · Mid-American

25.60°Details

What this score looks like

25.60°

Four sectors used in the score

27.51°27.00°24.19°24.03°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

27.51°

Supported

12 / 16

Coverage

75%

#58

Kenan Stadium

North Carolina · ACC

25.15°Details

What this score looks like

25.15°

Four sectors used in the score

25.56°25.35°24.96°24.33°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

25.56°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#59

UB Stadium

Buffalo · Mid-American

25.01°Details

What this score looks like

25.01°

Four sectors used in the score

28.46°27.64°22.37°21.73°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

28.46°

Supported

11 / 16

Coverage

69%

#60

Vaught-Hemingway Stadium

Ole Miss · SEC

24.85°Details

What this score looks like

24.85°

Four sectors used in the score

25.07°24.86°24.85°24.39°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

25.07°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#61

FAU Stadium

Florida Atlantic · American Athletic

24.84°Details

What this score looks like

24.84°

Four sectors used in the score

25.44°24.98°24.70°24.61°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

25.44°

Supported

15 / 16

Coverage

94%

#62

FBC Mortgage Stadium

UCF · Big 12

24.71°Details

What this score looks like

24.71°

Four sectors used in the score

25.04°24.76°24.65°24.54°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

25.04°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#63

Rynearson Stadium

Eastern Michigan · Mid-American

24.57°Details

What this score looks like

24.57°

Four sectors used in the score

25.39°24.68°24.46°24.25°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

25.39°

Supported

12 / 16

Coverage

75%

#64

Aggie Memorial Stadium

New Mexico State · Conference USA

24.03°Details

What this score looks like

24.03°

Four sectors used in the score

24.29°24.20°23.86°22.59°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

24.29°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#65

Jones AT&T Stadium

Texas Tech · Big 12

23.85°Details

What this score looks like

23.85°

Four sectors used in the score

24.72°23.95°23.76°23.41°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

24.72°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#66

Elliott T. Bowers Stadium

Sam Houston · Conference USA

23.46°Details

What this score looks like

23.46°

Four sectors used in the score

23.65°23.59°23.33°22.70°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

23.65°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#67

Gerald J. Ford Stadium

SMU · ACC

23.46°Details

What this score looks like

23.46°

Four sectors used in the score

24.00°23.59°23.32°22.92°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

24.00°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#68

Rose Bowl

UCLA · Big Ten

23.41°Details

What this score looks like

23.41°

Four sectors used in the score

23.53°23.43°23.39°23.36°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

23.53°

Supported

16 / 16

Coverage

100%

#69

University Stadium

New Mexico · Mountain West

22.98°Details

What this score looks like

22.98°

Four sectors used in the score

23.97°23.21°22.75°22.68°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

23.97°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#70

Doyt L. Perry Stadium

Bowling Green · Mid-American

22.75°Details

What this score looks like

22.75°

Four sectors used in the score

23.22°22.84°22.66°22.26°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

23.22°

Supported

11 / 16

Coverage

69%

#71

Peden Stadium

Ohio · Mid-American

22.03°Details

What this score looks like

22.03°

Four sectors used in the score

27.64°22.56°21.50°21.35°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

27.64°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#72

Chapman Stadium

Tulsa · American Athletic

21.48°Details

What this score looks like

21.48°

Four sectors used in the score

22.02°21.68°21.28°20.87°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

22.02°

Supported

14 / 16

Coverage

88%

#73

Bobcat Stadium

Texas State · Pac-12

20.50°Details

What this score looks like

20.50°

Four sectors used in the score

24.46°22.20°18.79°16.62°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

24.46°

Supported

13 / 16

Coverage

81%

#74

Kidd Brewer Stadium

App State · Sun Belt

18.94°Details

What this score looks like

18.94°

Four sectors used in the score

19.90°19.11°18.78°17.77°

The stadium score is the median of these four steepest supported sector rakes.

Steepest sector

19.90°

Supported

6 / 16

Coverage

38%

Rank	School / stadium	Score	Steepest sector	Support
#1	Neyland StadiumTennessee · SEC	38.11°	39.06°	16 / 16
#2	Amon G. Carter StadiumTCU · Big 12	37.78°	38.92°	16 / 16
#3	Ohio StadiumOhio State · Big Ten	36.78°	37.15°	16 / 16
#4	Lincoln Financial FieldTemple · American Athletic	36.15°	37.11°	11 / 16
#5	M. M. Roberts StadiumSouthern Miss · Sun Belt	35.77°	36.24°	14 / 16
#6	Ben Hill Griffin StadiumFlorida · SEC	35.42°	36.47°	16 / 16
#7	Tiger StadiumLSU · SEC	35.35°	35.54°	16 / 16
#8	Jordan-Hare StadiumAuburn · SEC	35.10°	35.56°	16 / 16
#9	Arizona StadiumArizona · Big 12	34.88°	35.47°	14 / 16
#10	Kyle FieldTexas A&M · SEC	34.77°	37.92°	16 / 16
#11	DKR Memorial StadiumTexas · SEC	34.74°	34.91°	16 / 16
#12	Memorial StadiumOklahoma · SEC	34.47°	35.09°	16 / 16
#13	Beaver StadiumPenn State · Big Ten	34.40°	36.09°	16 / 16
#14	Davis Wade StadiumMississippi State · SEC	34.04°	34.39°	13 / 16
#15	Memorial StadiumIndiana · Big Ten	33.72°	35.73°	16 / 16
#16	Williams-Brice StadiumSouth Carolina · SEC	33.51°	34.31°	16 / 16
#17	Sanford StadiumGeorgia · SEC	33.43°	34.61°	16 / 16
#18	Los Angeles Memorial ColiseumUSC · Big Ten	32.88°	33.34°	16 / 16
#19	Bobby Dodd StadiumGeorgia Tech · ACC	32.83°	32.86°	15 / 16
#20	Memorial StadiumIllinois · Big Ten	32.45°	33.13°	16 / 16
#21	Lane StadiumVirginia Tech · ACC	32.42°	32.61°	16 / 16
#22	Camp Randall StadiumWisconsin · Big Ten	32.14°	34.20°	16 / 16
#23	Kinnick StadiumIowa · Big Ten	31.99°	36.40°	16 / 16
#24	Scott StadiumVirginia · ACC	31.83°	32.60°	16 / 16
#25	Dowdy-Ficklen StadiumEast Carolina · American Athletic	31.79°	32.58°	13 / 16
#26	Raymond James StadiumSouth Florida · American Athletic	31.25°	31.91°	16 / 16
#27	Cajun FieldLouisiana · Sun Belt	30.90°	34.16°	16 / 16
#28	Rice-Eccles StadiumUtah · Big 12	30.73°	31.34°	16 / 16
#29	Nippert StadiumCincinnati · Big 12	30.35°	30.89°	13 / 16
#30	Rice StadiumRice · American Athletic	29.77°	30.35°	14 / 16
#31	InfoCision StadiumAkron · Mid-American	29.53°	30.91°	14 / 16
#32	Autzen StadiumOregon · Big Ten	29.39°	32.72°	16 / 16
#33	FirstBank StadiumVanderbilt · SEC	29.27°	29.68°	13 / 16
#34	Milan Puskar StadiumWest Virginia · Big 12	29.14°	29.55°	15 / 16
#35	Acrisure StadiumPittsburgh · ACC	29.02°	30.93°	16 / 16
#36	Allegacy Federal Credit Union StadiumWake Forest · ACC	29.00°	29.39°	12 / 16
#37	Maverik StadiumUtah State · Pac-12	28.93°	29.96°	14 / 16
#38	Centennial Bank StadiumArkansas State · Sun Belt	28.55°	29.83°	14 / 16
#39	Carter-Finley StadiumNC State · ACC	28.20°	29.37°	13 / 16
#40	DATCU StadiumNorth Texas · American Athletic	27.94°	28.54°	14 / 16
#41	Michie StadiumArmy · American Athletic	27.64°	32.55°	15 / 16
#42	Mackay StadiumNevada · Mountain West	27.41°	27.64°	14 / 16
#43	Falcon StadiumAir Force · Mountain West	27.34°	27.80°	16 / 16
#44	Valley Children's StadiumFresno State · Pac-12	27.29°	28.51°	16 / 16
#45	Memorial StadiumKansas · Big 12	27.09°	28.22°	14 / 16
#46	Scheumann StadiumBall State · Mid-American	27.04°	30.95°	16 / 16
#47	Doak Campbell StadiumFlorida State · ACC	26.77°	27.65°	16 / 16
#48	Gesa FieldWashington State · Pac-12	26.74°	27.10°	14 / 16
#49	Veterans Memorial StadiumTroy · Sun Belt	26.63°	28.29°	13 / 16
#50	California Memorial StadiumCalifornia · ACC	26.59°	28.61°	16 / 16
#51	Navy-Marine Corps Memorial StadiumNavy · American Athletic	26.28°	26.64°	13 / 16
#52	Wallace Wade StadiumDuke · ACC	26.17°	26.77°	13 / 16
#53	Ross-Ade StadiumPurdue · Big Ten	25.87°	26.74°	16 / 16
#54	Memorial StadiumMissouri · SEC	25.74°	26.46°	14 / 16
#55	Reser StadiumOregon State · Pac-12	25.72°	31.07°	16 / 16
#56	Allen E. Paulson StadiumGeorgia Southern · Sun Belt	25.61°	26.72°	13 / 16
#57	Dix StadiumKent State · Mid-American	25.60°	27.51°	12 / 16
#58	Kenan StadiumNorth Carolina · ACC	25.15°	25.56°	14 / 16
#59	UB StadiumBuffalo · Mid-American	25.01°	28.46°	11 / 16
#60	Vaught-Hemingway StadiumOle Miss · SEC	24.85°	25.07°	16 / 16
#61	FAU StadiumFlorida Atlantic · American Athletic	24.84°	25.44°	15 / 16
#62	FBC Mortgage StadiumUCF · Big 12	24.71°	25.04°	16 / 16
#63	Rynearson StadiumEastern Michigan · Mid-American	24.57°	25.39°	12 / 16
#64	Aggie Memorial StadiumNew Mexico State · Conference USA	24.03°	24.29°	16 / 16
#65	Jones AT&T StadiumTexas Tech · Big 12	23.85°	24.72°	16 / 16
#66	Elliott T. Bowers StadiumSam Houston · Conference USA	23.46°	23.65°	13 / 16
#67	Gerald J. Ford StadiumSMU · ACC	23.46°	24.00°	16 / 16
#68	Rose BowlUCLA · Big Ten	23.41°	23.53°	16 / 16
#69	University StadiumNew Mexico · Mountain West	22.98°	23.97°	14 / 16
#70	Doyt L. Perry StadiumBowling Green · Mid-American	22.75°	23.22°	11 / 16
#71	Peden StadiumOhio · Mid-American	22.03°	27.64°	13 / 16
#72	Chapman StadiumTulsa · American Athletic	21.48°	22.02°	14 / 16
#73	Bobcat StadiumTexas State · Pac-12	20.50°	24.46°	13 / 16
#74	Kidd Brewer StadiumApp State · Sun Belt	18.94°	19.90°	6 / 16

Conference view

Average authoritative stadium rake by conference

Conference averages use only authoritative measurements. Coverage is shown beside every value so a conference with unresolved venues is not presented as a complete census.

SEC

13/16 authoritative

32.98°

Steepest ranked: Tennessee · 38.11°

Big Ten

10/18 authoritative

31.30°

Steepest ranked: Ohio State · 36.78°

Big 12

8/16 authoritative

29.82°

Steepest ranked: TCU · 37.78°

American Athletic

9/14 authoritative

28.57°

Steepest ranked: Temple · 36.15°

ACC

11/17 authoritative

28.31°

Steepest ranked: Georgia Tech · 32.83°

Sun Belt

6/14 authoritative

27.73°

Steepest ranked: Southern Miss · 35.77°

Mountain West

3/10 authoritative

25.91°

Steepest ranked: Nevada · 27.41°

Pac-12

5/8 authoritative

25.84°

Steepest ranked: Utah State · 28.93°

Mid-American

7/13 authoritative

25.22°

Steepest ranked: Akron · 29.53°

Conference USA

2/10 authoritative

23.74°

Steepest ranked: New Mexico State · 24.03°

FBS Independents

0/2 authoritative

N/A

Held-out cases

Why some stadiums are not ranked

A provisional stadium has a measured seating rake, but at least one required validity check did not pass. That can mean too little supported seating, too short a usable span, uncertain stadium geometry, LiDAR collected at the wrong time, or a source that is not reliable enough for the final ranking. The measured angle is still shown for transparency, but it is not assigned a rank. No authoritative measurement means the current airborne-LiDAR method could not produce a score that passed the publication checks.

Provisional measurements

33 measured stadiums with at least one required validity check not met

Nebraska · Memorial Stadium (Lincoln, NE)

provisional geometry

36.31°

Houston · TDECU Stadium

provisional geometry

35.83°

Alabama · Bryant-Denny Stadium

provisional temporal unknown

35.00°

Arkansas · Razorback Stadium

provisional temporal unknown

34.18°

Western Kentucky · Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium

provisional geometry

33.53°

San José State · CEFCU Stadium

provisional geometry

32.22°

UL Monroe · Malone Stadium

provisional geometry

31.21°

Missouri State · Plaster Sports Complex

provisional geometry

30.02°

Michigan State · Spartan Stadium

provisional geometry

29.51°

Wyoming · War Memorial Stadium

provisional geometry

29.33°

Delaware · Delaware Stadium

provisional geometry

28.81°

Jacksonville State · AmFirst Stadium

provisional geometry

28.35°

BYU · LaVell Edwards Stadium

provisional temporal unknown

27.84°

Stanford · Stanford Stadium

provisional geometry

27.72°

Middle Tennessee · Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium

provisional geometry

27.58°

Colorado · Folsom Field

provisional geometry

26.95°

UTEP · Sun Bowl

provisional temporal unknown

26.68°

Clemson · Memorial Stadium (Clemson, SC)

provisional geometry

26.58°

Coastal Carolina · Brooks Stadium (SC)

provisional geometry

26.50°

Minnesota · Huntington Bank Stadium

provisional temporal unknown

26.37°

Hawai'i · Clarence T.C. Ching Athletics Complex

provisional geometry

25.86°

UConn · Pratt & Whitney Stadium

provisional temporal unknown

25.63°

South Alabama · Hancock Whitney Stadium

provisional geometry

25.55°

Northern Illinois · Huskie Stadium

provisional geometry

25.10°

Notre Dame · Notre Dame Stadium

provisional geometry

25.00°

Georgia State · Center Parc Stadium

provisional geometry

23.84°

Western Michigan · Waldo Stadium

provisional geometry

23.78°

Central Michigan · Kelly/Shorts Stadium

provisional geometry

23.59°

North Dakota State · Fargodome

provisional profile coverage

23.11°

Toledo · Glass Bowl

provisional geometry

22.34°

Oklahoma State · Boone Pickens Stadium

provisional geometry

20.77°

Sacramento State · Hornet Stadium

provisional geometry

18.59°

Old Dominion · S.B. Ballard Stadium

provisional geometry

17.95°

No authoritative measurement

31 programs, including 3 roofed venues outside the current airborne-LiDAR method

Arizona State · Mountain America Stadium

error

Baylor · McLane Stadium

error

Boise State · Albertsons Stadium

error

Boston College · Alumni Stadium (Chestnut Hill, MA)

error

Charlotte · Jerry Richardson Stadium

error

Colorado State · Canvas Stadium

error

Florida International · Pitbull Stadium

error

Iowa State · Jack Trice Stadium

error

James Madison · Bridgeforth Stadium

error

Kansas State · Bill Snyder Family Stadium

error

Kennesaw State · Fifth Third Stadium

error

Kentucky · Kroger Field

error

Liberty · Williams Stadium (VA)

error

Louisiana Tech · Joe Aillet Stadium

error

Louisville · L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium

error

Marshall · Joan C. Edwards Stadium

error

Maryland · SECU Stadium

error

Massachusetts · Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium

error

Memphis · Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium

error

Miami · Hard Rock Stadium

error

Miami (OH) · Yager Stadium

error

Michigan · Michigan Stadium

error

Northwestern · Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium

error

Rutgers · SHI Stadium

error

San Diego State · Snapdragon Stadium

error

Syracuse · JMA Wireless Dome

Outside the current airborne-LiDAR method

Tulane · Yulman Stadium

error

UAB · Protective Stadium

error

UNLV · Allegiant Stadium

Outside the current airborne-LiDAR method

UTSA · Alamodome

Outside the current airborne-LiDAR method

Washington · Husky Stadium

error

Frozen methodology

The rules were frozen before interpreting the national ranking

The pilot initially exposed false ~42° fits where a robust line bridged a deck or concourse height jump. A continuity guard corrected that measurement defect. The eight calibration controls then stayed unchanged through later geometry and reliability recovery work; parameters were not loosened to manufacture more ranked stadiums.

Divide the football stadium into 16 radial sectors around the field so differently shaped bowls are sampled on a common directional framework.

Build an approximately 1 m LiDAR structural surface grid from plausible stadium surfaces, then reduce each sector to approximately 2 m radial profile bins.

Search each radial profile for substantial seating-plane candidates with enough supported bins and horizontal span, then fit the slope robustly rather than using a single pair of points.

Apply the frozen continuity guard so deck edges, concourses, retaining walls, and other vertical jumps cannot masquerade as a steep continuous seating plane.

Require the frozen support, span, rise, angle, residual, geometry, and reliability gates. A measured rake that fails those gates remains provisional instead of entering the ranking.

Score each stadium as the median of the four steepest supported sector rakes. The sector count, top-four rule, fitting gates, and scoring rule are not tuned stadium by stadium.

Spatially filter each LAZ chunk in its source CRS before coordinate transformation, transform only candidate points near the stadium, then exact-clip in the target CRS. Preserve rawPointsRead, rawPointsTransformed, and pointTransformReductionPct for auditability.

Keep current-methodology exclusions explicit. Roofed venues are not force-ranked when airborne LiDAR cannot observe the seating bowl, and unresolved source/geometry cases stay outside the authoritative leaderboard.

Field depth

Where is the field?

Measures the playing surface's vertical relationship to immediate surrounding ground. A deep bowl can be sunken without having unusually steep seating.

Read the field-depth study

Seating rake

At what angle do the stands rise?

Measures robust, substantial structural seating planes moving outward from the football field. Stadium height, capacity and field depth do not directly enter the score.

Sources & reproducibility

Measured geometry, visible caveats

Primary structural geometry comes from authoritative public LiDAR sources, principally USGS 3DEP / The National Map, with source-specific authoritative recovery where required. The website publishes the reconciled research statuses rather than rerunning or modifying the frozen metric.

USGS Lidar Base Specification

Open source

USGS Lidar classification tables

Open source

USGS LidarExplorer / The National Map

Open source