20 College Stadiums Built for an NFL Game
Updated: October 24, 2026
The best college stadium for an NFL game is Michigan Stadium, which seats 107,601. The Lions would host the Browns there. MockSlate ranked every college home stadium that has never hosted an NFL regular-season game by official capacity. Each one gets its closest NFL team as host and the next-closest team as the opponent.
The idea comes from Brendan Howe (@bybrendanhowe), who asked why the NFL plays abroad when Beaver Stadium, the Big House and the Horseshoe sit close to home.
Top 20 College Stadiums for an NFL Game, Ranked by 2026 Capacity
Eighteen of the 20 sit within 200 straight-line miles of their host team's stadium.
| Rank | Stadium | School | Capacity | NFL matchup | Miles to host / opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan Stadium | Michigan | 107,601 | Browns at Lions | 36 / 118 |
| 2 | Beaver Stadium | Penn State | 100,000+ | Ravens at Steelers | 116 / 124 |
| 3 | Kyle Field | Texas A&M | 102,733 | Cowboys at Texans | 85 / 154 |
| 4 | Ohio Stadium | Ohio State | 102,041 | Browns at Bengals | 101 / 125 |
| 5 | Neyland Stadium | Tennessee | 101,915 | Falcons at Titans | 160 / 154 |
| 6 | DKR-Texas Memorial Stadium | Texas | 100,119 | Saints at Texans | 145 / 458 |
| 7 | Bryant-Denny Stadium | Alabama | 100,077 | Saints at Falcons | 185 / 270 |
| 8 | Sanford Stadium | Georgia | 93,033 | Panthers at Falcons | 60 / 168 |
| 9 | Rose Bowl | UCLA | 91,136 | Raiders at Chargers | 17 / 215 |
| 10 | Ben Hill Griffin Stadium | Florida | 88,548 | Buccaneers at Jaguars | 63 / 116 |
| 11 | Jordan-Hare Stadium | Auburn | 88,043 | Jaguars at Falcons | 102 / 276 |
| 12 | Memorial Stadium | Nebraska | 85,000+ | Vikings at Chiefs | 170 / 336 |
| 13 | Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium | Oklahoma | 80,126 | Chiefs at Cowboys | 171 / 312 |
| 14 | Notre Dame Stadium | Notre Dame | 77,622 | Bears at Colts | 134 / 72 |
| 15 | Williams-Brice Stadium | South Carolina | 77,559 | Jaguars at Panthers | 87 / 255 |
| 16 | Camp Randall Stadium | Wisconsin | 76,030 | Bears at Packers | 120 / 124 |
| 17 | Razorback Stadium | Arkansas | 76,000 | Titans at Chiefs | 207 / 413 |
| 18 | Spartan Stadium | Michigan State | 74,866 | Bears at Lions | 78 / 171 |
| 19 | Kinnick Stadium | Iowa | 69,250 | Chiefs at Bears | 203 / 237 |
| 20 | Doak Campbell Stadium | Florida State | 67,277 | Saints at Jaguars | 159 / 347 |
Beaver Stadium ranks second on its last full official figure, 106,572. Penn State says only that capacity stays above 100,000 during its renovation, which ends for 2027.
Five College Stadium NFL Matchups Within 120 Miles of the Host
Ravens at Steelers, Beaver Stadium. The Steelers sit 116 miles away and the Ravens 124. Penn State drew a record 114,419 for USC in October 2026, so the building can hold the crowd.
Browns at Bengals, Ohio Stadium. The Battle of Ohio moves to Columbus, 101 miles from Cincinnati and 125 from Cleveland. Howe put the Browns in the Horseshoe; here Ohio's other team hosts them.
Cowboys at Texans, Kyle Field. College Station sits 85 miles from Houston. Texas has two NFL teams and two 100,000-seat stadiums.
Bears at Packers, Camp Randall Stadium. Madison sits almost halfway between them: 120 miles to Lambeau Field, 124 to Soldier Field.
Raiders at Chargers, Rose Bowl. The shortest trip on the list. SoFi Stadium is 17 miles from Pasadena, and the Rams could host here as well.
15 College Stadiums That Hosted NFL Regular-Season Games, 1966–2025
The NFL has already played 582 regular-season games in college stadiums since 1966. Most came from a team with no home of its own yet. Regular season only.
| Stadium | College home | NFL team | Seasons | Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | USC | Rams; Raiders | 1966–79, 2016–19; 1982–94 | 229 |
| Sun Devil Stadium | Arizona State | Cardinals; Chargers | 1988–2005; 2003 | 144 |
| Tulane Stadium | Tulane | Saints | 1967–74 | 56 |
| Franklin Field | Penn | Eagles | 1966–70 | 35 |
| Husky Stadium | Washington | Seahawks | 1994, 2000–01 | 19 |
| TCF Bank Stadium (now Huntington Bank Stadium) | Minnesota | Vikings | 2010, 2014–15 | 17 |
| Nippert Stadium | Cincinnati | Bengals | 1968–69 | 14 |
| Rice Stadium | Rice | Oilers | 1966–67 | 14 |
| Yale Bowl | Yale | Giants | 1973–74 | 12 |
| Memorial Stadium | Clemson | Panthers | 1995 | 8 |
| Vanderbilt Stadium | Vanderbilt | Oilers | 1998 | 8 |
| Memorial Stadium | Illinois | Bears | 2002 | 8 |
| Alumni Stadium | Boston College | Patriots | 1969 | 7 |
| Harvard Stadium | Harvard | Patriots | 1970 | 7 |
| Tiger Stadium | LSU | Saints | 2005 | 4 |
The one-offs tell the best stories. The Chargers hosted the Dolphins at Sun Devil Stadium on Oct. 27, 2003, during the San Diego wildfires. The Saints played four 2005 home games in Baton Rouge after Hurricane Katrina. The Vikings hosted the Bears at TCF Bank Stadium in December 2010 after the Metrodome roof fell.
Three stadiums leave the top-20 list for this reason: Tiger Stadium, Clemson's Memorial Stadium and the Coliseum have already hosted the NFL. Husky Stadium, at 72,132 seats, would also have made the list.
Every one of these games had to fit a real schedule. To test where a college stadium game would land, build the season yourself in the MockSlate builder.
How MockSlate Ranked 20 College Stadiums by 2026 Seating Capacity
- Rank: official 2026 seating capacity, from each school's athletics site.
- Who qualifies: the stadium is a college team's home field and has not hosted an NFL regular-season game since 1966.
- Host team: the NFL team in the same state that sits closest. In a state with no NFL team, the closest team in any state.
- Opponent: the next-closest NFL team, so every game is a regional derby. When a pairing already appears higher on the list, the stadium takes the next-closest team.
- Distance: straight-line miles from the college stadium to the NFL stadium, a MockSlate calculation. Road miles run longer.
- History table: MockSlate's game files, 1966–2025, regular season only, with game data from Lee Sharpe and nflverse. The three 1994 Seahawks games at Husky Stadium come from Pro Football Reference. Pitt Stadium is left out because our 1966–69 Steelers records do not split it from Forbes Field.
FAQ
Has the NFL ever played a regular-season game at a college stadium?
Yes. MockSlate counts 582 regular-season games in 15 college stadiums since 1966, led by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at 229.
Which college stadium is the biggest one the NFL has never used?
Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, at 107,601 seats, has never hosted an NFL regular-season game.
Why would the NFL pick a college stadium over an international game?
Every stadium on the list seats at least 67,277, and 18 of the 20 sit within 200 miles of the host team. The game stays in front of the team's own fans.
This article covers 20 teams. See every team’s 2027 opponents →
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