College Football 26 - Toughest Places to Play
Following Tuesday's College Football 26 Dynasty & Team Builder Deep Dive, EA announced the Top 25 Toughest Places to Play (TPTP).
While the Top 25 TPTP lacked the ensuing conversation the CFB 25 reveal did - Texas A&M at #1?!? - it isn't without controversy.....the list is the exact same as the one EA quietly added into an early season title update for CFB 25.
As noted by Operation Sports at the time, an August 29, 2024 Title Update for CFB 25 updated the TPTP, putting LSU at #1 and dropping Texas A&M all the way to #11, among other changes. This change was not noted or announced by EA. (LSU was believed to be the #1 TPTP based on pre-release content until the EA reveal. Some believed the list was altered for marketing reasons then reverted back to proper form in the silent update.)
While the TPTP will always draw some fan debate and ire, the most valid complaints are likely among schools who just missed the ranking.
In CFB 25, Arkansas, Boise State, and Virginia Tech dropped out of the Top 25 in the silent update. All three finished with winning home records in 2024, including Boise State's 7-0 record. #25 Mississippi State went 2-5 and #23 Oklahoma State went just 2-4, yet both remain in the Top 25 TPTP.
Continue on to see the Top 25 Toughest Places to Play in College Football 26 - barring any silent update - and teams that should be in consideration.
| Rank |
Team |
Stadium |
4-Year Total |
10-Year Total |
Streak |
| 1. |
LSU |
Tiger Stadium |
24-4 (.857) |
54-11 (.831) |
W2 |
| 2. |
Penn State |
Beaver Stadium |
24-5 (.828) |
58-11 (.841) |
W3 |
| 3. |
Ohio State |
Ohio Stadium |
27-3 (.900) |
63-5 (.926) |
W1 |
| 4. |
Georgia |
Sanford Stadium |
25-0 (1.000) |
56-5 (.918) |
W32 |
| 5. |
Alabama |
Bryant-Denny Stadium |
27-1 (.964) |
65-3 (.956) |
W12 |
| 6. |
Clemson |
Memorial Stadium |
23-4 (.852) |
63-5 (.926) |
L1 |
| 7. |
Florida |
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium |
19-7 (.731) |
48-14 (.774) |
W4 |
| 8. |
Oklahoma |
Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium |
22-4 (.846) |
55-7 (.887) |
W2 |
| 9. |
Oregon |
Autzen Stadium |
26-1 (.963) |
55-8 (.873) |
W15 |
| 10. |
Michigan |
Michigan Stadium |
28-2 (.933) |
58-10 (.853) |
W1 |
| 11. |
Texas A&M |
Kyle Field |
21-7 (.750) |
50-17 (.746) |
L1 |
| 12. |
Tennessee |
Neyland Stadium |
25-4 (.862) |
49-21 (.700) |
W8 |
| 13. |
Texas |
Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium |
22-5 (.815) |
45-17 (.726) |
W3 |
| 14. |
Florida State |
Doak S. Campbell Stadium |
16-11 (.593) |
42-23 (.646) |
L3 |
| 15. |
Wisconsin |
Camp Randall Stadium |
16-12 (.571) |
47-18 (.723) |
L3 |
| 16. |
South Carolina |
Williams-Brice Stadium |
20-8 (.714) |
41-27 (.603) |
W3 |
| 17. |
Auburn |
Jordan-Hare Stadium |
16-14 (.533) |
47-24 (.662) |
W2 |
| 18. |
Washington |
Husky Stadium |
22-5 (.815) |
52-13 (.800) |
W20 |
| 19. |
Iowa |
Kinnick Stadium |
22-6 (.786) |
52-15 (.776) |
W5 |
| 20. |
Utah |
Rice-Eccles Stadium |
20-5 (.800) |
48-13 (.787) |
L4 |
| 21. |
Notre Dame |
Notre Dame Stadium |
21-5 (.808) |
54-10 (.844) |
W6 |
| 22. |
NC State |
Carter-Finley Stadium |
22-6 (.786) |
49-18 (.731) |
L1 |
| 23. |
Oklahoma State |
Boone Pickens Stadium |
21-6 (.778) |
48-17 (.738) |
L4 |
| 24 |
Michigan State |
Spartan Stadium |
17-10 (.630) |
41-25 (.621) |
L1 |
| 25 |
Mississippi State |
Davis Wade Stadium |
16-13 (.552) |
40-28 (.588) |
L1 |
Others worth consideration:
| Team |
Stadium |
10-year total |
| JMU |
Brideforth Stadium |
63-7 |
| Memphis |
Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium |
58-11 |
| Appalachian State |
Kidd Brewer Stadium |
52-9 |
| Jacksonville State |
Burgess-Snow Field at JSU Stadium |
51-12 |
| Liberty |
Williams Stadium |
50-11 |
| Boise State |
Albertsons Stadium |
50-12 (W12) |
| Sam Houston |
Shell Energy Stadium |
49-14 |
| Missouri |
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium |
49-19 |
| Ole Miss |
Vaught-Hemingway Stadium |
48-20 |
| Kennesaw State |
Fifth Third Bank Stadium |
47-14 |
| Army |
Michie Stadium |
47-15 |
| Miami |
Hard Rock Stadium |
47-17 |
| Marshall |
Joan C. Edwards Stadium |
46-17 |
| Kentucky |
Kroger Field |
46-26 |
| Toledo |
Glass Bowl |
45-13 |
| BYU |
Lavell Edwards Stadium |
45-16 |
| USC |
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
45-17 |
| Cincinnati |
Nippert Stadium |
45-19 |
| UCF |
Acrisure Bounce House |
45-19 |
| Coastal Carolina |
Brooks Stadium |
45-20 |
| Air Force |
Falcon Stadium |
44-14 |
| Washington State |
GESA Field at Martin Stadium |
44-16 |
| Kansas State |
Bill Snyder Family Stadium |
44-21 |
| San Diego State |
Snap Dragon Stadium |
44-21 |
| Pittsburgh |
Acrisure Stadium |
44-22 |
| Delaware |
Delaware Stadium |
43-18 |
| SMU |
Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
43-18 |
| West Virginia |
Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium |
43-19 |
| Ohio |
Peden Stadium |
42-14 |
| Louisville |
L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium |
42-21 |
| TCU |
Amon G. Carter Stadium |
42-21 |
| Minnesota |
Huntington Bank Stadium |
42-24 |
| Louisiana |
Cajun Field |
41-18 |
| Troy |
Veterans Memorial Stadium |
41-19 |
| Western Kentucky |
Houchens Industries - L.T. Smith Stadium |
41-19 |
| UTSA |
AlamoDome |
41-21 |
| Iowa State |
Jack Trice Stadium |
41-24 |
| Georgia Southern |
Allen E. Paulson Stadium |
40-18 |
| Houston |
TDECU Stadium |
40-20 |
| Arizona State |
Sun Devil Stadium |
40-21 |
| North Carolina |
Kenan Memorial Stadium |
40-24 |
| UAB |
Protective Stadium |
36-9* |
