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.
Credit: 4- & 10-year totals courtesy teamrankings.com
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:
Credit: 10-year totals courtesy 2025 Phil Steele Preview Magazine
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*
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