2025 SEC football stadiums ranked by energy and impact

USA Today just came out with their 2025 stadium rankings, and where Darrell K. Royal - Texas Memorial Stadium ended up might surprise you.
Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas, March 13, 2025.
Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium at the University of Texas, March 13, 2025. | Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

USA Today's Blake Toppmeyer just posted the company's SEC stadium rankings heading into the 2025 season, and it's shocking to see where some of the venues ended up. He prefaces the article by saying that he's covered games at every Southeastern Conference stadium and that each is worth visiting, except one, which is a mystery in and of itself.

Here are his SEC stadium rankings 1 through 16:

1. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Florida

2. Tiger Stadium, LSU

3. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee

4. Bryant-Denny Stadium, Alabama

5. Sanford Stadium, Georgia

6. Williams-Brice Stadium, South Carolina

7. Kyle Field, Texas A&M

8. Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn

9. Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Oklahoma

10. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Texas

11. Faurot Field, Missouri

12. Davis Wade Stadium, Mississippi State

13. Razorback Stadium, Arkansas

14. Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Mississippi

15. Kroger Field, Kentucky

16. FirstBank Stadium, Vanderbilt

Despite being one of the absolute largest stadiums in the country, Texas' venue was still ranked 10th out of 16 stadiums in the conference heading into 2025. As everyone knows, the Longhorn faithful can vary in terms of their energy level based on their opponents but that's the same with every fanbase.

"Texas earns its reputation for having a bit of a “wine and cheese crowd” amid its 100,119 capacity, but Longhorns fans still can turn it up for big games. Texas has won 14 of its last 15 at home, resulting in triumphant renditions of “The Eyes of Texas.”"
Toppmeyer on Texas' fanbase

I think everyone could agree that Texas Memorial Stadium shouldn't be No.1, but it would make more sense to be above places like Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Williams-Brice Stadium, and even Jordan-Hare Stadium at times.

Though it's true that just having a "big" stadium doesn't mean that it's a tough place to play, I think that Toppmeyer is underestimating the Longhorn faithful's ability to raise the volume on gamedays in Austin, TX.