The NCAA Football games have always focused heavily on crowd noise, fan interaction, and the college game day experience. Unlike games like Madden or NBA 2K, franchises that are very good in their own right, the classic NCAA Football games focused on momentum features and elements that incorporate things outside of simply throwing and catching the ball.
If NCAA Football were to return, it would stand apart thanks to some of these cool ideas. In college football, teams are truly influenced by the cheers of tens of thousands fans and even over 100 thousand fans depending on the stadium. The bands, the screams, and the insanely loyal college fans make NCAA Football, both video game and real life, ridiculously loud and energetic.
There are a few things that make football stadiums truly special. If a team is one of the best in NCAA Football, then the experience will be that much more exciting. The better the team, the more dynamic the athletes, the more thrilling the games, and therefore the louder the crowd.
Some stadiums are simply designed to have reverberations that echo through the field, making them boom with each roar of the crowd. In soccer and beloved FIFA games, these loud stadiums simply never stop producing noise. This is certainly the case in college football, with different locations breaking records for how loud the crowd gets.
Other stadiums are wonderful simply because of the rich culture of the team and the field. It's almost depressing when an old stadium gets torn down, or even when one gets renamed like the Australian field that was renamed Marvel Stadium. The college football stadiums that were built sixty and even close to one-hundred years ago and are still going strong are like America's version of the Roman Collesium, and thus, they are so cool to play in games like NCAA Football. For all of these reasons, there would be some solid stadiums in a potential NCAA Football 2020.
Husky Stadium, University of Washington
The University of Washington may not be considered the best team in college football, but the stadium is remarkable. According to most records, Husky Stadium holds the mark for the loudest moment in college football history. In 1992, during a game against Nebraska, the crowd rose and the noise peaked at 133.6 decibels. For context, a Jet engine during takeoff, from 25 meters, is 150 decibels.
Many believe that EA may finally bring back NCAA Football. If it did, taking advantage of crowd noise and momentum features with next-gen technology would be very cool.
Memorial Stadium, Clemson University
Many believe that Clemson is the best team in the country. The pre-season rankings debuted with the Clemson Tigers as the number one team in college football, thanks to an incredible roster led by Trevor Lawrence, a quarterback that may one day be a top-10 QB in the NFL.
Playing with the best team in the sport will automatically make the stadium fun, but also the gigantic crowd has set records of its own for noise. In a 2007 match, the noise almost beat the Husky Stadium record. Clemson University is beautiful, the crowd is loud, and the players are remarkably talented. Quite the trifecta.
Michigan Stadium, Michigan
Michigan Stadium holds more fans than any other stadium in American football, with a ridiculous 107,601 capacity. While Michigan hasn't been the best of the Big 10 teams as of late, the stadium's size alone makes it a blast to play in. The Big 10 has some of the most heated rivalries, so matching up against Ohio State, Penn State, and Michigan State in the biggest stadium in the game is that much more exciting.
Autzen Stadium, University of Oregon
The Oregon Ducks play in one of the loudest and prettiest stadiums in the sport. Surrounded by lush trees in the beautiful state of Oregon, Autzen Stadium is a treasured place to play. The Ducks have dominated the Pac-12 in recent years, winning 3 Pac-12 championships in a row. The team also churns out tons of NFL talent that make their way to Madden NFL, with 32 active players.
Beaver Stadium, Penn State
If there was a perfect melding pot for tradition and attendance, Beaver Stadium may be the place. Penn State's stadium holds the second-highest attendee in college football, with 106,572. The stadium absolutely rocks during big games against rivals, and the teams have traditionally been solid. If a new NCAA Football 2020 were to be released, it could incorporate traditions such as the "white-out" game, where the entire stadium is donned with blinding white outfits. Playing in a video game that can connect directly to aspects of the real-life counterparts would be super cool.
Notre Dame Stadium, Notre Dame
Speaking of tradition, Notre Dame Stadium is one of the most beloved places in college football. As a team that likes to distance itself from others, by not even being in a conference, Notre Dame feels like a team from a different era. Just like NCAA Football has massive support from fans to return, Notre Dame has support from all over the nation. For some, like Miami fans, Notre Dame is a bit stuck up. But regardless of the fun rivalries of the sport, the building that is almost 100 years old (built-in 1930) is a perfect example of a great stadium in NCAA Football.
Rose Bowl, UCLA
The location that may have all else beat when it comes to tradition in football is the Rose Bowl. Whether it is the home of UCLA, the home of classic O.J. Simpson Heisman winning runs, the location for Rose Bowl championships in the NCAA, or even the home of Super Bowls in the NFL, the Rose Bowl is probably the best field in football history. Even John Madden, who started the most popular sports video game in gaming (Madden NFL), coached his Raiders Superbowl victory in the Rose Bowl in 1977 against the Vikings. The colors, the tradition, and the love of the game itself make the Rose Bowl the pinnacle of stadiums in NCAA Football.
One of the main reasons a loud crowd and a beautiful traditional stadium would be wonderful to play in a potential NCAA Football is that fans just don't know if football will even exist this year, and if it does, to what extent. The gaming world is not the only thing affected by COVID-19, as the sports world is in a bit of a frenzy. Games may go on, but without crowds. So enjoying a video game that reminds sports fans of some normalcy would be appreciated.
NCAA Football 2020 is not confirmed to be in development.