http://www.southernpigskin.com/page.cfm?story=11111&cat=exclusives

Quote :

"6. NC State – Carter-Finely Stadium has recently emerged as one of the premier football facilities in the south. Upgrades to the Murphy Center, a stunning athletic building located in the south endzone, have been the focal point of facility expansion and has in many ways typified NC State’s recent rise nationally. With the aforementioned Murphy Center earning high praise and recent improvements to the press box and luxury suites being implemented, Carter-Finely now has stately feel to it, much more so than it did in years past. Wolfpack fans don’t fit the typical Carolina mold. They aren’t quiet, aren’t proper and tailgate with reckless abandon. Safe to say, Raleigh can be a hostile place to play if the circumstances insist. State fans show up in droves hours before sunrise for big games, flooding the vast area around the stadium with hopes of claiming the prime spots. The scene close to kickoff quickly turns into a sea of red, both outside the stadium and in it. Though the venue itself holds just under 60,000, Carter-Finely routinely outdoes itself, serving as an intimidating atmosphere for opponents and an emotional sparkplug for the home team. Despite its modest capacity, few stadiums in the conference get louder. State fans hold nothing back."

That's all nice and good, but how the hell can they rank us behind GT and UM in terms of gameday settings. Bobby Dodd Stadium is the oldest stadium in Div. I-A, but that doesn't mean crap when talking about how well the fans represent. Whether it be by tailgating, making noise, or just showing up, which GT has a problem with it seems. Same with UM. So they say that simply because the Orange Bowl hosted some Superbowls and some Orange Bowls, and that it is awesome for one or two games a year, that it more than makes up for it and deserves to be ranked that high. Give me a bunch of great, packed out games in C-F anyday. We generally represent even for crap games against Div. I-AA opponents.

Also:

Quote :

"...noise levels get so high that the stadium itself actually sways and moves..."

you know South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium's upper decks started doing that in the 80's due to bad structural integrity. in fact they had to do some major work to make it structurally stable and safe for the fans. that's not exactly something i'd be too eager to talk about. it's a good thing for making a legendary story, but during present day it needs to be addressed and fixed for the safety of the fans. you've all seen and heard about some of those old soccer stadiums in foreign countries that crumble and a ton of people die and get injured. i did think it was funny though that in the 90's South Carolina made shirts that said, "If it ain't swaying, then we ain't playing."

1/29/2006 6:12:32 PM

UNC got number 8, those rankings lose all validity

1/29/2006 6:22:28 PM

Quote :

"State fans show up in droves hours before sunrise for big games, flooding the vast area around the stadium with hopes of claiming the prime spots. The scene close to kickoff quickly turns into a sea of red, both outside the stadium and in it"

ahhhhh, those were the days

1/29/2006 6:36:04 PM

Quote :

"UNC got number 8, those rankings lose all validity"

you think unc isn't better than maryland, bc, dook, and wake?

1/29/2006 6:38:12 PM

yeah UNC is where it should be for ACC. We definately deserve to be above GT, even with the description he gave for us and them. I wont argue being behind the orange bowl though.

1/29/2006 6:43:27 PM

they rank us low every year and every year people get pissy

just let it go

1/29/2006 6:53:31 PM

fo real

If we show up all season even after going 3-9 and still have a great atmosphere, then we can bitch.

1/29/2006 7:06:57 PM

Quote :

"1. Tennessee – There isn’t a setting that showcases the true passion and meaning of college football better than Neyland Stadium. Irregardless of any and all conditions, well over 104,000 Volunteer faithful show up in Knoxville on every home Saturday, creating a scene unlike any other. Neyland itself is a mountain of a facility. A steep, almost scary-steep, double-deck bowl build helps the stadium holds its sound in as well as any venue in the nation. Nestled between the historic center of the old school campus and the Tennessee River, the area around the stadium is perfect for tailgating – both on land and water. Thousands of fans arrive by boat, forming a powerful fleet deemed the “Vol’ Navy” by Tennessee fans. With pre-game festivities taking place on land, amidst the Blue Ridge Mountains, and on water, few tailgating experiences are as impressive. Inside, patrons form what becomes a city of orange – an almost blinding sight for those on field level. Tennessee fans are rabid, loyal and relentless, especially in their enthusiasm when singing “Rocky Top”, the unofficial fight song played dozens of times each game. Tradition is almost overwhelming on gameday: there’s the Vol Walk, Smokey the blue tick hound, the famed “T” entrance, the checkerboard endzones and the ever-anticipated PA announcement that it’s…“football time in Tennessee”. It doesn’t take long to understand and appreciate the importance of Volunteer football in the state of Tennessee. The success of the flagship football program may tinker with the attitude of some states; in Tennessee, it defines it. "

1/30/2006 9:07:40 PM

Quote :

"Irregardless"

1/30/2006 9:20:07 PM