Ranking The Toughest Stadiums To Play In Big 12 Conference

Heading into the 2026 season, Colorado Buffaloes coach Deion Sanders knows that winning in the Big 12 Conference means conquering some of the league’s toughest road environments. Several teams boast electric home-field advantages, and if the Buffaloes want to compete at a high level, they’ll need to leave their mark on hostile turf.

Winning on the road is never easy, but it’s a necessary challenge. Here are the five hardest places to play in the Big 12.

Nov 29, 2025; Provo, Utah, USA; A view of LaVell Edwards Stadium before a game between the BYU Cougars and the UCF Knights. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

1. LaVell Edwards Stadium BYU Cougars

The BYU Cougars always have a roster that has the ability to compete in the Big 12 and has passionate fans that make this trip a tough one. Over the past two seasons BYU has recorded an 11-1 record at home which shows how difficult it is to go into Lavell Edwards Stadium and win.

One of the main reasons is that the stadium reaches 120 decibels per game behind its fans that love BYU football almost more than anything. This is one of the hardest places to play in college football.

2. Rice-Eccles Stadium Utah Utes

The Utah Utes have a very tough environment as well with consistent sellouts and filled stadiums on gameday showcasing how much college football means to these fans. The elevation of 4,600 feet also is a huge factor when there are tight games going into the fourth quarter for the road teams that are not used to it.

This environment at Rice-Eccles stadium is one of those places that cannot be replicated in practice and when the game starts it is an all out war on the field and the fans are in on it too. Utah is right up there with BYU with this home field advantage.

Nov 22, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Utes fans celebrate a touchdown against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

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3. Jones AT&T Stadium Texas Tech Red Raiders

The Red Raiders were able to make a College Football Playoff run this year and a key part of that was their homefield advantage made road teams very uncomfortable and at times intimidated. Under Joey McGuire, Texas Tech was 7-0 in 2025 at home.

An added element of homefield advantage for the Red Raiders is Jones AT&T Stadium at night where the lights flashing and getting the crowd going is an environment that is rarely seen. The crowd also does blackout games which is something the fans take very seriously to give their Red Raiders a step up on the visiting teams.

4. Bill Snyder Family Stadium Kansas State Wildcats

The Kansas State homefield advantage is right up there with others in the Big 12 with a very passionate fanbase that is right next to the field creating a very loud environment for the road teams. The Wildcats have a famous tradition to play Wabash Cannonball before kickoff and it gets the whole crowd going to set up for a very intense environment.

The stadium is designed in the shape of the bowl which inherently brings everyone closer together and creates significantly louder noise to make it very difficult for communication on the sidelines and on the field for opponents.

Nov 1, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Colorado Buffaloes mascot Chip reacts during the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

5. Folsom Field Colorado Buffaloes

The Colorado Buffaloes in 2024 when they were able to perform up to standard had a home record of 5-1 which. There are several factors that create this advantage for Colorado including the altitude of 5,000 feet, the scenic view around the stadium, and a culture that always brings alumni back to support.

The elevation is a real thing for stamina during the games and many teams can struggle on the road as a result. With Deion Sanders as the coach the attendance at the games has skyrocketed as well as alumni coming back to support the team. On gameday, the stadium will be full, that is a guarantee..