What's the Loudest Big Ten Stadium? 'Penn State, Unfortunately'

Big Ten Network canvassed coaches about noise on the road. Beaver Stadium was the most popular pick.

Penn State Nittany Lions fans cheer during the third quarter against the Bowling Green Falcons at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

At the Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas this summer, conference coaches were asked all kinds of questions for social media content. Among them: What is the loudest road environment in the Big Ten? Maryland coach Mike Locksley delivered the best, snarkiest answer.

"Penn State, unfortunately," Locksley said.

The Big Ten Network released a video asking head coaches to name the conference's loudest road venue. Penn State won the straw poll. Of the 15 coaches included in the video (USC's Lincoln Riley, Purdue's Barry Odom and former UCLA coach DeShaun Foster were not), five voted for Penn State.

Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa received two votes each, while Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz split his vote between Ohio State, Penn State and Wisconsin. As you'll see here, Penn State coach James Frankin voted for Ohio State, where his team will play Nov. 1.

The LOUDEST B1G Football road venue? 🔊 Our coaches know best. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/MRKvFUn0iF

— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) September 17, 2025

The answers were intriguing. Nebraska's Matt Rhule voted for Penn State even though he has not been there as a Big Ten head coach (the Cornhuskers visit Beaver Stadium on Nov. 22). Michigan's Sherrone Moore said "probably Penn State," which was a crowd he quieted as the Wolverines' interim head coach in a 2023 visit. And Minnesota's P.J. Fleck, whose team visited Beaver Stadium for the 2022 White Out, pretty emphatically said Penn State.

As for Oregon's Dan Lanning, who brings the Ducks to Beaver Stadium on Sept. 27, he initially said Wisconsin but might reflect after playing in the White Out. It's a game he's looking forward to.

"That's part of what's been so exciting for me coming to the Big Ten: getting to play in venues that we're getting to play in, and Penn State will be an unbelievable venue," Lanning said on the "Wake Up Barstool" show.

Penn State brands Beaver Stadium

STUDENT GATE A permanent signage at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is finally up and complete! (That was easy…) pic.twitter.com/0PVxPhmAPy

— Mike Poorman (@PSUPoorman) August 26, 2025

Penn State leans into the branding of Beaver Stadium as a difficult place to play. It has signage outside a stadium gate announcing that Penn State has "The Best Student Section In The Country, By Far." And Beaver Stadium has celebrated its reputation for nearly two decades.

In 2007, ESPN the Magazine conducted a survey of coaches who ranked Penn State among the top-5 toughest venues in college football. Later that season, when Penn State hosted Ohio State, an acoustics team measured a sound pressure level in the stadium of 122 decibels. Or, as the researchers reported, "loud enough to cause physical pain on the eardrum."

Franklin will coach in his 12th Penn State White Out on Sept. 27. He repeatedly has called the game a "bucket-list" event for college football fans. And quarterback Drew Allar said he can feel the stadium shake from the field.

"They're kind of quiet when I'm out on the field, unless something good happens for us. But when I'm sitting down on the sidelines and I'm trying to go through the film with [quarterbacks coach] Danny [O'Brien], it's hard to hear him next to me just because of how loud the crowd will get. You can feel the stadium shaking.

As Penn State contiunues the $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium, it wants to maintain, or possibly even enhance, the noise level.

"We're trying to make it so that it’s as loud as humanly possible and continue to keep this as the greatest home field advantage in all of sports," Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said.