ChatGPT ranks the most intimidating Pac-12 stadiums to play in
We could only hold out for so long.
As artificial intelligence has continued to grow more and more in our society, it’s hard to find parts of your life that aren’t impacted by AI. The newest phenomenon in the zeitgeist is ChatGPT, described as “a natural language processing tool driven by AI technology that allows you to have human-like conversations” with a computer. Basically, you give it a prompt, and it gives you an answer.
While some people have found a way to use this for evil — there is a rising rate of students asking ChatGPT to write an essay for them using a basic prompt from English class — we decided to have a little bit of fun with it and see where it got us.
I wanted to know which football stadiums in the Pac-12 had the most intimidating atmospheres to play in. When prompted with my desire for a ranking of the 12 stadiums, ChatGPT obliged.
“As an AI language model, I don’t have personal preferences or emotions, but based on various sources and factors such as crowd size, fan engagement, and team performance, here’s a list of the Pac-12 stadiums ranked in order of most intimidating atmospheres…”
For the most part, I can’t say that I disagree with the answer it gave me. Take a look.
Stanford Stadium — Stanford Cardinal
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Stadium Capacity: 50,424
My Thoughts: It doesn’t come as much surprise that Stanford is at the bottom of the list. Even when they were at the peak of their powers earlier last decade, they never boasted a massive home-field advantage. It feels safe to say that the student population at Stanford isn’t exactly a rowdy bunch.
Rose Bowl — UCLA Bruins
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Stadium Capacity: 92,542
My Thoughts: Can you imagine how intimidating the Rose Bowl would be if the UCLA fan base bought in completely and if it were in a more central Los Angeles location? UCLA’s attendance numbers have been hit hard over the past decade, and it’s hard to see it improving much as they move to the Big Ten.
Reser Stadium — Oregon State
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Stadium Capacity: 43,363
My Thoughts: I was a bit shocked that Reser was this low on the list. When the Beavers get it going, that stadium can get pretty raucous. While it was under construction last year, the game against Oregon got incredibly loud near the end. The new renovations will likely make it one of the better places to play in the conference.
Folsom Field — Colorado Buffaloes
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Stadium Capacity: 50,183
My Thoughts: If we were ranking the most scenic stadiums in the Pac-12, this would probably be near the top of the list.
(Actually, while writing this I just stopped and asked ChatGPT to rank the most scenic stadiums in the Pac-12, and Folsom Field was ranked No. 2, behind Autzen Stadium. I think I’m hooked.)
A lot has to be said about the elevation of playing in Boulder, which makes it rather intimidating, but it’s tough to say that this is a hard place to play, since the Buffs have been incredibly mediocre over the last decade.
California Memorial Stadium — California Golden Bears
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Stadium Capacity: 63,000
My Thoughts: This might be the ranking that I disagree with the most. Memorial Stadium may have a 63,000 capacity, but I would feel confident in saying that it rarely reaches that number. It’s a nice stadium, but I don’t know of any Pac-12 school that is scared to go to Berkley for a road game.
Arizona Stadium — Arizona Cardinals
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Stadium Capacity: 50,800
My Thoughts: While Stanford may be hurt by the absence of a rowdy crowd, I think Arizona is the team that is helped the most. The students in Tucson know how to get after it, and when the team is playing well, a night game at Arizona Stadium isn’t always a walk in the park.
Martin Stadium — Washington State Cougars
(Photo by William Mancebo/Getty Images)
Stadium Capacity: 32,952
My Thoughts: Weird things happen in Pullman. I’m not sure what it is, but more games that should have been easily won end up being lost at Washington State, and Martin Stadium has built a nice reputation as a tough place to play over the years. I agree with this ranking.
Rice Eccles Stadium — Utah Utes
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Stadium Capacity: 51,444
My Thoughts: I personally would have Utah one spot higher on the list, simply because it is a tough crowd to play in front of, and the elevation makes things quite a bit harder on visiting teams. A night game in Provo is no fun.
Sun Devil Stadium — Arizona State Sun Devils
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Stadium Capacity: 53,599
My Thoughts: Maybe a little high on the list, but not egregious. Sun Devil Stadium is a great environment, and when Arizona State is playing well, the place can get rocking. We’ll see if Kenny Dillingham can bring the life back to this place.
LA Memorial Coliseum — USC Trojans
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Stadium Capacity: 77,500
My Thoughts: The Coliseum under the lights on a Saturday night? That’s as college football as it gets. When the Trojans are in blue-blood mode, then this is arguably one of the best environments in the nation. I don’t know that it ranks as one of the most intimidating environments there is, but if you can watch a game at any stadium under the lights, this has to be near the top of the list.
Husky Stadium — Washington Huskies
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Stadium Capacity: 70,083
My Thoughts: Husky Stadium is bigger than you think, and it gets incredibly cold and incredibly loud. Its proximity to Montlake brings a frigid air in off of the water, and the structure of the stands keeps noise in a bowl over the field. This is certainly one of the toughest places to play out west.
Autzen Stadium — Oregon Ducks
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Stadium Capacity: 54,000
My Thoughts: I don’t think there’s any question as to what the toughest place to play in the Pac-12 was going to be. Autzen Stadium has a reputation across the nation as an environment where even the best teams can struggle. It gets loud, and it gets ruthless, and when the Ducks are clicking on all cylinders, good luck getting out of Eugene with a victory.
