Rice-Eccles Stadium is Lowkey One of the Best Environments in CFB

Listen, I gotta tell you about Rice-Eccles Stadium.

I went to the Utah-BYU game two years ago. Holy War. Flew into Salt Lake, got tickets, sat in the Utah section because BYU tickets were impossible to find.

The MUSS — that’s Utah’s student section — is legitimately terrifying.

They’re called the MUSS, which stands for “Mighty Utah Student Section,” and they take it SERIOUSLY. They all wear red. They all stand. They all scream. For four hours. Non-stop.

I’ve been to a lot of stadiums. The MUSS is different. It’s not just loud. It’s AGGRESSIVE. They’re not cheering — they’re intimidating. The energy is hostile in a way that most student sections can’t match.

And the drumline! Utah’s drumline plays IN THE STANDS. Not on the field during halftime. IN THE STANDS. During the game. The whole game. It creates this constant rhythm that the crowd locks into.

The stadium itself is in this perfect spot too. You can see the mountains behind it. Salt Lake City is in the background. The sunset games are gorgeous. It’s one of those venues that photographs beautifully but is even better in person.

Mike’s note: The altitude matters too. Salt Lake is at 4,200 feet. Visiting teams who aren’t used to the elevation start feeling it in the fourth quarter. Utah has won a lot of close games at home partly because they’re just more conditioned for the thin air.

The tailgating situation is solid. The fans are passionate without being obnoxious (mostly). The whole atmosphere just WORKS.

Utah had a bad season on the field, but the game-day experience is still elite. If you’re a college football fan and you haven’t been to Rice-Eccles, add it to the list. Night game. MUSS in full effect. You’ll remember it.

— Jake

P.S. — Bring a jacket. It gets cold up there. I froze my ass off and I wasn’t even there in November.