Players reveal the stadiums they love (and love to hate) in the MAC

One of the more interesting aspects of Media Day is the unique questions that are posed to MAC coaches and players. Members of the Detroit Free Press took advantage of this opportunity to find out which stadiums the players prefer to play in (among other things).

The group asked 24 players which stadiums they prefer to play in and these are their responses:

Least Favorite Stadium to Play In

1. Central Michigan (7 votes)
2. Buffalo (5 votes)
3. Eastern Michigan (3 votes)
4. Bowling Green (3 votes)
5. Kent State (2 votes)
6. Northern Illinois (2 votes)
7. Toledo (1 vote)
8. Ball State (1 vote)

This is a very interesting list of stadiums where players don’t like to play. Personally, I’ve only been to three of the stadiums on this list, but the top two is well-earned in my opinion. CMU’s stadium is pretty unremarkable in comparison to other schools in the MAC and the turf isn’t in the best shape, but they’ve got a pretty consistent fanbase, which could be a problem especially for opponents. Buffalo, on the other hand, is a different experience because the stands are fairly far away from the school and I’ve had conversations with a former MAC player who said he hated playing at UB because the fans typically don’t get into the game.

I haven’t been to “The Factory” at EMU but I’d imagine playing on that grey field would be a jarring experience. BG and KSU being on this list is rather interesting because you don’t typically consider those fanbases being raucous. I would have thought NIU and UT would be higher on the list due to the passionate fans and the quality of the teams in the stadium. However, Northern Illinois has arguably the best football facilities in the league so not knocking them makes sense. I’m not sure what to make of BSU getting one vote.

Favorite Stadium to Play In

1. Northern Illinois (5 votes)
2. Western Michigan (5 votes)
3. Akron (3 votes)
4. Kent State (2 votes)
5. Toledo (2 votes)
6. Eastern Michigan (2 votes)
7. Miami (2 votes)

NIU at the top makes a lot of sense here. I’ve never been to WMU’s field so I can’t really attest on way or another about it. Akron has some really good facilities, but not as good as NIU’s, in my opinion. There may some homerism at the bottom of this list, but Miami is definitely making a push up this list with new football facilities. However, the RedHawks could stand some new turf and renovations to it’s 35-year old stadium.

What are your favorite and least favorite stadiums to experience in the MAC game? Do you agree or disagree with the players’ lists? Let us know in the comments below.