It’s still a developing situation, but the New Orleans Saints could take their show on the road. They haven’t received clearance from New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell to fill the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to partial capacity during the COVID-19 public health crisis, so the Saints are looking into hosting their five remaining home games at LSU’s Tiger Stadium.
That’s a thought that excites Saints coach Sean Payton. And it’s made superstar Saints running back Alvin Kamara curious. He never played against LSU or visited Tiger Stadium in his two years with the Tennessee Volunteers, so he asked a friend who would know about what to expect from playing on that venue’s grass: Kansas City Chiefs safety and former Tigers standout Tyrann Mathieu.
There’s a big difference between running on the artificial turf at the Superdome versus natural grass, and it’s something Kamara wisely wants to prepare for. He’ll have to wear different cleats and put different punishment on his feet, as will everyone else. So it’s good to know he has a trusted source.
Tiger Stadium is paved with “Celebration Bermuda Grass,” a unique strain among its peers. While Kamara has played on similar Bermuda variants in road games with the Carolina Panthers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tennessee Titans, and Chicago Bears, no NFL stadium uses this specific grass. In fact, the only other college programs to carpet their football fields with it are North Texas and South Florida.
Payton has been mindful of different playing surfaces in the past; back in 2017, he offered to foot the bill for free pedicures after getting his players to wear longer studs in a game with the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Wherever the Saints play their next game (they’ll exit the Week 6 bye with a home matchup against the Carolina Panthers lined up), they’ll take steps to prepare accordingly.
New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton is in favor of moving home games from the Superdome to LSU’s Tiger Stadium amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Count New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton as being in favor of moving home games to LSU’s Tiger Stadium during this odd, COVID-19-impacted NFL season.
The Saints are in the process of negotiating with LSU about a temporary move out of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome; New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell has not approved them to host the Superdome at partial capacity on game days due to the public health crisis.
That’s not unusual. Less than half of the NFL has been granted that opportunity, and none of those teams play in a dome. The Saints have found enough evidence and made enough plans to think they can host a crowd of thousands safely, and they’re willing to take their show on the road if the mayor’s office won’t give them a green light to proceed in New Orleans.
And Payton is on board with that contingency plan. He spoke about the possibility in a Wednesday conference call, saying: “If it was playing (home games) in the Dome with no fans or up there with 25,000 of our fans, then every one of us would make the second choice.”
“We would embrace it,” he added, noting that it “would be exciting” to play at Tiger Stadium’s open-air arena. Other challenges on his mind are the logistics of driving an hour-plus up to Baton Rouge, La., and playing on a grass field rather than the Superdome turf.
We’ll see what happens. Talks with LSU could fall apart, or the NFL could nix them (the league has been notified of meetings thus far). The mayor’s office could relent. Whatever the case, the Saints are clearly eager to play in front of a live audience again, despite the risks surrounding COVID-19.
The New Orleans Saints have not received clearance from Mayor LaToya Cantrell to host large numbers of fans for home games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome amid the COVID-19 pandemic, so they’ve begun looking into a temporary move to LSU’s Tiger Stadium, where a crowd as strong as 25,000 could join them.
Just 15 NFL teams have been allowed to welcome spectators — less than half the league, and none of the approved venues have a fixed roof like the Superdome. The mayor’s office isn’t keen on becoming the first to break that trend.
And while negotiations with LSU are ongoing, the Saints do have other options. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reminded them of that from his official Twitter account, maybe-joking that his school’s Vaught Hemingway Stadium is available on Sundays.
For what it’s worth, Ole Miss has just as many 24-hour game conflicts with the Saints home schedule as LSU: Oct. 24 vs. Auburn and Nov. 14 vs. South Carolina, days before the Saints will play on Oct. 25 vs. the Carolina Panthers and Nov. 15 vs. the San Francisco 49ers.
So the only difference would be longer travel time: 76 minutes’ drive from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, La. against 5 hours on the road to Oxford, Miss.
Maybe the Saints will move to Tiger Stadium after their bye week. Maybe they’ll remain at the Superdome. We’ll find out in the days ahead, but it doesn’t appear Kiffin’s recruiting pitch resonated.
The New Orleans Saints explored moving their remaining 2020 home games from the Superdome to LSU’s Tiger Stadium amid COVID-19 restrictions.
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With New Orleans shut down and its Mayor Latoya Cantrell repeatedly declining to allow the Saints to have limited-capacity fans, team officials are meeting today with LSU officials about hosting upcoming games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La, per Saints' official Greg Bensel.
New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell still has not granted the Saints permission to host the Mercedes-Benz Superdome at partial capacity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so the Saints have begun negotiations with LSU to consider playing home games at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. They last moved there in 2005 due to Hurricane Katrina, going 3-13.
The Saints have already received the green light from Governor John Bel Edwards to fill the Superdome at up to 25% capacity (about 18,000 spectators), but Cantrell’s office has not given the same permission as the city moves into Phase 3 of its COVID-19 recovery and reopening plan.
Tiger Stadium usually seats up to 102,000 fans, but it’s been reduced to crowds of about 25,000 amid the ongoing public health crisis. The Saints have tested their own game day health and safety protocols by hosting 750 family members of players, coaches, and staffers and believe they can responsibly expand that crowd at the Superdome, but transferring operations to Tiger Stadium would be a different challenge.
How serious these talks may be is unclear. It could simply be a negotiating tactic to put pressure on Cantrell into allowing the Saints to get their way; Saints home games are a critical revenue stream for the city even in this abnormal year, and the New Orleans pro football team playing home games outside of New Orleans would be, if nothing else, an awful look.
The Saints’ next home game is scheduled for Oct. 25 against the Carolina Panthers, after their bye week. That’s less than 24 hours after LSU will host South Carolina at Tiger Stadium, which would mean a very difficult retooling of the venue (which would be repeated weeks later, with LSU playing Alabama on Nov. 14 and the Saints facing the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 15). They could make it work, sure — but it might be easier if the Saints and Cantrell can reach a compromise.
That could be hard to come by. The New Orleans mayor’s office responded in a public statement, noting that while other teams have played in front of live crowds, no closed-roof NFL venue around the country has received permission to host large numbers of fans, including the Superdome. It doesn’t appear Cantrell is eager for New Orleans to become the first.
If you’re a fan of college football or early 20th century architecture, come along for a nostalgic visit to these 32 legendary, on-campus stadiums across America. From the Big House in Ann Arbor to an intimate venue like Peden Field in Athens, Ohio, …
If you’re a fan of college football or early 20th century architecture, come along for a nostalgic visit to these 32 legendary, on-campus stadiums across America. From the Big House in Ann Arbor to an intimate venue like Peden Field in Athens, Ohio, these stadiums hark back to the Golden Age of American sports.
Put these oldest college stadiums on your bucket list, load up the SUV and catch a college game in one of these iconic venues.
32. Sanford Stadium, University of Georgia (1929)
Sanford Stadium — Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Dedicated on October 12, 1929, when Georgia hosted Yale, Sanford Stadium is known for its numerous architecturally pleasing expansions that have been carefully planned to fit with its existing “look”. 92,746 watch games played “Between the Hedges”, the privet hedges surrounding the field. The sacred hedges were removed in 1996 to accommodate the Olympic soccer competition.
31. Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Duke University (1929)
Dedicated October 5, 1929, Wallace Wade seats 40,000. Originally named Duke Stadium, it was renamed in 1967 for football coach Wallace Wade. A just completed major renovation greatly modernized the stadium. The stadium was the site of the 1942 Rose Bowl, weeks after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.
30. Kinnick Stadium, University of Iowa (1929)
Formerly known as Iowa Stadium, Kinnick Stadium opened October 5, 1929. It currently holds 69,250 people. The stadium was renamed in 1972 for Nile Kinnick, the 1939 Heisman Trophy winner, who died in service to his country in World War II.
29. Peden Stadium, Ohio University (1929)
Situated on the banks of the scenic Hocking River in Athens, Peden Stadium has been the home of the Bobcats since October 2, 1929. Today, it has a capacity of 24,000 and is the oldest football venue in the Mid-American Conference.
28. Kenan Stadium, University of North Carolina (1927)
Kenan Stadium opened on November 12, 1927. Built at a cost of $303,000 with a seating capacity of 24,000, the stadium today holds 51,000. Set among the pine trees of south campus, it is one of the most scenic stadiums in the South.
27. Kyle Field, Texas A&M University (1927)
Kyle Field has been home to the Aggies in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since October 24, 1927. “Home of the 12th Man,” it seats 102,733, largest in the SEC. In 2014, Kyle Field’s hosted the largest attended SEC and state of Texas football game, when 110,631 witnessed Texas A&M’s loss to Ole Miss.
26. Michigan Stadium, University of Michigan (1927)
Known as “The Big House”, Michigan Stadium was dedicated in October 1, 1927. It is the largest stadium in the United States and third largest in the world. Its official capacity is 107,601, but it has hosted crowds in excess of 115,000.
25. Ryan Field, Northwestern University (1926)
Home of the Wildcats since October 2, 1926, Ryan Field holds 47,130 people. Prior to 1997, the stadium was named Dyche Stadium, for William Dyche, Class of 1882. It was renamed in honor of the family of Patrick G. Ryan, in recognition of the family’s contributions to Northwestern.
24. Faurot Field At Memorial Stadium, University of Missouri (1926)
71,168 capacity Memorial Stadium opened October 2, 1926 as a 25,000-seat, single level, horseshoe stadium. The original horseshoe is completed by a grass berm, famous for the giant block “M” made of painted white stones behind the endzone. In 1972, the playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot.
23. Nippert Stadium, University of Cincinnati (1924)
Home to the Bearcats in rudimentary form since 1901, and as a complete stadium since September 27, 1924, Nippert Stadium seats 40,000 fans.
22. Michie Stadium, US Military Academy (1924)
Michie Stadium, the home of the Army Black Knights, opened in 1924 and seats 38,000. Because of the view offered by its location overlooking the Hudson River and the medieval-style campus below, it is one of the nation’s most scenic sport venues.
21. Darrell K. Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, University of Texas (1924)
Memorial Stadium has been home to the Longhorns since November 27, 1924. The current capacity of 100,119 makes the stadium the second largest in the state of Texas, the largest in the Big 12, eighth largest stadium in the United States, and the 11th largest in the world.
