EA Sports CFB25 includes South Carolina football on list of toughest places to play

The college football world was up in arms on Tuesday as the official ranking for EA Sports College Football 25's "hardest places to play" was released. There seemed to be no one who liked the list (other than Texas A&M Aggies fans), and disagreements online got ugly. South Carolina football fans were among the more satisfied groups as the Gamecocks received a fair placement on the list.

Williams-Brice Stadium slotted in at #15 on the EA Sports CFB25 venue rankings. The Gamecocks once would have been shoo-ins for a top-10 spot (like when Connor Shaw went 18-0 at home during the height of the Steve Spurrier era in Columbia), but even with more modest success the last decade, South Carolina football's home field advantage is legitimate.

The top team on EA Sports' list, the Texas A&M Aggies, has an 8-4 record in home SEC games since the start of 2021. The South Carolina football team has the same exact record in home SEC contests during that stretch despite not having the high preseason expectations of the Aggies.

Williams-Brice Stadium slots in as the 9th SEC stadium on the list. The rival Clemson Tigers are also positioned higher, ranking 12th. The Gamecocks will travel to three of the top-12 venues during the 2024 season and will play against five total on the season.

The entire top-25 is listed below:

1. Texas A&M Aggies, Kyle Field
2. Alabama Crimson Tide, Bryant-Denny Stadium
3. LSU Tigers, Tiger Stadium/Death Valley
4. Ohio State Buckeyes, Ohio Stadium/The Horseshoe
5. Georgia Bulldogs, Sanford Stadium
6. Penn State Nittany Lions, Beaver Stadium/Happy Valley
7. Wisconsin Badgers, Camp Randall Stadium
8. Oklahoma Sooners, Gaylord Family OU Memorial Stadium
9. Florida State Seminoles, Doak Campbell Stadium
10. Florida Gators, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium/The Swamp
11. Oregon Ducks, Autzen Stadium
12. Clemson Tigers, Memorial Stadium/Death Valley
13. Tennessee Volunteers, Neyland Stadium
14. Auburn Tigers, Jordan-Hare Stadium
15. South Carolina Gamecocks, Williams-Brice Stadium
16. Michigan Wolverines, Michigan Stadium
17. Virginia Tech Hokies, Lane Stadium
18. Utah Utes, Rice-Eccles Stadium
19. Texas Longhorns, Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
20. Iowa Hawkeyes, Kinnick Stadium
21. Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Notre Dame Stadium
22. Michigan State Spartans, Spartan Stadium
23. Arkansas Razorbacks, Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium
24. Boise State Broncos, Albertsons Stadium
25. Mississippi State Bulldogs, Davis Wade Stadium