Oct 12, 2024; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Fans react after Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) ran for a touchdown in the third quarter against the Stanford Cardinal at Notre Dame Stadium. Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Is Notre Dame Still Intimidating? Here’s Its Rank in EA’s Toughest Venues List

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Jun 24, 2025 6:05 PM ET

Notre Dame Stadium has changed a lot in the last decade as the environment has caught up significantly with the rest of college football.

Artifical turf, a giant video board and pipped in music are just some of the changes over the last 15 years that have made things feel more like a college football game than a funeral parlor. However, the national thoughts on Notre Dame Stadium as a difficult place to play seem to remain.

EA Sports, the maker of the famed College Football video game have released its rankings for the 25 toughest places to play in this year's game. The good news is that Notre Dame Stadium made the list, but the bad news is that it came in 21st.

NEW: EA Sports College Football 26 Top 25 toughest places to playhttps://t.co/36KX4yDXzv pic.twitter.com/e1EqWCKY9P
— On3 (@On3sports) June 24, 2025

Right behind Utah and Iowa while getting placed just ahead of North Carolina State and Oklahoma State.

Nick Shepkowski's Quick Take:

MICHAEL CLUBB/SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

I don't have a problem with where Notre Dame Stadium is rated because in recent years, home losses against the likes of Northern Illinois, Stanford, and Marshall have all occurred, making it appear less daunting than the traditional most difficult places to play. That certainly is a thorn in the side of Notre Dame's case despite night environments being truly elite and big wins over undefeated Clemson and USC teams being had in them over recent years.

With that said, Auburn hasn't lost fewer than three home games in a regular season since 2020, with losses to California, Arkansas, and Vanderbilt coming just last season alone. But hey, they did beat Texas A&M so that erases all mistakes and makes No. 17 make sense, right? Recruits seem to think as much seeing as they've landed just for the 2026 class since last regular season kicked off.

I could go into detail of Iowa's Kinnick Stadium looking cool on TV and hardly hosting big wins in recent years, but I'll save you the time.

Lists like this are a great tell that the 10 weeks or so until games get here can't go by soon enough.

OK, my shattered tibia is also a reason I'd like to see that go by a little quicker.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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