College Football: 25 best home-field advantages in the game today
By Brad Weiss
9. Florida State University: Doak Campbell Stadium
From 1941 through 1957, Doak S. Campbell was the president of Florida State, helping bring the school to new heights. When it came time to name the new stadium in 1950, it was a no-brainer that they would name it after him, as it was a no-brainer that the field would be named after legendary head coach Bobby Bowden.
History lesson aside, Doak Campbell Stadium is one of the best home-field advantages in college football and there is no debate about it. With a seating capacity of close to 80,000, “the Doak” is not the largest in terms of attendance, but it is, in fact, the largest continuous brick structure in the United States.
When you talk home-field advantages, the Florida State Seminoles have enjoyed the kind of success on their home turf that other schools could only dream about. Since the stadium opened up, Florida State is 298-95-4 at home, including a run from 1992 through 2001 that saw them win an incredible 54 straight games inside Doak Campbell Stadium.
Florida State gets the party started early, as a student portraying Osceola, the famous Seminole leader, rides his horse to the middle of the field and plants his spear before every home game.
That sets the tone for what usually is a Florida State victory in front of the home crowd, which is seen by their three national titles, 18 conference championships and three Heisman Trophy winners.