When you think of the most iconic locales in the college football universe (which is unfortunately bound within the confines of the United States of America), what comes to mind? Bryant-Denny? Death Valley? The Swamp? The Coliseum?
Broaden your horizons, my friend. And then narrow them onto the Utah Valley, where at the foothills of the Wasatch Mountain Range rests a destination for flinging the pigskin unlike anywhere else in the nation. LaVell Edwards Stadium. 63,470 strong, celebrating the on-field product delivered by Kalani Sitake and his royal blue-clad roster.
At times, deafening. An electric environment that has played host to one of the most celebrated mascots in the nation, a football team that dominated the gridiron during the 2024 season, and a sea of supporters who have been instrumental in delivering a home field advantage unlike most in the nation, and easily supreme among the rest of the Big 12 Conference.
And if you ask the players of the Big 12, they'll tell you the exact same thing. Or was the result of an anonymous players' poll conducted by John Kurtz, where Provo's own LaVell Edwards Stadium was pronounced the toughest place to play (minor language warning).
I asked Big 12 football players which Big 12 stadium is the toughest to play in, and the vote wasn’t even close.
— John Kurtz (@jlkurtz) July 15, 2025
One environment was so intense, even the mascot left a lasting impression.
“His ass…look, he had the damn stadium rocking. I promise you.”
Link in the replies: pic.twitter.com/96XIC9pwTu
From the Big 12 Media Day in Frisco, Texas, Kurtz asked 30 players (while keeping their identities anonymous) a series of questions that fans would like to know from an unbiased and unfiltered perspective. Anonymity breeds sincerity, and that's what we've found in the results.
For more information from the poll, his site requires an email signup, so I'll be refraining from sharing information locked behind a wall.
Still, thinking back to nights like last season's romp through Kansas State, the electric come-from-behind victory over Oklahoma State, or even the mid-day drubbing of Arizona, LaVell's house has been the backdrop of iconic moments, and even more to come.
So when the schedule reads "@ BYU", that alone may strike some fear in the heart of the reader. Need I remind you of the Vampire Cougs, and the team's reputation for playing spoiler as the clock crawls closer to midnight?
Football is right around the corner, so yeah, get excited. It's not premature anymore, if you ask me.