When EA Sports revived its college football video game series last summer, its developers brought back the feel of home-field advantage through a feature referred to as “stadium pulse.” Anyone who played “College Football 25” knew that playing on the road in a hostile environment was an immersive and challenging experience. If the home team had momentum on its side, the crowd noise would grow louder to the point where the user’s remote controller would vibrate, and skill position players would forget the play call during pre-snap adjustments. As for the 2026 version, gamers can expect even more confusion for opposing offenses when tasked with overcoming the loudest stadiums in the country. According to EA Sports’ rankings of the top 25 venues in “College Football 26,” opponents visiting Utah’s Rice-Eccles Stadium most likely won’t have the easiest path to victory. The home of the Utes checked in as the 20th-toughest place to play in “College Football 26,” notably ahead of Notre Dame Stadium at No. 21. LSU’s Tiger Stadium and Penn State’s Beaver Stadium were respectively No. 1 and No. 2 on the list — to the shock of no one — with Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium, Georgia’s Sanford Stadium and Alabama’s Bryant-Denny Stadium rounding out the top five. The SEC and Big Ten dominated the home stadium rankings in general, combining for 19 of the 25 total spots and nine inside the top 10. Rice-Eccles Stadium was ranked as the toughest venue among Big 12 schools. Oklahoma State’s Boone Pickens Stadium came in at No. 23, though no other Big 12 stadium cracked the top 25. In addition to authentic chants and fight songs, EA has also added more mascots and team traditions to this year’s installment, paving the way for “Swoop” and his motorcycle to be included in the game. Since 2018, the Utes have won 34 of their past 41 home games at Rice-Eccles. Their 19 consecutive home wins from 2020-2023 was one of the longest streaks in the country. Cole Forsman has been a contributor with On SI for the past three years, covering college athletics. He holds a degree in Journalism and Sports Management from Gonzaga University.