Tiger Stadium, nicknamed Death Valley, is the on-campus football stadium of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Opened on November 25, 1924, with a capacity of around 12,000, the stadium grew through successive expansions over the following decades to its current capacity of 102,321 — making it the fifth-largest stadium in the NCAA and one of the seven largest anywhere in the world.
Home to the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference, Tiger Stadium has built a reputation as one of the most intimidating venues in all of college football. Its raucous Saturday night atmosphere and extraordinarily vocal fans have produced moments of genuine legend — including a 1988 crowd reaction loud enough to register on seismograph equipment on the LSU campus.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: LSU Tigers (SEC)
- Location: Baton Rouge, Louisiana
- Opened: November 25, 1924
- Capacity: 102,321
- NCAA Size Rank: 5th largest by capacity
- Nickname: Death Valley
- Top Ranking: ESPN’s #1 college football stadium (2024)
Death Valley: An Atmosphere Like No Other
Tiger Stadium earned the nickname Death Valley for the fate that so frequently befell visiting teams — a combination of a hostile crowd and an LSU program built on home-field dominance. In 2013, the NCAA recognized it as the loudest stadium in college football, a title fans have treated as a standing challenge ever since. In 2024, ESPN ranked it the nation’s top college football stadium overall.
The most dramatic example of the stadium’s sonic power came on October 8, 1988, during the so-called Earthquake Game. When LSU quarterback Tommy Hodson connected with Eddie Fuller for a last-second touchdown against Auburn, the explosion from roughly 79,000 fans was so intense it registered on seismograph equipment in LSU’s Geology Department located across campus.
A Century of Growth and Milestones
From its 12,000-seat origins in 1924, Tiger Stadium expanded relentlessly — surpassing 46,000 after a major 1936 north end zone addition that uniquely incorporated student dormitory rooms built directly into the stadium structure. The 2014 South End Zone expansion pushed capacity past 100,000 for the first time, bringing the total to 102,321.
The stadium has also served as more than a football venue. Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Tiger Stadium temporarily hosted New Orleans Saints regular-season games while the Superdome underwent repairs. It also witnessed Billy Cannon’s iconic 89-yard punt return against Ole Miss on Halloween night 1959, one of the most celebrated plays in LSU history.
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Tiger Stadium (LSU) FAQs
Why is Tiger Stadium called Death Valley?
Tiger Stadium earned the nickname Death Valley because of how seldom opposing teams managed to leave Baton Rouge with a win, amplified by the stadium’s infamously loud and hostile game-night atmosphere for visiting players.
What is the seating capacity of Tiger Stadium?
As of 2014, Tiger Stadium has a seating capacity of 102,321, ranking it fifth-largest among NCAA stadiums and among the seven largest stadiums in the world by capacity.
What was the Earthquake Game at Tiger Stadium?
The Earthquake Game refers to the October 8, 1988 matchup between LSU and Auburn. When LSU scored a last-second touchdown to win, the crowd’s eruption was powerful enough to register on seismograph equipment in LSU’s Geology Department on the opposite side of campus.
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Photo: Spatms / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.