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re: Which decade was Tiger Stadium at its peak?
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:32 pm to AncientArousal
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:32 pm to AncientArousal
Regularly attended games in the early 80’s thru 2012, then one or two games a year when the drive home turned into a 4hr ordeal. I appreciate every NC season, but preferred when the seating was 92,500 rabid fans and you didn’t have to sell an extremity to attend live games. So it’s any decade prior to club levels additions for me.
2
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:34 pm to Ace Midnight
quote:
Probably the 70s. The 1979 USC game finally placed it in the minds of the national sportswriters as a very special place.
After the '71 ND game, Si did a feature article on the game. If you can find a copy of that issue, you'll see TS already had a reputation for rowdiness.
Nights and noise.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:36 pm to AncientArousal
I’m not sure I would call it the best, but the mid to late 90s may be under-appreciated. It had a couple of TS classics like the Bring Back the Magic game vs Auburn in 95 and the win over UF in 97. After being so bad for so long, fans were HUNGRY for wins and a few good seasons really got that engine going again.
I was gone by the time Saban arrived, but it seemed like we got another jolt of that after DiNardo fell apart and Nick quickly turned things around. The crowd just looked insane in some of those 2000 and 2001 games- UT and State quickly come to mind. And the 03 UGA game may have been the loudest day game in TS history.
I was gone by the time Saban arrived, but it seemed like we got another jolt of that after DiNardo fell apart and Nick quickly turned things around. The crowd just looked insane in some of those 2000 and 2001 games- UT and State quickly come to mind. And the 03 UGA game may have been the loudest day game in TS history.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:38 pm to AlwysATgr
quote:
After the '71 ND game, Si did a feature article on the game. If you can find a copy of that issue, you'll see TS already had a reputation for rowdiness.
Nights and noise.
True, but 1979 USC was kind of a different animal. Fans greeted the USC plane and tigerbaited them to their hotel. Then they caravanned and tigerbaited them en route from their hotel to the stadium.
LSU did not have a very good team that year and USC had Charlie White and Marcus Allen (ETA: And Ronnie Lott, Keith Van Horne, Anthony Munoz, Jeff Fisher and Brad Budde) on it. I agree the ND game was also a big deal. Recall Gerry Dinardo (who was a freshman on that team, didn't travel as they didn't back then) and recounted watching that game on TV when he was introduced as LSU's coach.
This post was edited on 9/19/25 at 1:43 pm
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:41 pm to AncientArousal
The legend of TS was built in the 70's and early 80's. Although we never came close to winning any championships and weren't ranked a lot, no one wanted to come play us at home. And with only 80,000 fans we were louder and more boisterous than any stadium in the country. And we always had a defense. That was the trademark of LSU football.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:41 pm to FatMan
96-98 were great. No cell phones. Tailgating was fun. We were just starting to win again, and every game seemed big. 96 Auburn and 97 Florida were insane. We lost 98 Auburn game, but that was one of the best and underrated games I ever saw in Tiger Stadium. Cecil the Diesel went off, but Dameyune Craig was so clutch.
The 98 ND game was so disappointing. We had been waiting for that game for years. Pre-game atmosphere was great, but ND totally dominated the game and never let the crowd get into it.
The 98 ND game was so disappointing. We had been waiting for that game for years. Pre-game atmosphere was great, but ND totally dominated the game and never let the crowd get into it.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:48 pm to Tiger Ugly
quote:
USC 79
I remember listening to that game on my clock radio as an 11 year old. The crowd noise was so loud that you could barely hear what Ferguson was saying.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:55 pm to SalE
quote:
Before the upper decks were constructed.
I have the vaguest childhood memory of being in a game in the stadium before that time, but every game I go to now and look at the place, I can't help but think how perfect a place it would be if that's all there still was to it. It's just absolute perfection.
This post was edited on 9/19/25 at 1:56 pm
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:56 pm to AncientArousal
'03 was a rocking crowd. 03-07 was pretty special. 2009-2012 was pretty damn good. '14 after the renevations saw peak Tiger Stadium. Especially against Ole Miss and Bama.
Then 18 & 19 the magic was back. But on a consistent year in and year out had to be 80's or 2000's. 2000-2007 Death Valley was site. My dad would say the 70's, 80's, and 2000's as peak. 90's just fell on its face.
Then 18 & 19 the magic was back. But on a consistent year in and year out had to be 80's or 2000's. 2000-2007 Death Valley was site. My dad would say the 70's, 80's, and 2000's as peak. 90's just fell on its face.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 1:58 pm to Ace Midnight
quote:
Probably the 70s. The 1979 USC game finally placed it in the minds of the national sportswriters as a very special place.
I agree. The crowd stuck around to the end and cheered an LSU team that lost.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:00 pm to AncientArousal
I have attended most of the marquee games in the 1990s, the 2000s, the 2010's, and 2020's.
The loudest game I can recall remains the 1997 Florida upset. There were moments after the interception return for a TD when you could not hear the Golden Band. You could see them playing, glinting and swinging under the lights, but their song was swallowed by the unhinged roar.
Second loudest game was 2003 UGA. Mauck to Green.
Third loudest was probably LSU-UF in 2007.
Overall, the 1990s and 2000s were the most raucous. I've heard tales of the 1979 USC game and the Washington home game in the 1980's. Would have loved to experience Death Valley in those eras.
Tiger Stadium now is usually a depressing, despairing shadow of its former self. I cannot understand it. It mystifies me. Why can't people stay the entire game and scream in support of the team? Where have my fellow passionate lunatic fans gone? The decline of TS is probably the most depressing phenomenon in my sports universe. It was absolutely the best venue on earth at its zenith.
The loudest game I can recall remains the 1997 Florida upset. There were moments after the interception return for a TD when you could not hear the Golden Band. You could see them playing, glinting and swinging under the lights, but their song was swallowed by the unhinged roar.
Second loudest game was 2003 UGA. Mauck to Green.
Third loudest was probably LSU-UF in 2007.
Overall, the 1990s and 2000s were the most raucous. I've heard tales of the 1979 USC game and the Washington home game in the 1980's. Would have loved to experience Death Valley in those eras.
Tiger Stadium now is usually a depressing, despairing shadow of its former self. I cannot understand it. It mystifies me. Why can't people stay the entire game and scream in support of the team? Where have my fellow passionate lunatic fans gone? The decline of TS is probably the most depressing phenomenon in my sports universe. It was absolutely the best venue on earth at its zenith.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:00 pm to Tiger Ugly
If there was a graph of the past 75 years there would of course be some peaks and valleys, but the highest peak would be '79 USC. Second highest would be '71 Notre Dame, and that was still insane, when LSU stonewalled the Irish four times on 4th downs inside the ten yard line, including once from the 6 inch line. There were other notable games, of course, some mentioned here, but I hate the piped in music, light show, and upper deck as much as anyone.
The '79 crowd willed an outmatched LSU squad to an upset of a USC team that had something like 9 future NFL first round draft choices and a number of NFL Hall of Famers, including Heisman winner Charles White with over 2,000 yards rushing, and HOF Marcus Allen. Yeah, I know the final score was 12-17, but everyone there knew who won the game, including the USC players. Ronnie Lott said later in life that was the best environment he ever faced.
Might recognize some of these Trojan starters:
Marcus Allen
Chip Banks
Hoby Brenner
Joey Browner
Brad Budde
Steve Busick
Ray Butler
Dennis Johnson
Myron Lapka
Ronnie Lott
Jeff Fisher
Chris Foote
Roy Foster
Bruce Matthews
Paul McDonald
Larry McGrew
Don Mosebar
Anthony Muñoz
Eric Scoggins
Dennis Smith
Keith Van Horne
Charles White
The '79 crowd willed an outmatched LSU squad to an upset of a USC team that had something like 9 future NFL first round draft choices and a number of NFL Hall of Famers, including Heisman winner Charles White with over 2,000 yards rushing, and HOF Marcus Allen. Yeah, I know the final score was 12-17, but everyone there knew who won the game, including the USC players. Ronnie Lott said later in life that was the best environment he ever faced.
Might recognize some of these Trojan starters:
Marcus Allen
Chip Banks
Hoby Brenner
Joey Browner
Brad Budde
Steve Busick
Ray Butler
Dennis Johnson
Myron Lapka
Ronnie Lott
Jeff Fisher
Chris Foote
Roy Foster
Bruce Matthews
Paul McDonald
Larry McGrew
Don Mosebar
Anthony Muñoz
Eric Scoggins
Dennis Smith
Keith Van Horne
Charles White
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:04 pm to lsufball19
quote:
formative years of fan hood were.
This is correct. For me it was the late 50’s thru the 60’s. Sitting in folding chairs on the field or in the stands beating Tulane 62-0, nothing is better for me. I moved away from BR in ‘72.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:06 pm to AncientArousal
70s
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:12 pm to udtiger
I will also concur on the 79' USC game. That was one of the loudest games I have ever been to and it lasted from kickoff to the end of the game. I was 17 and I almost cried I was so pissed off after that game. We were robbed. What's wild is we also played #1 Bama at home that year and lost 3-0. Bama only crossed the 50 yd line once during that game. That was for the FG.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:43 pm to AncientArousal
60’s and 70’s.
The stadium capacity of 68,000 less than now of course, but we had few TV games then and no cell phones. The Tiger Stadium crowd was electric for the whole game and the live “Mike the Tiger” scared the pants off the visiting team when then came on the field.
It’s great to be a Tiger now, but those crowds in the 60-70’s were special!!
The stadium capacity of 68,000 less than now of course, but we had few TV games then and no cell phones. The Tiger Stadium crowd was electric for the whole game and the live “Mike the Tiger” scared the pants off the visiting team when then came on the field.
It’s great to be a Tiger now, but those crowds in the 60-70’s were special!!
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:53 pm to AncientArousal
early 90's. 6 dollar student tickets. No line to get in. Hell no line at restroom.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 2:56 pm to SalE
quote:
Before the upper decks were constructed.
The west upper deck was added in 1978.
Posted on 9/19/25 at 3:00 pm to mcspufftiger7
quote:
with only 80,000 fans
I remember don james brought his washington team to TS in the early 80s
it was standing room only
84,000 in the stadium that night…
Posted on 9/19/25 at 3:08 pm to AncientArousal
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