Kirby Smart compares noise in SEC stadiums to NFL atmospheres

Throughout his career, Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart has both played and coached in the SEC. Because of that, he knows the conference and its unique and impressive stadiums well and he knows how important home field advantage can be.

Ahead of Georgia’s massive home game against Tennessee, Smart was asked about the benefit to playing this home game at night. However, for Smart, being at home and not having the game at night is the key because of the atmosphere that comes with SEC stadiums even surpassing that of NFL stadiums.

“I don’t know if it’s the night that makes a huge difference,” Kirby Smart said. “I know Lane made the comments he made about wanting our game to be at night. Given the alternative, I would take either one – the 3:30 or the night. But, I think some places it has a great impact. I think back to the year that we had the great home games, there was Arkansas at noon, and it was one of the loudest I’ve ever been a part of. And then there were some 3:30 games. I think back to the Notre Dame game at night, and I think the last time we played Tennessee at home it was not. It was 3:30, right? So, how can I say that a night game is any better than that 3:30 Tennessee game? You know what I mean?”

Kirby Smart added that he tells his teams that playing and communicating is harder in a road SEC game than in an NFL game. That is, largely, due to the culture at regular season games. So, having home field advantage in important games is massive.

“Like I don’t – I just think a home game in general in the SEC is hell on the road team. I think it’s really hard, man. It’s hard. I tell people all the time. I told our offensive line that it’s harder in the SEC to play on the road at offensive line, tackle, and some of those positions that are timing positions and snap count positions than it is in the NFL until playoffs,” Smart said.

“Because I coached in the NFL. Coach [Nick] Saban coached in the NFL. We talked about it all the time. The games are not – they’re corporate. They’re not the same type of noise in the regular season. You get in the playoff, they catch something like that, but it’s a big advantage in terms of get off. It basically highlights your run game because if you can run the ball on the road, you protect so many things from happening, bad things from happening.”

Every NFL stadium can hold at least 60,000 people for a football game. However, only five are able to seat more than 80,000 people. Soldier Field, home of the Chicago Bears, has the lowest capacity at 61,500. The largest capacity is MetLife Stadium, home to the New York Jets and New York Giants, which lists its capacity at 82,500 people. As for the SEC, nine schools have stadiums with capacities above 80,000 people. Five of those are over 100,000 in their capacity with Texas A&M‘s Kyle Field at 102,733 people being the largest.

The Georgia Bulldogs will host the Tennessee Volunteers at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday, November 16th with College Football Playoff implications on the line.

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