OPINION: Top 5 Most Captivating Sporting Event Locations of All Time

This past weekend, history was made. Penn State Hockey hosted the first-ever Division I Men’s College Hockey game at Beaver Stadium.

This game drew in a total of over 74,000 fans. Then, just a day later, the Tampa Bay Lightning hosted the Boston Bruins at Raymond James Stadium (the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers) for the 2026 NHL Stadium Series.

These games had me thinking, “What are the most obscure locations of college and professional sporting events of all time?”

Before I begin my ranking, I want to preface by saying that scores and teams do not influence this list. It is strictly based on location and fan attendance. While I may mention a score of a game, it is purely for either historical significance or to display excitement around a particular game.

5. MLB’s Field of Dreams

The Field of Dreams is considered by many to be one of the greatest sports movies of all time. Despite the film being nearly 40 years old, it inspired one of the greatest new traditions in Major League Baseball.

In 2021, Major League Baseball (MLB) took to Dyersville, Iowa, to play on the same field that was featured in the film. Being surrounded by corn fields, the atmosphere provided fans of the film with an opportunity to get as close as they could to actually being in the film.

The first game of this new idea did not disappoint either. It was a high-scoring affair that saw the Chicago White Sox defeat the New York Yankees by a score of 9-8. The attendance for that game was 7,832 fans.

4. The 2014 NHL Winter Classic: Michigan Stadium

The NHL’s Winter Classic has become one of the most iconic traditions in sports. A large part of that is the iconic locations and games that the Series has produced. But no other game in the series has been on a stage quite like the Big House.

With a total capacity of well over 107,000, Michigan Stadium is the largest stadium in the United States and third largest stadium in the world. So, the nickname of “The Big House” has rightfully been earned.

After this Stadium Series was postponed due to the 2012-2013 lockout, fans were eager to be in attendance. In fact, the eagerness of the fans resulted in the Big House being nearly full capacity with a crowd of 105,491, which still stands as the largest crowd in the history of the NHL.

On top of that, fans were treated to a great game where the Toronto Maple Leafs beat the hosting Detroit Red Wings by a score of 3-2 in a shootout.

3. Throwdown on the Yorktown

In my opinion, collegiate wrestling is a sport that doesn't get nearly as much coverage as it should. And this event, the “Throwdown on the Yorktown,” is no different.

The USS Yorktown is a retired aircraft carrier that has found a new purpose. Instead of being a regular museum ship, it is home to a unique venue in collegiate wrestling. “Throwdown on the Yorktown” features many powerful college wrestling programs such as Army and Air Force.

The ticket sales for the event are even more powerful. Although an actual attendance number is not given, sources on Instagram claim that last year’s event sold over 1,300 tickets.

2. The Carrier Classic

We may be switching sports, but we're staying on ships. Similar to Wrestling, College Basketball has adopted a series of its own: The Carrier Classic.

The first-ever Carrier Classic game was played on Veterans Day of 2011, and it featured the Men’s College Basketball powerhouses of North Carolina and Michigan State.

The first game of the Carrier Classic was played on the USS Carl Vinson in San Diego, California, and it featured the series’ largest crowd with a total of 8,111 fans.

Since that game in 2011, the Carrier Classic has only been played three more times, with the most recent game being in 2022.

1. The NFL’s First Game in Japan: Korakuen Stadium circa. 1976

In the modern day of the NFL, it seems like games are being played all over the world. But one notable nation where games aren’t being played is Japan. But it’s not like the NFL has never played there before.

In 1976, the NFL hosted a preseason game at Korakuen Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, between the St. Louis Cardinals (now the Arizona Cardinals) and the San Diego Chargers (now the L.A. Chargers). This Pearson game marked the first time the NFL ever played in Japan.

Despite it only being a preseason game, Japanese fans came out strong to see American Football. Although no specific number is given, nfl.com says that approximately 40,000 fans were in attendance.

After the first game in Japan in 1976, the NFL would go on to host 13 more until 2005. Since the 2005-2006 season, there has not been another NFL Football game in Japan.

Max Malec is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, please email mvm7264@psu.edu.