Georgia offensive lineman calls Neyland Stadium 'the best stadium in the SEC'
Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge has spent the last two seasons winning back-to-back national championships with the Bulldogs while playing in front of an average of 92,746 fans at Sanford Stadium in Athens. But when the topic turned to the best stadium in the SEC, he had to give Tennessee football some credit.
On the Real Talk Georgia podcast, hosted by Ratledge and Zion Logue, Ratledge said Neyland Stadium is the best football venue in the conference.
“Neyland Stadium is, no offense to Sanford or Georgia fans, but Neyland Stadium is the best stadium in the SEC,” Ratledge said.
Sedrick Van Pran, Georgia’s redshirt sophomore offensive lineman, didn’t hesitate to dispute his teammate’s claim.
“I disagree with that,” Van Plan said quickly in reply.
Georgia play Tennessee at Neyland Stadium on November 18
When Ratledge mentioned Tennessee’s capacity at Neyland Stadium — he said 112,000, but capacity is now 101,915, with a record attendance of 109,061 set in September 2004 against Florida — Van Plan said to “forget the numbers.”
“And it’s a bowl,” Ratledge said, referring to Neyland’s completely enclosed lower and upper decks, “and on the river.”
“I’m going to be honest,” Van Pran said, “Sanford when we played Tennessee (last season) was definitely louder than when we played at Tennessee.”
Both teams were 8-0 when Tennessee played at Georgia last November, in front of a capacity crowd of 92,746. The Vols were No. 1 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25, after wins over Florida and Alabama at home and a win over LSU in Baton Rouge, and Georgia was No. 3.
The Bulldogs won 27-13 and took over No. 1 in the rankings two days later.
“Imagine if our fans were in that stadium,” Ratledge said, referring to a stadium of Neyland’s size and design being filled with Georgia fans, “how loud it would’ve gotten.”
Tate Ratledge: ‘The fans part was not directed at our atmosphere or fans (at Georgia)’
Ratledge later clarified on Twitter that his comments were not about Georgia fans, but merely about stadium design.
“The fans part was not directed at our atmosphere or fans,” Ratledge tweeted. “This was strictly about the design of their stadium.”
Ratledge was Georgia’s starting right guard in 14 of 15 games last season, making his debut against Oregon. He started at right guard in the 2021 season-opening win over Clemson, but left the game with what proved to be a season-ending injury.
Ratledge signed with Georgia as a four-star offensive lineman out of Darlington School in Rome, Ga. His father, Dean, played football at Tennessee Tech and was a lifelong Tennessee fan.
Georgia makes the trip to Neyland Stadium this season, playing at Tennessee in a highly anticipated game on November 18.
