Pac-12 Championship Game thriving at Levi’s Stadium
December 9, 2017
While the Pac-12 championship game did not feature any teams likely to make the college football playoff, the event is still drawing fans from across the conference.
The game has been played at Levi’s Stadium, current home of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers, since the 2014 season.
While the game isn’t exactly guaranteed to be a sell out every year, it’s the accessibility to such a big game that entices Bay Area football fans.
“I love it here, it’s 10 minutes from my house so I get to come home and go to the game,” said USC student and Bay Area resident Mathew Aufricht.
The game is likely to remain at Levi’s Stadium until newer West Coast stadiums are built in Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Regardless of the distance that out-of-town fans have to travel, many still find Santa Clara to be a great site for the game.
“I think it’s cool, one of my best friends lives here so it’s cool to come up and stay at his house and come to the game, it’s fun,” said USC student Danny Brennan.
The neutral site also allows people who attend a taste of what attending a different teams home stadium feels like.
USC fans easily outnumbered Stanford fans on Friday night and the result was essentially turning Levi’s Stadium into a watered down version of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
“It’s about exposure, it’s about being able to see the different areas, different people,” said Southern California resident and USC fan Carlos China.
“Its about bring the pride of your team with you,” said China.
The game will be back at Levi’s Stadium next year, and possibly a whole new type of fan experience with it.
There is certainly a possibility that the championship could be held elsewhere very soon, but until then, Santa Clara appears to be just fine.