National CFB writer ranks Lane Stadium Top 10 toughest stadium to play in

EA Sports is releasing rankings and some tidbits ahead of their release of College Football 25 on July 19. This week, they ranked the toughest stadiums to play in and Lane Stadium came in at No. 17. It's no secret that coming into Blacksburg was never easy for opponents, but that changed and now, third-year head coach Brent Pry is looking to make it a difficult place again.

While the EA Sports ranking could be higher, one national college football writer still thinks that Lane Stadium is a tough place for visiting teams and that Pry could turn it back into a daunting destination for future opponents.

Bruce Feldman ranks Lane Stadium Top 10 toughest stadium to play in

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic ranked the Top 10 toughest college football stadiums to play in and he had Virginia Tech at No. 5.

"It only takes the first two seconds of “Enter Sandman” to play and I get goosebumps. It happens every time, even more than a decade later. It immediately takes me back to how Lane Stadium comes alive like no other venue, in a different way than Camp Randall Stadium and “Jump Around.” That’s frenzied; this is more ominous. If Brent Pry can get the Hokies rolling again, Lane will become an opponent’s worst nightmare."

- Bruce Feldman

Feldman had an asterisk next to Lane Stadium because he was "thinking of what this place has been in the past, not necessarily what it’s been in recent years." Fair enough. It's no secret that Virginia Tech had fallen on some difficult times, but Pry certainly now has the Hokies trending, and trending quickly, in the right direction. There is no doubt that Pry can turn it back into an opponent's worst nightmare as early as this fall.

Here is Feldman's Top 10 list.

• 1. LSU: Tiger Stadium
• 2. Alabama: Bryant-Denny Stadium
• 3. Penn State: Beaver Stadium
• 4. Ohio State: Ohio Stadium
• 5. Virginia Tech: Lane Stadium
• 6. Florida: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
• 7. Tennessee: Nyland Stadium
• 8. Oregon: Autzen Stadium
• 9. Georgia: Sanford Stadium
• 10. Texas A&M: Kyle Field