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Despite dropping their regular season finale to in-state rival Texas, the Texas A&M Aggies qualified for the College Football Playoff and earned the right to host a first-round game at Kyle Field.
Nick Saban, who won seven national championships during his storied coaching career, experienced his fair share of hostile environments on road trips.
But the former Alabama coach and current ESPN college football analyst offered a surprising theory about how Texas A&M turns up the volume to try to keep opposing teams off balance.
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A photo of the midfield logo before the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the LSU Tigers at Kyle Field on October 26, 2024 in College Station, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
While Saban described Kyle Field as one of the “noisiest” atmospheres in sports, he also claimed that the stadium’s operators have relied on artificial crowd noise to pump up the volume during games.
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“I complained more to the SEC office — it was more than complaining that I don’t really want to say on this show — about this being the loudest place. Plus, they’re making noise. … You can’t hear yourself think when you’re out there playing,” he told Pat McAfee Thursday afternoon.
Adding crowd noise during games does not explicitly violate NCAA rules. However, the policy requires a certain degree of coherence.
A general view of Kyle Field before the start of the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Alabama Crimson Tide at Kyle Field on October 12, 2019 in College Station, Texas. (John Glaser/USA TODAY Sports)
According to the governing body’s rulebook: “Artificial crowd noise, by conference policy or mutual consent of the institutions, is permitted. The noise level must be uniform throughout the game for both teams. However, all current rules remain in effect dealing with bands, music and other sounds. When the snap is imminent, the band/music must stop playing. As with all live game rules, the administrative management may stop the game.”
General view of fans watching the first half of the game between the Texas A&M Aggies and the Ball State Cardinals at Kyle Field on September 12, 2015 in College Station, Texas. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
Regardless of the possible presence of artificial noise, the Miami Hurricanes will likely face a raucous crowd when Saturday’s first-round CFP game kicks off at 1 p.m. 12 A.M.
