Texas A&M’s Kyle Field already has a reputation for being one of the loudest places in college football, and Marcus Ratcliffe thinks the best way to explain it is by going all the way back to ancient Rome.
At SEC Media Days, the Texas A&M safety was asked to describe the 12th Man’s game-day energy, and he reached for one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
"I think the best comparison of it is the Roman Colosseum, I think that is the only way to describe it," the senior out of Chula Vista, CA said. "Like, you're literally a gladiator going out in front of all of these people to put on a show.
It's the craziest thing ever. I can't even hear the safety next to me who is 10 yards away; we have to hand signal everything."
That kind of comparison fits a stadium that holds 102,733 and is packed whether the Aggies are 10-0 or 0-10. The noise, the yells led by the students and Yell Leaders, and the third-down speakers all help turn College Station into a brutal place for visiting teams.
Ratcliffe said the atmosphere is something you can feel the moment you’re in it.
"You can just feel it. You can feel the intimidation of everyone staring down at you, the entire student section standing up, it's a great environment," Ratcliffe said.
And the results at home under Mike Elko back up the reputation. Since his return to Aggieland, Texas A&M has lost only two regular-season games at Kyle Field: the 2024 season opener against Notre Dame and the 2024 finale against Texas.
With that kind of crowd and a stadium built to amplify it, Ratcliffe’s Colosseum comparison doesn’t sound far-fetched at all.
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