The Stadium Pulse meme is a reference to the EA Sports College Football 25 video game featuring a noise meter graphic from the game that pops up during critical, stressful gameplay events. It has been appearing as a meme on social media as a form of self-depreciation, overlaid with everyday events like hanging out at a bar or photos of stereotypical college dorm room decorations.
People online have applied the Stadium Pulse Meter concept from the brand-new EA Sports College Football 25 video game to real-life situations by overlaying the meter graphic on videos and photos of mundane things as a commentary of how even simple or everyday tasks can be difficult to accomplish. An added layer to this commentary is that the in-game stadium pulse meter only appears during highly tense and stressful situations, such as when going up against a very strong rival team.
The stadium pulse meme is derived from the latest EA Sports video game, EA Sports College Football 25, which was released on July 19th, 2024. One of the graphics featured in the game is a crowd noise meter, dubbed the Stadium Pulse, which according to an article by Game Rant, “operates as a disruptor to your offensive coordination and varies in its intensity according to the strength of the rivalry between the opposing sides.”
When the Stadium Pulse reaches its max, it makes it much more difficult for players to succeed in their games and they find themselves missing buttons and controls.
One of the oldest social media posts applying the meter to a real-life situation was a TikTok video posted by @thatmanfromflorida on July 23rd, 2024, just four days after the official release of the video game.
In their post, the TikToker posted what looks like a screenshot from the video game of a middle-aged man with his arms crossed talking to one of his players. The text overlay reads, “When she invites you over and this guy walks out asking you to sit down.” The stadium pulse meter is shown in the upper right corner of the image.
@thatmanfromflorida Why don't you have a seat #ncaa #mobamba #pennstate #ncaa25 #chrishansen #tocatchapredator #fyp #whiteout #nbc ♬ original sound - That’s that ish Sports
Other TikTokers and folks on X (formerly known as Twitter) have taken the meme and applied it to their own stress-inducing real-world situations, either seriously or as a joke.
Some people applied the stadium pulse meter to their relationships, from text messages to phone calls to encountering toxic exes at the bar with their friends.
@joebro909 Never experienced this but i bet the stadium pulse goes crazy #stadiumpulse #ncaa #coach ♬ original sound - Joey
Some were a bit more direct in relating the stadium pulse meme to their current situation after staying up late to play the video game it originated from.
Others used the meme to share high-pressure situations where they felt pressed for time by others around them.
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