Foster Stadium in Lexington, VA

Basic Information

Stadium: Foster Stadium

Location: Lexington, VA (37.78888, -79.43502)

Owner: Virginia Military Institute (VMI)

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1962

Listed capacity: 10,000

Date last visited: November 2024

Stadium information: https://vmikeydets.com/news/2007/12/31/1357385.aspx

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

For many years I had been wanting to watch a game at a military school, and in November 2024 my travel schedule finally coincided with one of my teams playing at VMI.  As I expected, the gameday atmosphere is full of organization, formality, and pageantry.  The stadium offers no comforts or frills whatsoever, not even any backs on any of the seats.  My seat in the 10th row combined with the low November sun angle made it hard for me to see the action on the field.  Also, this stadium has the dreaded running track encircling the field.  Thus, the field view is pretty bad.  VMI football is well-supported only by the students, but the students in uniform are great to watch and listen to.  The video and audio systems are adequate but nothing more.  I wouldn't want to watch a game here every week, but for a one-time visit and a unique military school experience it's not bad.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: My trip to VMI was my first visit to a military school.  I have no military background, but I respect people who do.  VMI definitely has a different atmosphere; it is more structured and mechanical than you will find at any civilian school.  The entire student body comes to the game in uniform and marches onto the field before the game.  There is no marching band or halftime show.  The student section makes up more than half of the entire home fans, and they are very involved in the game.  Every building on campus (including the press box and stadium support buildings) looks like a fort or castle, and every building is painted the same dank light brown color.  While military life isn't for me, there is a certain formal beauty to it all.

Seating: all bench seating with no backs.

Field View: This stadium has the dreaded running track between the stands and the field, but the track goes to the very edge of the field, which is unusual.  The players on the sidelines stand on the track.  This is as close to the field as I have ever been at a stadium with a track.

Audio/Video: 1 nice video board at the east end.  Audio comes only from the east end.  The audio is loud enough but sometimes not very clear.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The hot dogs are big, and the buns are even bigger, almost hoagy-sized.  They are not particularly flavorful.  These hot dogs are great if you want quantity over quality.

Pedestrian Flow: Foster Stadium has wide concourses and many entrances, so the light pedestrian traffic at VMI games flows fine.

Parking: even though few people travel from off campus to the games, parking is a real problem: the campus layout is so compact there are few places to park.  There is a free garage downtown, but I recommend the free street parking east of the stadium.  Don't park on the street in one of the nearby residential neighborhoods: you can be towed.

Rynearson Stadium in Ypsilanti, MI

Basic Information

Stadium: Rynearson Stadium

Location: Ypsilanti, MI (42.25588, -83.64738)

Owner: Eastern Michigan University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1969

Listed capacity: 30,200

Date last visited: October 2024

Stadium information: https://emueagles.com/facilities/rynearson-stadium/2

Summary Review: 2 stars (out of 5)

Eastern Michigan nicknames their stadium "The Factory," and indeed it has a soulless, heartless, manufacturing center feel.  When you look around the stadium, you see concrete literally everywhere.  Even the turf is grey like concrete.  Moreover, some of this concrete is literally falling apart.  I thought about grabbing a small chunk of concrete and sticking it in my pocket as a souvenir, but I refrained.  Also, there used to be a running track between the stands and the field.  While the track has been removed, removing the track did not put fans any closer to the field, and the field area may be the largest I have seen in any college football stadium.  There are no concessions on the visitor's side, but there are some nice restrooms on that side.  The concessions are cheap.  Parking is free and less than a block from the stadium.  Wide concourses and many portals ensure good pedestrian flow.  While Rynearson Stadium probably won't make any lists of best college football stadiums, I have spent Saturday afternoons in worse stadiums even if this one needs some major reconstruction to be a high quality football venue.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Like many Mid-American Conference (MAC) football programs, Eastern Michigan is not supported well by its fans.  The stadium is separated from main campus by a mile of other athletic fields and private property, an arrangement that ensures low student attendance.  Besides, EMU has a large commuter student population, so many of its students are off campus on Saturdays.  The marching band has a strong brassy sound, and their high stepping entrance is entertaining.  This is not the best gameday atmosphere, even in the MAC.

Seating: seating consists entirely of bench seating, and hence sitting in this stadium for 3 hours is fairly uncomfortable.

Field View: there used to be a running track between the stands and the field.  The track was removed a few years ago, but the stands are still a long way from the action.  The curvature of the stands relative to the sideline helps with the viewing angle but only a little.

Audio/Video: The public address system kept cutting out.  There is 1 decent sized video board at the north end of the stadium.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: regular concessions are located only on the home side, but there are some food trucks on the visitor side.  The hot dogs are large and juicy but also greasy and tasteless.

Pedestrian Flow: excellent wide concourses and a large number of portals to get fans in and out of the stands ensure good pedestrian flow.

Parking: lots of free parking right across the street west of the stadium.

Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, IN

Basic Information

Stadium: Notre Dame Stadium

Location: South Bend, IN (41.69813, -86.23399)

Owner: University of Notre Dame

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1930; last major renovation 2017

Listed capacity: 77,622

Date last visited: September 2024

Stadium information: https://fightingirish.com/facilities-notre-dame-stadium-html/

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

The Cathedral of College Football.  The Knute Rockne Gate.  "Play like a champion today."  The golden dome.  Touchdown Jesus.  The great thing about college football is that every university has its own unique tradition, but few universities have as much college football tradition as Notre Dame.  A football program with this much tradition could rest on its laurels and make the gameday experience the same as it was in 1980, but Notre Dame hasn't done that.  Instead, watching a game at the Cathedral of College Football offers an intriguing blend of the old and the new, the sacred and the secular.  The stadium was completely reconstructed in 2017, and it's construction/design is as good as any stadium in college football.  They take you live via video into the locker room when the team recites the "Lord's prayer" before the game, but the music they boom through the loud speakers was a number 1 hit on the pop charts less than 2 years ago.  Concessions offer both unique and traditional fare.  The team I support was the visiting team and a heavy underdog when I came here.  Did my team come out of South Bend with a win?  No.  Did I care?  Yes, but not really.  I had a great time in Notre Dame Stadium, and every college football fan should come here at least once.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: The stadium atmosphere is an amazing mix of the ancient and the present.  They take you live into the locker room when the team recites the "Lord's prayer" before they take the field.  Yet the music they boom through the loud speakers just before the team runs out of the locker room was a number 1 pop hit less than 2 years ago.  The marching band's uniforms and pregame show are similar to yesteryear, and the field is painted similar to the 1930's.  Yet they use an on-field host to keep fans engaged during time outs.  I really can't think of many universities that provide a fan experience that can compete with Notre Dame's.

Seating: mostly bench seating.  The rows are reasonably wide and provide good access to seats away from the aisles.

Field View: My seats were in the upper deck of the north end zone, which are literally the worst seats in the stadium.  Yet considering where I was, I had a decent view of the field.

Audio/Video: The audio system is as clear and loud as any stadium system I have heard.  There is 1 large and excellent video board at the south end of the stadium.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The hot dogs are large and juicy, but they cost $6, so they had better be.  The concessions are on the concourse behind the stands where you would expect them, and there are plenty of concession areas throughout the stadium.  Other than the cost, there isn't much to complain about on the concessions.

Pedestrian Flow: wide and gradually sloped ramps get people to the upper deck, and I had a quick and easy time getting in and out of the stadium in spite of the capacity crowd.

Parking: There is no free parking anywhere near campus, and the cheapest gameday parking is $30.  They do run shuttle busses to some remote lots, but most lots are within a mile of the stadium.  Thus, most people including me prefer to walk.

Memorial Stadium in Clemson, SC

Basic Information

Stadium: Memorial Stadium

Location: Clemson, SC (34.67908, -82.84333)

Owner: Clemson University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1942

Listed capacity: 81,500

Date last visited: April 2024

Stadium information: https://clemsontigers.com/sports/football/facilities/memorial-stadium/

(Aside: I am sorry about the first 2 pictures.  I hope to get back to Clemson and take some new ones at some point.)

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Many big and old college football stadiums consist of a patchwork of pieces built at different times that have been glued together, but Memorial Stadium is remarkably unified for a structure of its age.  The stadium features only 2 levels of seating, unlike most stadiums of its size that feature at least 3.  The stadium is located on a natural hillside, so you can enter either at the field level (west side) or at the middle level (east side).  Thus, pedestrian flow is quite good.  Most seats offer a better than expected view of the field due to the stadium's design.  The video and audio systems are second to none, though the concession options could be improved.  Many people view Clemson as an SEC or Big 10 football program playing in the ACC, and indeed the fan support this program enjoys is as good as any in its conference.  Memorial Stadium is my favorite place to watch a football game in the Carolinas, and it is worth coming here if you get the chance.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: almost incomparable.  Clemson football has a large and enthusiastic fan base.  They have a small but loud cannon.  Like most major college football programs, watching a game here is an all-day affair due to crowd size and traffic.  Howard's Rock and the run down the hill is one of the best stadium entrances for any team anywhere.

Seating: mostly bench seating, a few have backs; some chairback seating in the expensive areas of the stadium.

Field View: the seating is built at a sharper than usual arc relative to the sidelines, so every seat feels closer to midfield than it actually is.  The seating also has a fairly steep grade.

Audio/Video: this stadium has a great new video board on the east end with 2 smaller video boards on the west end.  The audio is as good as any large stadium I have been in.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: located in the concourse behind the stands, where you would expect them.  They serve mostly just the usual fare.  The menu is easy to read.  The hot dogs were satisfactory but nothing more. 

Pedestrian Flow: wide concourses and plenty of entrances, so foot traffic flows pretty well.

Parking: there is parking everywhere, but little of it is free.  As with any major college football stadium, it will take awhile to enter or exit before/after the game due to traffic.

Rock Hill Sports and Event Center in Rock Hill, SC

Basic Information

Arena: Rock Hill Sports and Event Center

Location: 326 Technology Center Way in downtown Rock Hill, SC (34.93269, -81.03000)

Owner: City of Rock Hill

Primary sport: basketball

Year constructed: 2020

Listed capacity: 700

Date last visited: March 2024

Arena information: https://www.cityofrockhill.com/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/84/8145

Summary Review: 2 stars (out of 5)

Rock Hill Sports and Event Center is a common indoor venue for AAU basketball and other travel/amateur indoor sports.  As usual for this kind of venue, the seats on the sidelines are retractable to allow for expanding the floor space when games are not being played.  Some of the seats are tight and uncomfortable, and some other seats have partially obstructed views due to hand railings.  I have definitely sat in better-designed seating.  The video system is satisfactory, but the audio system needs an upgrade in terms of clarity/quality.  Beware of the nearby parking garages: they may or may not be free, and you need to register your car with the electronic parking service provider before you walk to the arena to avoid expensive fines.  Overall, Rock Hill Sports and Event Center is a passable small venue for indoor sports, and I mostly enjoyed the conference basketball tournament I watched here.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for a conference basketball tournament, so the atmosphere was a little sterile, as you would expect for a neutral site.  The arena reverberates sound pretty well, so it can get loud if the crowd gets into it.

Seating: All plastic seats have backs.  The temporary ones on the sides are tight and uncomfortable, especially for a large man such as I.  The permanent ones in the corners and ends are more comfortable, but of course they offer a worse view.  So I ended up having to choose between a good view of the court and a comfortable seat.  I (eventually) chose the comfortable seat.

Court View: Railings on some of the sections can partially block your view.  Otherwise, the court view is what you would expect given the location of the seat.

Audio/Video: The audio is moderately loud but low quality.  The public address announcer sounded garbled and hard to understand.  The arena has 4 small video screens, one in each corner.  The screens give basic information (time, score, foul counts) but nothing else.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The arena offers no hot dogs, only pizza, Chick-fil-a sandwiches, 20-ounce sodas, and candy.  The pizza is Ledo Pizza, which is one of my favorite pizzas in the Mid-Atlantic.  The prices are down right cheap for a city-owned basketball arena.

Pedestrian Flow: A walking path goes all the way around the top of the seating, and there are plenty of entrances/exits.  Thus, pedestrian traffic flows pretty well here.

Parking: 2 large parking garages are just a short walk away.  They were free when I came here, but they aren't always free.  Make sure you register your car using the QR code on the signs when you arrive: payment is taken and enforced electronically, and fines for failing to pay are severe.

Peden Stadium in Athens, OH

Basic Information

Stadium: Peden Stadium

Location: Athens, OH (39.32102, -82.10294)

Owner: Ohio University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1929

Listed capacity: 24,000

Date last visited: October 2023

Stadium information: https://ohiobobcats.com/facilities/peden-stadium/8

Summary Review: 1.5 stars (out of 5)

Peden Stadium is the oldest stadium in the Mid American Conference (MAC), and in fact the stadium has been designated an Ohio Historic Site.  Unfortunately, this stadium also looks and feels like an historic site, and that's not a compliment even though I tend to like older stadiums.  Some of the bench seating looks like it dates to 1929 although it probably doesn't.  Only the first few rows of bench seating have backs, which is kind of odd: the people with some of the worst views of the field have some of the most comfortable seats.  There is very little leg room between rows, but the seating area has a very gradual grade.  Thus, each seat feels further from the field than you would expect for its location.  The audio and video systems need upgraded.  On the bright side, Peden Stadium occupies a scenic location overlooking a golf course and the Hocking River.  Nevertheless, this is not a great place to watch a game if you actually want to watch the game, and I would prefer to be in almost any MAC stadium over this one.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Ohio University has a mid-stepping marching band, which is kind of rare in this part of the country.  There was a pretty large crowd when they were playing archrival Miami on Halloween weekend, but the crowd was still pretty flat.  A light rain may have dampened their spirits a little.

Seating: mostly bench seating; some benches near the field have backs.  A few old chairback seats are in the high dollar parts of the stadium.

Field View: the stands have a gradual grade, so you are a long distance from field relative to your position in the stands.  Thus, the field view is not great.

Audio/Video: the audio is about average.  They have a single small video board in one end zone, so the video system needs upgraded.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: Peden Stadium has plump juicy hot dogs. They also serve brats, which is a nice touch at a college football stadium.

Pedestrian Flow: this stadium has walkways both near the front of and behind the seating area, so pedestrian traffic flows quite well.  I had no trouble getting in or out of the stadium.

Parking: most parking is to the north due to the river to the south.  There is no free parking on campus, but you could walk/bike in on the bikeway that runs along the Hocking River just south of the stadium.

Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, MI

Basic Information

Stadium: Waldo Stadium

Location: Kalamazoo, MI (42.28552, -85.60091)

Owner: Western Michigan University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1939

Listed capacity: 30,200

Date last visited: October 2023

Stadium information: https://wmubroncos.com/facilities/waldo-stadium/4

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Built in 1939, Waldo Stadium is one of the oldest stadiums in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).  Unlike some other older stadiums, Waldo Stadium offers a great mix of old and new.  The main (south) stands are built on the side of a hill, so you enter the south stands from the top but the rest of the seating from near field level.  You see this bowl or semi-bowl design in many older stadiums; see Sanford Stadium in Athens, GA or Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati, OH for example.  It is an old-fashioned way of improving the pedestrian flow, but it still works.  The stands are graded steeply, so every seat gives a good view of the field relative to its position in the stadium.  The stadium takes an interesting approach with video boards; it uses several smaller video boards rather than 1 big one.  Such an approach is unusual, but again it seems to work.  Like many MAC schools, Western Michigan does not enjoy the fan support it did a couple of decades ago.  That fact plus the fact that Waldo is one of the larger stadiums in the MAC makes it feel a little empty and cavernous.  That said, I enjoyed watching a game here even in rainy weather, and you will probably enjoy coming here too.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Western Michigan has a very friendly fan base, even to opposing fans.  After walking into the stadium, I accidentally dropped my gloves while trying to put my ticket/phone away.  Another fan pointed them out and picked them up for me!  The marching band sounds great with lots of brass.  The stadium's size created a lot of empty seats on the rainy afternoon I came here, so it felt a little cavernous.  They could probably tarp-over a few thousand seats to make the stadium seem more occupied.

Seating: mostly bench seating.  Some benches have backs, and there is some chair seating.

Field View: the stands are graded steeply, so most seats are elevated well above field relative to their position in the stadium.  Thus, most seats give a good view of the field.

Audio/Video: 3 small video boards; loud audio system

Concessions/Hot Dogs: the beef hot dogs are not super big, but they have a pleasant flavor.  They also serve brats, which is a nice menu item for a college football stadium.

Pedestrian Flow: fans can enter from both the top and the bottom of the main stands, so pedestrian flow is very good.

Parking: $10, all on the south side of the stadium because of its location on the edge of campus.