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.

McGuirk Alumni Stadium in Amherst, MA

Basic Information

Stadium: McGuirk Alumni Stadium

Location: Amherst, MA (42.37727, -72.53604)

Owner: University of Massachusetts Amherst

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1965

Listed capacity: 17,000

Date last visited: September 2023

Stadium information: https://umassathletics.com/facilities/mcguirk-alumni-stadium/2

Summary Review: 1 star (out of 5)

I've watched a lot of college football in a lot of different stadiums at all NCAA levels.  I cannot think of a stadium designed more poorly than this one.  The only way into the seating area is through the 4 corners of the stadium, which creates a logistical nightmare entering and exiting the seating area.  The press box is its own separate structure from the stadium; I have read this is due to building code issues with the stadium, which doesn't surprise me.  Restrooms are found only in adjacent buildings, not in the stadium itself.  Almost every stadium puts the concession stands behind or under the seating, but not here: they are actually located between the seats and the field!  Even though I was sitting in the 17th row, I felt miles from the action.  The video board is the smallest I have seen at an FBS stadium.  On the bright side, the audio system is quite loud and clear, and there are a couple of interesting food options at the concession stands.  That said, I have been to several smaller FBS stadiums (yes, I'm looking at you, Mid-American Conference) and some large FCS stadiums, and even though UMass has some spirited students and fans, this stadium's design is worse than any of them.  I feel rather confident in proclaiming this stadium design as the worst one in FBS.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: When I entered the stadium and saw the horrible stadium design, I was expecting a dreadful gameday experience.  As it turns out, I have actually had worse experiences in better stadiums.  The atmosphere is surprisingly lively with very high student attendance.  UMass has a good marching band that keeps the crowd engaged.  I enjoyed the environment despite some of the other problems described in this review.

Seating: almost entirely bench seating with no backs.

Field View: terrible because you are so far from the field.

Audio/Video: The audio is quite loud and clear.  The video board is tiny and hard to read.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The hot dogs are plump and juicy with a slight smoky flavor.  They also have an area that serves barbeque, which is a nice addendum.

Pedestrian Flow: terrible because you can only enter the seating areas at the 4 corners of the stadium.  My game had a "lightning delay" due to a storm that was many miles away, and it took 30 minutes for the stands to clear.  If there was an actual thunderstorm bearing down on Amherst, people may have gotten struck by lightning before they could get out of the stadium.

Parking: substantially all of the parking is on the north side of stadium, which is not ideal for traffic flow or for parking close to the stadium.

Christenberry Fieldhouse in Augusta, GA

Basic Information

Stadium: Christenberry Fieldhouse

Location: Augusta, GA (33.47198, -82.05930)

Owner: Augusta University

Primary sport: basketball

Year constructed: 1991

Listed capacity: 3026

Review date: March 2023

Arena information: https://augustajags.com/sports/2021/6/16/information-facilities-christenberry-fieldhouse.aspx

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Christenberry Fieldhouse has a well-deserved reputation of being an excellent Division II basketball arena.  The building resonates sound reasonably well, giving Augusta a strong homecourt advantage.  The seats on the sides are plastic chair back seats while the seats on the ends are bleachers.  The seats were a little tight and short for a fat and tall person such as myself, but just having chair back seats in a Division II arena is a plus.  The grade of the stands is low, so a given row of seats is further away from the court than you might expect.  Also, the audio system does quite well for seats close to the court, but it can be hard to hear if you are sitting in the back rows.  The video system consists of two small boards in corners, but just having a video system in a Division II arena is a plus.  A walking/running track around the mezzanine level gives fantastic pedestrian access, and there is free parking literally all around the arena.  In total, while this arena has some shortcomings, it stacks up very well relative to other Division II basketball arenas.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for a conference tournament, so I didn't get the full experience of an Augusta home game.  Sound seems to resonate well in this building, and I suspect the home court advantage is quite strong.

Seating: plastic chair backs except for bleachers in the ends.

Field View: The stands have a gradual grade, so you feel further from the court than you would expect.  Most seats offer good sight lines relative to their location.

Audio/Video: The audio is a little hard to hear if you are in the outer sections.  There are 2 small video boards in corners, but any video boards in a Division II arena are a plus.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The concession choices are hot dogs, soda, popcorn, and candy.  The hot dogs have a mild fake smoky taste, and the bun is bigger than the hot dog.  The concession prices are fantastically cheap.

Pedestrian Flow: A walking/running track going around the mezzanine level provides excellent pedestrian flow inside the arena.  There are plenty of walkways around the outside of the building.

Parking: There is plenty of free parking all around the building.  The main entrance is at the northeast corner of the building, a fact that is not obvious as you drive in.

Jaguar Field (Baseball) in Augusta, GA

Basic Information

Stadium: Jaguar Field

Location: Augusta, GA (33.47254, -84.04807)

Owner: Augusta University

Primary sport: baseball

Year constructed: 1994

Listed capacity: N/A

Date last visited: March 2023

Stadium information: https://augustajags.com/sports/2021/6/16/information-facilities-jaguar-field-baseball.aspx

Summary Review: 1.5 stars (out of 5)

Truth be told, I didn't watch a baseball game here.  I came to Augusta to watch some basketball at the arena next door and meandered over to the baseball field.  That said, I don't need to watch a game here to tell you this stadium is awful, even by NCAA Division II baseball's low standards.  The only seating is 2 tiny sets of bleachers.  They are at least 30 feet behind the foul ball netting, so sitting there gives you a good view of nothing except maybe the netting.  I would much rather bring a lawn chair or sit on the grassy hillside near first base.  Other than the seating, the stadium's design is actually quite good.  The huge basketball arena parking lot also serves the baseball stadium, and there is a nice sidewalk giving fans access to the stadium.  Obviously I did not observe the audio system or the concessions, although those aspects of the arena next door were not encouraging.  Overall this would be a decent Division II baseball stadium with better seating, but the seating outweighs any other good aspects of this stadium.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: unknown; see above.

Seating: 2 small sets of bleachers well behind home plate.  I would probably choose to sit on the grassy hillside or bring my own lawnchair rather than sit in these bleachers.

Field View: not good if you are sitting in the bleachers.  They are too far from the field and you have to look through the foul ball net.  But you can see the entire field well from that grassy hillside.

Audio/Video: no video, which is expected for an NCAA Division II baseball stadium.  I did not observe the audio system.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: unknown; concessions were not operating when I came here.

Pedestrian Flow: seems fine, there is a nice concrete walkway from the bleachers to the parking lot.

Parking: the stadium is located right beside the basketball arena, so there is plenty of free parking.

Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA

Basic Information

Stadium: Stegeman Coliseum

Location: Athens, GA

Owner: University of Georgia

Primary sport: basketball

Year constructed: 1964

Listed capacity: 10,523

Date last visited: November 2022

Coliseum information: https://georgiadogs.com/sports/2017/6/16/stegeman-coliseum

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

The longtime home of Georgia basketball, gymnastics, and volleyball, Stegeman Coliseum has a reputation as being a large but somewhat sterile Division I college arena.  (Aside: in addition to watching basketball here, I also graduated here in their doctoral degree ceremony in May 2010.)  Unlike other UGA athletic venues that feature red as the primary color, black is the primary color here, so the setting is not particularly colorful.  Also, Georgia basketball is not well supported: when a major opponent such as Kentucky comes here, there is as much blue in the building as red and black.  The seating is split into upper and lower sections divided by a walkway and concourse.  The seating is graded gradually, so the upper section seats feel quite distant from the floor.  This coliseum has been renovated several times over the past couple of decades, and the result is a passable up-to-date arena.  After so many mediocre renovations, I feel that if UGA really wants a killer basketball arena, they will need to take some dynamite or a bulldozer to this one and start from scratch.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: The arena was only about half full when I came here most recently, and that has been my typical experience over many visits.  Stegeman Coliseum can get loud on occasion, but it is not known as a strong home court.

Seating: all chairback seats, some with cushions.

Field View: The lower bowl offers a good view.  The grade of the seating is not particularly steep, so the upper bowl really feels a decent ways away from the action, especially in the corners.  This coliseum is probably too big for its purpose, at least for most games.

Audio/Video: They have the usual video board above center court.  The audio system is fantastic.  The "It's Georgia basketball" yelled by the PA announcer whenever they got the ball after a timeout is still reverberating in my head as I write this review.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: Unusually for a sports venue, the service is cafeteria style: you pick up what you want and then pay as you exit the concession area.  They had a very limited selection of concessions, but the hot dogs were plump, had no artificial taste, and only costed $2.50.  The hot dogs are better than I remember as a student here 15 years ago.

Pedestrian Flow: seems much improved with the last renovation.

Parking: The university recommends fans park in the Carlton Street Parking Deck behind the coliseum.  It was free on my visit.