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.
