Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover, AL

Basic Information

Stadium: Hoover Metropolitan Stadium

Location: Hoover, AL (south side of Birmingham) (33.33847, -86.84975)

Owner: City of Hoover

Primary sport: baseball

Year constructed: 1988

Listed capacity: 10,500+

Date last visited: May 2026

Stadium information: https://hooveralabama.gov/377/Hoover-Metropolitan-Stadium

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Known regionally as "The Met," Hoover Metropolitan Stadium is famous for being the annual host of the SEC Baseball Tournament.  While it does host other events from time to time, the SEC Baseball Tournament is the venue's main annual event.  The stadium's design is the typical 1980s era concrete and steel construction that emphasizes functionality over charm and luxury.  Thus, this stadium does not have the makings of a great baseball venue.  That said, for SEC baseball fans, The Met is loved just like your best friend or the most loved member of your family.  It's the kind of place your dad brings you as a kid, then several years later you bring your girlfriend here or maybe even play here as a college student, and then several years later you bring your wife and kids here.  There are better baseball stadiums in the south where the SEC could host its tournament, but it will be a sad day for SEC baseball fans if they ever get divorced from The Met.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for the SEC baseball tournament, so how large and rowdy the crowd is depends on which teams are playing and how many fans they bring.  The Mississippi and Alabama schools bring thousands; Missouri brings almost none.  The 1980s modern-style stadium is designed for functionality but not charm or luxury: it's basically a big hunk of concrete and steel.  This is a huge stadium for a college baseball game, and the atmosphere is very casual with lots of kids.  This is the kind of place your dad brings you as a kid, then several years later you come here with your girlfriend or maybe even play here as a college student, and then several years later you bring your wife and kids here.  This stadium doesn't have great bones, but the gameday atmosphere is priceless.

Seating: mostly chairback and benchback seats; some bleachers.

Field View: pretty good; there is not as much netting as you would expect to obstruct your view of the field...or to protect you from baseballs flying into the stands.

Audio/Video: The Met has a nice organ and plenty of speakers.  It has a rather large replay video board and a small scoreboard.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The Met is a cashless venue.  They serve the standard stadium fare.  The hot dogs are thin and a little dry but have decent flavor.  I did notice that they have no Dr. Pepper even though Dr. Pepper is an official corporate sponsor of the SEC.

Pedestrian Flow: the only entrance is at the top of the stands behind home plate, so getting into the stadium can be a bottleneck.  There are ramps to the lower bowl of seating.  The Met has wide concourses, so pedestrian flow inside the stadium is pretty good.

Parking: plenty of free parking all around the stadium; just park where the attendants tell you to.

Finis Horne Arena in Greenwood, SC

Basic Information

Arena: Finis Horne Arena

Location: Greenwood, SC (34.20119, -82.16736)

Owner: Lander University

Primary sport: basketball

Year constructed: 1993

Listed capacity: 2276

Date last visited: March 2026

Arena information: https://landerbearcats.com/facilities/finis-horne-arena/1

Summary Review: 2 stars (out of 5)

Watching a game at Lander University's Finis Horne Arena is almost like watching a game in Mammoth Cave.  The arena is huge relative to the size of the university and its fanbase.  Moreover, the arena is in the center of its building, so there are no windows to let any exterior light in.  Thus, the arena is rather dark, especially in the upper deck.  The stands were less than 1/3 full when I came here.  Yet almost the entire arena is a hard surface, and therefore sounds resonates rather well.  The arena isn't designed particularly well: there is only 1 walkway and 1 entrance/exit, so the pedestrian flow gets clogged around that exit door.  Also, the lobby leading into the seating area is very small.  If Lander had more fans, these would be serious problems.  Concession options are underwhelming but not out-of-line for a Division II venue.  Overall, if you like dark empty arenas, then this might be the venue for you.  While I do a lot of hiking and kind of enjoyed the solitude here, this is not a great place to watch a game.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: This arena is cavernous: it is huge and rather dark because there are no windows to allow exterior light in.  I came here for the Peach Belt Conference Basketball Tournament.  Lander basketball is not particularly well supported: the home team was one of the teams in the tournament, and yet the arena was less than 1/3 full.  The arena resonates what little crowd noise there is rather well, so it would give a very strong home court advantage if they had more fans.

Seating: all chairbacks, all comfortable.

Court View: acceptable but no more.  The seating area does not have a particularly steep grade, so the upper deck is somewhat far away.  There are no seats in either end, but there doesn't need to be.  They could close the entire upper deck and still have an arena that is plenty large for this university.

Audio/Video: The audio is loud and clear.  There is no video except for a nice scoreboard hanging over center court.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The concession stand offers no hot dogs or warm food except Chick-fil-a.  The soda and popcorn I bought were fine.

Pedestrian Flow: quite poor.  This arena has only 1 walkway and 1 entrance/exit; both are at mid-level.  This design would be a problem if Lander had more fans.

Parking: plenty of free parking around the arena; look for "event parking" signs.

Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium in Spartanburg, SC

Basic Information

Stadium: Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium

Location: Spartanburg, SC (34.96341, -81.93363)

Owner: Wofford College

Primary sport: basketball

Year constructed: 2017

Listed capacity: 3400

Date last visited: March 2026

Arena information: https://woffordterriers.com/facilities/jerry-richardson-indoor-stadium/153

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Wofford College moved up to NCAA Division I in 1995, and with that move came a commitment to upgrade their athletic facilities.  It took until 2017, but they finally built a top-tier basketball arena for a small Division I school.  Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium looks a little like an old fieldhouse.  Windows everywhere let a lot of exterior light into the seating area.  You enter the building at court level and ride an escalator up to the lower bowl's main concourse, from which all seating is accessed.  There is also an upper gallery that is accessed by elevators and stairwells in the 4 corners of the concourse.  There are no bad seats in the arena.  Like many newer arenas, there are social areas across the concourse behind the lower bowl, and a trophy case/hall of fame is located in the northwest corner of the concourse.  I came here for an NCAA Division II conference basketball tournament that was sparsely attended, but the building was still fairly lively.  Overall, I really enjoyed watching the 2 games I watched here, and for a small arena, this one is hard to beat.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for an NCAA Division II conference basketball tournament that was sparsely attended.  The building resonated what little noise there was rather well, so it can probably really rock for a Wofford home game.

Seating: all chairback seating except for bleachers in the ends.

Court View: there are no bad seats in the house.

Audio/Video: The audio is about average, and that may be the worst thing I have to say about this arena.  It has 4 nice video boards, one in each corner.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: They offered the standard concessions when I came here.  The hot dogs are decent sized and rather moist, but they don't have much flavor.

Pedestrian Flow: You enter on the court level with all access to seating from the middle level concourse.  Several wide staircases and an escalator get you between the levels.  This design wouldn't work for a larger arena, but it works fine for this one.

Parking: several free medium-sized parking lots in various directions from the arena; plenty of parking elsewhere on campus.

Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg, SC

Basic Information

Stadium: Gibbs Stadium

Location: Spartanburg, SC (34.96194, -81.93305)

Owner: Wofford College

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1996

Listed capacity: 8500

Dates visited: December 2017, March 2026

Stadium information: https://woffordterriers.com/facilities/gibbs-stadium/1

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

Wofford College moved up to NCAA Division I in 1995, and with that move came a commitment to upgrade their athletic facilities.  While the new football stadium they built, Gibbs Stadium reviewed here, is adequate for an FCS team, it hasn't aged all that well.  The stadium was built by leveling a gently sloping piece of land, and you can see the leveling cut made in the ground behind the north end zone and under the home stands.  The grade of the resulting stands is fairly gradual, and the gradual grade, low viewing angle due to the small stadium, and the decent amount of open space between the stands and the playing field make the view of the field below average.  The audio/video system is about average, as are the concessions.  The stands have several portals that allow access to the concourse, thus allowing pedestrian traffic to flow rather well.  Overall, I have watched games at almost every stadium in the Southern Conference (SoCon).  While Gibbs Stadium is not the worst of that lot, it is far from the best.  I would prefer to spend a Saturday afternoon in many SoCon stadiums over this one.  As one final note, Wofford's new basketball arena, which is the subject of my next review, is much nicer than their football stadium.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for an FCS playoff game, which both enlivens and deadens the atmosphere.  On one hand, the stakes are high and the fans are plentiful.  On the other hand, the home team does not get complete control over videos and announcements.  That said, the atmosphere was fairly bland.  Wofford's opponent was arch-rival Furman, and Furman had almost as many fans in the stands as Wofford.  Thus, the gameday atmosphere is very average.

Seating: mostly benchbacks on the home side; mostly bench seating on the visitor side.

Field View: below average.  This is a small stadium, so you are sitting at a low angle to view the field.  Also, there is a decent bit of space between the stands and field, and the grade of the stands is rather gradual.  Thus, you don't feel very close to the action relative to where you are sitting.

Audio/Video: average; 1 nice video board on the north end.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: Concessions are located behind the stands where you would expect them.  The concession items are the standard ones.  The hot dogs are decent sized and rather moist but do not have much flavor.

Pedestrian Flow: several portals to/from the concourse behind the stands helps the pedestrian traffic flow rather well.

Parking: several medium-sized parking lots in various directions from the stadium; plenty of parking elsewhere on campus.

Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, IL

Basic Information

Stadium: Huskie Stadium

Location: DeKalb, IL (41.93391, -88.77780)

Owner: Northern Illinois University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1965

Listed capacity: 28,211

Date last visited: October 2025

Stadium information: https://niuhuskies.com/facilities/huskie-stadium/6

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

I had read some negative reviews of this stadium, and sure enough as I walked toward the stadium from the east it appeared as a huge soulless, charmless hunk of metal.  But after I scanned my ticket, bought my hot dogs, and climbed the stairs through the portal to view the stands and the field, a whole different world emerged.  The stands are reasonably close to the field, and the field is several feet below the 1st row of stands.  Thus, the view of the field is excellent.  Northern Illinois has one of the larger and louder fan bases among non-power conference teams, and they make for an energetic gameday atmosphere.  Pedestrian and vehicle traffic flow quite well.  Overall, I enjoyed watching a game here.  Rynearson Stadium at Eastern Michigan and "The Doyt" at Bowling Green are 2 similar-sized stadiums built in the same era in this same part of the country, and I would much rather watch a game here than at either of those.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Northern Illinois has a rather large and loud fan base for a non-power conference team.  They also have strong spirit squads, and they do a good job of keeping the fans engaged.

Seating: mostly bench seating with curved seats for more comfortable seating.

Field View: The stands are gradually sloped, but the playing surface is depressed beneath the 1st row of stands.  I sat about 20 rows up and could see the field rather well.

Audio/Video: All stadium speakers are in the south end, but the audio is plenty loud and clear.  The video board is smaller, but they also have ribbon boards, which is a rare feature for a stadium this small.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The hot dogs are plump and barely/mildly seasoned.  The hot dogs are pricey, so I was hoping they would be Chicago-style hot dogs, which they are not.  The concessions serve mostly standard stadium fare, but a few booths offer more specialized options.

Pedestrian Flow: Not 1, not 2, but 3 levels of portals give access to the home stands.  They also have portals on the visitor side of the field, so pedestrian traffic flows well.

Parking: There is plenty of parking, mostly paid.  The bargain deal is the Visitor Pay Lot: no payment is required on weekends and evenings as of this writing.  The Visitor Pay Lot is less than a mile from the stadium, and I highly recommend it for cheapskates like me.

Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek, NC

Basic Information

Stadium: Barker-Lane Stadium

Location: Buies Creek, NC (35.40463, -78.74272)

Owner: Campbell University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 2008

Listed capacity: 5500

Date last visited: September 2025

Stadium information: https://gocamels.com/facilities/barker-lane-stadium/7

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

Built only in 2008 when Campbell University re-started its football program, Barker-Lane Stadium is a standard 21st century small FCS stadium with few unique features, good or bad.  Being a small university, Campbell does not have a large alumni base, student body, or fan support.  Thus, the crowd is rather small and tame, and it nowhere near filled the stadium on the Saturday afternoon I came here.  My team was the visiting team, and we had almost as many fans in the stadium as Campbell did.  The stadium's layout is very standard and therefore very adequate.  As with most small stadiums, most seats give a low viewing angle of the field.  Yet the stands are close to the field, and overall the view of the field is clear and acceptable.  The pedestrian tunnel under the highway that leads to the campus center and the north parking lots is evidence of good planning.  In summary, there is nothing horribly wrong with this stadium, but there is also nothing that makes you want to watch a game here as opposed to other venues.  Unless my team plays here again, I probably won't watch a game here again.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: rather tame.  Campbell is a small school without a long football history, so they are still working to build a fan base and tradition.  That fact combined with the standard-design stadium makes for a very standard atmosphere that almost any small school could replicate.  It's not that I didn't enjoy watching a game here, but there is very little unique here that would compel me to come back.

Seating: benchbacks on home side, benches on visiting side

Field View: Most seats give a low-angle view of the field, but they give a clear view and are located fairly close to the field.

Audio/Video: both are about average for a small Division I stadium.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: located behind the stands where you would expect them.  The hot dogs are nice and plump, fairly juicy, and have just a little chargrilled flavor.

Pedestrian Flow: The stadium has plenty of portals and wide concourses, so the pedestrian flow seems fine.  The tunnel taking you under US 421 to the parking lots north of the highway is a well thought out feature.

Parking: free parking in some parking lots north of US 421; paid parking south of US 421 in the lots near the stadium.

SHI Stadium in Piscataway, NJ

Basic Information

Stadium: SHI Stadium

Location: Piscataway, NJ (40.51361, -74.46527)

Owner: Rutgers University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1994, but the current stadium is a rebuild from a previous football stadium built on this site in 1938

Listed capacity: 52,454

Date last visited: September 2025

Stadium information: https://scarletknights.com/facilities/shi-stadium/2

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Rutgers University is known as the Birthplace of College Football because the first college football game was played on its campus on November 6, 1869.  Rutgers defeated Princeton 6-4 that day (points were scored different back then), but most of the rest of college football history has been less kind to the Scarlet Knights.  Unfortunately, history has not been kind to its stadium either: SHI Stadium is one of the smallest and least distinguished stadiums in major college football.  The first college football game actually took place at a field across the Raritan River, so there is no distinguished history associated with the current stadium's site.  The stands at SHI Stadium have a very steep grade, one of the steepest I have ever seen.  I sat in the upper deck and felt like I was watching the game from the press box.  Then I realized the press box was actually directly underneath me, so I was more or less watching the game from the blimp!  My aging back enjoyed the bench back seats.  The stadium has nice concourses and ramps, and the concession options are above average.  Truth be told, I actually had a pretty good time watching a game here, but this stadium pales in comparison to most of its Big Ten brethren.  Thus, while this stadium isn't as bad as this review may make it sound, the overall ranking can't go too high.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Rutgers has possibly the smallest fan base in the Big 10 (rivaled only by Northwestern and maybe Minnesota or Maryland).  Thus, the gameday atmosphere is rather flat in spite of a "gameday carnival" outside the north end of the stadium, an ample student section, and an energetic marching band.  The stadium actually holds noise rather well, but there aren't many fans to make any noise to hold.

Seating: mostly bench and bench backs; a few chairbacks in the high dollar sections.

Field View: the stands have one of the steepest grades I have ever seen: the stairs have 3 steps per row rather than the usual 2.  I sat in the 3rd row of the upper deck.  I thought it was like watching the game from the press box, but then I realized the press box was directly below me.  Thus, it was more like watching the game from the blimp: every pass and kick was waaaay below me.  If you can tolerate looking down on the action (literally), then the field view is fine.

Audio/Video: large clear video board and nice ribbon boards.  The music was loud, but the PA had medium volume.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The hot dogs are large but not particularly tasty.  They have plenty of concession options including a Pizza Hut in the south end of the stadium.

Pedestrian Flow: SHI Stadium has wide concourses and nice ramps, so the pedestrian flow is quite smooth.

Parking: Rutgers tries to use all of the parking on campus as gameday parking like other major football schools do, but they don't have enough fans to fill all of the on-campus spaces.  The lot I parked in can probably accommodate 1000 cars; roughly 50 cars were parked there.  All parking is paid, and there is plenty of it available due to the small fan base.

Foley Field in Athens, GA

Basic Information

Stadium: Foley Field

Location: Athens, GA (33.94105, -83.38100)

Owner: University of Georgia

Primary sport: baseball

Year constructed: 1966, last renovated in 2024

Listed capacity: 3633

Date last visited: March 2025

Stadium information: https://georgiadogs.com/sports/2023/8/16/facility-foley-field

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Recently renovated Foley Field is the 3rd smallest baseball stadium in the vaunted SEC.  Like many college baseball stadiums, Foley Field is tucked in a corner of campus near the basketball arena and the football practice field, and it feels a little crammed in.  The stadium features nice wide concourses, and the seats are fairly comfortable.  The view of the field is not as good as you would expect: I sat in the main grandstand and could not see the home bullpen due to the newly-constructed entrance plaza.  Georgia has a growing baseball tradition that now includes The Stroke and "Feed the Trees."  I came here for a midweek game against an undermanned opponent, but the crowd was still fairly large and engaged all things considered.  While I had a good time here, I can't say this is my favorite baseball stadium even though the renovation made it a decent bit better than it used to be.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Foley Field offers a surprisingly intimate setting for a major college baseball program.  The crowd was somewhat docile because I came here for a midweek game against an overmatched opponent.  I love doing The Stroke when the opposing team has to change pitchers mid-inning because the exiting pitcher was ineffective.

Seating: mostly plastic chairback seats, some standing room, bleachers in right field.

Field View: not as good as you would expect: I sat in the main grandstand and couldn't see the home bullpen down the left field line because my view was obstructed by the newly-built entrance plaza.  The row of trees beyond the outfield fence inspired the "feed the trees" line, and it creates a visual barrier between Foley Field and the rest of campus.

Audio/Video: nice clear video board and audio system.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: large plump juicy hot dogs with a slight smoky flavor.  Main concessions are located behind the stands, but a few tents are located on the entrance plaza.

Pedestrian Flow: Foley Field has wide concourses in front of and behind the stands, so the pedestrian flow is quite smooth.

Parking: the large Carlton Street Parking Deck is nearby, but you will probably have to pay to park there.  You may find some free parking in nearby campus surface lots if you come for a night or weekend game.  Mind the parking permit regulations, which the University strictly enforces.

Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC

Basic Information

Arena: Bon Secours Wellness Arena

Location: Greenville, SC (34.85261, -82.39152)

Owner: City of Greenville, SC

Primary sport: hockey, but I came here for a basketball game

Year constructed: 1998

Listed capacity: 15,000

Date last visited: December 2024

Arena information: https://www.bonsecoursarena.com/

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Locally known as "The Well," Bon Secours Wellness Arena is a surprisingly large and nice sports venue for a city as small as Greenville.  It is the home of the Greenville Swamp Rabbits of the ECHL.  The arena sits in the northeast corner of Greenville's small downtown area, and it is easily reached from any downtown parking garage or transportation hub.  The Well's design is fairly standard for an arena of its type.  The building resonates crowd noise well, so even a fairly sparse crowd can create difference-making noise.  The audio system could use an upgrade, and the concourses inside the seating areas are rather narrow.  While not an ideal basketball venue, I enjoyed my afternoon here, and I can see why the NCAA chooses to host Division 1 basketball regionals in Greenville.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I came here for a Furman University basketball game.  Furman is located in Greenville, but The Well is several miles away from their campus.  Even though attendance was fairly low, the arena got surprisingly loud.  For most college teams, including Furman, the building is too large even after covering the upper decks and end sections with black cloth.  For a sell-out hockey crowd, this arena would really rock.

Seating: all chairback seating, some padded, some private suites.  All seats are the same burnt orange color.

Court View: The arena floor is designed to accommodate a hockey rink, so there is a lot of open space between the seats and the court at a basketball game.  The view is fine relative to where you are seated, but you may not like where you are seated.

Audio/Video: The audio is plenty loud but not particularly clear.  A nice video board hangs over the arena floor in addition to a ring board on the wall.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: expect professional sports level pricing.  They have excellent, large, juicy hot dogs.  The arena has quite a few food options with a location for each one, i.e. a hot dog stand, a pizza stand, a sandwich stand, etc.

Pedestrian Flow: The concourses outside the seating area are wide, but they are narrow inside the seating area.  Thus, pedestrian traffic flows well once it gets out of the seating area.

Parking: 1 parking garage stands adjacent to the arena with many other city-owned garages within walking distance.  All nearby options are paid parking, but the Washington Street Parking Deck and Richardson Street Parking Deck are free on weekends.

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.

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.