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.

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.

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.

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.

InfoCision Stadium in Akron, OH

Basic Information

Stadium: InfoCision Stadium

Location: Akron, OH (41.07258, -81.50835)

Owner: University of Akron

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 2009

Listed capacity: 27,881

Date last visited: October 2022

Stadium information: https://gozips.com/sports/2017/5/25/athletics-facilities-InfoCision

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

InfoCision Stadium may be one of the toughest stadiums I have ever had to review.  On one hand, the stadium is the newest stadium in the Mid-American Conference and one of the newest in Division I college football.  The stadium's design seems near perfect for a small FBS football stadium.  It is very vertical, so even though I sat in the second (and uppermost) deck I felt very close to the action.  Yet as nice as the structure is, there are some very bad things happening here.  Akron's football program is very poorly supported: there were only about 2000 fans in the stadium on the warm late October afternoon when I watched a game here.  The fact that Akron was 1-7 when I came here and that Akron has a large commuter student population were contributing factors.  Almost all of the seating is bench seating with no backs, which is tough on those of us with back issues.  The parking arrangements seem nonexistent even though a gameday parking map is posted on Akron's website.  I bought my hot dogs 50 minutes before kickoff, but they were barely warm.  I wonder when they actually cooked them.  As I watched the game, I kept thinking how much worse my gameday experience would be if I was watching this game at the old Rubber Bowl, Akron football's former home and arguably the worst sports venue ever.  (Aside: if you don't believe me about the Rubber Bowl, check out the location of the stadium lights from the pictures in this Wikipedia article; literally every seat had an obstructed view!)  My final judgment: InfoCision Stadium is a very good stadium that is being used very poorly.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: The band and spirit squads did their best, but with only 2000 people in attendance the gameday atmosphere was pretty flat.  The surrounding buildings, highways, and convenience stores remind you that the University of Akron is an urban campus.

Seating: Almost all bench seating except for 2 small sections that are benchbacks.  There is also grass seating on the hill behind the south endzone.

Field View: The stadium's construction is very vertical, and therefore even seats that are well above the field offer fantastic views of the action. 

Audio/Video: The video board and audio system are as good as I have seen at any small FBS football stadium.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: The hot dogs have the fake smoky taste that I detest.  Also, mine were only barely warm when I ordered them just under 1 hour before the game.  Only 1 concession stand per side was open, but honestly that was all they really needed for such a small crowd.

Pedestrian Flow: The stadium seems well-designed and therefore my guess is that getting around the stadium is quite easy, but there were not enough pedestrians to really test the design when I came here.

Parking: I never figured out the parking arrangement.  There was nobody to take my money at the designated daily fee garage, which is signed as being for commuters.  I ended up parking for free in Visitor's parking on the other side of campus.

Doyt L. Perry Stadium in Bowling Green, OH

Basic Information

Stadium: Doyt L. Perry Stadium

Location: Bowling Green, OH (41.37817, -83.62227)

Owner: Bowling Green State University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1966

Listed capacity: 24,000

Date last visited: October 2022

Stadium information: https://bgsufalcons.com/facilities/doyt-l-perry-stadium/2

Summary Review: 2 stars (out of 5)

Doyt Perry Stadium ("The Doyt," as they call it) was a nice small FBS football stadium many years ago, but these days it is really showing its age.  For one, almost all of the seating is bench seating with no backs, which is hard on those of us with back problems.  Also, when you look up at the press box, you can see that some of the metal is clearly rusted.  I kept hoping that the iron that holds up the stands was in better shape than the iron I could see up there.  Further, the tiny video board looks like it is from the 1980's.  That said, this stadium could be worse.  The stands are built in an arc, which makes you feel like you are sitting closer to midfield than you really are.  Mass parking is literally feet from the stadium, even though it is not free.  The bright orange and white paint scheme gives the stadium a fresh appearance...until you start looking more carefully and see the age and corrosion.  Overall, The Doyt is a well-designed small FBS football stadium that desperately needs some updating.  

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: Like many Mid-American Conference football programs, Bowling Green's football program is poorly supported.  Thus, the gameday atmosphere is somewhat lacking.  Bowling Green does have a good marching band.  You can see I-75 from the west stands, so this campus's small interstate town location really comes out.

Seating: a few chairback seats for season ticket holders; otherwise bench seating with no backs

Field View: Both stands are built in arcs, so you feel like you are sitting closer to midfield than you really are.  On the other hand, the grade of the stands is fairly gradual, so you are further from the field than you would expect for a given row.  Overall, the view of the field is decent for most seats given their position.

Audio/Video: The video board is tiny by FBS standards, even for a small FBS stadium.  The audio seemed to work fine; they enjoy blaring 80's rock songs pregame (WO-OAH/LIVIN' ON A PRAYER!).

Concessions/Hot Dogs: They serve mostly the usual fare.  They offer Jet's as a very good and different pizza option.  The hot dogs have the fake smoky taste that I detest, but they also have grill marks.  Is it possible these hot dogs are individually grilled rather than mass-cooked?

Pedestrian Flow: ramps leading to portals give access to the stands, but most of the sidewalks leading away from the stadium are rather narrow.  Thus, traffic flows fairly well unless there is a large crowd.

Parking: all of the grassy areas around the stadium are utilized as paid parking.  For day games you can park at Carter Park just over 0.5 miles away for free.

Yager Stadium in Oxford, OH

Basic Information

Stadium: Fred C. Yager Stadium

Location: Oxford, Ohio (39.51952, -84.73293)

Owner: Miami University

Primary sport: football

Year constructed: 1983

Listed capacity: 24,286

Date last visited: October 2024

Stadium information: https://miamiredhawks.com/sports/2018/6/7/facilities-yager-stadium-guide-15-html.aspx

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Yager Stadium is one of several small college football stadiums built in the early 1980's, an era that emphasized function over elegance.  Indeed, the functionality is great: pedestrian and vehicle flow is well-maintained, and the angled stands provide the best possible view from a given location.  The wooded areas to the south and east provide an almost pastoral setting, and that calmness seems to spill over to the fans.  I am a 2-time Miami alum who has watched many games here, and the smaller contingent of visiting fans are often more raucous than the larger contingent of home fans.  Because of my allegiance, this rating may be a little higher than it ought to be, but I have enjoyed every Saturday afternoon and weeknight (for Maction games) I have spent here.

Detailed Review:

Gameday Atmosphere: I watched many games here in the late 1990's and early 2000's.  Crowds at Yager Stadium have always been a little on the tame side, and they have gotten even tamer and quieter:  like many football programs in the Mid-American Conference, Miami does not enjoy the fan support it did 25 years ago.  Miami has an excellent marching band and spirit squad.  I just wish the fans were more into the game.  I do like the wooded area to the east and south, especially when the leaves are changing color.

Seating: Chairback seating near midfield, high on the west side; benchback for most of the rest of the stadium.

Field View: The massive home/west stands are built in an arc, so you feel like you are sitting closer to midfield than you really are.  Thus, all seats provide a good view relative to their location in the stadium.

Audio/Video: They have a loud audio system and a medium-sized video board.  Overall, the audio/video system is about average for a small FBS stadium.

Concessions/Hot Dogs: Concessions offer only the standard fare.  I have always thought highly of the hot dogs here: they are decent sized and juicy.

Pedestrian Flow: Numerous portals allow access to the stands.  There is only one main walkway in/out of the concourse, but it is wide and well-regulated.  Overall, pedestrian traffic seems to flow well here.

Parking: Parking used to be a serious problem here, but the addition of some grass/dirt lots east of the stadium has helped.  There is no free parking anywhere on campus or in Oxford, unless you know the area really well.... ;)