Crew Review

Official Review by Paul Swaney, Stadium Journey Co-Founder

When the MLS began play in 1996 it was hard to know whether or not the league would be able to capture the mind's of the American audience. Professional soccer leagues had been attempted in the states before, but none had been able to sustain the kind of support to achieve lasting success.

One of the original teams in Major League Soccer was the Columbus Crew. The team drew instant support in the inaugural season drawing an average of more than 18,000 spectators per game. Those numbers dwindled through the years, especially in years when the Crew were not quite good enough to make the playoffs, but overall the attendance has remained steady.

Today, the Columbus Crew continue to draw support from this largely college-focused community. Located just a mile or so from the main drag of Ohio State University, High Street, the Crew seem to draw a young and exuberant crowd, as well as a following of fans that have established their loyalty over the 15+ seasons.

Food & Beverage    3

I didn't find anything too exciting at Columbus Crew Stadium to eat or drink. All of the basics are here including hot dogs ($4), brats ($5), and pizza provided by Donato's ($7 for a 7-inch individual sized pizza). I attended on one of the season's three Bob Evans Buck-A-Brats nights, so getting a brat for so cheap was a definite plus.

Bud Light and Budweiser could be found for a less than thrilling $7.50. They also have Goose Island in a souvenir cup for $8, or Crew Red Ale (which I was told was essentially Killian's Irish Red under a different label) for the same price. Pepsi is the soda of choice and $6 will get you a large cup that you can take home with you.

There's also a Subway located inside the stadium where you can get some of your favorite sandwiches for only slightly inflated prices ($7 for a 6-inch or $9 for a footlong).

Atmosphere    3

The stadium is definitely ready for some upgrades, but it still is a fairly nice place to see a soccer match. This was the first soccer-specific stadium in the United States, so it deserves some appreciation for pioneering the current wave of soccer-only venues that the MLS is currently experiencing.

The scoreboard is lacking a good video screen and simply displays the score, time, and some advertisements. Seating is almost all metal bleachers with metal backs. The leg room is adequate, but not great.

I walked around quite a bit during the game and tried out some different seats. The staff are very strict about being able to sit in the main Crew supporters section in the Northeast corner. I found myself enjoying the view from the top of the stadium seating area, so that I could get a good view of the angles and action.

Neighborhood    4

I found a great little divey bar about a mile away from Columbus Crew Stadium called Ruby Tuesday. I stopped mostly because they had a Columbus Crew flag out in front, so I was hoping to find some fans there. I was right, and was also excited to find a good beer selection and great prices ($2.50 for a Bell's Two Hearted Ale, one of my personal favorites). This place is known for its live music and probably fills up quite a bit later in the evening, but it was a good place to spend some time before a Wednesday evening game as well.

Go a little further and you will be amongst the students of OSU on High Street. There are plenty of smaller restaurants and big college bars here if that's more the vibe that you're interested in.

Fans    4

The fans certainly show up wearing their Crew gear. The place looks like a bumble bee convention! The main supporters section banged their drums and kept up the cheers throughout the game, but the rest of the crowd was rather quiet. This group is loyal, but honestly I expected a little more than what I saw during my visit.

Access    3

Columbus Crew Stadium is easy to find, just off I-71 at exit 112. Parking will cost you $10 and it is rather rustic (not paved for the most part). I would think on a rainy day that this could be quite a sloppy mess, so plan accordingly with your foot gear if the weather calls for it.

Bathrooms are small, but very clean. The concourse is wide and walkable and you have good views of the action when standing at either end zone.

Return on Investment    3

Tickets for Crew games are available through Ticketmaster, so be prepared for those annoying fees. The least expensive seats are just over $28 (after fees) to sit on the sideline in the upper section. I think cheap is the way to go here when making your ticket selection. Views are fine from anywhere in the stadium, and having that bird's eye view can really help get a sense of the available angles to the players.

Overall, you can plan to spend about $50-$60 per person for a visit to Columbus Crew Stadium once you factor in something to eat, drink, and a place to park. It seems to be pushing it a little bit as far as price, but didn't seem unreasonable to me.

Extras    2

The Lamar Hunt statue found in the plaza outside the stadium is a fitting tribute to the former owner of the Crew, and the man responsible for getting the team their soccer-specific stadium. The statue matches the one outside of Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

The stadium will also be the home of the Ohio Machine of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) beginning in 2012.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed my trip to Columbus to see one of the MLS original teams. While the stadium could use a few upgrades, it is a good place to see a soccer match, and definitely worth a trip if you are in the area.