Dix Stadium, Home of the Golden Flashes

Official Review by Joshua Guiher, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Kent State starting playing in Dix Stadium in 1969. Dix Stadium is similar to just about every Mid-American Conference Stadium; nothing flashy, just a basic football stadium that seats 20,500 fans.

Food & Beverage    3

Just like the stadium, there is no wow factor here, just basic food items. Pizza $5, hamburger $5, cheeseburger $5, double "D" burger $6, veggie burger $5 and hot dog $3 are some of the items available. If you want "exotic" they offer a chili cheese dog $4, Chick-fil-A sandwich $5, pulled pork sandwich $5 and a Johnsonville sausage sandwich $5.

For snacks, they had French fries $3, chili cheese fries $4, funnel cake fries $3 and blitz nachos $5 among your more basic items such as pretzels $3 ($4 with cheese) and popcorn $3 ($5 large).

Drinks were Pepsi products and cost $3 for a 20oz bottle. Aquafina water was $3 as well for a 20oz bottle and they also had coffee $2 and hot chocolate $2.

Atmosphere    3

The atmosphere varied around the stadium. The student section was loud and went crazy with the free thunder sticks that were handed out but the alumni side of the stadium was much quieter. They did a good job of piping in music to keep the students into the game but the sound system was not very good so I would have preferred to hear more of the band.

Neighborhood    4

Downtown Kent is about two miles from the stadium. It isn't too big but had some nice shops and restaurants. While I didn't have time to eat while downtown, I have been told that for a drink, the Water Street Tavern is one of the best places to try. They have 20 HD televisions and a rooftop patio. Inside, for food, there is Cajun Dave's. Their menu is great with BBQ, southern favorites, pizza, and hamburgers.

Fans    2

As I mentioned above, the students were loud but small in number. The students also have their own section across the field from the main alumni seating which limits their effectiveness.

The alumni were more "sit on your hands" type of fans who didn't seem to be too into the game. The game we went to had a crowd of 10,132 and it just wasn't very loud.

Access    4

There were plenty of gates so getting in took just a few seconds and the concourse area was fairly wide. Moving around was easy and no one questioned us as we moved sections a few times to experience the whole stadium.

Bathrooms were older but clean. Parking at the stadium was $5, or you could park just three-tenths of a mile back up the road for free and take the free shuttle down to the stadium.

Return on Investment    4

Tickets were $5 for the end zone seats and easy to get. It's hard to go wrong with FBS college football for just $5. My only issue was the lack of fans which lowered the experience.

Extras    2

Offering free parking and shuttle so close to the stadium is worth an extra point, especially when a ticket is only $5 for general admission. The second extra point is for friendly staff who answered a few questions that I had.

Final Thoughts

While a game at Dix Stadium isn't the same as the larger college football stadiums across the country, if you find yourself in the Akron/Kent area, it is probably the better option for a game in comparison to Akron's InfoCision Stadium -Summa Field.