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Milan Puskar Stadium

Official Review by Joshua Guiher, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

The full name of the home of the West Virginia football stadium is Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, which holds 60,000 fans. The largest crowd ever was 70,222 for the November 20, 1993 game against Miami. John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" has been played at every home game since 1972, with Denver even making an appearance to sing the song live at the 1980 dedication of Mountaineer Field.

West Virginia fans have a reputation for being some of the most eclectic in college football. But what is the experience really like?

Food & Beverage    3

Food at Puskar Stadium is a bit expensive. A hot dog is $3.50, a burger $6, a pretzel $4, popcorn $4.50, you get the idea. One unique item they sell is a pepperoni roll, which costs $5. If you are not familiar with what a pepperoni roll is, it is pepperoni and cheese baked in dough in the shape of a roll. They are extremely good, but very unhealthy.

Soda is Coca-Cola brand and costs $4 for a large (20oz) and $5.50 for a souvenir size. Beer is $7 for a 12oz domestic bottle and $8 for some of the specialty beers.

Atmosphere    5

The atmosphere at Puskar Stadium certainly lives up to the reputation. The stadium is loud and hostile. If there is a knock on the atmosphere, it is that things are too hostile for opposing fans.

I've been to Puskar Stadium a few times and after a rough visit the first time, I have always tried to wear neutral colors and try not to cheer too loudly for the opposing team.

If you really want to fit in, learn the words to Take Me Home, Country Roads.

Neighborhood    3

I know I take heat on this every time I write something about Morgantown, but it just isn't a great town. I'll give it a better rating here today than I did for my basketball review last year since I got to experience a few new places on this visit, but it certainly isn't a destination city.

For food, try Black Bear Burritos for a good meal. Just build your own burrito with all of your favorite ingredients.

If you want a drink, try Jay's Getaway on Chestnut Street. They have over 70 beers on tap. Kegler's is also a great place to try but it is very busy on game days so plan to wait.

Fans    3

The fans are known to be hostile, which they are, to the point of too much. It is not the kind of place that you want to take your wife, girlfriend or kids if you are cheering for the opposing team.

The fans are also very fickle, often not showing up for lesser opponents or if the team is not ranked. In fact they didn't even sell out for the infamous "Backyard Brawl" in 2011 against rival Pitt.

Probably one of the most disappointing fan bases because they take their passion too far and are far too violent toward visitors.

Access    3

Access can be hit or miss. The game I went to this fall you were able to just walk right up to the gate and get in within seconds. However, during the backyard brawl in 2009, there were so many fights that they had a shortage of security guards and had to close gates to try and deal with the fights. It resulted in only two turnstiles being open to the entire stadium and lines that took over an hour and a half to get through.

Traffic can be bad on University Drive, so try to use an alternate road and parking area. If you remember my review on the WVU Coliseum for basketball try to find a place where others are parking right on the shoulder of the road and avoid parking fees.

Bathrooms are plenty big and fairly clean. The concourse is big but support poles and randomly placed vendor stands really mess with the pedestrian flow making it less than ideal.

Return on Investment    4

The atmosphere is great and the ticket prices aren't outrageous like the beer so the return on investment isn't too bad. Despite some of the negatives that I have highlighted, the atmosphere coupled with a quality product makes a game at Puskar Stadium worth the price of admission.

Extras    3

One extra point for the ability to find free parking. One point for actually selling beer in a college stadium. The final extra point is for windows at each ground level suite that allow the general public to be able to see the action on the field from the concourse.

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