Photos by Long Island Ducks and Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29 Fairfield Properties Ballpark 3 Court House Dr Central Islip, NY 11722 Long Island Ducks website Fairfield Properties Ballpark website Year Opened: 2000 Capacity: 6,002 Quacker Jacks The Long Island Ducks are an independent baseball team, a part of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. They play at the family friendly Bethpage Ballpark in Central Islip, NY. At one point in time, duck farming was a big industry on Long Island, thus the name of the ball team. The ballpark has been known as several names: Suffolk County Sports Park, EAB Park, Citibank Park, and now Bethpage Park. A new LED lighting system was installed in 2017 proving the organization is committed to making the ballpark up-to-date for today’s fan’s desires and needs. Additional improvements in 2017 included replacement of the playing surface, replacement of the carpeting in the suites and restaurant, improved touchless lavatories, and a brand new craft beer called “Duck Tail Ale.” The Long Island Ducks are the Atlantic League Champions for the 2004, 2012, 2013 (runners up in the various other seasons). Note: The stadium name changed to Fairfield Properties Ballpark in 2020. Food & Beverage 5 The food at Bethpage Ballpark is more than what you would expect at a high-level independent league venue. Standard fare of nachos, hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken fingers, chicken sandwich, and fries run $5 – $8. Churros, pizza, Italian sausage and pulled pork sandwiches price between $5 and $9. Mister Softee provides the ice cream. One concession area offers heros and wraps. On the healthier side, full Caesar, Cobb, and garden salads cost $8 each. Fruit and cheese, crudité, or a small side salad run $4. Unusual food choices at the ballpark include a peanut butter and jelly platter, hard boiled eggs, celery and peanut butter, and a peanut butter platter priced between $3 and $6. An abundant choice of beer is available for $7 – $8 including local Long Island beers from Great South Bay Brewery and Brooklyn Brewery. Bud/Bud Light, Sam Adams and others are also on offer. Wines choices run $7. Pepsi products are the soda choice and are priced at $4. Open to all fans, the Duck Club, a restaurant and bar is located on the club level of the venue with some seats allowing fans to eat, drink and watch the game. Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside the park. The cleverly named Waddle In Shop provides a vast amount of LI Ducks merchandise and souvenirs. Atmosphere 4 The Long Island Ducks provide an enjoyable family friendly entertainment environment, one that fans of all ages will enjoy. Seating includes two sections of long rows (20 seats), green fold-down stadium chairs with cup holders and decent legroom separated by a narrow walkway on the lower level. Twenty luxury seats are available on the club level from the third to first baseline. A net is only around the home plate area; the dugouts are net free! Lots of foul balls enter the seating area so be on the lookout when walking the concourse while play is in action Between inning and other activities include the usual minor league shenanigans like sumo wrestling, musical chairs, 50/50 contest, etc. The music volume is perfect; not too loud. One can have a conversation with their neighbor without having to yell over the music. The starting line up is posted on a whiteboard placed on concourse. The stadium offers a constant view of the game action, so even when fans are enjoying the festivities down the foul lines or grabbing a hot dog, they can still see the game in full. One cannot walk the entire circumference of the concourse. Kids bounce houses and activities are at the end of both the first and third baselines. The scoreboard provides the line score as well as video content. Bethpage Park has an attractive, lush green field. Be sure to check out some Long Island Ducks history on the walls when going up to the Duck Club. Like many of the other Atlantic League ballparks, the framework is very geared towards family entertainment. Neighborhood 3 Bethpage Park is located in the Suffolk County District Court Office complex with residential areas beyond that. A TGI Fridays and Carrabba’s are within walking distance. The best bet, though, is to try any of Long Island’s delicious pizzaria’s like Vinardo’s Pizzeria & Restaurant just a short drive away. Be sure to visit Great South Bay Brewing and Tasting Room (a sponsor of the LI Ducks), about five miles from the ballpark. The Duck’s home field is only two or so miles from the Long Island’s south shore beaches and Heckscher State Park. Bayard Cutting Arboretum is one of Islip’s top tourist attractions and is well worth a visit. Other professional sports on Long Island (though not necessarily close to Bethpage Park) are the New York Lizards (MLL), Long Island Rough Riders (USL), and the New York Islanders (NHL). For those wanting to spend the night close to the venue, a Courtyard Marriott and a Residence Inn are right across the street from the ballpark. Fans 4 Lots of families attend Ducks games. At the game of this review, not a lot of fans were there (frigid temperatures) but those that were there were quite hardy. The Long Island Ducks generally sit in first or second place in attendance for the Atlantic League averaging greater than 5,000 a game the last few seasons. They have a deep understanding of the game being close neighbors of the NY Mets and the NY Yankees. Access 4 The ballpark is located off the Southern State Parkway, though there are a variety of highways and routes to get there based on starting point. Click here for specific directions. The LIRR (Long Island Railroad) does not have a stop within walking distance to the park. The closest station is Central Islip on the Ronkonkoma Line, about 2.5 miles from the park. Long Island MacArthur Airport is an 8 – 9 mile drive. Parking is in a well-ordered semi-covered parking lot. If attendance is low, traffic in and out is very light. Even if it’s a packed house, worse traffic can be found in the shopping centers on Long Island. Traffic disperses in several directions so it moves out well. Parking is always free; playoff games too. The concourse is open and wide and easily traversed. Plenty of handicapped parking and seating are available. Return on Investment 5 A fan’s sports entertainment dollar is well spent at a Ducks game. Individual ticket prices range from $12 – $15. The Duck’s have various promotional days such as Military Mondays, Two-fer Tuesdays, Waddle In Wednesdays, and Thirsty Thursdays where tickets prices or concessions are reduced. They also offer offer ‘Unused Ticket Days’ where if you couldn’t make it to a game but still have your ticket, you can exchange it for select games towards the end of the season. Concession prices are affordable and parking is free. Extras 5 The Duck’s organization has many additional points of note to mention. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful – in person and over the phone. Co-owner and first Ducks’ manager, Bud Harrelson, can often be seen on the concourse autographing baseballs and other souvenirs. Harrelson, a former Mets shortstop and coach has won championships as a player (‘69 Mets World Series; ‘73 Mets NL Championship), a coach (‘86 Mets World Series), and owner (‘04, ‘12, and ‘13 Ducks Atlantic League Championship). Plenty of promotions are offered: Sundays – kids run the bases and a pregame player autograph session is available. All Saturday home games provide fireworks after the last out. Modernizing and updating the venue to meet today’s baseball fans standards deserves extra credit. A fan can listen to all Ducks games online – no fee. Final Thoughts Summer on Long Island can be a lot of fun with the beaches, piers, and boating. When on Long Island, be sure to spend an afternoon or evening enjoying a laid back, entertaining nine innings with friends and family at Bethpage Park.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Harvard Stadium 95 N Harvard St Boston, MA 02134 Harvard Crimson football website Harvard Stadium website Year Opened: 1903 Capacity: 30,323 Harvard’s Yard   Built in 1903, Harvard Stadium was the nation’s first stadium built for college football. Containing architectural elements of a Greek stadium and Roman circus, it is considered an engineering marvel, as it was the world’s first massive reinforced concrete structure. Harvard Stadium is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and is one of just four athletic arenas to be so designated. A  gift from Harvard's Class of 1879 for their 25th anniversary, Harvard Stadium only took 4 months to build at a cost of $310,000.   The physical layout of Harvard Stadium is quite significant to the way football is played today. When college football's rules committee met to discuss ways to make the game less violent and dangerous in 1906, one of the rules changes considered was widening the field by 40 feet. Since widening Harvard Stadium was an impossibility, and the committee felt that losing the prestigious Harvard team would be a death-knell to the fledgling sport, the committee decided to adopt the forward pass instead.   Over the years, Harvard Stadium has been more than just a home to Crimson football. The stadium was home to Harvard hockey until World War I. The New England Patriots called Harvard Stadium home in 1970 and 1971, as did the Boston Cannons lacrosse team in 2007. The trials for the US Olympic Track and Field team were held here in 1912, 1920, 1924, and 1928. Several soccer games for the 1984 Olympics were held at Harvard Stadium. Artists as diverse as Bob Marley, Miles Davis, Ray Charles, Mountain and James Taylor have performed here. Janis Joplin performed her last show here before she died in 1970.   Harvard first sponsored a football team in 1873 and was one of college football’s dominant teams in the early years of the sport, as the Crimson won twelve national championships between 1873 and 1920. Today, Harvard still ranks in the top ten in all-time wins in college football. Over their history, Harvard has won 19 Ivy League titles and has had 21 alumni enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame. 39 Crimson alumni have played in the National Football League.   Food & Beverage 5   When they were building Harvard Stadium around the turn of the century (and I’m talking about the 20 th century here), it’s doubtful that concessions were considered in any part of the planning process. In the stadium proper, there are a few small concession stands tucked into tight spaces underneath the grandstand. Fans can get some basic snacks here, including hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, and snack items.   To experience the best concessions experience at a Harvard football game, check out one of the many food trucks parked near the entrance to the stadium by the Gordon Indoor Track Building. Here, fans will find a good variety of food served up by local favorites such as The Sausage Guy, Rockin’ Burgers, Trolley Dogs, and Berry Sweets. In addition to food from these Boston legends, fans can pick up chicken tenders, ice cream, fried Oreos, and more at the many portable stands set up here.   Coca-Cola products are featured at Harvard Stadium. Fans looking for an adult beverage will find several stands selling a selection of wine and beers, featuring several varieties from local favorite Sam Adams.   Atmosphere 5   Fans going to the century old Harvard Stadium expecting to experience a truly old-school game day presentation will undoubtedly be disappointed that the experience here is pretty similar to what you’ll find at every other football game across the country. While there are plenty of traditions that are honored, if you close your eyes, you could be almost anywhere, given the noise and shenanigans going on here on the banks of the Charles River.   There are a lot of modern touches in this old place. The new sound system is excellent, and the volume is turned way up. The Crimson uses a pair of on-field hosts who aren’t afraid to scream into their microphones. They lead the in-game shenanigans, and surprisingly, a lot is going on when the play is stopped. Promos happen all game long, including videos on the board on the Murr Center roof. Cheerleaders do pushups in the end zone after Crimson scores and throw t-shirts into the stands. The Harvard band plays throughout the game, and game stats are displayed on ribbon boards mounted on the façade of the Murr Center. It’s a sensory overload you wouldn’t expect at stuffy old Harvard University.   Much like the Ivy that grows on the façade of the Murr Center, reminders of Harvard’s decades of football history are all around you. The Dillon Quad is open before the game for food, beverages, games, and of course, merchandise. Players walk Dillon Quad into the stadium pre-game and enter the field through the closed end of the field to “Ten Thousand Men of Harvard” performed by the band. In a facility like this, you just can’t help but feel the history, no matter how many modern touches may soften the stadium’s concrete seats.   Neighborhood 4   Before or after a game at Harvard Stadium, take a walk across the Anderson Memorial Bridge, which spans the Charles River, and explore Harvard Square, a top Boston tourist destination. While Harvard Square may not be the bohemian center it once was, it still is one of the most popular areas in Boston for walking, shopping, and people watching.   For those wishing to bask in the history, architecture, and aura of Harvard, walking tours of the campus occur regularly. While touring the campus, take a picture in front of the statue of John Harvard, as so many others have done. Just remember these three things about the statue: 1) it is not actually a statue of John Harvard (no image of him exists), but of a random student; 2) John Harvard was not the founder of the college, but its first benefactor; and 3) the college was actually founded in 1636, not in 1638, as the statue claims. But remember to rub his shiny shoe, it is rumored to bring good luck.   For the longest time, there wasn’t a whole lot to do in the area right around the stadium on the Allston side of the Charles River. That is changing, as the area has seen a fair bit of development. Now, eateries including Sloane’s and FiDO Pizza, within walking distance of the Stadium, provide visiting fans with some options. Of course, downtown Boston is just a couple of miles away, should you want to explore one of the great cities in the country.   Fans 4   Harvard averages between 10,000 and 11,000 fans per game every year, a figure that ranks them in the top twenty FCS schools in attendance annually. During the years when Harvard hosts “The Game” versus Yale, this figure increases accordingly. Unfortunately, even a large crowd of 20,000 leaves a lot of space in this gigantic concrete hulk of a stadium.   You’ll find a cross-section of Boston sports fandom at Harvard Stadium, from assorted alumni who have been coming to games since they were in school to townies and other casual sports fans. There’s also a really good turnout from the student body on any given Saturday. With the compact footprint of the Ivy League, expect a decent turnout from visiting fans as well.   The size of the crowd you will see at Harvard Stadium will depend greatly on the opponent. Traditionally, if you are there for the biannual edition of “The Game” against Yale, expect a sold-out stadium and one of the legendary college football experiences in the nation. If Harvard is hosting Ivy League rival Princeton or neighbor Brown, expect a crowd in the neighborhood of 15,000 fans. Otherwise, you’ll see around 6,000-8,000 fans per game at a Crimson game – attendance figures most schools would die for.   Access 3   While Harvard University is located in Cambridge, MA, Harvard Stadium is located across the Charles River, in the Allston section of Boston. Also located here are most of Harvard’s other athletic facilities, including Lavietes Pavilion, Bright-Landry Hockey Center, O’Donnell Field, and Jordan Field.   Anyone who has ever tried to drive the crowded, crooked streets of Greater Boston can tell you that you are better off leaving your car at home and taking public transportation. The same is true for getting to Harvard Stadium. Stadium Journey’s recommended method of travel to Harvard is the subway, or “T”, as it is called locally. The Harvard Station MBTA stop is a 10-minute walk from the Bright-Landry Hockey Center. Several bus routes also stop at Harvard Station. The 66 and 86 buses stop directly in front of the athletic complex. For more information, fares, and schedules, check out the MBTA website .   If you do insist on driving to Harvard Stadium, the most direct route is to take Storrow Drive to North Harvard Street. Parking is available throughout the Athletic Complex. Cars are jammed into seemingly every available space in the complex. Tailgating is only allowed in certain areas, so reserve your spots and arrive early.   Harvard Stadium is an enormous concrete horseshoe. Fans will enter the stadium underneath the grandstand into an open concourse, where concession stands and restrooms can be found. Just keep in mind that the facility is over a century old and does look it in some spots, so fans should tread carefully.   Stairs lead up to the seating bowl, emptying about a quarter of the way up the grandstand. All of the seats here are concrete bleachers, so bring some padding to protect your backside. Fans requiring handicapped seating can access the accessible seating area via a ramp located on the open (north) end of the horseshoe. All seats feature excellent views of the action.   Return on Investment 2   Tickets to Harvard football games are sold for $25, with youth and seniors discounted to $20. Certain premium games (selected conference games) have premium ticket prices - $31. If you are looking for tickets for “The Game,” the biannual game against Yale, expect to pay significantly more (and be sure to get your tickets well in advance). Parking in the many lots located throughout the athletic complex will run you $20. Again, it is highly recommended that you purchase in advance.   Concessions, while not exorbitantly so, feel like they are a bit on the high side for this level of football. Everything is just a little more expensive at Harvard.   Extras 4   Banners commemorating Harvard’s national and Ivy League championships are located on the façade of the stadium’s interior at field level.   The Harvard band’s big bass drum measures 8 feet across and is large enough to warrant its own name – Bertha. It is the largest playable natural skin-based drum in the world. In the past, the drum has been stolen by rival bands from Yale and Brown, and its giant drumstick was stolen during a game in 1963 by students from Columbia. The field at Harvard Stadium has been dedicated in honor of Tim Murphy, who was the Crimson’s head football coach from 1994 to 2023. He retired as the all-time winningest coach in Harvard and Ivy League history, with 200 wins.   An extra point is awarded for Harvard Stadium itself, one of four stadiums in the nation to be designated as a National Historic Landmark.   Final Thoughts   These days, many things that are simply “old” are designated as “historic.” In the case of Harvard Stadium, while the facility is certainly the former, it is definitely the latter. A game at Harvard is a juxtaposition of traditional and modern touches, where modern gameday shenanigans meet old-timey stodginess. No matter which approach you prefer, a visit to the banks of the Charles River should be on the bucket list for any serious college football fan.   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Paladin Stadium 1300 Duncan Chapel Rd Greenville, SC 29613 Greenville Triumph website Paladin Stadium website Year Opened: 1981 Capacity: 16,000 Together We Triumph Paladin Stadium, home to Furman football  and women’s lacrosse, has also hosted Greenville Triumph SC since 2022. The Triumph began play in 2019 as one of the original ten members of USL League One, the third tier of the U.S. soccer pyramid. They were Greenville’s first professional soccer team since the early 2000s, when the Greenville Lions competed in USL-2, a now-defunct professional league unrelated to the current USL League Two, at Sirrine Stadium. For their first three seasons, the Triumph played at Legacy Early College, where temporary bleachers surrounded the school’s pitch. While modest, the venue witnessed the club’s most successful stretch to date, with three consecutive trips to the League One finals, as well as a championship in 2020. In 2022, the club moved into the larger Paladin Stadium on Furman’s campus. The move also gave the organization room to add a women’s side, the Greenville Liberty, who compete in the USL W League. Paladin has served the Triumph well, but it was never intended as a permanent home. That will come in 2026, when the club opens a new 10,000-seat soccer-specific stadium in nearby Mauldin, part of the Bridgeway Station development.   Food & Beverage   3 Concessions at Paladin Stadium are run in-house, and while the menu is not extensive, it covers the essentials. Burgers, brats, hot dogs, and nachos with cheese sauce are the staples, with a shaved ice stand adding a refreshing option on warm afternoons. Candy and other quick snacks round things out, which families especially will appreciate. It is not a lineup that will wow foodies – a food truck or two would go a long way toward adding variety, but what is here does the job. Drinks include Pepsi products, Gatorade, Aquafina, and lemonade, along with domestic beer, a few craft selections from Asheville’s Wicked Weed Brewing, and seltzers. Prices stay reasonable, keeping the overall match day experience accessible for families.   Atmosphere   3 The Triumph currently plays at Paladin Stadium  on Furman University’s campus. The stadium’s brickwork and hedges give it the feel of a traditional southern football ground, while the spire of Daniel Chapel and Paris Mountain in the distance provide a quaint setting for matches. Still, Paladin Stadium is clearly a football-first facility. Yard lines, lacrosse markings, goal posts, and Furman’s purple-and-white branding clash with the Triumph’s green and blue, leaving the pitch a bit busy for soccer. The in-stadium experience stays lively, however. An in-game host pumps up fans at kickoff, and the fan engagement team leads chants of “Greenville…Triumph” at certain points during the match. Beyond the club’s efforts, much of the stadium’s soccer atmosphere comes from Greenville’s independent supporters, the Reedy River Riot, who drive energy and passion throughout the stands. Soccer’s nonstop pace keeps fans engaged, leaving little need for additional promotions. The club still works in ad reads during throw-ins, and halftime features performances from local groups, adding a touch of local flavor to the experience. Fans have several seating options depending on how close they want to be to the action. General admission provides bleacher seating, with the option to sit near the supporters’ section for full immersion in the chants and energy. Sideline and sideline-preferred seats bring spectators closer to the benches, where they can feel the intensity of the players and coaches, while Center Circle seating at midfield offers molded chairs for a more comfortable view, and the FieldClub provides the premium experience, pairing padded seats with all-inclusive food and drinks in a reserved area behind the goal.   Neighborhood   3 Paladin Stadium sits on Greenville’s northern edge, where the city’s suburbs begin to fade into the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The setting gives the campus a sense of space and scenery that feels a bit removed from downtown Greenville. Furman’s campus covers a sprawling 750 acres. Beyond the academic, residential, and athletic facilities, Swan Lake, a walking trail around it, and even a golf course open to the public are all within the campus’s confines. Miles of biking trails also run adjacent to campus. If approaching Furman from the back side of campus, Highway 25 is dotted with food trucks serving various types of Latino food, while the approach from Highway 276 has chain restaurants. Downtown Greenville is just over six miles south, and it has become one of the most celebrated small cities in the country. The walkable core is packed with breweries, high-end restaurants, hotels, and public art, anchored by the popular Falls Park on Reedy River. For fans making a weekend of it, there’s no shortage of options – early-season matches can be paired with a Greenville Drive  game at nearby Fluor Field, while later in the year the Greenville Swamp Rabbits ’ hockey schedule offers another sporting option.   Fans   3 Greenville draws roughly 1,800 fans per match, placing the Triumph in the lower half of League One’s attendance. With Paladin Stadium right on Furman University’s campus, it is a little surprising that more students do not make it out to games. Even so, the Reedy River Riot  helps bring passion to the stands, pounding their drums, leading chants, and leaning into the visiting side (and officials) throughout the match. Fans may be smaller in number, but they stay engaged, celebrating goals with cheers and the clatter of cowbells, or collectively gasping at shots on frame. Attendance dips a bit for midweek matches, but the most spirited crowds come out for rivalry games, especially the Peach States Derby against South Georgia Tormenta , or matches against nearby Charlotte Independence.   Access   3 Furman University sits north of downtown Greenville, and reaching the campus can be a bit inconvenient due to the lack of direct interstate access. US Highways 25 and 276 run along either side of campus, but even after exiting I-185, fans still face roughly 10 miles of surface streets and traffic lights before arriving at Paladin Stadium. Most GPS directions bring visitors through the rear entrance on Duncan Chapel Road, which leads directly to the orange parking lot just a short walk from the stadium; season pass holders and supporters have access to a smaller lot on the northwest side. Entry points are located at each corner of the near side of the stadium, all easily reachable from the various parking areas. For the most part, the interior of the stadium is easy to navigate; only one side of the stadium is open for seating, which keeps things simple. Fans walking along the field concourse can be a mild distraction to those in the stands, but as long as they keep moving, it is not much of an issue. The pathway from the stands to the field club can be a bit narrow where the ad boards and field-side hedges are located, while the inner concourse is a little narrow, especially where apparel tables take up space, but all in all, these do not cause significant problems moving around.   Return on Investment   5 General admission tickets typically start at $15, with weekday specials often bringing the cost below $10, easily one of the best values in League One. Parking is a flat $10 in the large lot just outside Paladin Stadium, and concessions are reasonably priced, so grabbing a soda or snack will not break the budget. Altogether, the Triumph keeps costs low enough that families and casual fans alike can enjoy a night of soccer without worrying about wallet strain.   Extras   2 Just outside the main entrance sits a customized 1961 Triumph TR3A – this two-seater convertible is painted bright lime green with navy lettering, with the Greenville Triumph’s crest sitting proudly on the hood. An adjacent display explains the car’s history and its connection to the club, making it a clever way to mark the stadium as Triumph’s home. Regardless of the result on the field, the Triumph make a point of showing appreciation for their fans – after the match, the players come toward the supporters’ section to sign autographs, take photos, and personally thank those in attendance.   Final Thoughts Match day at Paladin Stadium is a fun and lively experience, with fans clearly invested in the action; the Triumph have done a solid job creating atmosphere despite playing in a football-first venue. Much of the energy here comes from the Reedy River Riot, whose chants and drumbeats give the stands a real soccer feel. Still, playing in a college football stadium has its drawbacks: yard lines, lacrosse markings, and the scale of the stands can make the field feel a little busy, making the experience less intimate than traditional soccer grounds. The move to a soccer-specific stadium in 2026 should do nothing but bolster a fun soccer experience, while providing fans with development that provides food, shopping, and housing just steps from the stadium.

Photos by Aaron S. Terry , Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57 Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex Benedictine Dr Lisle, IL 60532 Benedictine University Eagles website Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex website Year Opened: 2005 Capacity: 3,000 Eagles in the Sky Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex is home to the Benedictine University Eagles football team and is located in Lisle, Illinois. The Eagles should not be confused with the Benedictine College Ravens of Atchison, Kansas. The Eagles compete in the NCAA’s Division III; their stadium holds 3,000 fans in a single grandstand on the east side – it was built in 2005. The football stadium is surrounded by a running track, and the wider facility also includes a baseball field and softball field, so it can be used for multiple Benedictine Eagles sports.   Food & Beverage   1 Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex does have concessions, but only chips, packaged candy, bottled soda, and bottled water – they tend to run out quickly, however, and thus the concession stand may close at halftime.   Atmosphere   2 The atmosphere at Benedictine University Eagles games is okay; nothing stands out especially, but they do play fun music, and the PA announcer is a lot of fun. During my most recent visit, I noticed an issue with the speakers; there was static and fuzziness at times with the sound coming out. The band only has about 7 to 10 members. As is common with smaller schools, there are lots of visiting fans here due to how close the schools in the conferences are to each other, so the visiting team can easily travel well. As such, during my last visit, the tailgating scene at Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex especially showed a ton of purple in the parking lot, rather than the Eagles' home team red. The main issue here is that the grandstand is on the east side, meaning you will have the sun in your eyes for games that occur between noon and 6 or 7 pm; more so for mid-afternoon kickoffs. Two small areas at the top of the grandstand may provide a little relief, but not much.   Neighborhood   3 Lisle, Illinois, is located about 40 minutes west/southwest of Chicago; there is a nature museum nearby (on Benedictine’s campus) as well as a theater/IMAX. There are also plenty of restaurants and hotels nearby, a lot of them in Naperville, the next town over. There is also an antique mall in Naperville if you are interested in that sort of thing. One of the local favorites in the area is Chicago-style deep dish pizza, and if you are looking for that, go no further than Giordano's – their pizza is so good we went there twice while I was in town for the weekend. Also, try their broken cannoli, basically a deconstructed cannoli with the cream piled in the center and broken shell pieces used for dipping; a lot easier to eat than the regular version, and great for sharing. I would not recommend Gino’s East. If you aren’t feeling like pizza, I would recommend Italian beef from Buona’s, although many other restaurants in the area offer it as well, including Giordano's.   Fans   2 There are a good number of Eagles fans in attendance at Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex football games, but as mentioned above, you may see just as many visiting fans at a typical game. The home fans who are here, though, are very spirited – they follow the game, cheer at the right moments, and do not leave early.   Access   5 Getting to the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex is as easy as any sports venue you might ever go to. Located in such a small town that there is no traffic to speak of, there is also free parking right next to the football field. The concourse is shared with the baseball field next door, and there is plenty of room to move around. There are tables on the concourse for people to sit at, as well as a giant lawn chair you can sit in; this may be a good selfie opportunity. There is also an elevator if you want to go up to the second level, although it can only hold three people at a time.   Return on Investment   3 Tickets only cost $10 for football at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex, which is a little higher than some other D3 stadiums I have been to, but is by no means exorbitant. Given the sun issues and the potential for running out of concessions, this is likely not a bucket list visit; this facility may be more for those who are Benedictine alums or friends of Benedictine players, or for those whose team is playing in Lisle that weekend.   Extras   2 The elevator is a nice touch; you rarely see those at such small stadiums, and the tables and giant lawn chairs are great amenities as well. The local water tower is also decorated with the school’s colors, which is always a plus.   Final Thoughts If you are in the area and would like an inexpensive way to spend some time, or just love the game of football, seeing a game at the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex may be just the ticket. Not a lot of frills, but a peaceful, no-hassle way to watch the game we all love.

Photos by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark Am Sportpark 2 04179 Leipzig, Germany BSG Chemie Leipzig website Alfred-Kunze Stadion website Year Opened: 1920 Capacity: 4,999 Tough, Edgy East Germany Football Choosing a stadium journey to the Alfred-Kunze Stadion to watch BSG Chemie Leipzig brings to mind CS Lewis’s description of Aslan, in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. “Safe? Of course, he isn’t safe. But he is good!” Football in East Germany retains the tough, edgy, and (occasionally) violent culture that will never leave visitors feeling fully safe. However, if you keep your phone in your pocket, restrict tourist instincts, and respect the ultras and their space, it’s really good! Men, women, and children smiling and socialising, drinking beer (and cola) give this club a safe and inclusive vibe, something BSG Chemie Leipzig is known for. Food & Beverage 3 Beer is €4.50 with a €2 deposit for your branded Cup. Coffee is €3. Cola €3.50. Food stalls, on your left-hand side as you enter, will serve you the mandatory Bratwurst for €3.50. Atmosphere 5 Built in 1920 for a reported 512,545.83 marks, this antique and addictive stadium is still going strong 105 years later. FC Victoria 06 Leutzsch were the first tenants. Club mergers, bankruptcy, and political preferences take you on a winding historical sporting journey from Victoria to the modern-day BSG Chemie Leipzig. Away fans are seated in the south stand (GasteBlock). To the right, the whitewashed and distinctive administrative ‘house’ sits confidently alongside the VIP and family area. The Norddamm is a classic two-tiered crumbling terrace with a scoreboard at the very back. On match days, the terrace becomes a living organism, home of the ‘Die Diablos’ ultra group. Pyrotechnics, tifo , and 90 minutes of chanting, led by the capo, provide a spectacular backdrop to the evening. BSG Chemie Leipzig Die Diablos Pyrotechnics, Photo by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey Finally, the Dammsitz Tribune is the home of the old wooden stand with a length of terrace and seats closer to the action. The wooden grandstand is a historical item of beauty; it came from the regatta track at the Elsterflutbett and was moved to Leutzsch in 1948. Neighborhood 3 Leutzsch is an Alt-West locality of Leipzig. Aside from the football, it’s the forest that attracts hikers and outdoor enthusiasts alike. Part of the city since 1922, Leutzsch has an industrial past; now the factories are derelict or home to galleries. There are the necessities you need, but it’s strongly recommended you stay in Leipzig, just 3.5 miles east; it's a vibrant and attractive city steeped in history. Fans 5 The stadium capacity is currently capped at 4,999 for safety reasons. In the last ten years, attendance has grown. An average of around 1,200 in 2015, increasing to regular 5k sell-outs in 2025. The record attendance was 32,000 back in 1950. The name BSG comes from Betriebssportgemeinschaft, the sports club movement in the old DDR. Each club was also linked to an industry, in BSG’s case, the chemical sector. Fans are known for their social conscience, anti-discrimination ethos, and a dislike of the commercialism that blights parts of Western European football. Their rivals are Lokomotive Leipzig. Access 3 To find The Alfred’ from Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, jump on an S-Bahn (S1) to Leipzig Leutzsch. Disembark and follow the green and white procession towards the ground. Carrying (and drinking) a bottle of beer on your journey is a must. The main route into Germany will be via Berlin. (Leipzig-Halle Flughafen has limited destinations). From the capital, it’s a direct train south-west to Leipzig on the ICE train (75 minutes). Arriving this way ensures you see Leipzig Hauptbahnhof , the largest train station (by square foot) in Europe! Return on Investment 4 Match tickets cost around €20 and can be purchased online (with meaningful reductions for the unemployed, students, and certain disabilities). The ticket is easily uploaded onto your phone wallet upon online purchase (helpful, but RIP printed tickets). S-Bahnhof travel is inexpensive. A standard single ticket is about €3.50, or cheaper via the LeipzigMOVE app (worth signing up for if you are staying a few days) Add in the cheap beer and bratwurst, and this level of football (Regionalliga Nordost - tier 4) is tremendous value. It’s not plush seats with prawn sandwiches; it’s participative, social, and an assault on the senses. For BSG fans, it’s a way of life. Extras 4 The family area next to the VIP section is an excellent provision. Sand pits and toys in a fenced-off area, allowing you to enjoy the football whilst your little ones play safely. A printed programme is available. Long live the printed programme! The stadium was renamed in the 1990s after legendary champion coach Alfred Kunze. The Alfred was the first ground in Germany to introduce a ‘man high’ mesh fence between the playing surface and the fans! Final Thoughts The chemical ingredients of this trip included pyrotechnics, wurstfüllung, cement, water, hops, malt, and wheat. Stadium Journey prescribes this trip to you; it won’t make you safe, but it makes you feel good. Chemie Leipzig Celebration, Photo by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.43 Joan C. Edwards Stadium 2001 3rd Ave Huntington, WV 25755 Marshall Thundering Herd website Joan C. Edwards Stadium website Year Opened: 1991 Capacity: 38,016 Here comes the Thundering Herd… ​Marshall University fans are passionate about college football. At first glance, Marshall might not seem like a school known for its loud, energetic football spirit. ​ Without context, one might mistake Marshall games for Ohio State, given the enthusiasm and cheering from the fanbase. They are among the most exciting teams to watch in the Sun Belt Conference and the Appalachian region. ​ Marshall offers everything you want from a smaller Division I school. Producing NFL legends like Randy Moss and Troy Brown, the Thundering Herd is formidable—especially at home. ​ Food & Beverage  4 ​When it comes to concessions, there’s nothing much that isn’t different compared to any other basic assortment of food and drink at another university’s stadium. But that isn’t a bad thing either. You have your typical choices of pretzels, nachos, pizza, and hot dogs. ​ If you’re the drinking type and at least the age of 21, then there are many opportunities to fetch a nice, refreshing beer like Bud Light or Miller Lite. If alcohol doesn’t suit your fancy, then there are other options like Pepsi products and the old reliable water. ​ Atmosphere  5 ​While not a ginormous stadium compared to others, Joan C. Edwards Stadium still feels there’s more in attendance than there actually is. Everyone, Thundering Herd fans and the visiting opponents, is on the edge of their seats waiting to see what play happens next. ​ It doesn’t matter if the Herd are up 20 or down 20, their fans will likely still be cheering at the top of their lungs. It’s the type of crowd and atmosphere every athletics department of any school or organization would want. ​ Neighborhood  5 ​No matter how big they are, a lot of universities in the Appalachian territory have the same vibe as backyard high school football games. Going to the game is a big event, even if someone is not a fan of the sport in general. ​ The general traffic and getting in and out of Huntington before and after the game is not particularly difficult. It may be a little slow getting back home after the game, but that’s to be expected with sports events in general. ​ Fans  5 ​What else needs to be said about the fans that hasn’t been said already? The best fanbases are ride or die, no matter how their team is performing. That certainly describes the fans of the Thundering Herd. ​ They are almost as fun to watch as the football players themselves. Many of them don’t leave the game until the final buzzer. Recently, the Herd hosted Eastern Kentucky and easily took a 38-7 victory. The fans were just as loud, if not louder, from the beginning of the first quarter to the final minutes of the last quarter. ​ Access 3 ​One criticism of Joan C. Edwards is how difficult it is to find somewhat decent parking upon arrival. Huntington locals and students are going to fill up the main parking lots pretty quickly, so it’s best to get there pretty early to find a good spot. ​ If not, visitors will have to resort to finding a spot located at any of the nearby parking garages. When I went, I had to pay $20 for a garage, which is not terrible compared to far more egregious prices a university could charge. ​ Return on Investment 4 ​Like all collegiate teams, tickets vary from time to time depending on the sport and the opposing team. On average, the resale price for a ticket to watch a Marshall Thundering Herd home football game is often cited in the range of $30 to $40. ​ The lowest get-in price begins as low as $13, whereas premium seating (VIP suites and certain club seats) can range anywhere between $200 $1,000. For just a standard seat at a non-premium home game, fans can expect to pay around $25 to $45 if they purchase tickets directly in advance. ​ Extras 5 ​Joan C. Edwards Stadium was named after Joan C. Edwards, a jazz singer and philanthropist who, along with her husband James F. Edwards, donated a large sum of money to Marshall University. ​ Also, the stadium itself is named after Ms. Edwards, while the actual playing field is named after her husband. The tragic 1970 plane crash was ultimately made into a sports drama titled We Are Marshall  (2006) starring A-list actor Matthew McConaughey as Coach Jack Lengyel. ​ The film follows him as he arrives on the scene at Marshall University in 1971 and his determination to rebuild a winning culture amongst a grieving community. ​ Final Thoughts ​If you’re ever passing by and want to watch some competitive college football, the Thundering Herd at Joan C. Edwards Stadium is just for you. My overall experience driving to, watching the contest, and driving home, reflecting on it, resulted in a splendid way to end my Saturday evening.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.29 Skyhawk Field 490 Washington St. Easton, MA 02356 Stonehill Skyhawks men's soccer website Skyhawk Field website Skyhawk Soccer   On April 5, 2022, tiny Stonehill College, a private Catholic school located in Easton, Massachusetts, with an enrollment of 2,500 undergraduate students, announced it was moving all of its athletic teams to the NCAA Division I level, effective in the fall of 2022. Before 2022, Stonehill was a member of the Northeast-10 Conference in NCAA Division II. Upon its elevation to Division One, Stonehill joined the Northeast Conference.                                                                                                                          Stonehill’s athletic teams competed for years as the Chieftains. In 2002, the school decided to change its nickname. After considering several options, Stonehill officially changed its nickname to the Skyhawks in 2005. This name has no connection to a bird or animal but does have a connection to the school’s history.   After the school’s property was purchased by the Congregation of Holy Cross, an airfield on site was leased to the Navy during World War II and to private companies afterwards. The airfield was closed in 1955 as the college grew, but the Navy continued to use the land for training exercises and would employ the Skyhawk aircraft between 1954 and 1995.   Before the construction of W.B. Mason Stadium, Skyhawk Field served as the home to Stonehill football and lacrosse. Today it is the primary home of the Skyhawks men’s and women’s soccer teams. Some bigger games are played at W.B. Mason Stadium. The field served as the site of the 2003 NCAA Division II Lacrosse Championship Game between Stonehill and Longwood, won 9-8 by the Skyhawks.   The first men’s soccer team played at Stonehill in 1962. The men’s team has yet to qualify for an NCAA tournament, either in Division I or II. The women’s soccer program began play in 1979. The women’s team has played in three Division II tournaments (2016, 2018, 2019), winning one game in their three appearances.   Food & Beverage 0    There are no concessions available at Skyhawk Field. Fans are welcome to bring their own snacks or beverages to enjoy during the match. You’ll be sure to see lots of beverages from the nearby Dunkin’ or Cumby’s in the stands. (That’s Dunkin’ Donuts or Cumberland Farms to those of you who are not local)   Atmosphere 2   The game day presentation at Skyhawk Field is a very basic one, as you would expect at such a small facility. The athletic staff works out of temporary quarters set up at the top of the bleachers, and makes sure that visiting fans have everything they need for an enjoyable afternoon. Music plays out of decent speakers pregame and during halftime. The PA announcer adds a bit of energy and relays game information to the fans in attendance, and if you’re sitting nearby, you can hear the play-by-play crew do their thing. A scoreboard in the west corner of the pitch displays basic game information.   Of course, the fans in the stands do their part to cheer on the Skyhawks and make most of the noise you’ll hear while visiting Stonehill. If you want to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the bleachers, you can bring your own chair and sit along the fence on the far side of the pitch.   Neighborhood 3   Stonehill College’s suburban location and sprawling campus belie its location in a bustling area with many dining and lodging options for visiting fans. State routes 123 and 138 intersect at the southwest corner of campus. Both routes are pretty busy local roads, lined with strip malls filled with the usual national chains alongside a few local eateries in both directions. Stadium Journey recommends checking out Stoneforge Grill or Brach’s Grill and Tap, both right near campus, for your pre- or postgame meal.   While you may not find many attractions in the immediate vicinity of Stonehill, Boston is located just a half hour’s drive to the north. Visiting fans will find no shortage of things to do there. Fans looking for lodging options closer to school should check out the Residence Inn by Marriott just off Route 24.   More information about local accommodations, restaurants, and attractions can be found here .   Fans 2   The crowd at a Stonehill soccer game is what we at Stadium Journey call a “friends and family” crowd. That means that it is not large in size, but virtually everyone in the stands seems to have a connection with the athletes down on the field. As a result, what the crowd may lack in quantity, they make up for in quality. The fans are generally very supportive and boisterous in cheering on the home squad. There’s a decent turnout from the student body, as friends of team members will stop by to support their classmates.   Overall attendance at Skyhawk Field can vary depending on the day of the week, opponent, and time of day the game is being held. Crowds will usually number around 100-200 fans. As mentioned earlier, games that will attract larger crowds will be held at W.B. Mason Stadium. For the 2025 season, six games are scheduled at Skyhawk Field and three at the larger facility.   Access 3   Stonehill College is located in suburban Easton, MA, directly to the west of the city of Brockton and 25 miles south of Boston. The campus is easily accessible, as both Interstates 495 and 93 lead to Route 24, which runs north-south just a mile from Skyhawk Field.   Skyhawk Field is located right near Stonehill’s front entrance on Belmont Street (Route 123). There is no parking on-site, so fans must park at the nearby grass athletic field and walk over to the soccer pitch.   This is a basic facility, with only a small set of bleachers on the southeast side of the pitch. There is plenty of room all around the pitch for fans to stand or set up a chair and take in the action. A pair of port-a-johns on the south corner of the pitch make up the entirety of the facility’s, ummm, facilities. Fans with mobility issues should tread carefully, as there are no paved walkways around Skyhawk Field.   Return on Investment 5   There is no charge to attend a Stonehill soccer match. There is also no charge to park your car. With no concessions on site, you will not have to reach for your wallet even once during your visit to Skyhawk Field.   Extras 1   Near the entrance to Skyhawk Field is a plaque dedicating the field to Hernani “Ernie” Branco, who coached the men’s soccer team from 1984 to 1998. The plaque is mounted on a rock, as Branco is the “rock” on which the Stonehill soccer program is built.   Final Thoughts   At first glance, Skyhawk Field may not seem like it’s a proper Division One facility. But its charm is in its simplicity. Pull your favorite lawn chair up to the edge of the pitch and enjoy an afternoon of quality soccer in a relaxed setting.   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey The Savannah Bananas came to Indianapolis, Indiana, this past weekend and played in front of 30,000 people for the two-game series on their 2023 Banana Ball World Tour. Even though Mother Nature had other plans the first night knocked out the power to Victory Field . The skies would open up two days later to provide the canvas for all the wacky hijinks that are Banana Ball. The lines of people stretched around the perimeter of the ballpark with gunpowder gray skies up above. However, once the gates opened, the drops dissipated, and the skies opened up for ideal weather for baseball. Tickets were at a premium, and only Taylor Swift, who was performing at Paycor Stadium 100 miles away in Cincinnati, had a higher demand for tickets. The Bananas themselves have a waitlist of over 800,000. Banana Ball is a 2-hour version of baseball with nine unique rules. Jesse Cole developed the rules, which debuted in front of an audience in June 2020. At the time, the Bananas were members of the summer collegiate Coastal Plain League, but soon this madcap version of the game took off, and the team went around the Southern part of the country to play exhibition games. Soon, fans expected to see Banana Ball instead of the regular version played at the club’s home ballpark in Grayson Stadium. Soon, Cole decided to leave the CPL and play as a professional barnstorming team akin to the Indianapolis Clowns, House of David, and most famously, basketball’s Harlem Globetrotters . Cole was not hard to find at the game; he greeted fans entering the stadium from the centerfield entrance. Decked in his trademark yellow tuxedo and hat, he posed for pictures and selfies with the hundreds who walked through that gate. Soon, he was on the field introducing the team and its brand of baseball to thousands sitting in their seats or on the grass lawn of the stadium. “We drove down on Thursday night, had a flight tire, and then waited for two hours outside the stadium before they canceled the game,” said Julie Dorman from Carmel, Indiana. “We were not going to miss this game today.” The Bananas brand of baseball has its unique 9-rules that include fans making an out on a caught foul ball (there were two of them in Indy), no bunting, no mound visits, or players stepping out of the batter’s box. A batter can steal first on a wild pitch, and after ball four, the batter can run to as many bases, while all nine position players toss the ball to one another to get him out. The most interesting twist is that every inning counts. Teams get a point for scoring the most runs per inning. If the teams are scoreless or tied, that inning is even, and you go to the next one. The Bananas 4-2 by winning 4 of the 9 innings. There was never a dull moment from the time people entered the stadium. Music played over the speaker system, and club M.C. The Young Professor and The Man-Nanas engaged with the audience. Soon, players from the Bananas and their foes, The Party Animals, walked through the crowd tossing bananas and hi-fiving fans young and old. Among the promotions were players catching bananas from teammates in the stands, a boxing-style weigh-in with a dance-off, and the team's tribute to the Lion King - where a baby is hoisted while players kneel below. “This is pure entertainment,” said Joe Newman, who brought his family up outside Louisville, Kentucky, to see the game. “I am not a baseball fan, more of a soccer guy, but these guys entertain you for two hours with music and on-field gimmicks.” Fans decked in official team gear, with a few sporting makeshift t-shirts. I have been to many minor league games and have never seen quite the amount of gear worn in the crowd. The three merchandise tents had long lines throughout the game, with probably quite a few missing out on the action on the field. “We were in Detroit last night and found out we got tickets at the last minute,” said Dave Kenney of Muskegon, Michigan. “My son and I drove three and a half hours to Indy, and now it’ll be a 4-hour drive back to Muskegon, but it was well worth it.” Ask anyone that works for Stadium Journey, along with my wife and friends, and they will tell you that I never sit down for an entire game. That was not the case; I wanted to see what would happen next during each inning and decided to plant myself behind home plate in the suite level to get a bird's-eye view of everything on the diamond. There were two caught foul balls, several sprints after a walk, a person on stilts getting a base hit for a walk-off in one inning, a pitcher with a motorcycle helmet, several celebrations from the Party Animals outside of their dugout, a few backflips from the players, and free donuts handed out for the donut batter striking out. "It was the Harlem Globetrotters meet baseball," said Dave Buddenbaum, who attended the Friday evening game. "Both teams were talented and made the game fun." After the game, Cole and the players came out to thank the 15,000 people and met them on the grass lawn for autographs. The Banana Band played while Jesse signed more autographs and posed for pictures. Mobs of people surrounded members of both teams to get the elusive autograph and photo. The World Tour heads to Akron’s Canal Park for the next night for two games before a few days off before returning to Savannah for the weekend. The 30,000 people who attended games in Indianapolis were provided what had been advertised by the club through social media and word of mouth-baseball and show. The Savanah Bananas are not doing anything new in minor-league baseball promotions in recent years. The tinkering of the rules and limiting the time of play has created a new set of fans fevering for Banana Ball across the country, an impossibility in any structured league. As a result of the record crowds in Indianapolis, the minor league ballparks in this country will likely be replaced with larger major league venues. ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel . Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos Courtesy of the Savannah Bananas Team owner Jesse Cole, who is at all games in a bright yellow tuxedo, believes this was the ideal time to play for the first time in front of a live audience. Due to COVID-19, the club had to become creative with things at the ballpark, even turning away 50,000 fans due to capacity restrictions at Grayson Stadium. “The first time the Bananas played the game with actual players was two years ago against a few different colleges. The college players said it was the most fun ever playing baseball; from that time, we began testing it, and tonight we tested it in front of our fans. When we put the game on sale in May, it shut down our servers and sold out in minutes. They are fired up to see what this game is all about.” Most of the rules would make baseball traditionalists blush, with a game prohibiting mound visits and bunting (a player will be ejected), stealing of first base on a passed ball, and if a batter steps out of the box (a strike is called). There are also no walks allowed, which means that on a fourth ball, the player can sprint to as many bases, while the catcher throws the ball to every positioned player. When the last fielder catches it, he can fire it to the proper base to tag the runner out. The rules were developed to help speed up the game and add a little punch to the night’s proceedings. “We played this on Tuesday, and I have never seen the players more into it,” Cole added.” There was a strategy, and it turned into a bang, bang play at third. The catcher fires the ball to first, second, short, and third. The fielders are moving; the runner is rounding second and then throws the ball to left field, right field, center field, and then to third for a play. It was wild and pretty crazy.” The first game of Banana Ball was an inter-squad game that pitted the Yellow Bananas versus the Green Bananas. The first inning saw many of these rules in action, including the sprint to first on ball four, which resulted in a four-base score for the green team. After the inning, the score was 4-1 for the road team, but in this crazy game, it was a 1-point lead. That is because every inning counts (the first rule in the game). The objective is to be the first team to score five points. It is accomplished by scoring the most runs per inning. If the home team is behind heading into their half of the inning, they can end it with a walk-off victory. If no team reaches the five-point mark by the end of 9 innings or 2 hours of play, it goes into a 1-1 showdown tiebreaker. Cole describes the tiebreaker as similar to penalty kicks in soccer and came up with the idea after hearing stories of Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige ordering his position players off the field in hopes of striking out the batter. “This is one of the wildest things. You have the pitcher versus the hitter, and nobody is in the field; the hitter has to score. The pitcher can strike him out, get him to pop up, or there can be a play at the plate. It’s unbelievably exciting; both teams are standing on top of the dugout, going crazy.” Tonight’s game ended in such fashion, with the Green Bananas scoring 4 points heading into the tie-breaker. Needing only one point to secure victory, the green club smacked a liner (after the first batter walked) into the outfield for the walk-off win. Since they were all members of the home team, there was much celebration from everyone at the stadium. With only a few innings of the new rules being implemented, the rest of the game appeared to mirror a regular baseball game at the historic ballpark. The usual pre-game and in-between inning activities were on display from the baby banana ceremony, the Banana Nana's dance team, and the first pitch of a banana instead of a ball. This season, the club added a grandma coach who brings out a tray of tea and cookies, a luchador (professional wrestler) coach, fire breathers, stilt walkers, and a circus performer. Cole added that the club is still putting on a show and, despite the smaller crowd, the atmosphere looked and sounded just as boisterous as any other night where sell-out crowds are the norm. “I wouldn't be surprised if we play again sometime this summer based on the initial response and the buzz. There could be a demand to play the game in the fall or next year. When you tell guys that the game’s going to be fast-paced and within two hours, they're going to be out here. The idea of having an action-packed game with walk-offs and showmanship, the players are fired up about it.” Banana Ball may or may not take over the local ballpark, but it is the type of game that could make for a nice diversion from the national pastime. The Bananas organization is happy to be back playing ball this summer and adding a sense of normalcy to the community, no matter what type of baseball is played on the diamond. Baseball is back. ---- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter, YouTube , and Instagram . You can also contact him at Marc.Viquez@StadiumJourney.com

Photos by Chris Green, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71 Levine-Fricke Field Centennial Drive Berkeley, CA 94720 California Golden Bears website Levine-Fricke Field website Year Opened: 1995 Capacity: 500 Softball in Secluded Splendor Sitting at the bottom of Strawberry Canyon lies Levine-Fricke Field. This small stadium features beautiful green hills surrounding the home of the 2002 National Champions. However, what you may not know is that this also is one of the more unique facilities at Cal Berkeley, and is a fan-friendly facility. A closer look reveals the beauty that exists here, as well as the potential for what could be. The school unveiled a brand-new stadium re-design and upgrade project several years ago that has been tied up in court, thanks to noise concerns from neighboring landowners. While the future, should it ultimately come to pass, looks bright, the current home of Cal Softball is one to be admired. Food & Beverage 3 The name of the game here is simplicity. The menu is short and sweet and that is perfect for the setting here at Levine-Fricke Field. Leading off are hot dogs ($6) and specialty sausages ($7). Nachos come in at $6 while candy, peanuts, corn nuts, and sunflower seeds cost $5. All drinks (soda, water, and Gatorade) also cost $5. Everything is served quick and hot, meaning you won’t be waiting forever for your meal. Atmosphere 4 The stadium is situated at the east end of campus, high above the rest of the school down below. Along the outfield are the verdant hills of Strawberry Canyon, providing a beautiful background for softball. Behind home plate are more trees, offering shade in the afternoon from the sun. The outfield seats are elevated to the top of the tall outfield fence line, meaning you have a great view of the entire playing field. The seating stretches from the left field foul pole to center field. Along center field’s outfield wall is also a standing-room-only area for fans as well. Neighborhood 4 The stadium is situated on Cal Berkeley’s campus itself. This is one of the country’s most historic and revered colleges, and the beauty of the campus is evident from the moment you set foot here. Just outside of campus is Berkeley, a college town that has everything from hotels (Residence Inn by Marriott and Hotel Shattuck Plaza are your closest options to campus) to restaurants and shopping. Shattuck Avenue and University Avenue both are full of shopping and dining options. Nearby fans can find hiking trails that lead from the softball stadium area up to the Big C on the hillside, overlooking the Cal football stadium. Fans 4 The Cal faithful love their softball. Even a weekday game against an in-state rival brings a respectable crowd for a mid-day matchup. Once there, they cheer and yell along with every big play. They’re sport-knowledgeable and know the roster and coaching staff like diehards. Access 3 The hardest part about getting to games here is the parking. On campus parking is limited, and if you were to find a spot, you will need to pay the meter or have a parking pass. Outside of campus there is metered street parking, but again this can be hard to come by. Fans likely are best off parking in a lot or garage off campus and walking from there. Getting to campus is also something that requires a lot of side streets, as there isn’t a highway exit immediately adjacent to the stadium. That said, heading due east from I-80 will get you there without an issue. There are parking lots on site for the softball games themselves, but as the lot is small and shared with the campus pool and rugby/soccer field, parking here is also limited. Return on Investment 5 Seats behind the home plate area cost $25 on weekends, while general admission in the outfield grandstands cost $20 (kids and senior tickets are $10 for general admission). On weekdays, admission is free to all fans. Coupled with low cost for concessions, watching top collegiate softball in a beautiful facility is a stellar value here. Extras 3 The left field wall in the outfield features a championship banner for the 2002 National Championship winning squad. There is also a free giveaways table at games, next to the concessions stand. Here, fans can get free posters and information on tickets for other Cal athletics events. Finally, down the left field line is a standing room only area where fans can get up close to the field of play for a unique field-level view, that isn’t offered at many other sports facilities for free. Final Thoughts Taking in a softball game at Levine-Fricke Field is a great option for fans looking to catch some Cal Golden Bears athletics action. The stadium is in a beautiful part of campus, and the weather is almost always stellar. With the affordability of tickets and concessions, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better softball facility in the Bay Area.

The baseball season is concluding for several North American leagues, many of which belong to the MLB Partner Leagues—four leagues with 50 teams that work with MLB to promote the sport but are not directly affiliated with MLB teams. This year’s rankings include the American Association, Atlantic League, Pioneer League, and Frontier League. Our rankings evaluate food, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, access, return on investment, and unique extras. Official ratings determine the ranking, with crowd reviews as the tiebreaker. Here are the Stadium Journey Top 20 MLB Partner Leagues of 2024. 1. Duly Health and Care Field - Joliet Slammers (4.29) (Eric Hasman) - The ballpark experience for the adult fans of baseball. Duly Health and Care Field is tucked inside the streets of downtown Joliet, featuring wide open concourses and plenty of nice touches to set it apart from your standard baseball experience in the Chicago area. 2. Fairfield Properties Ballpark - Long Island Ducks (4.29) (Meg Minard) - Summer on Long Island can be a lot of fun with the beaches, piers, and boating.  When on Long Island, be sure to spend an afternoon or evening enjoying a laid-back, entertaining nine innings with friends and family at the ballpark. 3. Meritus Field - Hagerstown Flying Boxcars (4.14) (Michael Rusignuolo) - Meritus Park could never fully replace Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown's hearts and minds, but it brings baseball into the new century there, with a gem of a modern park that seems tailored for its home. 4. Shaw Park - Winnipeg Goldeyes (4.14) (Marc Viquez) - The Winnipeg Goldeyes are a class act in the world of independent league baseball. The crowd support, enthusiasm, friendly staff, and all-around great time are what make visiting Shaw Park a great investment with your ballpark dollar. 5. Dehler Park - Billings Mustangs (4.14) (Meg Minard) - This is an excellent ballpark to visit, with the focus of entertainment on the ballgame while still providing modern conveniences, good food, and engaging fans. 6. Clipper Magazine Stadium - Lancaster Barnstormers (4.14) (Gregory Koch) - Although Lancaster has not had an affiliated baseball team for 60 years, that has not stopped the fans here from cheering for their local independent league team. You wouldn’t know from looking at Clipper Magazine Stadium that it’s Indy Ball rather than affiliated, and the experience here is as good as it is at many “real” minor league parks around the country. A Barnstormers game is a great experience and a great value for any fan. 7. Wellspan Park - York Revolution (4.14) (Richard Smith) - The York Revolution and Wellspan Park offer a nicely designed stadium with some interesting features that are sure to please both the serious and casual baseball fans. 8. Lindquist Field - Ogden Raptors (4.00) (Aaron S. Terry) - One of the best outfield views in baseball. A game at Lindquist Field for an Ogden Raptors game is a must for a baseball traveler. The stadium has majestic views, a friendly staff, and a fun atmosphere; it won’t break the bank, either. A Raptors game in Ogden absolutely checks all the boxes. 9. Impact Field - Chicago Dogs (4.00) (Marc Viquez) - Impact Field is a fantastic-looking stadium and pushes the boundary for stadium design and aesthetics. The Chicagoland is a crowd with both major league and MLB partner league ballparks, and the Dogs provide a lot of fun and excitement with their branding, ticket pricing, and promotional nights. It has the potential to be one of the best in the MLB Partner Leagues. 10. Joseph L. Bruno Stadium - Tri-City ValleyCats (3.86) (Paul Baker) - The Joe remains a solid facility, and an excellent addition to the growing Frontier League. Here’s hoping that Capital District baseball fans realize that the ValleyCats remain as entertaining as ever, and that the baseball played on the field might actually be better than what they saw in their affiliated days. 11. Thomas Moore Stadium - Florence Y’alls (3.86) (Marc Viquez) - Thomas More Stadium is a small stadium that packs a big punch. It is a simple facility that makes up for it by offering free parking, local food, affordable prices, and a positive attitude. The use of the water tower and the phrase "Florence Y'all" is awesomely fun. If the Reds are not in town, take the short drive and watch the team play. 12. Crushers Stadium - Lake Erie Crushers (3.71) (Marc Viquez) - The Lake Erie Crushers are a refreshing reminder of community, tradition, and a love of the game. Whether you’re a die-hard baseball enthusiast or simply looking for a fun summer evening with the family, a trip to see the Crushers play offers an experience that’s both memorable and meaningful—and all just 30 minutes west of Cleveland. 13. Stade Canac - Quebec Capitales (3.71) (Paul Baker) - Quebec would never be considered a baseball city by most fans, but Les Capitales have been one of the more successful independent teams both on and off the field. A trip to historic Stade Canac is one worth taking for any ballpark chaser. Pair Stade Canac with a visit to its sister ballpark, Stade Quillorama in Trois Rivieres , and you have a terrific Stadium Journey. 14. Grizzlies Ballpark - Gateway Grizzlies (3.71) (Marc Viquez) - It is a marvelous little ballpark that has become one of the better ones in independent baseball. The ticket prices are affordable, the food is creative and fun, and promotional nights should attract fans to the stadium. When in St. Louis, there is more than one option for a baseball game. 15. Haymarket Park - Lincoln Saltdogs (3.71) (Paul Baker) - Haymarket Park is a nice facility located close to downtown Lincoln and the University of Nebraska. Sports fans visiting the area should be sure to check out nearby Memorial Stadium. Baseball fans will enjoy the mix of the ballpark’s small-town feel and modern amenities. 16. Clover Stadium - New York Boulders (3.57) (Paul Baker) -Clover Stadium is one of the nicer ballparks you’ll come across in your ballpark travels. Unfortunately, its location serves to keep it a hidden secret to many baseball fans. If this ballpark were located in a downtown area, it might be listed among the best in all of independent baseball. 17. Trustmark Park - Mississippi Mud Monsters (3.57) (Matt Colville) - The ballpark has fully embraced its new swamp identity. The iconic Ronald Acuna mural at the main entrance has been replaced with a massive, eye-catching giant catfish, setting the tone before you even step inside. 18. Northwest Medicine Field - Kane County Cougars (3.57) (Marc Viquez) - Northwestern Medicine Field is an older minor league ballpark with a main concourse that does not wrap around the ball field. However, the atmosphere is festive with food trucks, lawn seating down both foul lines, a KidZone behind right field, and three wooden party decks for large groups.  19. GoMart Ballpark - Charleston Dirty Birds (3.57) (Paul Baker) - GoMart Ballpark may not be the type of ballpark that makes anyone’s “Best Of” list. But it does many things well. It’s inexpensive, cozy, and thanks to The Toast Man and the cast of regulars in Section 107, incredibly entertaining. This ballpark suits the Atlantic League, the city of Charleston, and its baseball fans perfectly. 20. Newman Outdoor Field - Fargo Moorhead RedHawks (3.57) (Paul Baker) - Ballparks like Newman Outdoor Field and cities like Fargo are the backbone of minor league baseball. Boasting affordable prices, a friendly atmosphere, and a comfortable, fun place at which to watch a game, a trip to North Dakota is a worthy Stadium Journey for any baseball fan.

Images courtesy of the Indianapolis Indians The Indianapolis Indians will have a new look when they take the field in 2026. The ball club unveiled a new logo, uniforms, and caps Friday night. It marks the first time in 32 years that the club has made a change to its branding. The team has harkened back to a style that is reminiscent of images of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The following information comes from the club's official website. ​ The primary logo combines a traditional blackletter “I” with a red diamond from the team’s 1920s logo, encircled by a border inspired by the ribbon work of the Miami Nation of Indians, who collaborated on the overall design. This new look honors the team’s long history in Indianapolis while representing local Indigenous culture. Images courtesy of the Indianapolis Indians ​ The club will be wearing one of two caps, including the “INDY” monogram that is rooted in tradition. The interlocker letters are reminiscent of vintage baseball caps, scorecards, and team emblems. It is designed to honor the club's past while offering a modern edge. The blackletter “I” pays homage to baseball designs of the late 19th and early 20th century. ​ The home and alternative uniforms feature a new wordmark that draws inspiration from the early 20th-century sports lettering, with ornate serifs and high-contrast strokes. According to the team website, the large, dramatic blackletter “I” anchors the composition, establishing gravitas and vintage authenticity. The away uniforms are simple with INDPLS in arched block letters, evoking looks from the 1950s and 1960s. ​ Images courtesy of the Indianapolis Indians The team's new colors will include wrought iron blue, gold, sky blue, and cloud. The ball caps are solid blue for both home and away. The Indians will also release three new uniform collections: Circle City, Native American Heritage, and Negro Leagues. ​ According to the Indianapolis Star, the rebrand began in February 2023 when the team completed a year-long study on whether the franchise should keep the Indians name. They kept the name and partnered with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana. The partnership includes a Miami scholarship program, fan educational opportunities about Native American history, and a land acknowledgement statement that is read before the start of every home game. You can see it in the main logo’s diamond motif border that it is drawn in inspiration from traditional Miami ribbon work patterns and shows a shared commitment to accurately representing the Indigenous culture. The new branding was designed in-house by Adam Pintar, the team's senior director of brand, marketing, and communications. The old logo was patterned after Southwestern Native American imagery. The rebrand is a bold move for the Indians, who have stayed consistent with the same branding since 1993. Frankly, it was time for a change. The team has an array of looks and retro styles from its days as the farm club of the Montreal Expos, Cincinnati Reds, and Cleveland Indians for more than two decades. The new branding is a distinct style all its own. The club scores points for its nod to early typography, approval from the Miami Nation of Indians, and a jersey that will honor the tribe. ​ The Indians will celebrate 30 years at Victory Field on July 11, 1996, and include the motto: "Indy Indians: New Look, Same Team." ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Jim Flannery, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Rogers Place 10220 104 Avenue NW Edmonton, AB T5J 4Y8 Edmonton Oil Kings website Rogers Place website Year Opened: 2016 Capacity: 18,437 The Kings of Edmonton Hockey Since the Oilers arrived in Edmonton in 1972, junior hockey has been a tough sell. The original Oil Kings, founded in 1950, moved to Portland in 1976 following steadily waning attendance. But after a couple aborted attempts to revive junior hockey, the newly incarnated Oil Kings seem to have finally found their place in the community. The Oil Kings returned to Edmonton for the 2007-08 season and have been have found an audience. Owned and operated by the Katz Group, which also owns the NHL’s Oilers, the Oil Kings are drawing good crowds, and winning consistently. In fact, the Oil Kings won the Ed Chynoweth Cup for the 2011-12 season and the 2013-2014 season, as top team in the WHL and went to the Memorial Cup as the Western representatives. The Oil Kings went on to win the 2014 Memorial Cup, making them the best junior team in Canada that season. The Oil Kings spent most of their history playing at what is currently known as Rexall Place (formerly Northlands Colosseum). But starting in the fall of 2016, the Oil Kings have relocated to the new downtown arena, called Rogers Place. It is the newest, most modern arena in the hockey and without a doubt the premier place to watch the WHL. At almost a half billion dollars, the new downtown arena has spared no expense in making sure every trip to the building is an event, over and above whatever sport or concert you’ve come to watch. A detailed consultation process was conducted with the fans during the design phase. As a result, the facility has many design features that reflect the experience the fans wanted to have. Food & Beverage 4 As compared to the options available at Rexall, the food choices are a definite improvement. Regular concession stands have a relatively small selection to choose from, but each location has a slightly different menu, so have a look around before you settle on something. You’ll find all the expected options, from hot dogs to burgers, fountain pop to bottled water. If you’re into burgers with everything, try the Bobby Nick’s Burger ($12). The Jasper Ave. Chicken Burger ($10) is also quite tasty. Most concessions also have some basic adult beverage choices, if you’re looking for a glass of Molson Canadian or Coors Light ($11.50). There are typically also a couple of premium options available as well. There are also a couple of specialty stands around the several levels of concourse that feature interesting fare such as perogy nachos, butter chicken and chick peas, or smoked brisket sandwiches. You’ll also find four Pizza 73 locations around the building. If you’re looking for something a little more special, there are a few more places to check out. In the lower concourse, available to fans in the lower bowl, there are two club-style areas known as the Coventry Homes Club and the North Mezzanine Club, complete with tables for fans to gather around between periods. The concessions in these areas have an upgraded menu with some more exotic selections. On the main floor concourse, you’ll find the Molson Canadian Fan Deck, just outside the side of the rink, with a full-service bar and more food choices. Fans in the PCL Loge Level have access to two more choices in the River Valley Grill and the Carvery. Overlooking Ford Hall, the main entrance to Rogers Place, is Curve Restaurant, which is a reservation-only location on this floor as well. Sky Lounge is a premium seating club on the west end of the upper concourse which has a special menu and in-seat beverage service. Directly below it is the Sportsnet Club which also features premium seating and a unique menu. Out in Ford Hall, and accessible before and after games, is the Molson Canadian Hockey House, yet another option for dining at the rink, with a full list of food and beverage options. When you put it all together, there are more restaurants in Rogers Place than there were within several blocks of Rexall Place. This is a major upgrade. But don’t forget your pocketbook as the food options in this building are the priciest in any arena in Alberta. Atmosphere 3 The arena is decorated with images from Oilers history, making it clear who the number one tenant of this arena is. Just to the west of the main entrance is a Wayne Gretzky statue that was relocated here from Rexall Place when the Oilers moved. Through the glass behind the statue you can see the Oilers Hall of Fame room, which features memorabilia from the Hockey Hall of Fame, located in Toronto, ON. All excellent stuff, but nothing to indicate that this is the home of the Oil Kings as well. Whether you enter Ford Hall from its main entrance, a block south of the main Rogers Place building, or through the main doors, this is a beautiful gathering area for fans prior to walking through the gates into the arena itself. Ford Hall is open year-round so folks visiting Edmonton’s downtown core can stop by and check it out. The main concourse is significantly wider than that of Rexall Place and several stories high, giving it an open, roomy feel. Once inside the seating bowl, you’ll also get a sense of spaciousness, from the wide seats (19”-22”, depending on where you’re sitting) and ample leg room to the significant elevation from ice level to the top of the upper bowl. Not that you have to worry about the upper bowl much anyway, as the Oil Kings don’t open the upper bowl most nights. With attendance usually in the 5,000-9,000 range, the lower bowl is more than adequate to house all the fans. If you go to one of the busier nights where the upper bowl is open, seats up there still don’t feel that far away from the game action, however, due to the upper levels being cantilevered out over the lower levels, bringing them much closer to the middle of the arena, giving even upper deck audiences a sense that they’re right on top of the game. The energy in the stands is also good. While the game is underway, ambient sound levels indicate a steady buzz of excitement, which can quickly spike when a goal is scored, a fight breaks out, or something else exciting happens. Neighbourhood 4 Rogers Place is situated on the north end of Edmonton’s downtown core. To the west of the rink is the main campus of MacEwan University. If you stick to those areas before and after games, you should have no troubles at all. North of the arena is a much less desirable part of town. Central McDougall isn’t the worst part of town, but you perhaps don’t want to find yourself alone after dark in that area. It is, in fact, hoped that setting Rogers Place up in that location will help to gentrify the neighbourhood, so this could improve over the next few years. Two blocks east and south of the arena is Sir Winston Churchill Square, a central gathering place for the city which is framed on three sides by Edmonton City Hall, the Art Gallery of Alberta, Winspear Centre for Music, and the main branch of the Edmonton Public Library. Very nice location to check out. On the southeast corner of Rogers Place is the Grand Villa Casino, so patrons of Rogers Place can stop in and try their luck at the slots or table games before or after seeing the Oilers. There are also two restaurants in the casino, adding to your dining options right in the main building. Match Eatery and Public House has a classic British Pub vibe, while Atlas Steak + Fish is a more upscale place. If you’re looking to grab a bite or a drink before or after games, you have a ton of good options within just a couple blocks of Rogers Centre. This again is a major upgrade compared to old Rexall Place. As noted above, you can always try the Molson Canadian Hockey House right in Ford Hall, if you want to eat right outside the main gates, or at Curve on the PCL Loge Level once the gates open. Across the street to the south west of Rogers Place is the Mercer Tavern which provides casual pub dining. Around the corner and sharing the same building is Rostizado , a Mexican eatery which is considered to be one of Canada’s Top 100 Restaurants. If you’re in the mood for steak, you can try the Chop Steakhouse. One of several Chop franchises around Canada, this is a good choice to satisfy your need for world-famous Alberta beef. Another good pub option is the Underground Tap and Grill, located just a block away from the Central LRT station. Underground features 72 beer taps, including the largest selection of Alberta-brewed beers in the province. If Italian food is your thing, there are a couple good choices. Pazzo Pazzo is a traditional Italian restaurant with all the dishes you’d expect to find. Just a couple blocks away you’ll also find Edmonton’s downtown Old Spaghetti Factory which also features a full Italian menu, including nine different spaghetti variations. Next door to the Old Spaghetti Factory is Haweli, which serves Indian food. If you’re looking for something a little spicier and more exotic, this is the place to try. Really, this is just scratching the surface. There are many, many more places nearby, from Harvey’s to Subway to Denny’s to Mikado Japanese to Sofra Authentic Turkish Cuisine and on and on. Fans 4 An average crowd for the Oil Kings is larger than the capacity of most WHL rinks, even if they rarely sell more than half the seats in Rogers Place. That level of enthusiasm for junior hockey is worth something all by itself. More than that, a large portion of the audience are wearing Oil Kings gear, showing their dedication to the team. Being a Canadian crowd these fans are hard core and they know their hockey. Crowd noise was good throughout the game, with the appropriate cheers and boos during exciting moments in the action. This shows them to be engaged with the game and attentive. Access 4 Getting to and from Rogers Place is fairly easy. There are almost 18,000 parking spots within a 10-minute walk of the arena. The Rogers Place website recommends that you use ParkingPanda.com to pre-purchase a spot to guarantee your place. This is probably a good practice to follow if you decide to make the drive downtown as there have been r umblings about price gouging for patrons who roll up to downtown parking without a reservation, with prices as high as $38 in some cases, although these extra-high prices have been for concerts and Oilers games, not Oil Kings games. The other popular option for getting to any sporting event in Edmonton is by way of the transit system. The MacEwan Light Rail Transit station is physically connected by a walkway to Rogers Place’s north side, while three other LRT stations—Bay Enterprise Square, Central, and Churchill—are all located within 10 minutes of the building. Transit tickets are $3.25 for adults, while children under five ride for free. Once inside Rogers Place, having five floors of concourse helps to spread people around a bit, although the luxury box and PCL Loge level concourses are underused, as you have to have a seat in that area to be granted access. The Mezzanine level and the main concourse remain busy between periods. With no one sitting in the upper bowl, there is generally nobody around the hallways up there either. Surprisingly, in a building as new as this, there are a number of pinch points in the flow of foot traffic around the concourses, some on the main floor, but also on the Mezzanine concourse, making the place seem much more crowded than one might expect. This could simply be a queuing issue as several concession washroom lines back up into the corridors and could be something that is solved over time by directing traffic more effectively. Speaking of the washrooms, lineups to both the men’s and women’s washrooms were surprisingly long considering that the arena was less than half full. As with the queuing challenges, this might be mitigated over time as fans figure out which washrooms have the least activity and begin to spread themselves around the building better. If there simply aren’t enough washrooms to adequately service the crowd, this may be a sore spot for people attending Rogers Place for years to come. Return On Investment 4 Oil Kings tickets run anywhere from $20 to $39, a bargain compared to Oilers tickets. That’s particularly the case since they’re basically all lower bowl seats that would cost 10 times as much to see an NHL game. You really can’t go wrong with the price for an Oil Kings game. If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to see this shiny new arena, this is a great option. Extras 5 Over and above the hockey game, there are a ton of other things that add to the experience at Rogers Place. There is a Designated Driver program available onsite for fans that might have had a few drinks too many. This is an excellent idea that should be seen in more venues. Free Wi-Fi access is available to fans throughout the building, allowing fans to live Tweet games, check their emails and otherwise interact with the World Wide Web while onsite. Oil Kings mascot Louie the Lion helps keep the fans entertained around the arena, participating in giveaways during breaks in the action and making his way around the seating bowl to interact with the kids in the crowd. The Oilers Hall of Fame room, as mentioned earlier, is located right at the front of the building and can be seen through the glass by fans walking along the sidewalk in front of Rogers Place. Tours of the room are beginning in late 2016, allowing fans to get an even closer look at all the cool stuff in that space, including Wayne Gretzky’s rookie uniform and many other pieces of Oilers history. On the northeast corner of Rogers Place is the Edmonton Downtown Community Arena. Accessible from corridors inside the building, this arena is now home to the MacEwan University men’s and women’s hockey teams. It also serves as the Oilers’ and Oil Kings’ practice ice and it is also available as a public skating rink. There are TVs all over the building, so even if you step away from your seat for a few moments during a game, you can probably still keep an eye on the action from wherever you happen to be. Speaking of video, Rogers Place features the largest true HD scoreboard in the NHL (and NBA, if they played in Edmonton). At 14 metres wide by 11 metres tall, it dominates the space above the rink and provides a spectacular image from every angle. The Oilers Store can be found in a number of locations around the building giving fans an opportunity to stock up on all the Oil Kings and Oilers clothes and souvenirs they can carry. If you’re an art fan, Rogers Place has several special pieces for you. The floor of Ford Hall is adorned with a giant circular mosaic called Tsa Tsa Ke K’e (Iron Foot Place) by local artist Alex Janvier. The northwest plaza, adjacent to the MacEwan LRT station has a large sculpture called Essential Tree by realities:united, an art collective in Berlin. The northeast plaza features a red circular sculpture called Skater’s Arch by Saskatchewan artist Douglas Bentham. And directy above the main entrance to the Downtown Community Arena is a piece that combines sculpture and painting called 9 Figures In Motion With A Puck by local artist Al Henderson. As an added bonus, you’ll also find a cell phone charging stations in the concourse for Rogers Mobility customers with low batteries. Rogers Place is the first NHL rink in Canada to be LEED-Silver certified (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). This makes it one of the most environmentally friendly arenas in North America. Final Thoughts Rogers Place is a worthwhile place to visit even if you’re not there for a hockey game. There is so much to see and do in and around the building without ever walking through the gates that you could spend a couple hours just checking the place out. This is likely to only get better as more features get added over time. Once you’re through the gates, this is a beautiful building with truly state-of-the-art features that should impress most everyone. If you’re a hockey fan and you’re looking for the chance to see the newest, hottest arena in western Canada, Rogers Place is definitively a place to check out.

Paul Caputo is the host of the Baseball by Design podcast and contributor to the website SportsLogos.net . Tonight, we are talking about minor-league baseball logos and more! Audio versions of the Stadium Journey podcast can be found by searching HIAC Talk Radio   wherever you look for your favorite podcasts. Video simulcasts of all the Stadium Journey podcasts can be found on Stadium Journey's YouTube page . Join us live as we record every other Monday on our social media streaming channels.

Photos by Marc Viquez, Chris Green, and Dan Will Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Busch Stadium 700 Clark St St Louis, MO 63102 St Louis Cardinals website Busch Stadium website Year Opened: 2006 Capacity: 50,345 Blending Cardinals History with Ballpark Charm Busch Stadium is the home of the St Louis Cardinals and is the third stadium with this name. It was built for the 2006 season and gave Cardinal Nation a “retro-classic” baseball stadium. The stadium does not break new ground in design or features. However, it provides fans with spectacular views of the Gateway Arch, has some of the best fans in baseball, and is next to Ballpark Village, which stretches across the street from the outfield. ​ The stadium has a capacity of 44,494 and includes 3,7606 club seats and 61 luxury seats. Red brick facades and exposed steel give the ballpark a classic feel, which was missing from its former venue, Busch Memorial Stadium. That previous stadium was a cookie-cutter multi-purpose venue that housed the team from 1966 to 2005. However, it was always considered perhaps the best of its kind. Busch Stadium III has everything fans want in a ballpark. It has already hosted two World Series championships in 2006 and 2011. Food & Beverage 5 Busch Stadium offers plenty of menu options that will blow your mind. There is everything from basic hot dogs and stadium nachos to Coca-Cola street tacos, bacon-wrapped hot dogs, and mini donuts. The mini donuts are served in a helmet and topped with chocolate drizzle and sprinkles. I can't do this section justice, so you'll probably be better off clicking this   link   to see everything available at a St Louis Cardinals game. ​ Fan favorites include hot dogs, burgers, nachos, brats, fries, popcorn, and ice cream. There is also a selection of Budweiser products, including hard seltzers, as well as several local microbreweries in the area: Urban Chestnut, Schlafly, and 4 Hands Brewing Company. If you have a sweet tooth, the ballpark features soft-served ice cream, frozen custard, churros, donuts, and milkshakes. Photo by Chris Green, Stadium Journey For the more adventurous fans, there is a wide spectrum of items to choose from at the game. The Outfield Grill features brisket dogs, bacon cheddar dogs, and bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Big Chicken’s menu includes chicken tenders and Nashville chicken sandwiches. Stuie’s offers pastrami sandwiches and tops them on a hot dog, and Broadway BBQ slices smoked turkey, brisket, and pulled pork with all the fixings. ​ A few local eateries have locations at the ballpark. Session Taco brings a West Coast vibe to St. Louis. Options include the SoCal street dog, West Coast nacho fries, vegan soft tacos, and mango shrimp soft tacos. Mayo Ketchup by Plantain Girl delivers specialties from Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic. Menu items include arepas, Cuban sandwiches, and maduros —sweet, fried plantains. Atmosphere 4 The atmosphere starts before the game, with fans gathering at Ballpark Village, outside the stadium, and at nearby bars, all decked out in Cardinal red or throwback colors. The festive environment is among the best in Major League Baseball. ​ The Budweiser Terrace bar opens before the game and features adult games and beer specials, encouraging fans to arrive early and socialize. Similar specials are available at the Budweiser Skyline Terrace Bar. ​ If you're with the little ones, the Hi-Chew Family Pavilion located on Level 1 between Gates 5 and 6 is an ideal way for the kids to get entertained. It is open 90 minutes before the first pitch. Kids can test their arm strength with the Speed Pitch, a virtual reality experience, and a play structure. You might even see the team's official mascot, Fredbird, roaming around the area offering hugs and photo ops. ​ Once you get to your seat to view the game, the focus is on the diamond. You can enjoy views of The Arch and Skyline from the back of home plate, take in festivities on the rooftops at the Ballpark Village, or simply enjoy the pleasant surroundings at the ballpark. Neighborhood 4 The Ballpark Village is across Clark Street from the stadium and offers various forms of entertainment for fans of all ages. The Dining and Entertainment District encompasses 150,000 square feet of retail, restaurants, and entertainment venues. Fans can also take games for many rooftop seating areas in the neighborhood, I find a more friendly feel. ​ The Ballpark Village houses the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, Cardinals Restaurant, Rooftop & Bar, FanDuel Sports Network Live!, Budweiser Brew House, and PBR. St Louis. Salt + Smoke BBQ is two stories high and overlooks Busch Stadium from our upstairs patio.  ​ Photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey The area is buzzing before and after the game, and it is a perfect way to cap off your night watching a Cardinals game. The Hall of Fame is also a must-see, perhaps before or the following day of a game; it highlights everything from the introduction of the famous “birds on bat logo”, World Series championships, and everything else in between. ​ The downtown vicinity also includes tourist attractions that include the Gateway Arch, Laclede's Landing, the Budweiser Brewery tour, and happening districts that include Wash Ave. and the landing, where Italian cuisine is among the best she'll have in the area. The City Museum is an interesting place to spend a few hours and is geared towards more adults than children. Fans 4 You might not find a more dedicated fanbase than in St Louis. The hometown Cardinals have been a staple since 1891, and there has been a collection of both Hall of Fame and All-Star players, 11 World Series titles, and magical moments that have made St. Louis one of the best baseball cities. The attendance ranks at the top of the major leagues and is well above the average for the past 20 seasons. The fans wear the “two birds on the bat logo” with pride on both shirts and jerseys. They support their team through both winning and lean years. Luckily for them, there have been a lot more winning seasons this century. Photo by Chris Green, Stadium Journey Access 4 Busch Stadium is located downtown, but is directly off I-64, creating easy access by motorists to and from the ballpark. There are various public lots and garages within blocks of the stadium, and prices range from as high as $40 to as low as $20 for game night. There are 720 parking spots at the Ballpark Village, there is free meter parking after 7 p.m. on the streets, and fans can take the MetroLink light rail train for $3 a ride. ​ Once inside the stadium, fans have easy access to various concourses, but remember this is not the type of ballpark where you can buy a ticket and sit anywhere you want. Some ramps take fans to multiple levels of the stadium with ease, and bathroom exits and gift shop stores are easily marked throughout the concourses. Return on Investment 4 The Ballpark Village deserves a point for a very entertaining and meaningful experience before or after the game for all Cardinals fans. The Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum is a must for any type of sporting fan, and the little kids can enjoy playing on the miniature grass field a few steps away from the actual Stadium. Even if you don't want to dance or drink, the place is perfect for people-watching and enjoying the ambiance of a baseball game. ​ The 10 statues outside the main entrance of the stadium are worth viewing and taking photographs of. They include Stan Musial, Dizzy Dean, Ozzie Smith, Lou Brock, and Bob Gibson, to name a few. There is even a statue of former St. Louis Browns Hall of Famer George Sisler. ​ Photo by Chris Green, Stadium Journey The ballpark offers a wonderful view of the Gateway Arch from behind home plate. The higher your seat is, the better the view of the skyline and iconic structures you'll have. There are many great downtown ballparks, and all of them include vivid imagery of the surrounding Skyline. ​ The final point is for the Budweiser Terrace. It is open to all fans and features a multi-level social space that includes two-service bars, lounge areas, and cabana seating. There is also an open-air barbecue grill, outdoor games for adults, and great views of the field and surroundings. Extras 4 The stadium features a viewing binocular stand in left field on the main concourse, allowing you to get a closer look at the other side of the stadium. The Cardinals also feature numerous giveaways and theme nights. In addition, outside the Gate 4 area, several statues of former players greet fans, making for a great photo spot. Finally, you can check out the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum. Final Thoughts Whatever Busch Stadium lacks in design and aesthetics, it makes up for it in atmosphere. It is your typical. The classic “retro-classic” design borrows all the elements from everything built after Camden Yards, but you are guaranteed to view baseball with the major league’s most adoring fanbase. Cardinal Nation will show you a fantastic time, and with reasonable ticket pricing, downtown vicinity, and Ballpark Village, it is easy to see why.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.14 Tiger Tennis Complex Auburn Dr Towson, MD 21204 Towson Tigers website Tiger Tennis Complex website Year Opened: n/a Capacity: 100 Towson Tennis Towson University is the second-largest public university in the State of Maryland. Located just north of Baltimore, it is home to approximately 21,000 college students, of which 18,000 are undergraduates. Their football team played for the 2013 Football Championship Subdivision National Championship, falling short to North Dakota State. The basketball team has also had scattered success over the years, most notably in the early 1990s under coach Terry Truax, with guards Kurk Lee and Devin Boyd in the old East Coast Conference. The Truax-led teams made it to two straight NCAA tournaments in 1990 and 1991. Towson is also known for their impressive gymnastics program. They have been the 1968 AIAW Division II National Champions, 1995 and 1998 USA Gymnastics NIT Champions, 3-time Calloway Invitational Champions, 15-time ECAC Champions, and 2007 USA Gymnastics National Champions. The Tiger Tennis Complex, home to the Tiger tennis team, is located behind TU Arena and adjacent to the TU Field Hockey Complex and Tiger Softball Stadium. There is only a women's tennis team at Towson. Food & Beverage 1 There is a simple concession stand located at the nearby Tiger Softball Stadium that sells basic options such as soda, water, chips, and candy. It is a simple affair and you will want to eat elsewhere for a real meal. This will only be useful if softball is going on, and the stand is open, at the same time as a tennis event. Atmosphere 1 This is a basic setup with a small set of bleachers and a small, covered picnic area. There is no PA or scoreboard to keep track of action. Neighborhood 3 Besides Johnny Unitas Stadium and SECU Arena, nothing is right by the complex. Even though you may have to drive to most places, Towson is a semi-urban environment with a very large shopping mall and numerous restaurants in the area. Try the Charles Village Pub in the heart of downtown Towson for good food and drinks. Some other great options are Glory Days Grill and Sushi Hana. Baltimore is also a quick drive away. Check out the Federal Hill neighborhood, south of the Inner Harbor. There are a few fun restaurants and bars here. Fans 2 There will be very few fans at most meets as the complex is behind 3 other athletic facilities and is not very well known to most fans. Access 3 Towson is located right off the Baltimore Beltway/I-695. The only negative is that Towson is a maze of roads getting to the Osler and Auburn locations of the sports complexes. The Tiger Tennis Complex is hidden behind SECU Arena and may not be easy to find. Parking is free and plentiful, but be careful to check regulations for weekday matches. Return on Investment 4 There is no admission charge so the return on investment is quite good. Extras 1 The only real extras are the unique location (hidden by an arena, the nearby loading dock, and two other fields). Final Thoughts The Tiger Tennis Complex is not a place you will normally search for an amazing sports experience, but if you happen to be in the area it is a cheap way to enjoy a game of tennis.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Delta Center 301 West South Temple Salt Lake City, UT 84101 Utah Mammoth website Delta Center website Year Opened: 1991 Capacity: 16,200 (12,000 unobstructed seats) Arriving At The Delta Center The 2024-2025 NHL season found a longtime NHL team now operating out of a new home. This is a result of the relocation of the former Arizona Coyotes franchise to Salt Lake City, Utah. The relocation agreement results in the Arizona Coyotes name being protected in case a future franchise comes to the Valley of the Sun. The new management of the team decided to keep the team’s new name simple during its first year of operations in Salt Lake City. This means the team will use the Utah Hockey Club name during the 2024-2025 season. The team will conduct a name-the-team contest during this season, to involve its fans in the naming process. This means the blue and white color scheme of the uniforms and the use of the generic team’s name will be changed at the end of the season. Editor's Note:    The Utah Hockey Club was rechristened as the Utah Mammoth  prior to the 2025-2026 season. The new team in town will play in the Central Division of the Western Conference in the NHL. The Delta Center will serve as the new home ice for the Utah Mammoth. It opened in 1991 and has gone through several renovations over the years. There was some suggestion of building a new arena to house the hockey team, but this was seen as impractical, as no building sites were available in the downtown area, and the city did not have the funds to buy and build such a new facility. Due to a short timeline, the Utah Mammoth will undertake a remodeling process in the off-season to bring the Delta Center up to a much larger and more functional level. This should be easy to accommodate, as the Utah Jazz and the Utah Mammoth are owned by the same individual. Food & Beverage 4 The Delta Center offers a good mix of both local and national vendors in the concessions program. Pizza slices are available at both the Little Caesars and the Maxwell’s pizza stands. Ice cream and dairy products are offered at the Farr Better Ice Cream stand, Dippin Dots kiosks, and the Spilled Milk Ice Cream and Cereal Bar. Food with a 50’s fare is served at the Ice Berg Drive Inn stands. Alcoholic drinks are served at the Hop Shop and Craft Shop concession stands. The Salt City Smokehouse serves delicious BBQ. South of the border specialties are offered at the Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill and at Chile Verde. The J. Dawgs stand serves typical stadium/arena fare. This includes hot dogs ($9), fries ($6), Coca-Cola brand sodas ($8.50) and water ($5). The Delta Center recently announced a limited set of “fan favorite” menu items that will be available at reduced prices. Popcorn, nachos, hot dogs, and Farr’s ice cream bowls will each be priced at $3, while Dasani bottled water is being marked down to $2. Most of the food and beverage items are available by using the mobile ordering function on the Delta Center app. You order from your seats and are notified when your order is ready. This minimizes any time lost from watching the game and shortens the lines experienced at the concession stands overall. Atmosphere 3 After a gypsy existence in the Phoenix area over the last few seasons, the former Arizona Coyotes have settled into their permanent home at the Delta Center. While the Mullett Arena had nice amenities, it was severely undersized for a major league sports franchise. The Delta Center has been around for nearly 35 years, but it has undergone several major renovations over the years to keep up with the changes in the sports facilities industry. It offers comfortable 20-inch-wide seats, a state-of-the-art scoreboard at center ice, and a video board in each of the four corners of the facility. The concourses are open towards the ice, so you do not miss much of the action when you visit one of the concession stands. The atrium at the front of the Delta Center is expansive enough to hold the large crowds upon arrival so that fans can get in from the wintry elements very quickly. We would give an even higher score to this element of the Delta Center, but there is one glaring negative, which will be addressed at the end of the 2024-2025 hockey season. The seating bowl has never been used in a hockey configuration before, resulting in some obstructed views for seats at the two ends of the ice. There was not sufficient time when the franchise was moved to address this issue. However, immediately after the inaugural hockey season ends, the Delta Center will make the needed adjustments in time for future seasons. Neighborhood 5 The Delta Center is located just west of downtown Salt Lake City. It is located at the corner of West Temple and John Stockton Drive. It is surrounded by several older buildings, some small shops, and some city services. The owner of the team is working closely with city officials to redevelop the district with more residential properties, as well as amenities like banks, shops, and schools. The area around the Delta Center offers many activities within walking distance of the venue. Lodging is available at the Radisson Hotel/Salt Lake City Downtown, the Hyatt House Salt Lake City Downtown, or the Courtyard Downtown Salt Lake City. Nearby attractions include the Discovery Gateway Children’s Museum, as well as Temple Square, the world headquarters of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The Utah Sports Hall of Fame is just a short walk from the Delta Center. The neighborhood around the arena also offers a wide variety of dining options before or after the game. Restaurants within walking distance of the arena include the Copper Canyon Grill House and Tavern and the Adelaide Urban Brasserie. Both the Squatter Pub Brewing Company and the Red Rock Brewery are located within a few blocks of the Delta Center. Fans 4 The fans in Salt Lake City have welcomed the former Coyotes with open arms. Typically, a new city comes into the NHL via the expansion route, which takes years to build a competitive program. Since the team arrived through relocation, the Utah Mammoth bypassed the longer developmental route and has a team of veterans who have played together for years. The quick sellout of season ticket packages is indicative of the high level of interest in hockey in Salt Lake City. The team has also benefitted from the fact that it is only the second professional team in the city. It only faces the NBA Utah Jazz as competition for the major sports dollars in the area. Another positive aspect of the team’s fanbase is that a sizable portion of the local population has grown up playing the game and is knowledgeable about the sport. Salt Lake City is a winter sports city, as evidenced by hosting the Winter Olympic Games twice in the recent past. This means there is not a major learning curve for the fans with the arrival of an NHL franchise. The team’s decision to let the fans get involved with the naming of the team has been very well received. The team has “ballot boxes” and other voting options available to fans to voice their support for one of the many names proposed for the team. This has created a definite feeling of “buy-in” between the team and its fans. The Delta Center has a longtime reputation as one of the loudest venues in professional sports. Access 5 Utah uses the Seat Geek ticketing system for entry into the Delta Center. No matter what vendor you purchase your tickets from, the seats must be available on the Seat Geek app at the door. Doors at the arena open 90 minutes before the opening puck drop. The Trax light rail system has a station practically at the front door of the Delta Center. The station serves both the blue and green lines. It is the most cost-effective way to get to the arena, as the system is free within the downtown zone or only $2.50 per ride if coming in from the outside areas of the city. The Delta Center is just a couple of blocks from the intersections of I-15 and I-80 for fans coming from outside the Salt Lake City area. Return on Investment 3 Attending a Utah Mammoth game during the 2024-2025 season is an expensive proposition. The team almost immediately sold out their season tickets package when they went on sale. More than 11,000 season ticket packages were sold in just four hours. This left just over 5,200 single-game tickets available per game. As a result, the tickets are extremely expensive due to the laws of demand. These premium-priced tickets result at the end of the ice seats going for $230, with seats in the lower-level corners being priced at $552. Center ice tickets are $210. You should avoid buying tickets in sections 107-137 and 117-127, if possible, as these sections will only have a partial view of the ice. This issue will be addressed after the 2024-2025 season through a restructuring of the seating bowl that will address the sight lines for people seating in the above sections. Another cost of attending a Utah Mammoth game is getting to the venue. The Delta Center’s immediate parking area is reserved for season ticket holders. There are more than 10,000 parking spaces located within a few blocks of the Delta Center. These lots can be found at the City Creek Center, Park Place, and the Triad Center. These lots operate on a prepurchase basis, with reserved parking available through the Delta Center app. A much more convenient and cost-effective solution in getting to a game is to take the TRAX light rail system. There is a TRAX rail station located in front of the arena. The TRAX system operates within a free fare zone; this would allow you to ride free of charge if you did not leave the immediate area. Rides for fans that do go outside of these zones will only pay the $2.50 standard fare. Extras 4 The Delta Center hosted several events during the 2002 Olympics. Among the competitions held were the U.S. Figure Skating Championship and the short-track speed skating event. Salt Lake City has hosted two minor league hockey programs in the past. These include both the Salt Lake Golden Eagles and the Utah Grizzlies , who play in the Maverick Center in West Valley City. The Delta Center is energy efficient, as there are more than 2,500 solar panels on the roof of the arena. Salt Lake City will once again be hosting the Winter Olympic Games in the winter of 2034. It was chosen because it already has most of the facilities in place, offers excellent air connections from around the world, and has the support of more than 80% of Salt Lake City residents. Final Thoughts Salt Lake City has welcomed the former Coyotes with open arms and an arena that is much better suited to handle the large crowds the Utah Mammoth is attracting in its new hometown.

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium 2235 N Campus Dr Evanston, IL 60208 Northwestern Wildcats website Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium website Year Opened: 1997 Capacity: 12,023 My Old Temporary Home Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium serves as the temporary home for Northwestern Wildcats football while their old stadium is being rebuilt, and as temporary homes go, this facility is actually pretty amazing. Lake Michigan wraps around the venue on the east and north sides, and there is almost a carnival-like atmosphere here during football games, complete with food trucks and street vendors. The only potential drawback is that, due to the construction of other campus buildings right next to stadium on the west side, getting in and out is a little bit of a chore.   Food & Beverage   4 The concessions under the temporary stands on the north and south sides offer very basic fare, such as hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn, chips, candy, and peanuts, as well as soda and bottled water, plus premium and domestic beer.  Prices for all these items range from $3.49 (chips) to $6.99 (pretzels), except for beer which runs $10.99 to $12.99. However, there is also a hot dog vendor along the water behind the east stands, selling real Chicago-style dogs for $9 with all the traditional toppings a Chicago dog is supposed to have, including hot peppers, as well as bottled water and a few small snacks. In addition, there are also several food trucks set up in the northwest corner offering up Mexican, chicken, and BBQ/soul food, among other options – all in all an above average selection for a short-term venue.   Atmosphere   4 The best thing about this venue is the water – you can see great views of Lake Michigan, especially from the south and west stands, and you can also walk along the path on the east side, right along the water, and take a look at the boats in the harbor, or look at the myriad painted rocks, a tradition among Northwestern students. The Wildcats staff also does some unique things to keep fans engaged – while most stadiums cover the basics like tossing out t-shirts, Northwestern takes in up a notch with a burrito toss (very well-wrapped burritos, thankfully), and instead of things like a Kiss Cam or a Flex Cam, the Wildcats do a Wacky Wavy Crazy Inflatable Cam, which certain fans really get into.   Neighborhood   4 Evanston, Illinois is about 20 miles from downtown Chicago, which obviously has a ton to see and do, but if you want to stay closer to Northwestern’s campus, and also want to avoid Chicago’s infamous traffic, Evanston boasts a few parks, a lighthouse, and several obscure museums. For example, Halim Time & Glass Museum displays historic timepieces and stained-glass windows, while The American Toby Jug Museum boasts drinkware shaped like famous people, such as world leaders and US presidents, or celebrities such as Elvis. There is also an Indigenous Nations Museum, as well as a few others – any of these would be a great way to spend a few hours while in town to see the Wildcats. If you are looking for Chicago-style deep dish pizza, go no further than Giordano's – their pizza is so good we went there twice while I was in town for the weekend. Also try their broken cannoli, basically a deconstructed cannoli with the cream piled in the center and broken shell pieces used for dipping; a lot easier to eat than the regular version, and great for sharing. I would not recommend Gino’s East. If you aren’t feeling like pizza, I would recommend Italian beef from Buona’s, although many other restaurants in the area offer it as well, including Giordano's.   Fans   3 Northwestern Wildcats fans are pretty solid, with tons of purple being worn inside the stadium, but you will also see plenty of opposing fan colors. In addition, the fans here are not as diehard as some, meaning you will see the stadium get pretty empty pretty early (at least in terms of home fans) during a losing effort, especially in the student section. The student section at Martin Stadium is also not as rambunctious as it was at Ryan Field, mostly because there is not enough room for all the students to get in – because of the smaller size they don’t allow freshmen to attend, although they can wait in a standby line to get a ticket if the other classes don’t fill up their quota. View from the Student Section - Photo courtesy of Jonah Lee Access   2 This section is where Martin Stadium has a tough row to hoe – because of the construction right next door, anyone sitting on the south side will have to walk all the way around through some pathways set up with construction fencing, and getting in on the northwest side is not much better. On the plus side, once you are inside the stadium you can walk along the water, and the walk in from the south stands does take you by some great fountains in the center of what they call The Lake Fill, a little inlet just south of the venue. The other downside is if you are sitting in the north stands, you might have to walk up quite a few stairs to get to your seat – the temporary stands on that side are much, much taller than those on any other side.   Return on Investment   3 Tickets to Northwestern Football games are very expensive – because they are in the Big 10 Conference they play a lot of well-known teams, meaning most games are sold out. This means you may have to pay a premium on third-party sites, maybe $150 or more, for a single ticket to the game. Parking is also very expensive – there is no place to park near Martin Stadium unless you have a pass (there are No Parking signs on all the nearby streets), and even some of the official parking locations are 4 miles away. I personally paid well over $100 for a parking space about 2/3 of a mile from the stadium, and you could easily pay more. I had a great time while I was there – I greatly enjoyed walking along the lake and looking at the painted rocks, but you could do that without going to the game. So it all depends if you are willing to pay that much for a ticket; you will definitely have a great time if you do go, however.   Extras   3 For some games they have a block party in the area just south of the facility, like when one of the bigger contests is being televised on one of the major networks. They also have a team gear stand (two of them actually, right next to each other), in the northwest corner. There is also a lot of purple to be seen, especially because the netting wrapped around the temporary stands on the north and south sides is that color, so it kind of looks like most of the outside of Martin Stadium is done in purple.   Final Thoughts I would definitely recommend a visit to Martin Stadium to see Wildcats football, although it won’t be around much longer as a football venue, given that re-built Ryan Field is supposed to open in time for next season. Martin Stadium definitely gives you the feel of a state fair, and the views of Lake Michigan are spectacular.

The future of sporting events at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena is uncertain, as a new study may recommend redeveloping the arena and neighboring Miller High Life Theater for uses like a large convention hotel. ​ The 75-year-old arena, once home to the Milwaukee Bucks until 1988, currently hosts the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Arena Soccer League, the Milwaukee Admirals of the American Hockey League, and the UW-Milwaukee Panthers men's basketball team. Each tenant maintains a lease, with the Panthers' lease set to expire in July 2029. ​ The arena and theater sit across the street from the Baird Center convention facility, and all three are operated by the Wisconsin District that recently hired a consulting firm to create a master plan for the site. The plan, along with the long-term maintenance cost of the arena and theater, was finalized in January. It is this time that a convention-oriented hotel could be presented on the site for construction. ​ While the city has long wanted a convention hotel to boost event hosting, the potential redevelopment raises questions about where the arena's current tenants could go. Relocating the Milwaukee Wave and Milwaukee Admirals to the nearby Fiserv Forum would complicate scheduling during busy seasons. ​ ​The UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena has a capacity of between 9,500 for hockey and indoor soccer, and 11,000 for basketball. The Fiserv Forum has a capacity of 15,000 for hockey and soccer, and 17,000 for basketball, much larger than what would be expected for these three teams' attendance figures. ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .   Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey I find myself at the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a tournament that has been around since 1913, for the first time in several years. That changed last week when I went to see the Indy Eleven take on San Antonio FC at the Butler Bowl on the campus of Butler University. The two USL Championship foes find themselves in the round of 32 teams, with the winner advancing to the next round to play. The Bud & Jackie Sellick Bowl  is not Indy’s home venue, due to commencement ceremonies at Carroll Stadium on the campus of IUPUI, placed the game here. The Butler Bowl is home to Butler's football team but can serve as a soccer pitch, albeit with gridiron marks.  It was the second time the club played a US Open Cup match at this location, and hopefully, they could pull out a victory and play again at home in a few weeks. That game would be back in familiar surroundings at Carroll, but will the change of venue make a difference in the team's play? Photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey The ample crowd barely reached their seats when Eleven's Augustine Williams scored with only two minutes to play. Initially stopped by the goalkeeper, the ball found its way across the line. It resulted in a cloud of red and blue smoke from the supporters group The Brickyard Battalion at the other end of the field.  Fans did not have to wait much longer as Indy tallied its second goal only eight minutes later off the foot of Jack Blake. This time a massive puff of smoke descended to the skies and through the stands. It appeared that it would be a night of goals, but that would be it as neither team found the back of the net for the next 80 minutes. Between the goals and the final whistle, there were several more shots at goals, cheering from the BYB, a few near misses at the net, silently fewer pleasantries from the opposing players leaving the pitch at half-time, and Indy XI players signing autographs and high-fiving fans after the match. Photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Indy's next opponent will be Detroit City FC at home on May 22. If they win they will take on the New Mexico United or New York City FC II. Do the Eleven have the legs to make a run in the tournament and capture the $300,000 in prize money and a trip to the CONCACAF Champions Cup. Who will get there is anyone’s guest? MLS clubs have dominated since their introduction in 1996, only losing once to a second-division side in the finals. The USLC Sacramento Republic FC made it to the final game in 2022 before losing to the Orlando City of the MLS. The USL Championship has 9-teams, MLS has 6, and MLS Next Pro has one club remaining in the tournament.  Photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Open Cup games are interesting bags of treats. In some cities, the games are not highly marketed and many fans might overlook the fact that they are not league games scheduled for weekend bouts. The mid-week games don't bring out huge crowds at times, but as each team moves closer to the finals, the crowds do come out. The Detroit City faifthful do enjoy these types of games and will make their presence felt in Indianapolis where a rowdy supporters group will try to outduel the BYB on the other side of the pitch. For the fans, the US Open Cup offers a chance to see USLC clubs battle MLS members on their home turf. It is a rare opportunity when the top two divisions play one another. It also provides an extra game of soccer to watch at your club’s regular grounds or somewhere else in the city. Be on the lookout for the next few months, as the tournament continues until the final match on September 25. Photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey ----- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

The WNBA built on its record-setting 2024 season with an even bigger and better 2025 season. 2025 featured more games in bigger arenas, more sellouts, a new franchise in San Francisco, the announcement of four new teams to join the league in the coming years, greater exposure, ratings, and attention. However, there are clouds on the horizon. Rumors of sale and relocation dogged the Connecticut Sun franchise all year. When a local owner was found and announced plans to move the team to Boston and the TD Garden, the league stepped in to announce that league bylaws dictated that the ownership group from the failed Houston bid may get priority to purchase and move the franchise. Also, with the CBA expiring at the end of October, there is a real possibility of a protracted work stoppage that may affect the 2026 season. At the moment, the two sides seem far apart on many key issues. But right now, the playoffs are in full swing, and a new champion will soon be crowned. In keeping with the playoff atmosphere, Stadium Journey is proud to present our rankings of 12 of the 13 WNBA arenas. (Sorry, Golden State, we were not able to get out to your new arena this summer) These rankings are based on Stadium Journey ’s patented FANFARE rating scale, which evaluates each venue across seven key categories: 🍔 Food & Beverage Options 🎉 Game Day Atmosphere 🏙️ Surrounding Neighborhood 🙌 Fan Support 🚗 Access (inside and outside the park) 💸 Return on Investment 🧩 Extras - Unique features that don’t fit neatly into the other categories or deserve additional acknowledgement When two or more venues earn the same score, the Stadium Journey Council of Elders  steps in to break the tie with their seasoned insight. To dive deeper into each stadium’s review, just click the link associated with the team’s name. Enjoy the rankings - and see where your favorite arena lands! We expect that our list will spark a great deal of debate, and after all, that's what lists like these are designed to do. Share your opinions on our social media pages. We're on Facebook, X, and Instagram. 1.     Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle Storm 4.29 Marc Viquez - Climate Pledge Arena is a building that stands out among the rest of the WNBA and the nation. The interaction with fans and the team provides an ideal atmosphere for a first-time visitor, and the neighborhood is worth spending a few hours at before or after the game. When you add free mass transportation to the game, visiting the building is a must in Seattle. 2.     Gainbridge Fieldhouse – Indiana Fever 4.29 Marc Viquez - The Fever might be the hottest ticket in town since Caitlin Clark arrived in 2004. They are among the leaders in league attendance figures, along with increased support from the area. The playoff run this season, with the services of Clark, has gone well with both old and new fans of the team. Gone are the days of the closed balcony sections and lukewarm response. 3.     Target Center – Minnesota Lynx 4.14 Lloyd Brown - The stands fill as quickly as the Target Center doors open, as fans do not even want to miss the warmups. Be sure to look up at all the various championship banners the Lynx have earned at the Target Center over the years. It is a great way to get fired up before the game even starts. 4.   Barclays Center – New York Liberty 4.14 Paul Baker - It’s been a long time since New York City has seen a hoops title, and fans are showing their appreciation to the Liberty with unprecedented support. Brooklyn sports fans are proud to call this squad their own, and you can expect to see the team supported with open arms and full throats when you visit the Barclays Center. 5 .     PHX Arena – Phoenix Mercury 4.00 Meg Minard - Attending a Mercury basketball game is an enjoyable afternoon/evening out. If you haven’t been to the arena in a while, come check out some summer hoops at PHX Arena in downtown Phoenix.   6.      Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles Sparks 4.00 Andrei Ojeda - L.A. Sparks basketball is the type of entertainment that is perfect for that type of fan who wants to see some great basketball action live without leaving a huge hole on the wallet.  They provide quite an entertaining professional basketball experience.   7.     Michelob Ultra Arena – Las Vegas Aces 3.86 Lloyd Brown - You are going to have a great time at a Las Vegas Aces game at the Michelob ULTRA Arena. Terrific basketball, Vegas-style entertainment during the breaks, and easy access to food, drink, and gambling add up to a very entertaining evening! 8.     CareFirst Arena – Washington Mystics 3.86 Gregory Koch - The Washington Mystics are drawing sellout crowds to CareFirst Arena nearly every game and seem to be outgrowing their home there very quickly. Someday soon, they may move back to Capital One Arena, but for now, a Mystics game at CFA is a great experience. 9.     Mohegan Sun Arena – Connecticut Sun 3. 71 Paul Baker - While the Mohegan Sun Arena is a fine facility, it seems like the rapid growth of the WNBA has rendered it obsolete. With its smaller capacity, lack of premium amenities, and location far from a major city, the Sun has been put up for sale and has been searching for a new home. It seems the Sun is setting on the Mohegan Sun Arena. 10 .     Wintrust Arena – Chicago Sky 3.57 Lloyd Brown - The Wintrust Arena is a worthy home court for a championship team. It has excellent views of the game action from any of its seating areas and features a wonderful audiovisual package, with a huge center-hung video board. It has easy access for fans, as it is located on multiple bus and train routes in a city that lives on public transit. 11.   Gateway Center Arena at College Park – Atlanta Dream 3.29 Lloyd Brown - The Atlanta Dream finally has a home of its own for the first time in its 15 years of existence. It is working closely with its neighbors to make professional sports more accessible to communities on the Southside of Atlanta. 12.   College Park Center – Dallas Wings 3.14 Lloyd Brown - The Wings home at the College Park Center is easy to get to from almost anywhere in the Dallas metroplex. It provides the team with an arena that is right-sized for the average WNBA crowd. There is little or no evidence that the arena primarily serves as a college sports venue, as the team’s blue and green color scheme is carried throughout the facility for their home games.

Stadium Journey's Obstructed Views is back and we're heading to the Sunshine State! With the MLB season winding down, Dave and Paul bring in special guest Richard Smith to breakdown the phenomenon that is loanDepot Park, home of the much maligned, Miami Marlins. How could a place so new have so many changes? Did the short-lived tenure of Derek Jeter do anything to help this place? Can MLB survive in Miami? Grab a beer and take in the latest episode! You can find Stadium Journey's review of loanDepot Park and the Miami Marlins game day experience here.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Hank McCamish Pavilion 965 Fowler St Atlanta, GA 30332 Atlanta Dream website Hank McCamish Pavilion website Year Opened: 1956 Capacity: 8,600 The Dream is Still Alive in Atlanta Atlanta continues to be a city where dreams are made, as its sports community continues to thrive. Two new stadiums have been built in the last two years, and Philips Arena is undergoing a massive renovation. The Atlanta United soccer franchise draws more than 72,000 per game and the Super Bowl heads to the city for the 2019 game. As the name of Atlanta’s WNBA entry attests, the dream is also alive for the women of Atlanta. The team is the only Atlanta professional sports franchise totally owned by women. The team has relocated to Georgia Tech’s McCamish Pavilion arena for the 2016-2018 seasons as their permanent home, Philips Arena , undergoes a $143 million renovation. The Dream will return to Phillips Arena following the 2018 season. McCamish Pavilion was renovated in 2012 and has received excellent reviews for its state of the art design and technology. The capacity of the arena is 8,600 and it features two tiered levels of seats with 6,935 lower level seats and 1,665 balcony level seats. The facility is high tech in a number of ways. It features a lighting system which spotlights the playing court while dimming the lighting in the seating areas, providing a theatre-like effect focus on the game. The McCamish Pavilion also has a 360-degree ribbon board encircling the arena and an enhanced scoreboard with HD graphics. Food & Beverage 3 McCamish Pavilion has six concession stands, with four located on the lower concourse and two located on the balcony level. The facility has an open concourse with more than 50 TV’s, so you will not miss any game action while getting your food and beverages. In addition to the six generic concession stands, the arena also features a Sonny’s BBQ stand and a Smash Burger outlet. A quick review of the menu and prices you can expect at a Dream game: hot dogs ($6), sausages ($7), pretzels ($5), popcorn ($5), peanuts ($5), and nachos ($7). Sonny’s BBQ sandwiches are $7 and Smash Burgers are $8. All beverages are Coca-Cola products (the World HQ is just three blocks from the arena) and sodas are $4, bottled water is $4 and frozen lemonade is $5. Alcoholic beverages may only be purchased and consumed within the private Callaway Club in the arena. This is due to the arena belonging to the Georgia University System. Atmosphere 4 The Georgia Tech basketball arena long ago adopted the moniker of “The Thrillerdome” after two magical Final Four runs, when the team won several games in buzzer-beater fashion. It is a name that has stuck with the McCamish Pavilion. The Dream is doing its best to carry the Thrillerdome aura into the WNBA with its up-tempo brand of basketball. The move to a smaller arena has only increased the intimidation factor as nearly every game is a full house. Also, the acoustics of the facility is designed to hold in the noise and the Dream fans, the Shooting Stars cheer squad, team mascot Star and longtime PA announcer Vince “The Voice” Bailey are doing their best to drive up the energy level during an offensive run or a good defensive stand. The dramatic lighting now used at the McCamish Pavilion makes it clear that the action on the court is the star here. It truly feels more like a professional arena than a college arena. Neighborhood 4 There are really three distinct neighborhoods surrounding the McCamish Pavilion. It is located at the very north end of the Georgia Tech campus. Basically, its neighbors in this regard are athletic facilities, including the Byers Tennis Complex, the Georgia Tech football practice facility and Russ Chandler Stadium, home of the Yellow Jacket baseball program. Across the downtown, Connector is the Midtown neighborhood. The Georgia Tech campus has expanded into this area in recent years, but it is primarily an area filled with trendy restaurants such as South City Kitchen, Ecco, and STK Atlanta. One longtime Tech favorite is the Varsity, the world’s largest drive-in. Though not the healthiest food in the world, presidents, world leaders and sports icons have stopped in to enjoy its greasy fare. The last neighborhood bordering the arena is the West Atlanta / Atlantic Station area. Atlantic Station has transformed a former brownfield site into a very successful mixed use development filled with parks, apartments, movie theatres and even Atlanta’s only IKEA store. Adjoining Atlantic Station is the West Atlanta neighborhood, a former industrial corridor that is very popular with millennials. It includes a number of Atlanta’s hottest restaurants, such as Miller Union, JCT. Kitchen and Bar and the West Egg Café. Fans 4 The Dream has established a very loyal following over their first decade in the WNBA. You will notice a very high percentage of the crowds at the games are women. Obviously, this is due in part to it being a women’s basketball team. The Dream goes way beyond that in focusing its marketing and community involvement efforts on women of achievement and women’s issues. Each game honors women and women’s organizations that are improving their community. The team is also very involved in such issues as breast cancer awareness and treatment, LGBTQ rights and encouraging the inclusion of more girls’ sports teams in the schools. As a result of these efforts, the community has become the “sixth woman” for the team. They bring an energy and enthusiasm to the arena that picks up the team during a tough game and also makes it hard for the opposition to concentrate due to the volume of cheers coming from the stands. Access 3 McCamish Pavilion is located conveniently right off Interstates I-75/I-85 (also known to locals at the Downtown Connector) as they pass through the center of Atlanta. You would take either the 14th Street or North Avenue exits to reach the arena. The parking directly adjacent to the arena on campus is reserved for season ticket holders, but there are a number of commercial lots located on the east side of the Downtown Connector within an easy walking distance of the McCamish Pavilion. A second less costly alternative to getting to a game is the MARTA rapid rail system to the Midtown MARTA station, then walk four short blocks up 10th Street to McCamish Pavilion. Entry into the McCamish Pavilion is through one of three main portals, with a very good flow and adequate ticket takers. Once inside you will find the concourses to be very wide, so you should not encounter any gridlock. The concessions are built into the sides of the building so they do not cause any congestion. The number of restrooms is more than adequate. You will find the seating at McCamish to be quite comfortable as it features chair backs with wider than normal space. Return on Investment 3 Dream basketball tickets are sold at prices ranging from $36 for end zone seats to $60 for sideline seats. Parking close to McCamish runs $10-$15, but by using MARTA to the game you can bring that cost down to $5 per person roundtrip. Concessions at McCamish Pavilion are reasonably priced. Atlanta is a convention city, so downtown area hotels can run in excess of $250/per night. It is a good idea to stay in a suburban location hotel and then take MARTA or drive into the game. Extras 3 A majority of Atlanta’s main tourist attractions are less than three miles from McCamish Pavilion. The following are located in a cluster around Centennial Olympic Park: the College Football Hall of Fame, the World of Coca-Cola, the Georgia Aquarium, the Center for Civil and Human Rights and CNN Center. Simply go three stations past the Midtown MARTA station and get off at the Peachtree Center Station, then walk two blocks west. This marks the second time that a Georgia Tech basketball arena has substituted for another team’s home court. In 2008, a tornado struck the Georgia Dome during the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament. This forced the tournament to be moved to the then Alexander Memorial Coliseum for the remainder of the tournament. Ironically that tournament was won by a huge underdog….. the University of Georgia Bulldogs….. Georgia Tech’s most bitter athletic rival. The Atlanta Dream team name was inspired by one of its best-known citizens. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was an Atlanta native and a civil rights icon. His “I have a dream” speech is one of defining moments in the civil rights movement. Final Thoughts While most people would think a temporary relocation would adversely affect a team, the move to McCamish Pavilion has been a positive one for the Atlanta Dream. Its more intimate setting, the dramatic lighting of the playing floor, and a Midtown location that is in the backyard of its most ardent fans have added up to a very successful move.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Gillette Stadium 1 Patriot Place Foxborough, MA 02035 New England Patriots website Gillette Stadium website Year Opened: 2002 Capacity: 64,628 The Patriots’ Place   A strong case can be made that the New England Patriots are the most successful team of the Super Bowl era. They have won six Super Bowls and played in nine overall. Recent years have seen the team return to the depths of the NFL standings as the team moves on from the Brady/Belichick dynasty. Patriots fans hope this decline does not mimic the franchise’s early years when they were one of the league’s most dysfunctional teams, consistently landing at the bottom of the standings and making headlines for all of the wrong reasons.   The early Patriots were nomads, roaming around Boston and beyond, looking for a home. Nickerson Field , Harvard Stadium , Fenway Park , and Alumni Stadium  all served as home fields during the team’s formative years. The Patriots even played home games in Birmingham, AL  and San Diego, CA. When the team built itself a permanent home, it was the substandard Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro Stadium . Relocation rumors hounded the team for years until Robert Kraft, a longtime fan and season ticket holder, bought the team and stadium in the 90s.   In 2002, Gillette Stadium, a $325 million privately funded stadium, opened right next door to its predecessor. The Patriots immediately began to make the area not only a football venue, but an entertainment, dining, and shopping destination. In 2006, construction began on Patriot Place, an open-air shopping center located adjacent to the stadium. Patriot Place has proven to be so successful that imitators have begun to sprout up at stadiums around the country and have become almost a standard feature in new stadium designs.   Food & Beverage 4   With an active tailgating scene and dozens of dining choices located just steps from Gillette Stadium’s front door, you may not expect much from the facility’s concessions. While Gillette Stadium may come up short on signature food items and high-end options, expanding variety and upgrading quality have been a focus in recent years.   Stands are located around the outer edge of the Gillette Stadium concourse, organized by the types of foods they offer. You may have to do a little searching to find what you want. All the stadium basics are covered, with stands that sell pizza, burgers, sausages, chicken tenders, and BBQ ringing the field. Portable carts selling drinks and snack foods line the inner edge of the concourses.   Pepsi products are featured at Gillette Stadium. As you may expect, the beer game is strong here, with national brands lining the menu boards alongside dozens of local craft favorites. For the most extensive selection of local beers, check out the Taproom or Draft Kings Lounge.   A complete guide to Gillette Stadium’s concessions can be found here .   Atmosphere 5   The experience at Gillette is dominated by the new 22,000 square-foot scoreboard and lighthouse on the northern end of the stadium. The scoreboard contains 20 million pixels and measures over half an acre. Patriot Plaza features live music, games, and numerous photo ops before games. The new 12-foot-tall Tom Brady statue has become a focal point of this area.   Highlights of the Patriots game day experience include the End Zone Militia firing their muskets after every New England score. The elaborate pregame show has the team taking the field to Carmina Burana, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” and AC-DC’s “For Those About to Rock.” Over the years, several social gathering areas have been built into Gillette Stadium, including the Optum Field Lounge, the Bud Light Party Deck, and Encore Boston Harbor Terrace, providing alternative viewpoints for fans to gather and watch the action.   The tailgating scene in Foxboro isn’t mentioned among the league’s elite, but Patriots fans can hang with any NFL fanbase when it comes to pregame parties. Gillette’s rural location means there’s lots of room around for, well, lots. While it’s much more family-friendly at Gillette than it ever used to be, remember, this is still an NFL venue. This may not be the best place for kids. If tailgating isn’t your thing, you can always check out Patriot Place before or after kickoff.   While Patriots fans are still supportive of the team and the rebuild, it will be interesting to see how long they will remain patient. While older fans can remember the days of the Sullivan family ownership and the “Patsies,” a significant portion of the fanbase has never experienced consistent losing before.   Neighborhood 4   Gillette Stadium sits on what was once a lonely stretch of Route One, which contained only a harness racing track and a trailer park. Today, the location is the home of Patriot Place, an open-air shopping center located on the site of the old Schaefer Stadium. Over the years, it has grown to include a four-star hotel, entertainment complex, and outpatient health center.   Fans visiting Foxboro can choose between numerous eateries ranging from casual dining to fine fare, from brew pubs to fancy steakhouses. Fans can bowl at Splitsville Alley, throw axes at Crazy Axes, or play pickleball at Eleveno Pickleball. Movies play at Cinema de Lux, and live music is played at Showcase Live! Fans looking to stay at Patriot Place will find a Hilton Garden Inn and Renaissance Hotel steps from the stadium. Visit the Patriot Place website  for more information.   Fans 5   Patriots fans have certainly become spoiled with the unprecedented success of the Brady/Belichick years As the team embarks on what will surely be a lengthy rebuild, fans have had to come to grips with win-loss records not seen around here in decades. Still, support has not fallen off a cliff. Yet.   The team still advertises a sellout streak that dates back to the opening of Gillette Stadium. However, prices are starting to fall on the resale market, and empty seats can sometimes be found around the facility. It will be interesting to see how long fans will remain patient with the rebuild. The hiring of Mike Vrabel has renewed optimism after the failed experiment that was the Jarrod Mayo hiring.   Access 2   Gillette Stadium is located in the small town of Foxborough, MA (alternatively spelled Foxboro), a town of almost 19,000 residents situated about halfway between Boston and Providence, RI. This location, picked for Schaefer Stadium due to its apparent convenience at the intersection of Interstates 95 and 495, has always had problems with accessibility.   Gillette Stadium is located on Route One, a busy four-lane road. It is the only way into and out of the stadium complex. As you might imagine, traffic backs up for miles in both directions on game days. The Patriots constantly tweak their systems to try to get visitors moving as quickly as possible, but no plan seems to consistently work.   The Foxboro MBTA station has a stop behind Gillette Stadium, providing service to Boston and Providence. There are numerous parking lots surrounding the stadium and all along Route One. Staggered pricing and exit times have been implemented to try to alleviate wait times in the area.   Fans will access Gillette Stadium via one of three entry gates. Renovations to the north end of the stadium have improved flow greatly and provided an entry plaza for fans to congregate pregame. Three sets of ramps lead to the upper levels of the stadium. Concourses, while busy, are large enough to move about without issue. There is ample standing room available on all levels of the facility. Handicapped seating is plentiful.   The concourse is filled with concession stands, both permanent and portable. Lines can be long, particularly at halftime. Restrooms are plentiful and clean considering their busy usage. Just time your visits wisely. Be aware that Gillette Stadium is a cashless facility with a fairly aggressive clear bag policy . What can and cannot be brought into the stadium is advertised in all parking lots. Pay attention and save yourself a long walk back to your car.   Any veteran Patriots fan will tell you that the key to avoiding the legendary Gillette traffic is to arrive early and stay a bit after the game. Luckily, with Patriot Place next to the stadium and the excellent tailgating scene, this is not the worst plan. The Patriots will even pay you to stick around and let the traffic ease. Read on…   Return on Investment 3   For the 2024 season, the Patriots ranked fifth in the NFL in terms of cost according to the Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index. Driving the high prices are tickets and concessions, which rank near the top of the NFL. The average ticket cost of $142 ranks New England third in the NFL. While demand for tickets may have diminished a bit with the team’s recent struggles, it is still tough to find a ticket under $100 on the resale market.   Parking at Gillette Stadium has undergone some drastic changes in recent years. Now stay with me, this might get complicated. The lots on the stadium (east) side of Route One must be purchased in advance. Prepaid spots are guaranteed and cost $25. Parking on the west side of Route One is now free (unbelievable, right?). There are also “delayed release” lots, from which you cannot leave for 75 minutes after the game. If you choose to park here, the Patriots will reward you with a $50 Visa gift card. Privately owned lots along Route One charge anywhere from $30-$60 to park. Complete parking information can be found here .   Extras 5   The newest feature in Patriot Plaza, the giant statue of Tom Brady, has become a focal point for visiting fans. The 12-foot-tall bronze sculpture sits atop a hexagonal-shaped base, signifying the six championships Brady won while in New England.   Located at the north end of the stadium above the team store, the Patriots Hall of Fame houses team memorabilia from throughout their history. Among the notable pieces here are the team’s six Super Bowl trophies and the snowplow from the infamous “plow game” in 1982.   The End Zone Militia has a vantage point many Patriot fans dream of. From their post just beyond the north end zone, they fire off a 21-gun salute after every New England score.   The renovations to the north end of the stadium deserve an extra point. The new lighthouse (which now actually looks like a lighthouse) is the focal point of the stadium. The lighthouse is accessible to fans during off hours and features views of the Boston and Providence skylines. And let us not forget to mention the largest outdoor scoreboard in the country.   The display of the Patriots’ six Super Bowl banners in the south end zone complements the new north end zone renovations.   Final Thoughts   It may be difficult to believe, but this concrete stadium in the woods of suburban Massachusetts is actually a trendsetter in the world of stadium design. While the stadium itself doesn’t break any new ground, especially when compared to the new billion-dollar behemoths being built around the NFL today, the live/work/play community surrounding Gillette Stadium has become a must-have feature in many new facility designs. ----   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium 1401 Murchison Rd Fayetteville, NC 28301 Fayetteville State Broncos website Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium website Year Opened: 1949 Capacity: 5,520 Wild Rides in Fayetteville Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium is located in Fayetteville, NC, and is home to the Fayetteville State Broncos football team. Fayetteville State opened in 1867 and is an HBCU that is part of North Carolina’s university system. FSU’s football program began in 1924, but the old stadium was completely renovated in 2003 at a cost of over $2.5MM, and now seats 5,520 fans after the removal of seating in the end zones. The most recent renovation occurred in 2021 with the installation of new artificial turf, namely AstroTurf’s RootZone 3D3 blend system. The facility is named after the late Luther R. Jeralds – Jeralds played football at NCCU and in the NFL, and later served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and in the North Carolina General Assembly; there is also a middle school in Fayetteville named after him. Food & Beverage 3 There are two concession stands at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium; one under the main stands and another next to the visiting stands. These stands offer the basics, i.e. Chick-fil-A sandwiches, nachos with chili and/or cheese sauce, hot dogs, peanuts, packaged candy, chips, bottled sodas, and bottled water. The prices are pretty reasonable, with nothing over $3 except the Chick-fil-A sandwiches ($5) and the nachos ($5 plus $1 for cheese sauce plus another $1 for chili if you want both). The nachos seem slightly overpriced at $5 for chips alone, but all the other prices are a pretty good deal as sports venues go. Atmosphere 3 Fayetteville State football games are a lot of fun – the student section is inspired by a mascot wearing a blue bodysuit; the mascot spends most of the game in front of the student section dancing and moving around, and the student section is pretty loud and into the game. The team also comes onto the field through a tunnel and waving the team flag, and like most HBCUs Fayetteville State has a great marching band, who swagger onto the field in full costume. The stadium itself is surrounded by a low brick wall and has two grandstands, one on each side – the main stands under the press box have bleachers with chairbacks in the center, and bleachers without chairbacks on both ends. The visiting stands only have bleachers without chairbacks, but the stadium should be empty enough that you can sit wherever you want, even if you don’t have tickets on the correct side or in the correct section. There is also a team gear stand in one end zone if you want to get your Broncos swag on. Unlike many stadiums, during COVID times the staff does require you to show proof of vaccination before you enter Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium. Neighborhood 4 Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium is located on Fayetteville State’s campus in Fayetteville, NC, which is a military town (home of Fort Bragg). As such the city is large enough that there are plenty of things to do if you are in town for the day or for the weekend. The stadium sits on the northwest corner of Fayetteville State’s campus, while the closest restaurants are to the south and southeast of campus – I recommend either the Fried Turkey Sandwich Shop or New York Restaurant, but there are other options as well, such as Saigon Bistro or Fowler’s Southern Gourmet – technically some of these are within 1 mile of the stadium, but I recommend driving as that is a pretty good walk on foot. The closest hotels to Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium are WoodSpring Suites and American Eagle Inn, but there are plenty of other options along 401 closer to the town center, or along with Highway 210 closer to Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg itself also has a visitor’s center you can visit to learn more about the base, or you can go to the Zipquest Waterfall & Treetop recreation center for some ziplining fun. Fans 3 The student section is the highlight of the fan base at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium – you can hear the student section chanting and cheering, and see them dancing and moving around for most of the game, led by the team mascot. The fans in the other sections are less intense, although things can get pretty heated on the visiting side, depending on which opponent the Broncos are hosting that day. Faithful Fans, Photo by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Access 3 The biggest drawback in terms of access to Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium is the lack of signs directing traffic – the stadium is easily visible as you drive by campus via Langdon Street or Murchison Road. However, finding parking is a lot more difficult – the best thing to do is enter campus via W. T. Brown Drive (turn left or right from Murchison Road), and park in the lot of the corner of W. T. Brown and Mary T. Eldridge; there is no cost to park here. This means a bit of a walk to the stadium, but unless you have a special parking pass you can’t really get any closer, and you can waste a lot of time driving around campus trying to find anything better. Also note that when you leave campus a lot of the roads are blocked off, so you can also spend a lot of time trying to find a way out if you are not careful to go back the exact same way you came in. Once you get to the stadium itself, however, access at Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium is pretty smooth sailing – there is plenty of room to move around, plenty of restrooms, and concessions lines move very quickly. Return on Investment 3 Tickets to Fayetteville State games are $20, and can be purchased at the gate or online (but there will be a few dollars added in fees if you go the online route) – there is a QR code posted at the gate which you can use to purchase tickets if you don’t want to wait in line, but the line to purchase tickets is shorter than the one used to scan tickets since after you purchase your ticket you can use a different entrance which has no line. Extras 3 Fayetteville State has a great dark blue color scheme, and some great décor in the form of bronco statues set up outside the stadium – for example, a brownish-red one facing the street outside the facility, and a white and blue outside the main entrance to the stadium. The mascot is also very unique – this is the first time I have seen a body-suited character as opposed to someone wearing an anthropomorphic animal costume. The brickwork around the stadium also gives a good aesthetic, and the trees around the venue bring a cozy feel. Final Thoughts While smaller than some of the venues you may have visited in the past, Luther “Nick” Jeralds Stadium offers a fine atmosphere for a relaxing night of college football. The band does a great job, the stadium is modern with some great recent updates, and you can get really close to the action on the field here.

Today, the Knoxville Smokies proudly stand as a beacon of community spirit in their stunning new $114 million ballpark, right in the heart of downtown. This moment marks not just a return, but a homecoming filled with excitement and renewed hope after nearly 25 years spent away in distant Sevier County.  Knoxville has its beloved franchise back where it belongs—ensuring the city’s vibrant baseball tradition will thrive for generations. Yet, this triumphant homecoming was once far from certain. Baseball had been played at Smithson Stadium since the wooden structure was erected in 1931. The Smokies had been members of the Class B Tri-State League since 1944, but city officials wanted a higher-class team in their city. To attract investors of a Class A or AA team, a new stadium would need to be constructed. A civic vote favored 2-1 in favor of a new structure on the same site as “Smitty.” ​ This trend continued for a couple of seasons. By the 1952 season, the Smokies and the Tri-State League were struggling with low attendance, franchise instability, and considerable uncertainty from one day to the next. Team owner Carl Lyerly, who was battling with Dr. Hobart Ford, who owned the lease to the stadium, sold the franchise to the New York Giants in June and rid himself of losing any more money out of his pockets. ​ The Giants were committed to staying in town, but first relocated their Class B franchise to Danville, Virginia. The Giants were concerned about the future of the Tri-State League, which was teetering on existence at the time. The league was debating whether to fold the Greenville Spinners and the Smokies to become a 6-team league. ​ It now seemed like the perfect time to start building that new stadium that the folks of Knoxville voted for a few years ago. The aging Smithson Stadium was on its last legs, and now seemed like the ideal time to start construction to lure another club in time for the following season. Sure, the 1953 season would be a wash, but a modern plant with steel and concrete would be an investment for baseball for years to come for its citizens. The 1953 Smokies played home games at Chapman Highway Ballpark Not so fast. There was a contingency that did not want baseball to go dark in 1953. Once it was announced that the Tri-State League would welcome back the Greenville ball club, former Smokies business manager Jack Aragon led a group of investors to purchase the team. He suggested postponing construction until after the season in September. ​ “We certainly hope to keep baseball in Knoxville,” said Aragon. “It will be a long summer, maybe two or three summers if baseball is lost here at this time.” ​ It led to a question of “Build Now” or “Build Later” with many sports columnists sharing their thoughts. Many were in favor of allowing the Smokies another season, while others wanted to rid the city of the Class B team in favor of a higher classification, regardless of whether it meant being with pro ball that summer. Knoxville News - Sentinel  sports columnist Tim Skiler wrote the following. ​ “A new stadium would quickly solve two problems-it would bring new owners-solid, responsible citizens-ready and eager to invest in baseball, and a chance at possibly higher baseball. Certainly, a city with a new park, plus a metropolitan area of $330,000, would not go begging for organized baseball. A new stadium would bring big league stars. They now detour Knoxville.” ​ Starting construction as soon as possible would give workers 14 months to handle any unforeseen delays and also save close to $25,000 working in the warmer months compared to winter months. There was added concern that the conflict in Korea might prohibit the purchase of steel and other products if construction were postponed. ​ The city council begins razing Smithson Stadium in the spring of 1953. Finally, on January 27, the City Council voted to raze the Smithson grandstand and start construction on the new ballpark. Aragaon, who was holding a franchise, soon quit his position with the club to take over the family-owned gas station. It wouldn’t last long, as he then accepted a similar position with the nearby Maryville-Alcoa Twins of the Mountain States League. As far as anyone was concerned, there would be no baseball in Knoxville that year. ​ Things went quiet until March 9, when Virgil Q. Wack of the Mountain States League announced they would operate a Knoxville franchise at Chapman Highway Park that season. The announcement was protested by the Maryville-Alcoa club, whose ballpark was only 8.2 miles away from the new Knox franchise. There was also concern that the Mountain States League owned the territorial rights and approved any new franchise to begin play at the new stadium in 1954. However, the new owners would exit and not interfere with any territorial squabbles for a future franchise. ​ “No Knoxvillian could possibly happy about being in the Class D MSL, the lowest in organized baseball, but if we are going to continue to boast about American enterprise, hustle, imagination and courage then it will behooves us to condemn Wacks for putting something legal over on local capital, brains and political influence,” wrote sports columnist Tom Anderson in the Knoxville Journal on April 12, 1953. “It begins to look as if he slid in here safely while we were looking at the sky for a spaceship bringing us an SL franchise.” Mayor George Dempster objected to the new club adopting the Knoxville name and even sought an injunction to prevent its use. In response, the Knoxville Journal  sports staff mockingly dubbed the team the “Chapman Park Seviers,” noting their Sevier County home field, and reserved the “Smokies” label only for when they lost. The season peaked with an opening-day crowd of 3,000, a turnout that would prove to be the lone highlight of the year. By late May, the team plunged into debt, accumulating $21,000. This amount would need to be paid off for any future ownership group willing to operate in town for the next five years. But the greatest humiliation came on May 28, when the team was forced to forfeit a game simply because they had run out of baseballs. ​ It might have been the first and only time that a professional baseball team at any level forfeited a game in this way, and the episode made national headlines. The next day, local kids from the neighborhood came out to the ballpark to return and donate baseballs that were taken home from previous games.   ​ The club announced that it was moving operations to Hazard, whether temporarily or permanently. Ben Byrd of The Knoxville Journal  wrote the following in his column on May 29. ​ “Knoxville had nothing to do with bringing Mountain States League ball here. Its officials, its fans, and this newspaper opposed it from scratch. In their brief but still overlong stay, they have brought the city no prestige, no entertainment, no commerce, no nothing. If Chapman Park stands empty and deserted these summer nights, it won’t be much different from when the Smokies were playing there.” ​ As miraculous as it was to not have enough baseballs for a game, the ball club was saved by Dr. Edward L. Grubb. He operated the club and stadium on a 50-50 basis, wound up erasing its debt, and became the owner of the territory rights in town. This meant that he would be the person to talk to when putting a team in the new stadium under construction. The team would still wear the Smokies name on its uniforms, but the one local paper referred to them as the Knoxville ball club. Jim Tugerson dominated the Mountain States League in 1953 with a 29-11 record and 286 strikeouts. One bright spot was a pitcher, Jim Tugerson, who at age 30 was playing his first year of professional baseball. He integrated the Smokies after being barred from playing in the Cotton States League. “Big Jim” went on to win 29 games and four more playoff games, guiding the Smokies to the league championship.   They rejoined the Tri-State League for the 1954 season and opened the season in front of 6,154 people at Municipal Stadium. The attendance figure was the largest at the time to see a game in town. Unfortunately, the loop was once again in turmoil, and Knoxville was dropped due to travel concerns. The TSL became a four-team organization and ceased operations after the 1955 campaign.  ​ ​With no league to enter, the lease on Municipal Stadium expired in April due to Grubb not fulfilling the terms of the contract, thus opening up the territory to any new ownership willing to bring a team into town. That would occur 14 months later when a group of businessmen led by future city mayor John Ducan transferred the Montgomery Rebels of the South Atlantic League to town. Pat McGlothin gets ready for the first game at Municipal Stadium in 1954​ The renamed Smokies played its first home game in front of 7,100 people on June 20, 1956, marking a triumphant return to affiliated baseball. The city finally achieved its goal of obtaining a high-level baseball team and became a Double-A team in 1963, and joined the Southern League the next year.  The following year, the stadium would be renamed Bill Meyer Stadium after the former major league baseball manager and serve as home to the club until 1999. ​ The Smokies have come full circle with the opening of Covenant Health Park this year. A total of 295,000 flocked to the new baseball plant to check out the team that was now playing back in town after 25 seasons in Sevier County. Knoxvillians always were big supporters of the game, but at the highest levels of the minor league ladder. The foreseeable future is bright in “The Marble City”. ​ At the time, the 1953 Smokies team was not wanted. The prospect of a Class D league jeopardizing any future endeavors was frowned upon by many politicians, sports writers, and fans. However, that team has left a legacy in Knoxville. When you are at Covenant Health Park, make sure you visit the Jim Tugerson statue on the outside concourse. The Smokies brand new ballpark returned the team to town after 25 years, Photo by Stadium Journey. ——— Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter   @ballparkhunter   and his   YouTube channel .   Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.19 Alumni Hall One Cunningham Square Providence, RI 02908 Providence College Friars women's basketball website Alumni Hall website Year Opened: 1955 Capacity: 1,854 The Original Home of Friartown   Alumni Hall was built in 1955 at the direction of Providence College President Rev. Robert Slavin. He felt the team needed an on-campus home to be competitive. Until then, the team had played in local gyms off-campus or in a small gym in the basement of Harkins Hall. Built at a cost of $1.5, Alumni Hall was dedicated to PC alumni who fought in World War II. Alumni Hall served as home to the PC men’s team until the construction of the Providence Civic Center (now the Amica Mutual Pavilion) downtown in 1972.   Providence College began sponsoring women’s basketball in 1974. They joined the Big East upon its inception in 1982. The Friars have competed in six postseason tournaments, including five NCAA tournaments. Their most recent appearance occurred in 1992. They reached the sweet sixteen in 1990. Alumni Hall has been the Friars home court since their debut.   In 2012 Alumni Hall underwent a $3 million renovation, which included the installation of new seating, lighting, air conditioning, video scoreboards and control room, sound system and other amenities. LED lighting has also been installed in the facility. Today Alumni Hall serves as home to the Providence College women’s basketball and volleyball teams.   Food & Beverage 2   There is a small concession stand in the atrium lobby operated by local favorite Saugy hot dogs. A limited menu is available, with hot dogs, popcorn and chips making up the entire menu. Fans looking for a drink will find bottles of Coca-Cola products, Powerade and water here. Prices are very affordable, as no item is priced at more than five dollars.   Atmosphere 4   As you might imagine in a bandbox of a gymnasium like Alumni Hall, when the building is filled with Friar fans and Providence gets rolling on the court, this place can get pretty loud, even without much help. But since the Friars athletic department is used to putting on a first-rate show up the street at the Amica Mutual Pavilion for the men’s team, they bring many of the same gameday features here to the women’s home.   The Friars take the court to a multimedia experience including hype videos and flame towers. The pep band, cheerleaders and dance team are all in attendance and perform throughout the game. The sound system at Alumni Hall is good and doesn’t need to be played at ear-splitting volume to be effective. There’s an emcee who coordinates some time-out activities and contests and some youth teams take the court at halftime. The PA announcer goes about his job in a professional manner, without much of the over-the-top theatrics that are common today. The one negative would be the video boards on each end of the court could use an upgrade, as the pictures are less than clear.  It all adds up to an entertaining afternoon (or evening) at the gymnasium. Neighborhood 3   Alumni Hall is part of a sprawling complex on the northern edge of the Providence College campus which houses most of the college’s athletic, fitness and social facilities. The Peterson Recreation Center, the Concannon Fitness Center, Ruane Friar Development Center, the Taylor Natatorium, Slavin Center and Providence College Bookstore are all built around Alumni Hall, which sits at the center of the complex. Located nearby are many of the school’s other athletic facilities, including Schneider Arena , Lennon Family Field, Ray Tracey Track and Anderson Stadium .   The Elmhurst neighborhood where Providence College is located is a residential, working-class neighborhood, so visiting fans will need to venture out a bit to find some of the city’s excellent dining, entertainment and lodging options. Luckily, downtown Providence is only about two miles from the PC campus. In addition to all the city’s attractions, the Amica Mutual Pavilion , home of the Friars basketball team, is located here.   For fans wanting to stay near campus, Stadium Journey recommends The Abbey, known for their collection of signature burgers and selection of 92 draft beers and LaSalle Bakery, where some of Providence’s finest baked goods can be found. Otherwise, we recommend you head downtown towards Federal Hill, Providence’s version of Little Italy, for more great dining options.   Fans 3   Providence College averaged just over 1,300 fans per game over the 2024-25 season. This figure represents a significant increase over previous seasons, but it still falls well short of Alumni Hall capacity and far below the Big East average.   As we’re seeing in gyms all over the country, women’s basketball is gaining new fans at a rapid pace. The same is true in Providence, as this is no longer a friends and family type of crowd. You’re likely to see a number of new fans, youth teams and groups filling the stands at Alumni Hall alongside the students, regulars and family members that have watched the Friars for years. Access 3   Providence College is located in the residential Elmhurst neighborhood of Providence, about a mile from Route 146 and Interstate 95. To get to Alumni Hall, fans will need to do some driving through the city, but the campus is still pretty easy to find. Fans using public transportation will be pleased to know that RIPTA’s number 55  bus has stops at Providence College and along Admiral Street, just a short distance from Alumni Hall.   Fans driving to Alumni Hall can park in a small lot adjacent to the Ruane Friar Development Center or in the parking garage on the other side of the Lennon Turf Field. A short walk will take you to the Ruane Atrium, where the concession stand and a small souvenir stand are located. The entry into Alumni Hall will be on your left. The ticket office and Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame are located here.   Fans will enter Alumni Hall right on the baseline, with the band immediately to your left and the Bathtub, the student section, immediately to your right. If your seats are on the upper level of the north side of the gym, you’ll have some navigating to do, as you’ll need to walk to the far side of the court, up two flights of stairs, and then circle back around to your seats. In this bandbox of a gymnasium, all seats have a great view of the action.   There are plenty of restrooms for fans to access here at Alumni Hall, and ample standing room at the top of the seating area. Lines at the concession stand and restrooms do get very long at halftime, so plan your trips wisely.   Return on Investment 4   All seats for Friars basketball games are sold as reserved seats for $20. Parking is free in the lots on campus, making a visit to Alumni Hall an affordable entertainment option for Rhode Island hoop fans. Extras 3   Banners hang on the walls of Alumni Hall honoring Friar conference championships and tournament appearances in both women’s basketball and volleyball. At the opposite end of the gym are several banners honoring notable figures in Friars history. Among the retired numbers here is Doris Burke’s number 11. Doris, who graduated from Providence College as the school’s all-time assist leader, has become one of the top basketball analysts in the field.   Outside the Ruane Friar Development Center is a statue of two of the more legendary figures in Providence basketball, Dave Gavitt and Joe Mullaney. The two coached the men’s team from 1955-1985, taking Providence from relative obscurity to a regional hoops power. Gavitt was instrumental in the formation of the Big East Conference and is a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.   The Providence College Athletic Hall of Fame is located in the entryway of Alumni Hall. Among the many notable names to be found here are several notable NBA, NHL and MLB players and Olympians. Final Thoughts   It’s great to see Alumni Hall continue to be useful 70 years after its debut. Recent renovations to the old gym have given Friars women’s basketball a home it can be proud of.   Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter  and Instagram  @PuckmanRI.

As the 2025 Major League Baseball season winds down with a few teams already clinching their October ticket and a few others still fighting to stay alive, many of you will be heading out to the ballpark glued to your favorite teams' chase to October. Some of you may already be purchasing tickets to potential playoff games.  If you already have purchased tickets to any remaining regular season games and plan to purchase tickets for post season play, you may want to keep an extra close watch of your ticket purchases. With paper and print at home tickets mostly a thing of the past, there have been reports throughout the league of 'Bad Actors' stealing tickets from fans though the MLB Ballpark App , including Chicago , Boston , and most recently mine and other fans in Los Angeles. “Bad actors are stealing, reselling fan tickets swiped from MLB’s Ballpark app," MLB acknowledges . The Athletic cited MLB about how fans are getting scammed with their valid tickets to enter the ballparks. As I approached the entrance gate looking forward to not only getting my Joe Davis Bobblehead  but also witnessing Clayton Kershaw's final Dodger Stadium regular season appearance , the go ahead facial recognition entry  prompt was not acknowledging me. As it turned out, my ticket, purchased 2 days prior to game time, was nowhere to be found on the MLB Ballpark App and therefore I was directed to fix the issue at the box office. Upon arriving at the box office several other fans were lined up as well with similar issues. Many of us had purchased the tickets through various 3rd party sites such as StubHub, TickPick, GameTime, and SeatGeek, all partners with MLB. Several fans stated they had bought their tickets weeks in advance. Because our purchases were through 3rd party sites, we were told to contact them directly. As I contacted StubHub, I was told my purchase was protected through their FanProtect Guarantee . Within an hour, I was fortunate to be reissued another ticket for a seat closer to the field. It probably helped that I only needed a single ticket. Upon arrival at my seat,I asked the fans next to me if they had purchased their tickets through StubHub. They responded that they purchased through SeatGeek and that they too had also been scammed and they ended up making a second purchase running that couple’s total cost for their 2 tickets to $300! Fortunately, my issue had a happy ending and I was still rewarded with my Joe Davis Bobblehead. Unfortunately, not every fan who fell victim to the ‘bad actors’ ticket scam were so lucky. With our experiences at Dodger Stadium stemming mostly from 3rd party site purchases, here are some tips that can hopefully help you from keeping your tickets scammed.  Routinely check your app to see if your tickets are still there. There should be a barcode with your seat locations, date of game, and your name. If you should receive an email from MLB.Com  Account Service to change your password due to unusual activity to your account, check your ballpark app as well to see if you're still in possession of your tickets. Should they be missing from your app, call the point of contact immediately, be it a 3rd party site or directly from the team. If your purchase was directly from the team and your tickets have disappeared prior to the date of game, call them directly and have your MLB Ballpark App account ready and if possible, the date you purchased your tickets and the seat locations.  Hopefully you will not fall victim to being scammed from your tickets and you’ll be able to watch the excitement of pennant race baseball. If you do become a victim, hopefully these tips will help you in retaining your tickets or being reissued other tickets without being charged extra. Also, if you have the time, contact  MLB Customer Support  and make them aware of your experience.  But remember, BUYER BEWARE.  Remember to be vigilant about your ticket purchases especially if purchased from 3rd party sites. We don’t want you to be left in the dark from your pennant race baseball tickets!

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Beaver Stadium University Dr & Park Ave University Park, PA 16802 Penn State Nittany Lions website Beaver Stadium website Year Opened: 1960 Capacity: 106,572 The Nittany Lions Den Renovation Project Pennsylvania State University is the largest land-grant university in the state of Pennsylvania, with a student body of more than 42,000. The Nittany Lions of Penn State University have one of the most successful College Football programs in the country. They have won two National Championships (1982,1986) and four Big 10 Conference Championships (1994, 2005, 2008, 2016). The home of the Nittany Lions is West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. The stadium is named after James Beaver, a former governor and a past president of the Board of Trustees at the school. It is the third stadium to serve as the football home for the Penn State football program. Pieces of the second football stadium were disassembled and transported to their present location for reuse in the much larger incarnation of the facility. The previous homes of the Lions opened in 1893 and 1936. Its present capacity of 106,572 makes it the second-largest college football stadium in the country and the fourth-largest stadium in the world based on capacity. In May 2024, Penn State University began a four-year $700 million renovation of West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. This is the first renovation of the facility since 2001, when 60 skyboxes were added above the East stands. The first phase of this renovation focused on structural issues, as the stadium had a backlog of more than $200 million in deferred maintenance. A key part of this step was the winterization of the pipes and infrastructure, as the area is known for its very harsh winters. Another priority is to improve the security and safety aspects of the stadium. The technology infrastructure of the stadium is also receiving needed attention, as new lighting is being installed, and new ribbon boards will be added to the facing of the various levels of the stadium. A new videoboard will be added to the south end of the stadium. The stadium will also see Wi-Fi and cellular upgrades. Other priority areas for the project are to add additional club and loge seating, as well as more executive and founder’s suites for its major donors. The renovation work will be done during the off-seasons through 2027. At the time of this review (Fall 2025), the renovations throughout the stadium were just getting underway, and our scores reflect the status of the stadium at that time. Food & Beverage 4 The concession stands at Beaver Stadium offer a mix of generic stands and specialty stands featuring food offerings from local restaurants, including Caliente Pizza, Chickie and Pete’s, Doan’s Bones, Panini’s, Philly Pretzel Factory, Scott’s Roasting, and Wing Kitchen. The generic stands sell hot dogs ($6.30), brats ($7.35), pretzels ($9.45), nachos ($7.35), cheesesteaks ($6), chicken sandwich baskets ($13.65), and pizza cones ($7). A Happy Valley hamburger will set you back $13.65. Fry cups ($7.35) and candy ($5.25) are available for dessert. Popcorn is also available for $7.35. However, our favorite dessert by far is the pint of ice cream from Penn State’s own Berkey Creamery ($12.60)! Beaver Stadium serves Pepsi brand sodas ($7.35/24 oz cup). Bottled water is $6.25. Hot chocolate is available ($7.35/12 oz.) Hoop tea is available for $14.71. Gatorade is available for $6.30. Michelob brand beers and New Trail Brewing’s State Light ($12.60) are served in Beaver Stadium. The legal drinking age in Pennsylvania is 21. Atmosphere 5 The atmosphere at Beaver Stadium is hard to beat on a crisp fall afternoon. The autumn colors are spectacular throughout the Penn State campus, and there are plenty of pregame activities to take part in. The central gathering point for the action is known as the Beaver Stadium Block Party, located on Curtin Road, just down the street from the stadium. It opens several hours before kickoff, and features a wide variety of spirit offerings, including performances by the Penn State cheerleading squad, appearances by the Nittany Lion mascot, and music played by the Penn State Blue Band. The team arrival walk occurs two hours before kick off as the team unloads from its traditional blue buses. Restrooms are available at the nearby Medlar Field baseball stadium for fans to use prior to the opening of the Beaver Stadium gates. Tailgating is huge in the parking lots surrounding Beaver Stadium, resulting in a top score for this section! Neighborhood 4 State College is in the geographic center of the state of Pennsylvania. It is located 2.5 hours northeast of Pittsburgh. Use the WAZE app to lead you to your parking lot near the stadium. State College has a charming downtown area located just across from the campus. Most of the lodging options in the State College area are located along Highway 322. Brands include Comfort Suites, Days Inn, Hampton Inn, and the Hilton Garden Inn. Lion Country Lodging is the preferred provider for Penn State Athletics. Their website offers 15% discounts at hotels that partner with the school. There are several restaurants in the downtown State College area for pre- or post-game dining. The Original Waffle Shop on College Avenue has been a longtime favorite for breakfast on Penn State gamedays. Postgame options include both the Happy Valley Brewery on Elmwood Street and Otto’s Pub and Brewery on North Atherton Street. Webster’s Bookstore is a great place to check out the latest releases while enjoying a great cup of coffee. The Lion’s Pride spirit store in downtown State College is a great place to stock up on your Nittany Lion gameday gear! Fans 5 The Nittany Lions fan base is one of the loudest and most loyal in all of college football. The cheer teams, the Blue Band, the student section, and the alumni are rightfully proud of their team. They excel in creating noise to disrupt the visiting team’s ability to call plays. The school holds 2-3 “white out” games each season, filling Beaver Stadium with a blinding sea of 100,000 plus Nittany Lion fans in their summer (and fall) white outfits. The Penn State student section is also strategically located so that it can disrupt the opposition’s communications. They are not shy about declaring … We Are! Penn State! … throughout the games. There is a youth activity area known as Happy Valley Alley located near Gate D of the stadium. Big Blue Band Forms PSU Outline at Beaver Stadium, Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Access 3 Accessibility issues will be addressed by the current renovation project. Twenty more gates into the stadium will be added to improve the flow of fans into and out of the facility. Concourses are being widened, and additional elevators/escalators are being added to reach the upper levels of the stadium more efficiently. The number of restrooms in the stadium is also being increased by 20% to cut down on the lines that can form during halftime and just before the game gets underway. There will also be 50 additional concession areas added to improve the flow of traffic. The Field and Concourse levels of the stadium now provide 360-degree access to seats. As you can imagine, having more than 105,000 fans descend on your campus on a Saturday is like trying to serve the traffic needs of a small city. Penn State University has established four parking zones in each direction, identified as East, West, North, and South Zones. There are 15 General Parking lots spread over each of these zones. Most parking is based on a season ticket basis. The stadium also has more than 100 ADA parking spaces located close to the stadium gates. There is a public transportation drop-off and pick-up area on Hastings Road. The ride-share lot is located on Hedges Road. For updated info on gameday traffic, use the WAZE app. CATA shuttle buses run on game days from the downtown area to Beaver Stadium. The gates at Beaver Stadium open two hours before kickoff. To make your entry into Beaver Stadium as fast as possible, make sure all carry-ins are in a clear plastic bag. Penn State is very strict with its seating policies, so if you leave your seat to use the restroom or to visit a concession stand during the game, make sure to take your ticket with you. Otherwise, you may not be readmitted to your seat by a stand manager! Return on Investment 3 Penn State has been a nationally elite football program for decades. The games sell out regularly, despite Beaver Stadium’s capacity of more than 106,000 seats. This is partly due to the large student base of nearly 48,000 and an extremely loyal ticket base from the alumni of the school. The school’s membership in the Big 10 Conference also means the visiting teams will bring many fans. Be sure to bring a large wallet if you are planning to attend a Nittany Lions game at Beaver Stadium. Single-game ticket prices can vary greatly depending on the opponent, as Penn State utilizes dynamic pricing. Low-demand games against non-conference opponents run $32-$82 based on seat location. Mid-tier games against non-elite Big Ten opponents run $92-$109. High-demand games against Ohio State, Michigan, and nationally elite non-conference opponents can start at over $300. Parking is very limited on a game-by-game basis, as most lots are on a season pass basis. Single-game day parking can be as high as $50 for one space. Seat back rentals are $15, and game day programs are $5. Concession prices are rather pricey compared to those at comparable college stadiums. All stadium-related services operate on a cashless basis, so remember to bring your credit card! Extras 4 A must-see for any visitor to the Penn State campus is the Penn State Berkey Creamery. It is the largest college creamery in the United States and offers more than 100 flavors of Ice cream. Ben and Jerry of the beloved ice cream company are alumni of the Penn State correspondence course in ice cream making. The Penn State All-Sports Museum is also located at Beaver Stadium. It is open on non-gamedays. It is well worth a visit if you arrive in town on the Friday before a home game. The museum has extensive displays on each of the intercollegiate sports at the school. It includes many of the bowl trophies the Nittany Lions have won over the years. Just down the street is another “must-see” when visiting the Penn State campus. The Nittany Lion Shrine features a mountain lion monument carved from a 13-ton block of limestone. Penn State’s Blue Band has been in existence since 1899. It is the largest recognized student organization on the campus with more than 300 members. Final Thoughts Penn State has one of the most legendary football programs in the country, with multiple National Championship titles. Beaver Stadium has played a major role in earning those championships, as the noise created by more than 106,000 Nittany Lions fans will intimidate any visiting team. The Lion’s Den is now undergoing a major renovation to ensure that Beaver Stadium remains a wonderful place to enjoy Nittany Lions football well into the future.

Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14 Acrisure Stadium 100 Art Rooney Ave Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Pittsburgh Steelers website Acrisure Stadium website Year Opened: 2001 Capacity: 68,400 Where Steel Meets Turf The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most storied franchises in the NFL. They are the fifth-oldest franchise in the league, as they were founded in 1933. The Rooney family has owned the team since its inception, and they seem to be determined to make the Steelers fans feel that they have a “buy-in” with the team as well. The team has called Acrisure Stadium home since 2001. It was previously known as Heinz Field, changing its name in 2022. Other homes for the Steelers have included Forbes Field, Pitt Stadium, and Three Rivers Stadium. The team has played in a record eight Super Bowls, winning six of those championship games. Food & Beverage 4 Pittsburgh’s population features a virtual melting pot of ethnicities, and this is readily apparent in several offerings in the food and beverage area of stadium operations. In addition to the usual stadium standards of soft drinks, popcorn, hot dogs, and candy, the Acrisure Stadium concessions programs include local favorites Primanti Brothers, Caliente Pizza and Draft House, Chickie and Pete’s, Franco’s Pizzeria, the Pierogi House, and Potato Patch Fries. Adult beverage brands sold at Acrisure Stadium include Iron City, Leinenkugel’s, Michelob, Miller, and Budweiser. The concessions program operates on a cashless basis. To save time, the Steelers’ Official Mobile app allows you to order from your seat, so you will miss as little of the game as possible. After you place your order, you will receive a barcode. You receive a notification when your order is ready, and you simply have your barcode ready to show when you pick up your order at the nearest concession stand. Atmosphere 5 Attending a Pittsburgh Steelers home game is a special treat. There is so much tradition attached to the team, as it was one of the original NFL members, dating back to the 1930s. That heritage is very apparent when you attend a Steelers home game at Acrisure Stadium. The uniforms have changed very little over the years. The black and gold colors reflect the toughness of the franchise through the black, while the gold signifies the royalty of having been to eight Super Bowls, with six NFL championships in the books. Outside of the stadium, you see statues honoring Franco Harris and the Rooney family, who both played a major role in those championship seasons. Once inside, the Great Hall on the concourse under the east stands is filled with displays honoring the top Steelers of the past, along with displays reflecting each of the championship seasons. You will also see displays featuring the University of Pittsburgh and its legendary players, including Tony Dorsett and Dan Marino. (Pitt also plays its home games at Acrisure Stadium.) Finally, you get to your seat, surrounded by 68,000 black and gold-clad fans. As the Steelers come out on the field before the game, the stands erupt with nearly 70,000 Terrible Towels waving in the air. History, heritage, hoagies, and hard hits are all part of the game-day atmosphere at Acrisure Stadium. Giant Terrible Towel During Steeler's PreGame, Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Neighborhood 4 Acrisure Stadium is in the North Shore Section of Pittsburgh, as it is located on the northern shoreline of the Allegheny River. Visitors to this side of the river have plenty of options for dining, entertainment, exercise, and culture. Attractions within walking distance of Acrisure Stadium include the Andy Warhol Museum, the Carnegie Science Center, the Riverwalk, and PNC Park , the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Dining and drinking establishments in the North Shore community include Burgertory and Mike’s Beer Bar, which carries more than 80 craft beers on tap. Lying just across the river from Acrisure Stadium is downtown Pittsburgh and the Golden Triangle. This can be reached from the North Shore by crossing the Roberto Clemente Bridge or via the PRT light rail system. Downtown attractions include the Heinz Hall for Performing Arts, the Fort Pitt Museum, and the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum at the Heinz History Center, which includes an extensive set of exhibits on the history of the Steelers franchise. Fans 4 The Steel City is noted for its very devoted fan bases, whether we are talking about the Penguins, the Pirates, or the Steelers. The Steelers fanbase has been around since 1933, celebrating many Super Bowl victories as well as suffering through some rebuilding seasons. Coach Mike Tomlin always seems to have his team well prepared, no matter what roster shortcomings the Steelers may have. The Steeler fans are easy to spot in their black and gold attire, outfitted with their gold and black “Terrible Towels”, which wave incessantly on key plays throughout the game. Several fan groups exist for individual players as well as for the entire team. It is mostly a white-collar crowd, with many families boasting of third-generation support for the Steelers. A new addition for fans to enjoy is the Play Football pregame area outside of the stadium at the south end of the stadium property. This features numerous football-related skills challenges, visits by the Steelers mascot, a trivia contest, and visits with immortal Steelers players from the past. The 2026 NFL Draft will be aired from this location during the draft process. Acrisure Stadium 2026 NFL Draft Signage, Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey Access 5 Steeler fans have several options to reach Acrisure Stadium on Sundays in the fall. Persons driving in from the north can take I-279 South and take exits IB or 2B to lots on the North Shore. Other travelers coming south on Rte. 28 South can exit at East Ohio Street to reach the parking lots. Acrisure Stadium is located within a mile of both I-376 and I-579. Fans coming from the south should park in one of the several lots in Downtown Pittsburgh. Fans can then cross the Allegheny River via the Andy Warhol Bridge to Acrisure Stadium. The PRT light rail system runs a free shuttle service from downtown Pittsburgh to the North Side Station and the Allegheny Station, which are both within easy walking distance of Acrisure Stadium. The WAZE app will advise you on the best route to Acrisure Stadium on gamedays. Recently, the Steelers and the Pirates partnered in the development of a new parking garage located between their two stadiums. The Champions Garage offers 400 additional parking spots in the area near the stadium. The most unique way to get to Acrisure Stadium for a Steelers game is via the Gateway Clipper Water Shuttle. Fans can park at the Station Square complex along the Monongahela River and sail to Acrisure Stadium. This journey will include a short portion of the Ohio River as well. The cost for this option is $15 round-trip. Once you enter the stadium, you will have access to more than 45 restrooms, 7 team stores, and 15 novelty stands. The Acrisure Stadium gates open two hours before kickoff. Return on Investment 4 The Steelers have a huge season ticket base, with many locals passing on their prized tickets to the next generation of their family to carry on the tradition. This leaves relatively few tickets available for visitors to the area, and this is reflected in the single-game ticket prices. We sampled prices from both a regular-season rivalry game (in this case, a game against the Cincinnati Bengals) and an early-season non-conference foe (Jacksonville). The prices for the rivalry game on the team site were $159.25 for a seat in the 500 level behind the end zone, and $202.65 for a seat at the 50-yard line in the 500 level. For this same game, the tickets at the 200 level of the stands were $340.60 for behind-the-end-zone seats and $617.70 for 50-yard line seats at that level. In comparison, the same ticket locations for an early-season, non-conference game against Jacksonville priced out at $49.55 for a behind-the-end-zone seat and $149.20 for a 50-yard line seat. Gameday parking in North Shore lots ranges from $20 to $35. The light rail system to and from the North Side and Allegheny stations is free on game days. Extras 3 One extra goes to having a terrific view of Downtown Pittsburgh and the Golden Triangle across the river from the stadium. A second extra must go to the fans with their Terrible Towels. Visiting fans can feel the energy generated by 50,000 towels waving on key plays during the games. The Steelers Hall of Honor Museum is also located at Acrisure Stadium. It is well worth a visit on a non-gameday. The 10,000 square foot museum promotes, preserves, and celebrates the Steelers’ history. There are 50 former Steelers in the franchise’s Hall of Honor, and in addition to those players, significant games and plays are also on display in this heritage hall. Final Thoughts History, heritage, hard hits, and hoagies all come together as a part of the gameday experience at Acrisure Stadium, the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.