Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14 Gainbridge Fieldhouse 125 S Pennsylvania St Indianapolis, IN 46204 Indiana Pacers website Gainbridge Fieldhouse website Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 18,165 The Gainbridge Fieldhouse is All New Gainbridge Fieldhouse is nearing the completion of a three-phase renovation that transformed the Indiana Pacers' home into a modern facility with all the amenities of the 20s. The roughly $360 million will be incurred in the remodeling efforts, which includes a list of changes in this link . The building has new club seating and suites, renovated upper and lower bowls, and two additional club seating areas. Three distinct lower-level premium club experiences will also highlight the efforts that include two VIP member clubs that pay homage to the Pacer's former homes at the Indiana State Fairgrounds (1967-1974) and Market Square Arena (1974-1999). Morris Bicennential Plaza is located outside the main entrances and features a full-size basketball court for fans to shoot, dribble, and play a little basketball. The court converts to an ice skating rink during the winter months. The "Sphere" is a reflective, dome-like sculpture with an interior video screen that is ideal for photos. There are several murals and sculptures in the plaza, including a bar area for grab-and-go drinks. Gainbridge Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers, debuted November 6, 1999, as Conseco Fieldhouse. It would be known as Bankers Life Fieldhouse until September 2021. The seating capacity has increased from 17,923 to a whopping 20,000 - making it the 5th largest in the NBA. Food & Beverage 4 The food and beverage options have been updated at the fieldhouse and include new and familiar options. The Warehouse District BBQ and Three Point Taqueria are two options that offer fans something different at the game. The Indiana Kitchen offers lemon pepper and honey glazed chicken wings, short rib poutine, and maple bourbon sticks. If you are looking for familiar options then Fieldhouse Favorites has you covered. Hot dogs, nachos, chicken tenders, pizza, burgers, pretzels, and Pepsi products are all available. There is a value menu that features $4 hot dogs, $3 popcorn, and $8 PBR and Coors Banquet cans. A unique sweet treat is served at the Steak 'n Shake Milkshake Bar which offers cotton candy, mega M&M, and crazy chocolate brownie flavors. The Fast Break Market sells grab-and-go beverages and snacks. A nacho cart offers an array of toppings and Ben's Pretzels has long lines for freshly, made baked pretzels. The Crossroads Eats sells gourmet hot dogs. The Yuengling Flight Deck and the Jim Beam Bar offer beers, wine, and cocktails. It also has various TV screens and views of the playing court. Atmosphere 4 The Pacers have done a splendid job of creating an energetic atmosphere that starts in the main lobby. The atrium itself offers large windows, allowing natural lighting to fill up the area, and features banners of current players and a large roundel chandelier overlooking the half-circular staircase leading up to the main concourse. At times, the ceremonies in the lobby area include a barbershop quartet, a live band, or a drum band getting ready for the game. Fans are provided the chance to take in this musical environment as they purchase their tickets and walk up the stairs being greeted by staff and cheerleaders. The concourse has been revamped and features basketball-theme murals that are both popping with collar and creativity, along with honoring past greats who have suited up for the Pacers, Indiana Fever (WNBA), and high school teams of the state. Sadly, many of the trophy cases that once displayed basketball memorabilia are now gone, including the three ABA trophies and various team jerseys of the past. A $4.3 million 20 feet by52.5-foott video scoreboard includes underbelly panels for improving sightlines for fans sitting next to the court. This is surrounded by team banners of retired jerseys, league titles, and division championships. The Pacers’ gift shop has an array of team merchandise but is a little cramped for the size of the arena. However, a couple of stands and one station can personalize a jersey with your name on it located on the main concourse. Neighborhood 5 The fieldhouse is in the heart of downtown Indianapolis and even closer to retail and restaurants than Lucas Oil Stadium down the street. The only problem is choosing which place to grab a drink or eat before or after the game. Located near the arena is the local favorite Kilroy’s Bar and Grill offers 40 flat-screen televisions, shuffleboard, video games, and their famous pepperoni stuffed breadsticks. Another fan favorite, Brother’s Bar & Grill, is a short walk and is another popular destination before or after the game. A few more favorite spots after the game that are near the fieldhouse are District Tap, Tequila Street Cantina, and Pier 48 Fish House & Oyster Bar. If you have some time in town I would recommend visiting the neighborhoods of Mass Ave. and Fountain Square where one can enjoy live music, craft beer, fine dining, and a little shopping at local retail shops. Mass Ave. is also home to the Bottlework District which recently opened and houses The Garage where multiple foods and drink vendors offer an array of culinary treasures. Downtown Indy is also safe, clean, and easy to get around by car, foot, or mass transit. Local museums include The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, the NCAA Hall of Champions, the Indiana State Museum, and the Benjamin Harrison Presidential Site. The riverwalk canal is also a nice spot for a stroll on a warm spring day. Fans 4 The fan base can be fickle at times when the team is not playing at playoff caliber, but that is expected for many others across the nation. With that being said, there are legions of dedicated fans who wear blue and gold no matter what the team’s record is at the moment. The fans are friendly towards visitors and make themselves heard through various cheering sections throughout the building. One thing is for certain, most people enjoy their time during a game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Access 4 The arena is easily accessible from the major interstates of 70, 65, and 465 with parking abundant throughout the downtown vicinity. After the game, exiting these facilities takes a little know-how of the one-way streets of Indianapolis, but signs are posted that direct customers to their desired route back home. Traffic moves smoothly during this time as well, as there are officers who are stationed to keep cars moving. The same can be said for moving around the building during the game. Bathrooms, entrances, and seating areas are well-marked. Return on Investment 4 The price of a ticket depends on who the team is playing. They can cost as low as $8 on the secondary market depending on the opponent and time of the week. However, ticket prices rise against popular opponents and on the weekends. The average price of a ticket will be between $25-30 on most nights. Parking ranges from $10-$20 the closer you arrive to the fieldhouse. I would recommend parking at the Circle City Centre Mall where the average price is $13 for 4-6 hours of parking. Metered parking is enforced until 11 PM on the street. There are no fees for Sunday games. The seats in the upper deck can be a little steep, but they do provide a great view of the court and play. There are many great vantage points from many levels and courtside seats put you almost in the play of the game. The organization provides affordable tickets that include mini-game packages that are posted on billboards across the city. Extras 4 The building itself provides wonderful aesthetics that begin in the main lobby and continue with vintage advertisements painted on brick walls. The collection of memorabilia showcases the building as a basketball-first facility. There is an impressive array of items from former professional clubs from the city, local high schools, and the major universities and colleges in the state. A great location near many bars, restaurants, and a few shops. The area is well-lit, clean, and safe. If you enjoy walking, explore downtown on foot. Final Thoughts The Gainbridge Fieldhouse has improved in many aspects from new concessions to wider concourses, and more luxury areas to entertain fans. The energy before the game and during time-outs in the game keep fans entertained throughout the game. Tickets are affordable to many games, parking can be found for as low as $10 in nearby garages, and there is plenty of places to visit for a nightcap after a Pacers game. —— Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel . Email at marc.viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00 Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center 284 Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Way Statesboro, GA 30458 Georgia Southern Eagles website Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center website Year Opened: 2024 Capacity: 5,500 Whose House?  Our House! The 2024-25 season was a transitional one for Georgia Southern Eagles basketball. On December 7, 2024 the Eagles played their final game in the 55-year-old Hanner Fieldhouse, before moving across campus to the newly completed Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center, which has quickly earned the moniker, “The Hill”. The Georgia Southern men’s team began writing its history at The Hill on December 17th with an 87-81 victory over the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs . The arena became the third home of Georgia Southern basketball since the program’s founding in 1926, following Anderson Hall and Hanner Fieldhouse. Since joining NCAA’s Division 1 in 1971, Georgia Southern men’s basketball has played in multiple conferences, including the Atlantic Sun (previously the TransAmerica Athletic Conference), Southern, and Big South. The school has been members of the Sun Belt Conference since the football program made the jump to college football’s highest level.   Food & Beverage   2 Hill Convocation Center’s concessions do not offer a lot in terms of the diversity of options. Hot dogs, pretzels, and nachos with cheese sauce make up the bulk of the menu, with snackables such as popcorn, peanuts, chips, and candy also available. Soft drinks are from the Coca-Cola line of beverages. Refillable cups are self-serve, so it is nice to not have to wait in line just for a refill, not to mention the disappointment of a cup full of ice and little beverage. Georgia Southern also offers a deep roster of alcoholic beverages with NUTRL hard seltzers, Cutwater canned mixed drinks, and Creature Comfort’s Tropicalia, which is often ranked as one of Georgia’s top craft beers. Also offered is the Georgia Southern-branded “Hail Southern” from Fire Maker Brewing. A grab-and-go station is tucked into the corner of one of the front halls – beyond snacks, this stand also pours draft Craft Cocktails Blue and Gold margaritas and Blue Splash draft cocktails.   Atmosphere   3 The exterior of Hill Convocation Center has the resemblance of an eagle with its wings extended, soaring through the air. The top of the arena is also surrounded with translucent panels which allow natural light in; this gives the whole arena an airy, bright feel to it that highlights the school color-themed blue seats and white finish. Permanent seating creates a horseshoe from the far end baseline, which is fronted by three rows of floor-level seating and a row of court side seats. Retractable bleachers fill out the home end of the floor. In addition, each corner of the concourse also has long drink rails that allow spectators to stand and enjoy the game. A rectangular video board is mounted on the far end wall, running a video feed of the game along with player point and foul totals, as well as game time and team fouls. A small scoreboard with just game time and score hangs over the façade at the entry end of the arena. For the most part, timeouts at Hill Convocation Center find a nice balance between the use of popular music and the school’s pep band to hold the attention of fans, while halftime is used for on-court promotions with fans, to help fill the downtime.   Neighborhood   3 Hill Convocational Center is just off the southern edge of Georgia Southern’s campus, nearly directly across the highway from Paulson Stadium , home of Eagles football. Highway 31, which runs in front of the arena, also has a selection of eateries and shopping plazas. The closest shopping development, University Station, has options that include Blaze Pizza and Wayback Burgers, amongst several shops, while the neighboring Eagles Corner shopping center houses a Publix supermarket, Crumbl Cookies, and Eggs Up Grill, which offers a breakfast and lunch menu. Eagles Corner is directly across the way from Tormenta Stadium, where South Georgia Tormenta FC of USL One plays – note that the start of Tormenta’s season overlaps with the end of the Eagles basketball schedule. If looking to fill time before a game, nearby is The Clubhouse; this family entertainment center includes bowling lanes, laser tag, and arcade games among their indoor activities, as well as miniature golf and go-carts outside. For a bit more of a local taste of Statesboro, “The Blue Mile” that runs along the western side of campus into downtown includes the popular Dolan’s Bar-B-Que, along with a handful of locally owned shops and restaurants. The area where Hill Convocation Center was built is still a bit of a work in progress, but has seen a tremendous amount of growth and will continue to develop in the coming years.   Fans   3 The move from Hanner Fieldhouse to The Hill does not seem to have had a major impact on overall attendance – conference attendance numbers this year have been comparable to last year, with approximately just over 2,000 fans per game. Given Statesboro’s milder winter climate, Georgia Southern baseball is frequently a host for early season series, which can certainly conflict with the interest of the student body and local community in Eagles basketball, come February. Despite somewhat down numbers overall, fans in attendance here are passionate about the success of their Eagles on the hardwood.   Access   3 Statesboro certainly is not the easiest place to get to, located approximately an hour west of the Georgia port city of Savannah and two hours from central Georgia’s Macon, along Interstate 16. Statesboro does break up the monotonous farmland between the two cities. Georgia Southern’s campus is roughly 10 miles off the interstate. The front entry point to Hill Convocation Center takes fans directly into the concourse that completely encircles the seating area. This is always a nice feature to have, since it allows fans to keep in touch with the game even during a trip to the restroom or concession stand. Televisions mounted on the walls also keep those out of their seats connected to the game. Currently there is just one way in and out of the parcel of land The Hill is located on. This can create a bit of a backup in exiting after the game, but local officers are on hand to help the process of getting back onto the highways run as smoothly as possible.   Return on Investment   3 Tickets start at a face value of $15 before a $2 “Competitive Excellence Fee” is added, along with a $3 service fee, to the order. These fees only apply to the order and not for each ticket purchased. Prices do receive a $5 bump on game days. Free parking is available both in the grass lots beyond the donor lots and along the roads of the still developing parcel of land where the convocation center is located. Concession prices seem comparable to other sports venues at similar levels; as expected there is a premium markup on alcohol.   Extras   4 Honored numbers from Georgia Southern’s basketball program hang from the wall at the far end of the arena. The wall on the eastern side of the concourse is home to the Georgia Southern Athletic Hall of Fame; this display lists the names of all inducted members, and features the most recent inductees on each side. As with most of Georgia Southern’s sporting events, Eagles mascot Gus is hard at work throughout the game interacting with fans and cheering on the Eagles. In an ode to the fans and the university, following the game the team joins the spirit squad, and remaining fans pay their respects by singing the school’s alma mater, as played by the pep band.   Final Thoughts When new facilities open, it often means the closing of a beloved venue, as is the case here at Georgia Southern. The move from Hanner Fieldhouse to Hill Convocation Center feels bittersweet – while Hanner’s wooden seats, narrow concourses, and less-than-ideal vantage points posed challenges, they were all part of its unique charm. What Hanner lacked in comfort, it more than made up for in atmosphere, creating an energy that may be hard to replicate in a larger arena. After all, 2,000 fans packed into a 3,000-seat gym feels much different than the same number spread across a venue nearly twice the size. Jack and Ruth Ann Hill Convocation Center is a beautiful facility that many teams would be lucky to call home. Sometimes though, it just takes a bit of time to make a new home feel lived in, and feel like home.

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14 Capital One Arena 601 F St NW Washington, DC 20004 Washington Capitals website Capital One Arena website Year Opened: 1997 Capacity: 18,506 Rocking The Red In DC Capital One Arena opened in 1997 as the home of the Washington Capitals, replacing the aging Capital Centre in Landover. Since then, the Caps have experienced a dramatic rise in popularity and success thanks to players like Alex Ovechkin, culminating in their victory in the 2018 Stanley Cup Final. In addition to hosting hockey, Capital One Arena serves several other functions as well, including playing host to the Washington Wizards and Georgetown Hoyas men’s basketball. Although there was a time not so long ago when this wasn’t the case, a Washington Capitals game at Capital One Arena is a memorable experience for any sports or hockey fan. Owner Ted Leonsis has done a fantastic job at growing the team and improving the arena atmosphere since buying the team in 1999, and his efforts have shown, both on and off the ice. A new arena in Alexandria, Virginia was proposed in 2024, but fell through in the face of fierce local opposition. Instead, Capital One Arena will be renovated in the summer of 2025, and the Caps will remain in the city until at least 2050. This means that the experience, already outstanding, will be even better next year. Food & Beverage 4 Capital One Arena has plenty of food and beverage offerings that are sure to satisfy any fan, and recently they have added some unique options as well. Main course options include Papa John’s pizza, cheeseburgers, and chicken tenders, and the last two come with fries. Other options include Italian sausage, hot dogs, and Chick-fil-A. In the past few years, arena ownership has added even more options beyond the standard ones, including tacos and donuts. Rita's Italian ice and frozen custard are available for fans with a sweet tooth. Snacks include popcorn and hot pretzels. Thirsty fans can buy bottled water or soda, all Pepsi products. Beer and other alcohol are also available to fans of all ages. The one bad part is that prices are expensive, as a meal and non-alcoholic beverage will easily cost over $20, and alcohol is extremely pricey as well. Atmosphere 5 A Capitals game at Capital One Arena is a fantastic experience, starting before the puck is even dropped. A few minutes before the pregame, fog will descend from the rafters of the arena. While this may seem odd, it does serve a purpose. When the pregame starts, the lights will go out in the arena as spotlights shine through the fog, creating patterns on the ice and in the air. Meanwhile, graphics, including the Capitals' logo and video of Caps players, will be projected onto the ice itself. The team is introduced, the anthem plays as an American flag projects onto the ice, and the puck drops. A large scoreboard and videoboard overhangs center ice and shows player and team stats as well as live video of the game. Smaller boards in the corners show the players on the ice for the Capitals. The backs of these boards serve as video boards for fans sitting in the corner sections of the upper levels. Unless you are sitting in one of these sections, you will not be able to see the back of the board, but you will likely have a better viewing angle of the one at center ice. There will be content held off-ice during media timeouts and shown on the big screen. Between periods, youth teams come onto the ice and play a hockey match. The Capitals' mascot, Slapshot, is an eagle. He can be seen roving the arena and interacting with fans. Each player has their personal goal song which is played over the PA system after they score. Neighborhood 4 Capital One Arena is located in the Chinatown neighborhood of DC, though the area has gentrified significantly since the arena was built. The Greene Turtle is a popular sports bar located right around the corner and there are many more options a few blocks away down 6th Street in Penn Quarter. Unfortunately, a lot of other businesses in the area have closed in recent years, between COVID and rising crime in the area. The neighborhood is still pretty safe despite public perception to the contrary, but you are in a major city so be aware of your surroundings. Your best entertainment options will involve traveling a bit away from the arena, but not far. That’s because you’re in DC, the nation’s capital, and there’s a lot to do. The best part is that most of it’s free. Whether it’s checking out the many memorials and monuments on and around the National Mall, visiting one of the numerous museums, or simply taking in the historic sights, there’s something for everyone here. All government-run attractions are free to the public, though some private ones are not. Fans 5 The Washington Capitals draw excellent crowds to every home game - most are sold out, or nearly so. The team encourages fans to "Rock the Red" and they certainly do. They come decked out in Capitals gear and cheer their team from start to finish. Expect the place to erupt after Capitals goals. Cheers of "Let's Go Caps!" and "C-A-P-S Caps Caps Caps!" can be heard throughout the game. Air horns can be heard from the crowd as well - something that is allowed at Capitals games but not any other event in this arena. Access 3 Capital One Arena is located just steps from the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station on the Red, Green, and Yellow lines. While this may seem like an amazing thing, the unfortunate reality is that Metro is difficult at the best of times and unusable at the worst. The last few years have seen numerous construction projects shut down several stations for weeks or even months at a time. Even if one of these isn’t ongoing, there is track work almost every weekend that increases headways on many lines and often closes several additional stations. The result is that there could be 24 minutes or more between trains, and that’s assuming everything functions properly, which it frequently doesn’t. The good news is that even people coming from outside the immediate DC area can take the Metro by parking at one of the suburban stations. Keep in mind that you will need to pay for parking with the same SmarTrip card you paid your fare with or you will be subject to a much higher rate at certain stations. If you don’t want to chance it with Metro, you can drive to the game. Ample garage parking is available but is costly. The exact cost varies by the day and based on availability, but expect to pay at least $20 and probably much more. You can also take a rideshare such as Uber or Lyft. Once you’re in the arena, the concourses are wide enough to allow for easy navigation. There can be long lines at concessions or restrooms during intermission, but if you leave as soon as the period ends, you should be back in your seat by the time the game resumes. Keep in mind that Capital One Arena does not allow bags, clear or otherwise, into the arena. This is a frustrating policy that forces us to reduce the score in this category. Return on Investment 4 Tickets to Capitals games will start at $50-$60 for upper-level seats and go up from there. Seats in the lower level will cost several times that. Concessions are expensive as well. This is all typical of NHL arenas nowadays, and the experience here is good enough to still make this an above-average value. Still, you can expect to pay quite a bit for a Capitals game. Extras 4 Look for the banners in the rafters honoring Capitals' history, including the 2018 Stanley Cup Championship. If the Capitals are losing or tied late in the game, expect the "Unleash the Fury" video to play on the jumbotron during one of the final media timeouts. This video consists of various clips from movies and people shouting "Unleash the Fury" to pump up the crowd and excite them and the team to rally to victory. The pregame show and ability to project images onto the ice during this show and at other times, while related, are each worthy of their extra star here. Final Thoughts The experience at a Washington Capitals game is top notch. The crowds here are excellent, the product on the ice is outstanding, and the atmosphere is one of the best in the league. While a Caps game can be pricey, hockey fans will definitely want to make the trip into D.C. to see a game.

Photos by Richard Smith Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark University Blvd North Charleston, SC 29406 Charleston Southern Buccaneers website Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark website Year Opened: 2001 Capacity: 1,000 The Bucs Stop Here Charleston Southern University is a Baptist-affiliated school located in North Charleston, South Carolina. Charleston Southern University was chartered in 1960 and became the Baptist College of Charleston, where it offered its first classes in the education building of the First Baptist Church of North Charleston. One of the most famous alumni is United States Senator Tim Scott. The sports teams are known as the Buccaneers and participate in the Big South Conference. The home field for the Buccaneers baseball program is the on-campus Nielsen Field at CSU Ballpark. Food & Beverage 3 CSU Ballpark has a single concession stand located down the first baseline just beyond the home team dugout. It was not in use, but instead, there was a food truck parked by the front gate. The options were really good and quite popular. Atmosphere 4 The small college pride was in full effect at this game. The grandstands were packed and all sides of the field were filled with fans. Based on earlier reviews, the school has changed some of the setup at the field. The entrance looks slightly different, and some fixed seating along the backstop has been removed and replaced with white rocking chairs. It is a great look that makes things just seem much more cool. The stadium is a simple affair but is situated nicely in a hollow so that everyone, from all angles, will have a great view of the action. Neighborhood 3 Charleston Southern University is located right off I-26, which means it is easy to get to. Smokey Bones Bar and Grill and Willie Jewells Old School BBQ are two great food options in the area while the Wingate by Wyndham Hotel located next door to the university, is a great lodging choice. The Hampton Inn is also located in the vicinity of the university. Charleston is, of course, where you may want. to venture for many more interesting options. If you haven’t been to Charleston, just ask anyone who has and they’ll speak of the city with terms like “beautiful” and “favorite” that don’t do justice to the area at all. Charleston, South Carolina, is a city that beautifully blends historical charm with a vibrant, modern atmosphere. Charleston is renowned for its stunning architecture, particularly its well-preserved antebellum mansions. Think cobblestone streets, grand houses with sprawling porches, and lush, hidden gardens. The city's history is palpable, with landmarks like Fort Sumter, where the first shots of the Civil War were fired, and the Battery, a scenic waterfront promenade. The city boasts a thriving food scene, with a focus on fresh seafood and Southern cuisine. From upscale restaurants to cozy cafes, there's something to satisfy every palate. Fans 4 The stands are a family affair, filled with players and their loved ones, alongside a few dedicated locals. The crowd's knowledge is palpable, and their welcome is genuine, creating a uniquely supportive sporting experience. Access 4 Charleston Southern University and the CSU Ballpark are easily accessed via I-26 at exit 205. The school is located directly off the interstate. The baseball field is located at the rear of the campus and offers ample free parking. Return on Investment 4 Tickets are now free to Charleston Southern baseball games, whereas they were charged in the past. This makes for a great return on investment, along with the free parking and the good prices for concessions. . Extras 2 Find the small grove of nine palm trees planted just in front of the Baseball Complex Building. These trees are a memorial to the nine church members who perished in the Mother Emanuel AME Church shootings in Charleston. One of the victims was the mother of a CSU baseball player. The rocking chairs in place of regular seating around the backstop are a nice touch. Final Thoughts Attending a Charleston Southern University baseball game is about enjoying the simple pleasures of college sports in a warm and welcoming setting. It's a chance to connect with the community, appreciate the dedication of the athletes, and experience the unique blend of athletics and faith that defines the university.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Mustang Stadium 11005 Owings Mills Blvd Owings Mills, MD 21117 Stevenson Mustangs website Mustang Stadium website Year Opened: 2011 Capacity: 3,500 A History of Horses There are times when something good can spring from something so bad. Stevenson University and its wonderful athletic facilities are "the good". The events of March 1984 were "the bad", at least for the residents of Maryland. At 2 am on March 29th of that year, fifteen Mayflower moving trucks arrived at the Baltimore Colts training facility in Owings Mills, a northwest suburb of Baltimore. Workers loaded all of the team’s belongings and the trucks left for Indianapolis arriving later that day to a massive welcome. The move happened in the dark since the Colt’s owner Bob Irsay feared the Maryland legislature would pass an eminent domain bill that would have legally barred the team from moving. The bill passed later that day but it was too late, as the locally beloved franchise was already gone. The former training facility had, in the early years after the Colts left, seen some of its lands sold off by then-property owners Baltimore City. The main building and field also were used as a training center for local police officers. Football returned from 1994 to 1995 as the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) used the training center. The Stallions were quite a success, easily the most successful of the United States CFL expansion teams, with strong attendance numbers and appearances in the CFL Grey Cup Championship Game in both years they were in town. In 1995 they even won that championship, but when the Cleveland Browns agreed to move to Maryland, the Stallions realized that they needed to move on. Move they did, back to Canada and they are still known today as the Montreal Alouettes. In 1996, the newly renamed Baltimore Ravens team took up residence in the Owings Mills facility. The team would move to a new center, also in the Owings Mills area, called the Under Armour Performance Center in 2004. That new facility is referred to as “The Castle” for its architectural style. Villa Julie College has always been a bit of a quirky place. Originally located in the Greenspring Valley of Baltimore County and its Stevenson neighborhood, the college was an all-girls school until 1972 and did not even offer bachelor degrees until 1984. It also was entirely non-residential. Eventually, the college desired to add housing and more of just about everything, so a new campus was added in Owings Mills. This expansion dramatically increased the college’s offerings and student population. In 2008, they decided they needed a new identity and changed their name to Stevenson University. The old campus is still in use. The Owings Mills campus just happened to be right next door to the old Baltimore Colts training facility. Stevenson acquired the building and land and used it as the center of their athletic department. In 2006 it re-opened as the Caves Sports and Wellness Center. Some of the locker rooms and facilities are similar to the ones left behind by the Ravens, with necessary remodeling done. In addition, in 2010, the 38,000-square-foot Owings Mills Gymnasium was added. Mustang Stadium is also home to the university’s soccer, football, and field hockey teams. Food & Beverage 4 There is one permanent food stand at Mustang Stadium. The prices are extremely fair, even if the menu is pretty limited. The best bargains are the Family Meal Deals which include three hot dogs, three drinks, three chips or one hot dog, one pretzel, three bottled waters, and an order of nachos. If I were there with my family buying these deals would be a given. There is plenty of room on the concourse level if they wish to have other temporary food stands. Credit cards are accepted at the official food stand. Atmosphere 3 Only a couple hundred fans tend to attend Mustang games. We were there for a weeknight game so the attendance was even lower. Even with a small crowd, the stadium has a nice atmosphere to it. The impressive stadium has general admission seating for 3,000 along the west side of the playing field. There is also a large press box and club level with 440 club seats, a patio, and a President’s Suite. A large student fitness center is also in the press box building and overlooks nearby Owings Mill Boulevard. With no track at the stadium, the fans are afforded a pretty close view of the game action. The concourse level also has a fully stocked team store if you decide to become a big Mustangs fan or purchase a souvenir. The official campus store is located nearby, outside of the stadium, if you need additional options. Neighborhood 4 Owings Mills is a suburb of Baltimore, so there are plenty of shopping centers and restaurants in the area. Many good options are within easy walking distance such as Subway, IHOP, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries. The Owings Mills station of the Baltimore Metro subway system is located about a mile away from campus. Fans 3 There were not many fans at the game but this is Maryland so it tends to be a very knowledgeable lacrosse fanbase. Being a largely commuter university there may not be too many students at the games. There are residence halls near to the stadium so some student attendance is always possible. Access 4 Owings Mills Boulevard has an exit off of nearby Interstate 795. The stadium is a pretty quick one-mile trip from the highway. I worried about traffic in an area that is pretty busy even on normal days, but the traffic was no problem. The university has plenty of parking in the area and there are no issues here. Parking is free. Return on Investment 4 General admission tickets are $10. Concessions are reasonably priced, and parking is free, making a Stevenson lacrosse game a great value. Extras 3 The former home of three professional football teams, the Caves Sports and Wellness Center is worth a quick trip around the corner from Mustang Stadium. Try to remember 1984 and the pain and struggle that local football fans went through for years. Next to the stadium is a statue of a Mustang, the university’s mascot. This is a good meet-up spot and photo opportunity. Check out the cool mural, as well as the history signs about the Baltimore Colts, Baltimore Stallions, Baltimore Ravens, and the birth of Stevenson football. Final Thoughts Besides being on historic ground, Stevenson University’s Mustang Stadium offers the fans great value, as well as a nice place to watch lacrosse.

Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71 MacLauchlan Arena @ Bell Aliant Centre University of Prince Edward Island 560 University Ave Charlottetown, PE C1A 9M8 UPEI Panthers website Bell Aliant Centre website Year Opened : 2003 Capacity : 1.160 Hockey Island One of the most unique provinces in Canada has to be Prince Edward Island.  The entire island is only 224 km long and has a population of approximately 180,000 but is politically on equal footing with the other 9 provinces.  The capital city of PEI is Charlottetown and it is the centre of commerce for the province.  The city has a population of 38,000 which lends to its small town, friendly feel.  It is definitely a summer tourist destination, but hockey is still present on the island.  The University of Prince Edward Island is found in Charlottetown and boasts 5,500 students.  UPEI was established in 1969 as the amalgamation of St. Dunstan’s University and Prince of Wales College, established in 1855 and 1860 respectively, which created the new institution designed to integrate the Catholic and Protestant communities of Charlottetown.  The UPEI Panthers hockey team is currently part of the Atlantic University Sport conference in USports.  Taking the ice in 1969 with the establishment of UPEI, the Panthers trace their history back to 1935 when St. Dunstan’s University Saints first took the ice.  Home for the Panthers is MacLauchlan Arena @ Bell Aliant Centre.  The on-campus sports complex houses the two ice rinks, which comprise the arena as well as a swimming pool and other community and athletic facilities.  Although Bell Aliant Centre is located on the UPEI campus, it truly is an area facility.  The arena is named after Harry MacLauchlan, a PEI businessman. Food & Beverage 2 Concessions options are fairly limited at MacLauchlan Arena.  The Lone Oak Lounge is essentially the only concussion option that is within the arena.  Lone Oak Brewing products are available.  There are also a couple of vending machines in the arena.  Outside the arena, in the greater Bell Aliant Centre, fans will be able to find a Subway as well as more vending machines in the lobby of the complex.  Although it could be argued that a full service Subway does offer a set of options wider than a typical snack bar, the Subway is enclosed and services the entire centre, making lines long and slow. Atmosphere 3 The Bell Aliant Centre has an exterior that fits the rest of the UPEI campus.  Brown brick and green roofs are found throughout the campus and the brown brick exterior of Bell Aliant Centre fits right in.  The Bell Aliant Centre is a large, community complex that houses the two rinks of the MacLauchlan Arena as well as a pool and other community facilities while being attached to UPEI’s Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.  Inside the Bell Aliant Centre is a huge lobby which brings all of the facilities together.  The ticket kiosk is at the southeast end of the arena.  Just beyond that is a display of note highlighting the history of the Panthers’ predecessor, St. Dunstan’s Saints.  Entry to MacLauchlan Arena is on the opposite side with a breezeway that connects the two ice rinks.  Rink 1 is the bigger of the two and home to the Panthers.  Inside the rink, the ice is oriented from northwest to southeast with seating only on the southwest side.  Seating is separated into an upper and lower section with seven rows of plastic, arena seats each.  MacLauchlan Arena is very cold, so selecting a seat in the lower level, under one of the gas heaters may be the best choice.  Lower rows in the upper level may have partially obstructed views by railings. On the wall in the north corner hang the banners for the five conference championships that the Panthers have earned.  There are also retired numbers from both the Panthers and Saints including Wilfred MacDonald, Mike Kelly, George Trainor, Dennis Clough, Mike O’Brien, Vince Mulligan, Billy Mulligan, Dave Shellington and former NHL player, Joel Ward.  Closer to the eastern corner hangs a banner commemorating Hockey Day in Canada which was hosted from Prince Edward Island in 2012.  There are simple scoreclocks on both ends of the rink and in the middle, on the northeast wall is a decent videoboard, also unique for USports hockey.   The Lone Oak Lounge is a seating option in the southeast end and offers a place to consume alcoholic beverages and escape the cold of the arena.  The gameday production at Panthers games is fairly simple.  The sound system is good and the PA announcer does a good job.  The 50/50 draw is the highlight of limited promotions. Neighbourhood 4 Bell Aliant Centre is located on the campus of the University of Prince Edward Island in the Spring Park neighbourhood of Charlottetown.  It is fair to say that Charlottetown and PEI in general are summer destinations, however there are still things to see and do during hockey season.  That being said, probably an early season matchup for the Panthers would be the best medicine.  There are a number of spots for pre and post game food and beverage close by.  Some choices included Fox & Crow, Living Grace Cafe, Smitty’s Family Restaurant, and PEI Brewing Company.  There are a couple of other sports options in town.  The Panthers also field other athletic teams including basketball at the attached Chi-Wan Young Sports Centre.  The main draw would be the Charlottetown Islanders  of the QMJHL.  Red Shores Racetrack is right next door to the home of the Islanders and runs right through January before picking up again in May.  Other tourist options should be researched based on the time in PEI as many are seasonal.  PEI is the home of Anne of Green Gables, a Canadian literary classic, and there are a number of tourist options surrounding the character.  The Confederation Centre for the Arts, and St. Dunstan’s Cathedral are also good tourist options.  For fans wishing to stay near campus, the Holiday Inn is a good option. Fans 4 USports hockey fans can be a bit difficult to assess as the AUS, and other conferences, do not congregate attendance statistics.  That being said, UPEI has a fairly strong following.  For the 2024-25 season, the Panthers averaged over 500 fans per game, which ranked them 5th in the conference.  The previous season they ranked 3rd and averaged over 700 fans per game.  The game reviewed saw 350 fans in attendance, however, the 2024-25 season was not a strong one for the Panthers and the game reviewed was the final game of the season with no meaning to the standings.  It was also the Friday night before classes were closed for Reading Week and many students were gone.  The fans in attendance are supportive and decently loud.   Access 5 The Bell Aliant Centre is located on the campus of the University of Prince Edward Island in the Spring Park neighbourhood of Charlottetown.  Traversing Charlottetown is not difficult at all and Islanders are notoriously polite when it comes to motoring.  Bell Aliant Centre is less than 2 km south of the Trans Canada Highway (Highway 1), and getting to campus is very easy.  There is plenty of parking on site that is free during game time.  For fans who wish to take public transit, there are bus stops on University Avenue.  Fans should consult the T3 Transit website for fares, schedules and maps.  Inside Bell Aliant Centre, the atrium is huge and easy to get around.  It is also not difficult to maneuver through MacLauchlan Arena.  The washrooms are more than adequate to support the hockey crowd. Return on Investment 5 USports hockey offers tremendous value for the sporting dollar and the UPEI Panthers are no exception.  Panthers tickets start at $15 for adults and there are discounts for seniors and youth.  Kids 3 and under are free as well as UPEI students.  Seating is reserved at MacLauchlan Arena which is not common for USports hockey, so pre purchasing tickets online might be the best option.  Parking is free on site for games, and concession prices are decent.  The environment for Panthers games is solid and they are supported well by the community, making a Panthers game a great experience. Extras 3 An extra mark for the preservation of St. Dunstan’s Saints hockey history with retired numbers and a history display in the atrium. An extra mark for the Bell Aliant Centre as a community hub for Charlottetown. An extra mark for the attractive UPEI campus. Final Thoughts Hockey is probably not the first thing tourists think of when it comes to PEI, but the UPEI Panthers are a good experience and can definitely be part of a visit to the Island.  Charlottetown is an excellent location for a vacation.  MacLauchlan Arena is a good spot for university hockey and fans will definitely enjoy their time at the Panthers game. Follow all of Dave’s sporting adventures on YouTube , Twitter , Threads  and Instagram @profan9.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Arnold Field 101 N College Ave Annville, PA 17003 Flying Dutchmen website Arnold Field website Year Opened: 1969 Capacity: 2,000 Valley Lacrosse Lebanon Valley College is a liberal arts college in downtown Annville, PA. Annville is in Lebanon County, east of Hershey. Founded in 1866 Lebanon Valley has approximately 1,600 undergraduates. The Princeton Review has recognized the college as “A Best in the Northeast” and they have over thirty-five fields of study . The school’s teams are called the Flying Dutchmen, and its mascot is the Dutchman. The college is known as the home of the 1994 NCAA Division III National Champions in basketball. That 1994 championship victory over New York University was a controversial affair when a Dutchmen shot that won the game may or may not have been by the sound of the buzzer. But no matter what, the school hosts that championship proudly, as they should. Arnold Field is the home to LVC's football, field hockey, track & field, and men's and women's lacrosse teams. Food & Beverage 0 There is no real official concession stand at Arnold Field. Food could be set up as a temporary affair if the game is big enough as there is plenty of space around the field. Atmosphere 3 The crowds are into the game but they are not that large. We imagine bigger games, later in the season, and warmer weather might make this a more exciting place to watch a game. There is just not much to a Lebanon Valley lacrosse match. Neighborhood 4 Annville is a great little town of a little less than 5,000 about 8 miles east of Hershey, PA. The college is right in the heart of downtown. Funck’s Family Restaurant, Corvette Grille and Bar, and Harper’s Tavern are all local establishments that offer good food pre and post-game. The Pennsylvania chain, Hoss’s Steak & Sea House, is another option right in Annville. The food is good, cheap, and certainly plentiful. J & S Pizza is a decent option within walking distance of campus. Fans 4 The attendees at most games are family members or other athletes. There may be a few local residents who attend the games. The fans are knowledgeable and friendly to visitors. Access 4 Located on Route 422 between Lebanon and Hershey, Annville is easy to find and has no problem handling the crowds for such a small stadium. Expect that on busy game days, you will hit some traffic on Route 422, especially on Bellegrove Road by the athletic complex. There is a good amount of parking, but do plan ahead. The athletic fields are located north of the main campus, separated by a railroad. Return on Investment 5 The games are free to attend. That, along with the free parking, means that you can attend a good-level Division III program at no cost. Extras 3 Check out the John Zola statue on the east side of the stadium. This junior football running back in 1961, was killed during a game at Drexel. His 1961 teammates donated the money for the statue. Make sure to stop into the nearby Arnold Sports Center and check out the LVC Hall of Champions. This museum-like display space commemorates the great individual and team achievements of Flying Dutchman athletics. Peak into the Arnold Arena and see the 1994 National Championship basketball banner. Final Thoughts Arnold Field at Lebanon Valley College is not a fancy stadium but shows why small college athletics is such a treasure in this country. A sports fan visiting central Pennsylvania owes it to themselves to see if a game is going on when they are in the area.

Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29 Avenir Centre 150 Canada Street Moncton, NB E1C 0V2 Moncton Wildcats website Avenir Centre website Year Opened: 2018 Capacity: 8,800 The Wild Maritime Hub There is a bit of an argument as to where the hub of the Maritime provinces is in Canada.  Many point to Halifax, as it is the biggest city.  However, the combination of geography and population might just give the nod to Moncton, New Brunswick.  The population of the City of Moncton is almost 80,000 with the metropolitan area coming in at almost 158,000.  The location is much more central to New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island than Halifax, which is on the east coast.  In 2018, Moncton further expanded their case by building the Avenir Centre.  With a downtown location, a capacity of 8,800 and their main tennant, the QMJHL Moncton Wildcats, Avenir Centre hosts plenty of concerts and shows that attract people from all over the area.  Avenir Centre has co-hosted the 2023 IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships and is in the mix for a future Memorial Cup.  The naming rights are held by Avenir Hearing, a local chain of hearing clinics. The Wildcats were founded as the expansion Moncton Alpines in 1995 and played out of the Moncton Coliseum.  After one season they were purchased by local industrialist Robert Irving and renamed the Moncton Wildcats.  For the 2024-25 season, the Wildcats have lured USports hockey coaching legend Gardiner MacDougall to take the reins of the team.  Moncton has seen plenty of NHL alumni pass through including Corey Crawford, Brad Marchand and former coach Ted Nolan.  The WIldcats earned the Presidents’ Trophy as the best team in the QMJHL in 2006 and 2010. Food & Beverage 5 Avenir Centre offers best-in-class concession options.  There is something for everyone available and concession stands are unique and do not all have the same menu.  The expected hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels and the likes are available but there is also so much more.  Big Belly Deli offers a variety of sandwiches including Philly Cheese Steaks and Montreal Smoked Meat; The Hub offers a variety of burgers; Slice of Paradise offers a variety of unique pizza options; Mexi’s Fresh Express has a variety of TexMex options; Sugar Rush has a variety of confection options; Authentic Poutinerie has a variety of poutine options; and Beaver Tails has a variety of the uniquely Canadian treat available as well.  Pepsi products are the soda of choice in the Avenir Centre and Tim Hortons has a stand serving up Canada’s staple coffee.  Moosehead Light has a huge presence at Avenir Centre and would probably be considered the beer of choice. Atmosphere 4 Avenir Centre is a modern, professional looking building.  There is a large plaza at the northeast side of the arena which features some modern sculptures and a small ice rink, and leads to the main entry.  The exterior is a combination of brown, marble-like covering and huge windows.  The north entrance leads to a huge, modern atrium with plenty of natural light able to pour in.  The mascots are available to welcome fans and pose for photo ops and there are banners honouring such Wildcat Alumni who made it to the NHL like Brad Marchand, Keith Yandle and Corey Crawford.  The team store is on the main level at the north entry.  Fans will ascend the staircase to the main concourse, which is bright and wide and clean.  The concourse has a brand-new feel to it and remains a bit sterile.  There are a few things for fans to look at, including a large Tim Hortons Timbits Hockey display and team pictures for all of their years in existence.  There are not a ton of other Wildcats markings. Inside the arena, the ice is oriented from south to north with the centre ice logo picture best taken from the east side.  The seating consists of modern plastic arena seats of various colours and numbers of rows.  The east side has the fewest seats, but does offer two stories of luxury boxes as well as the pressbox.  At ice level on the south side, the seats have been retracted and the Moosehead Light Ice Bar is available for fans.  A modern, four-sided videoboard hangs above centre ice.  On the north side of the arena banners for the 2006 and 2010 Presidents Cup as QMJHL Champions hang, along with banners for division and conference championships.  On the opposite side, the retired number 29 honouring Corey Crawford hangs.  Banners for local legends of a previous era Phillip Doiron, Oscar Gaudet and Bill Riley also hang.  The Wildcats do their best to put together a professional gameday production.  The team enters the ice from the northwest corner through illuminated cat claws.  Classic rock often plays through the crystal clear sound system and the in-game host leads a few promotions.  Finally, organist Lynden Steeves entertains the crowd from the southeast corner box with his musical talents and red, sequined blazer. Neighbourhood 5 Avenir Centre is located in Downtown Moncton.  Moncton is known as a bit of a foodie haven and there are tons of places to grab pre or post game food and drink.  Some options include La Vida Resto-Bar, Chris Rock Tavern, Monk10 Taproom, Gahan House Hub City, Tide and Boar Gastropub, Triiio Restaurant, Gusto Italian Grill, Gallagher’s Irish Pub and Pump House.  Université de Moncton fields athletic teams in USports, specifically hockey at Aréna Jean-Louis Lévesque.  Other tourist options include Riverfront Park, Resurgo Park, Musée Acadien and Moncton Highland Games.  Moncton is a bilingual city so there will be plenty of French to hear.  For fans wishing to stay near the arena, Crowne Plaza Moncton Downtown, Delta Hotels Beausejour and the Hyatt are all good choices within walking distance. Fans 4 Moncton fans have turned out to see the Wildcats.  At the time of writing, the Wildcats averaged over 4,900 fans per game.  In the previous season, 2023-2024, the Wildcats averaged over 4,600 fans per game.  In both cases this ranked the Wildcats third in the QMJHL behind Québec  and Halifax . Moncton fans like to use cowbells on Wildcat goals or huge plays, however, they are very quiet during the play and hearing some talk on the ice was not impossible during the game that was reviewed.   Access 5 Avenir Centre is located in Downtown Moncton at the corner of Main Street and Canada Street.  It is a couple of blocks from the junction of Main Street and Vaughn Harvey Boulevard, which is a main north-south artery.  It is quite a distance from the Trans-Canada Highway, so going through some of the city when coming from the north will be necessary.  There is parking on site at a cost and many fans attempt to find other parking downtown.  For fans who wish to take public transit to the game, the Via Rail Train Station is immediately southwest on Canada Street and doubles as the bus depot.  There are also bus stops on Main Street.  Fans should consult the Codiac Transpo  website for fares, maps and schedules. Inside the Avenir Centre, the councourses are wide and bright and it is a very comfortable arena.  Washroom facilities are good for the facility. Return on Investment 4 Tickets for the Wildcats are $25 with discounts for Seniors, Youth and Students.  Fans will probably have to pay around $14 for parking and concession prices are a bit on the expensive side.  However, the Wildcats put together a very professional gameday production and the quality of the hockey on the ice is very high.  Overall, taking in a Wildcats game when in the area is a must. Extras 3 An extra mark for preserving Moncton hockey history with the retired numbers of local legends. An extra mark for the professional environment provided by the Wildcats and Avenir Centre. An extra mark for the Maritime hub location of Moncton. Final Thoughts Avenir Centre provides a maritime hub for plenty of entertainment acts in Moncton.  The Moncton Wildcats are benefitting from this top-notch facility and are putting on a professional-like production, making the Wildcats a must-see event in the QMJHL. Follow all of Dave’s sporting adventures on YouTube , Twitter , Threads  and Instagram @profan9.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86 Tripp Athletic Center Ring Road Dartmouth, MA 02747 UMass Dartmouth Corsairs basketball website Tripp Athletic Center website Year Opened: 1972 Capacity: 2,500 Worth the Tripp The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth is one of five campuses in the University of Massachusetts system. Originally known as Southeastern Massachusetts Technological Institute and then as Southeastern Massachusetts University, it merged into the UMass system in 1991. The school has a student body of just over 7,750 students enrolled in 120 graduate and undergraduate fields of study. The Tripp Athletic Center, named in honor of former coach, athletic director, moderator of athletics and Textile Science professor Frances Tripp, features a fitness center, aquatics center and indoor track in addition to several basketball courts. It was built in 1972 at a cost of $2.7 million. UMass Dartmouth has sponsored varsity basketball programs at the school since its founding in 1966. They currently compete in the Little East Conference, which is made up of nine Division Three schools located throughout New England. The Corsairs have qualified for 15 NCAA Tournaments, reaching the Sweet Sixteen six times (1990, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2009 and 2022) and the Final Four once (1993). The women’s basketball team have qualified for the NCAA tournament three times (2017, 2024 and 2025), reaching the Elite Eight in 2017. Food & Beverage 1 There is a concession stand in the main lobby of the Tripp Athletic Center. Unfortunately, this stand is not open for all games. When operational, the stand offers hot dogs, assorted snacks and drinks. Pepsi products are featured here at UMass Dartmouth. No alcoholic beverages are sold here at this on-campus facility. If you happen to visit UMass Dartmouth for a game when the concession stand is closed, there are some vending machines in the lobby that are available for cold drinks. Fans are also able to bring in their own items. This being New England, it’s not uncommon to see Dunkin’ Donuts coffees here on a cold Massachusetts winter night. Atmosphere 3 The game day atmosphere at a Corsairs game is typical of other small schools throughout the northeast. Basketball just isn’t a huge deal at these schools, but they do have some dedicated fans, most of whom have a personal connection with the players on the court, and who make a surprising amount of noise. The school’s mascot, Arnie the Pirate (get it? Arrrrr-nie?) shows up on occasion to mingle with the fans and operate the t-shirt cannon. Arnie works in conjunction with the cheerleading squad, pep band and dance team to make the Tripp Center a lively place to catch a game. There are scoreboards on either end of the court which display basic game stats. Unfortunately, the larger scoreboard at the far end of the gym can be difficult to see due to its placement behind the basket support. Music plays during stoppages and PA announcements are made throughout the game. The PA announcer here really leans into his job, although the sound system does need a bit of an upgrade. There's a lot more going on at the Tripp Athletic Center than you'll find at most other D-3 basketball games in the area. New for the 2023-24 season is a video board hung on the south side of the gym. It's utilized throughout the game with graphics, which are integrated into the gameday experience. The UMassD staff have been adding more giveaways and promotions into its gameday presentation, including a free pizza giveaway, t-shirt tosses, and more. Neighborhood 4 While the UMass Dartmouth campus is self-contained with a great deal of green, open space and wooded areas, it is close to a very busy commercial area. Visitors will find many places to eat, shop and stay on Route 6, which passes just to the north of campus. A complete visitor’s guide to the area around campus can be found here . While the two cities that sandwich Dartmouth, Fall River and New Bedford, may not have stellar reputations, there are places of interest in both cities. Fall River is home to Battleship Cove, the largest collection of World War II naval vessels in the world. Also nearby is the Lizzie Borden Bed and Breakfast/Museum , located in the same house where the infamous murders took place in 1892. The museum is open for tours and fans of the macabre can actually spend the night at the house. The New Bedford Whaling Museum and National Historic Park focus on the history of the Whaling industry. There are plenty of attractions in the area for visiting fans. Boston is located about an hour away to the north. Cape Cod is located a half hour to the east. Providence is a half hour away to the west, and Newport, with its Gilded Age mansions, is 45 minutes away. Fans 2 UMass Dartmouth averages between 200-300 fans per game at Tripp Athletic Center. As is typical of other small schools in the northeast, the crowd here can be described as a “friends and family” crowd. Many of the fans in the stands have a personal connection with the athletes on the court. There are lots of proud parents and classmates mixed in with some die-hard local hoops fans. UMass Dartmouth’s membership in the Little East Conference means the bulk of their schedule consists of other local schools. It’s not unusual to see visiting fans taking in the action as well. UMass Dartmouth enjoys a strong kinship among the many teams in the Athletic Department, and you'll be likely to see members of the other Corsair teams in the stands leading the cheers for the basketball teams. Access 3 UMass Dartmouth is located in suburban Dartmouth, Massachusetts, in between the cities of Fall River and New Bedford. The school is easily accessed by Interstate 195. Given the suburban location of the campus, driving is the primary method for getting to UMass Dartmouth. The Southeastern Regional Transit Authority (SRTA) operates busses to both Fall River and New Bedford that arrive on campus roughly every half hour. Tripp Athletic Center is located on the south side of campus, adjacent to several other athletic facilities, including Cressy Field . UMass Dartmouth has a rather unique setup in that most campus buildings are located within a single ringed road. Tripp Athletic Center is on the outer edge of the road, away from the parking lots. Visiting fans can park in the lots across the street. Your best bet is to park in lot 10, right across the street from the Tripp Center. It’s not the most convenient setup you’ll come across, especially on a cold winter night. You would be hard pressed to find a more nondescript building than the Tripp Athletic Center. Marked with only a small sign and hidden away from the road, it is an easy building to miss. The basketball gym in the Tripp Athletic Center is located in the rear of the building. Fans entering the building enter the gym lobby on the second floor. The Corsair Hall of Fame is located here, as well as the concession stand, restrooms and vending machines. All seating is on one side of the basketball court, and consists of wooden bleachers. When an especially big crowd is expected, the bleachers on the west side of the gym will also be opened. Fans will enter at the top of the seating area and walk down to their seats. In this small gym, all seats offer great views of the action. Restrooms, while a bit dated, are more than adequate for a typical Corsair crowd. Return on Investment 5 Tickets to Corsair basketball games cost five dollars. Just be aware that starting in the 2024-25 season, UMass Dartmouth has gone paperless with their ticketing system. All tickets can be purchased on their ticketing app or through the website. If attending on a night where a conference foe is visiting, one admission ticket gets you into both the women's and men's games. Parking is free in the lots across Ring Road. If you need a drink or snack during the game, the vending machines are pretty inexpensive. It adds up to an affordable night of entertainment for southeastern Massachusetts sports fans. Extras 2 The Corsair Athletic Hall of Fame is located in the lobby just outside the basketball court. The display features memorabilia from throughout UMass Dartmouth’s athletic history. Banners honoring Corsair tournament appearances and 1,000 point scorers are hung throughout the gym. A final extra point is awarded for the design of the UMass Dartmouth campus itself. The university was “honored” in 2013 as one of the ugliest campuses in the United States. Travel and Leisure magazine likened its buildings to “concrete spaceships,” which is a fairly accurate description. Designed by internationally renowned Modernist architect Paul Rudolph. Campus buildings were built in the Brutalist style popular in the 1960s. The exterior and interior of the buildings are made from rough concrete (beton brut). The campus features large windows, meant to blur the distinction between inside and outside, and short, irregular stairs, meant to slow people down and allow them to appreciate the campus more fully. Newer campus buildings, including the Tripp Center, have been built to complement, but not to copy, Rudolph’s aesthetic. The end result is a cold, drab campus featuring buildings that can actually be very difficult to get around. Clarie T. Carney Library at UMass Dartmouth. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. Final Thoughts The Tripp Athletic Center is a small gym that enjoys some big support from the local community. Fans who like their hoops with a side of architecture will certainly enjoy a visit to the UMass Dartmouth campus. A tour of the Paul Rudolph-designed campus can be just as interesting as the action on the court. Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter and Instagram @PuckmanRI.

How is a baseball team name, not a name? Especially one that existed well over a century ago. It’s a series of inaccuracies made by sports historians over the past twelve decades. After looking into a lesser-known minor-league ball club, we need to rethink its history. However, ask anyone and they will tell you that the Webb City Gold Bugs was the name of a baseball team in the early 20th century in the Western Association. The franchise operated in 1903 and returned in 1905 until 1909. It started in the Class D Missouri Valley League and later joined the Class C Western Association.  Webb City is 7 miles north of Joplin and modern databases show several names for this club and identify Gold Bugs as the name of the team in 1903 and then again from 1905-1907. However, digging into newspaper accounts from this time tells a different story. First, a gold bug is not a species of insect. The term is for someone who favors gold as an investment or a standard for measuring wealth. William McKinley's 1896 presidential campaign included many items with a golden bug. This led to his supporters being called gold bugs. Supporters of his opponent, William Jennings Bryan, were “silver bugs” due to their free silver movement. The term "gold bug" has a connection with U.S. history presidential election of 1896. The story begins with the Nevada Lunatics of the Missouri State League. The team was in its third year of existence but was suffering from low attendance and had missed its last payroll. Magnates from Webb City raised $1,200 to purchase its assets and moved the club to town on July 11, 1903 (modern data basis lists the day of relocation as July 16). The club never reached Webb City because its ballpark wasn’t ready. Instead, they played a three-game series against Pittsburgh at Cycle Park in Joplin, Missouri., with around 200 supporters making the trip. The team was swept in their first series and then dropped their final game at Springfield. In its four games, the club was outscored 50-14. The league consolidated Webb City and Leavenworth from the loop and continued the season as a six-team circuit. However, no newspaper reports from the team’s 4-day existence referred to its as the Goldbugs. Only once did a paper refer to them by a nickname; the Galena (Kansas) Evening Times called them the Webb City Outcasts and the Nevada Refugees in jest. The franchise were caught between their old city and its new one, but at no time referred to as Goldbugs or Gold Bugs. After a hiatus the following year, baseball returned to the league in 1905. Management raffled off a $1,000 new automobile to help raise funds to build a ballpark. The team that took the field that warm May day in front of 1,921 fans did not have an official name. However, Kansas newspapers referred to them as the Mud Hens. The name, along with Gold Bugs, was never used in the local Joplin newspapers. The ball club played one season, relocated to Iola, Kansas, and entered the Kansas State League. Once again, no newspaper accounts referred to them as the Gold Bugs. The 1907 Webb City Ball Club was known mostly as the Ducklings, or by the Webbfeet, by away newspapers. Webb City would get a new team in the Western Association when the Sedalia Gold Bugs relocated to town in 1906. They were the original Gold Bugs franchise, first used in 1902, and this would be the closest the franchise came to being called this name. The new team donned the same loud uniforms that gleamed with “lurid brilliancy” that season, but shockingly the ball club had more than one nickname. Some papers called them the Gold Bugs. Yet, local dailies referred to them as the Jiggers. This name comes from a parasitic insect that burrows into the skin; its scientific name is tunga penetrans. This name was the most popular choice in the Webb City Sentinel  and Joplin Globe  before the start of the season. Today, the is more familiar for an hourglass-shaped measuring device with uneven cones at each end for portioning out spirits. The Gold Bugs name would appear in May and was used a few times in Joplin print, but more often in the Springfield newspapers. Around this time, a popular article appeared in newspapers nationwide. It listed the nicknames of all professional baseball teams for that season and referred to the team name by the Gold Bugs. It is more than likely that this one article helped spread the information to future historians. Depending on the newspaper, you might see a different name for the Webb City Ball Club Two other names were used for newspapers in league cities in Kansas and Oklahoma. The Hutchinson News called the club the Ducklings. Meanwhile, papers from Topeka and Wichita referred to the team as the Webbfeet, without the city indicator. Depending on what state, city, or newspaper you had in your hand, the name of the Webb City team was significantly diverse.  In 1907, the Gold Bugs name was not mentioned in any team-related print. However, home newspapers began using the names Webbfeet and Ducklings to identify the club. These names showed up in both Joplin and Webb City papers. The name old team name from the year before appeared much less frequently in local print. All these names would gradually fade from memory by the next season. Webb City used the nickname Triplets in 1908 and 1909 in a majority of press clips. It might have been a nod to the city located within the "Tri-State Mining District," a region known for its extensive lead and zinc mining activity during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, also giving Webb City its nickname “The Zinc City." The ball club was known as the Triplets by most media accounts in 1908 and in 1909. The Triplets played their final game on July 18, 1909, which included team president D.M. Shively announcing to the crowd that the team was moving to Sapulpa, Oklahoma, after three innings. Reverend C.F. O’Meara officiated the game behind the plate and gave the team their last rites and funeral services. Webb City dropped their final contest 4-3 to the Pittsburg. Minor league baseball returned one last time in 1914 and never returned to the city. However, why do we refer to the Webb City team as the Gold Bugs when it easily identified with other nicknames during their time in the city? It might be due to a news article printed in many papers during Minor League Baseball’s 50th anniversary in 1951. Columnist Lawton Carver shared information about minor league history in his “Fair or Foul” column. He named some old teams: the Providence Clam Diggers, Lincoln Treeplanters, Memphis Egyptians, and Webb City Gold Bugs. Lawton found his data from an old source. It was printed in various newspapers across the country during the golden anniversary year. In 1968, Bill Westwick of the Ottawa Citizen brought up the Gold Bugs again. He was reminiscing about baseball's oddest names, referring to Montreal's expansion franchise. However, the ball club only briefly used the name during the 1906 season after its move from Sedalia. We know that the Webb City franchise had a series of names during its brief existence between 1903 and 1908. Newspapers in big cities and small towns printed names in black ink, often naming the clubs themselves. Sometimes, those names stuck. If the team had continued, it could have gone by many other great names from its time. ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .   Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Sorrentino Gymnasium 101 N College Ave Annville, PA 17003 Flying Dutchmen website Sorrentino Gymnasium website Year Opened: 2003 Capacity: 1,650 Champions Gym Lebanon Valley College is a liberal arts college in downtown Annville, PA. Annville is in Lebanon County, east of Hershey. Founded in 1866 Lebanon Valley has approximately 1,600 undergraduates. The Princeton Review has recognized the college as “A Best in the Northeast” and they have over thirty-five fields of study . Lebanon Valley College is a member of NCAA Division III and competes in the Middle Atlantic Conference. The school has produced 11 all-Americans and was the 2009 and 2011 ECAC Southwest Bowl champions. The school’s teams are the Flying Dutchmen, and its mascot is the Dutchman. The college is known as the home of the 1994 NCAA Division III National Champions in basketball. That 1994 championship victory over New York University was a controversial affair when a Dutchmen shot that won the game may or may not have been by the sound of the buzzer. But no matter what, the school hosts that championship proudly, as they should. Sorrentino Gymnasium is located within the Arnold Sports Center, The headquarters of LVC Athletics. The Arnold Sports Center is home to the Arnold Arena fieldhouse and LVC's pool, as well as offices for LVC's athletic administrators and coaches. The building houses a 196-meter track, and the infield can be converted to four basketball, volleyball, or tennis courts. Food & Beverage 2 There is no real official concession stand at the venue. There is a small vending machine area and the venue has plenty of room for temporary stands if they so choose. You can bring outside food to the venue. Atmosphere 5 The small college pride of Lebanon Valley College was in full effect at this game. The arena was packed and all sides of the gym were filled with fans. The arena is a very nice facility and exudes the energy of a Division I facility. Some cheerleaders help the atmosphere. There is a small, old scoreboard, which may be the only real negative for the venue. A videoboard would pump this venue to the highest levels. Neighborhood 4 Annville is a great little town of a little less than 5,000 about 8 miles east of Hershey, PA. The college is right in the heart of downtown. Funck’s Family Restaurant, Corvette Grille and Bar, and Harper’s Tavern are all local establishments that offer good food pre and post-game. The Pennsylvania chain, Hoss’s Steak & Sea House, is another option right in Annville. The food is good, cheap, and certainly plentiful. J & S Pizza is a decent option within walking distance of campus. Fans 4 The crowds at Lebanon Valley do not disappoint. There is quite a bit of obvious school pride with fans attending in droves. The athletic teams here are supported well and have shown a great deal of ability for their fans. Access 4 Located on Route 422 between Lebanon and Hershey, Annville is easy to find and has no problem handling the crowds for such a small stadium. Expect that on busy game days, you will hit some traffic on Route 422, especially on Bellegrove Road by the athletic complex. There is a good amount of parking, but do plan ahead of time. You can also try to park in downtown Annville and walk over the railroad pedestrian bridge to the athletic fields. The athletic fields are located north of the main campus, separated by a railroad. Return on Investment 4 There is a $5 cash price for admission. The value is good for this high quality of venue. Extras 5 There are so many sports venues in the same area as the gymnasium so check to see if any other sports are going on at the same time. Check out the LVC Hall of Champions. This museum-like display space commemorates the great individual and team achievements of Flying Dutchman athletics. Take a look at the 1994 National Championship basketball banner. The team is supported by a very good cheerleader squad with some nifty cheers. Final Thoughts Sorrentino Gymnasium is one of the finest small college arenas we have seen. sports fan visiting central Pennsylvania owes it to themselves to see if a game is going on when they are in the area.

Staff Photo Courtesy of the San Diego Times-Union Today, ballparks are built to be the centerpiece of a burgeoning district or neighborhood, a venue that will bring people together for more of a social event than just a ballgame. A new ballpark aims to raise the bar for the ultimate social experience and modern amenities every few years. There was one such ballpark built in San Diego over 65 years ago that was ahead of its time in both modern comfort and style, however, the forward progress of the city in obtaining major league status would ultimately prove to be the death knell for Westgate Park. Westgate Park would be the home to the San Diego Padres of the Pacific Coast League from 1958 to 1967; it has been overlooked by many in terms of sentiment; it featured many current amenities and standards for today’s stadiums. Banker C. Arnholt Smith purchased the minor league Padres in 1955 and kept the team in the town after former owner Bill Starr fell into financial problems. The club was playing at Lane Field, an old WPA stadium that according to Smith was “slapped together with old lumber and falling apart”. The stadium was pretty “punk” and infested with termites eating away at the wooden structure providing it with its nickname “termite village”. “We bought the team for about $300,000. Of course, after we bought it, then everybody started screaming that we needed a new stadium!,” After being advised, Smith picked the pastoral land of the undeveloped Mission Valley to erect his new building. At the time, the area was known for its vast farmland, miles away from downtown. However, there must have been a vision of the area’s potential since the city council voted in June 1958 to rezone 90 acres of farmland along I-8 near where the Padres new stadium would be erected. Smith, who also owned the Westgate-California Tuna Packing Co., financed the $1 million stadium out of his pockets and was seen as a baseball savior in San Diego. Attendance at Padres games and ballparks around the country was fleeting due to television and broadcasts of major league baseball games in numerous markets coast to coast.  Westgate Park's electronic scoreboard with the two giant tuna cans to promote the company. (CBS 8 San Diego) Westgate Park would be a state-of-the-art facility that would be the envy of not only the PCL but the rest of the baseball world.  The 8,268-seat ballpark featured theater-style seating with armrests and a steel roof that shaded a majority of the grandstand. Four light towers on the roof leaned forward at about a 60-degree angle.  Smith even gave his ballpark a corporate name after his tuna company. San Diego Union Times  Sports Editor Jack Murphy, whose name would grace a future stadium, wondered if there would be resentment in the “commercialization of the name”, but proclaimed it the finest stadium in minor-league baseball. “Not even Yankee Stadium or Boston’s Fenway Park can surpass the comforts and conveniences of the Padres’ new home on Friars Road.” There were no outfield bleachers; the area was made of grass seating for fans to lay out in the sun to watch the game.  The seating sloped down to field level behind the outfield fence. Photos of the ballpark show a similar setup that would be incorporated into various ballparks, roughly 35 years later. Accenting the ballpark was an array of trees, shrubs, flowers, and tropical plants throughout the ballpark's exterior and interior. Perhaps the most exotic of all these trees and plants were the eucalyptus trees planted on both sides of the scoreboard in left field. “It was well-engineered. We dug it down so as you walked in, you were about halfway up in the seating area and the field was below you, added Smith. “It brought the audience right up close to the team’s activity. You could hear the players swearing and yelling at each other.” Westgate (L-R) had slanted towers, a storage room for peanuts, multiple ticket booths, and theater-style chairs. (CBS 8 San Diego) When it came to concessions, the stadium provided vast kitchens with walk-in coolers for both beer and soda. There was a heat-control storage room for peanuts set to 120 degrees and reportedly held up to 10,000 bags at a time.  Another unusual concept of the era, but very common today, was different and outrageous menu options. The park sold a tubed-shaped item called “tunies”  made out of fish, a fish hot dog. They were originally created in in 1941 as a meat substitute for Catholics on Fridays. Smith produced them at his cannery and loved how the skinless tuna hot dog tasted. He said they looked and tasted better than a hot dog. What is even more bizarre is that it appeared that regular pork or beef hot dogs were not sold, but after a little while the “tunies” were scrapped in favor of the more traditional ballpark staple. Other concessions included hamburgers, popcorn, potato chips, ice cream sandwiches, beer, Pepsi and 7Up products, and cigars. Westgate had a carnival-like atmosphere with c i rcuses, concerts, and zoo animals entertaining fans. These acts would soon relocate to the San Diego Sports Arena, now Valley View Casino Center, in 1966. The next year the San Diego Rockets of the NBA began operations; the times were changing rapidly, and America’s Finest City was fast becoming a major league town. When the Major Leagues expanded in 1961 and 1962, San Diego was optimistic about landing a team sometime soon. That feeling only heightened when 9,000 fans watched an exhibition game between the Milwaukee Braves and Los Angeles Dodgers in April 1962 at Westgate Park. Westgate's outfield walls feature no billboard ads and plenty of green lawn seating behind the chainlink fence. (CBS 8 San Diego) The next year the Braves flirted with relocation to San Diego and blueprints were developed that added a second deck to Westgate to increase capacity to 43,000. However, the Braves stayed in Milwaukee until announcing it would relocate to Atlanta for the 1966 season. The next year a bid was put up to move the Cincinnati Reds to town, but they were sold to a local group that kept the franchise in Ohio. Around the same time, the San Diego Chargers of the American Football League were threatening to relocate up the road to Anaheim if the antiquated Balboa Stadium, built in 1914, was not replaced. Soon there was a push, headed by Murphy, for a brand new 50,000-seat dual-purpose stadium. One would only have to look at the team’s 1966 official program that featured the city skyline and a small banner on the cover that proclaimed San Diego as a city in motion. A few months later on November 2, 1965, a $27 million bond was passed allowing for the construction of a multipurpose stadium that would fit 50,000-60,000 people. Westgate is featured heavily on its game-day programs, notice by 1966 that the team was pushing away from Gateway Park imagery By the time San Diego Stadium’s was completed in time for the 1967 football season for the Chargers, Westgate Park had already hosted its last game. The Padres final year in the PCL would be played at the massive stadium that would serve as the home to the major league Padres from 1969 to 2003. “So after we moved the team to San Diego Stadium, we said, what the hell are we going to do with Westgate?” Ernie Hanh, the Director of the US National Bank, came up with the idea of building a shopping center on the site. It was centrally located and everybody could get there by car. And with that decision, Westgate Park was torn down and replaced with the Fashion Valley Mall. The successful mall opened in 1969 becoming the leading shopping center in the San Diego area, boasting 1.7 million square feet of floor area.  The Padres were the top affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies during its last three seasons and were relocated to Eugene, Oregon. The theater-style seats and lighting poles would be sold to its new home at Civic Stadium which had to be renovated to be up to minor league standards of the day.  The 800 seats would remain at its new home until 1986 when plastic blue, plastic seats replaced them. Westgate Park's demise came from San Diego’s aggressive progress in professional sports. When it opened in 1957, the city did not have a major league club, 13-years-later it had teams in the NFL, MLB, and NBA.  The City in Motion was no longer a minor league town.  The forward-thinking design of grass outfield seating, a sunken bowl, attention to aesthetics, a corporate name, and detail to concessions would become hallmarks of minor league baseball clubs decades later in the 1990s and early 21st century.  It was a stadium that was ahead of its time. One last nod to Westgate’s legacy is in Kissimmee, Florida, where the blueprints were utilized in designing a new Spring Training park for the Houston Astros  Osceola County Stadium in 1985.  Had any of these things worked out differently: 1) the stadium issue doesn’t pass for a major league team, 2) the Chargers relocate to Anaheim, or 3) Buffalo is awarded an expansion team in the N.L.--Westgate Park would have hosted baseball for a longer period and perhaps become much more cherished by San Diegoians and ballpark lovers alike. ---- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .   Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 F & M Bank Arena 101 Main Street Clarksville, TN 37040 Austin Peay Governors website F&M Bank Arena website Year Opened: 2023 Capacity: 5,500 It’s Tipoff Time in Stacheville From its tip in Johnson City with the   East Tennessee State Buccaneers , to its tail in Memphis with the Tigers , Tennessee has a deep love of college basketball that runs throughout the state. Twelve NCAA Division 1 schools represent the state; in Middle Tennessee on the banks of the Cumberland River, the city of Clarksville is home to the Governors of Austin Peay State University. Named after former Tennessee governor Austin Peay, the first basketball team took to the hardwood here in 1929 – this would be the first sport played at Austin Peay.  The university built its first facility dedicated to basketball, Memorial Gym, in 1950. The venue soon earned the nickname “The Red Barn”, partially due to its resemblance to a brick barn, but also possibly in reference to the mule that is rumored to be buried under the court, whose ghost haunted the halls of the building, according to legend. The Govs would spend 25 seasons at Memorial Gym before moving to Winfred Dunn Center, referred to as “The Big Red Barn”, carrying over the moniker. This would be the home of Austin Peay basketball for 47 seasons until the opening of off-campus F&M Bank Arena in 2023. Since moving to the NCAA’s Division 1 in 1962, the Governors were members of the Ohio Valley Conference, but the teams recently moved to the Atlantic Sun Conference (A-Sun) in 2022, where they remain today.   Food & Beverage   4 Concessions around the arena provide various options that go beyond typical concession menus; the Hot or Cold stand serves chicken tender baskets, either traditional or in a Nashville Hot Chicken style, and can also have mac-and-cheese added. Also available is a boneless pork chop on a potato bun with a side of fries. Another option, the Buzzer Beater Burgers stand, is much more than just that – beyond the obvious burgers, options also include patty melts, cheesesteak, smoked bologna, and footlong corndogs. In addition, a pair of self-serve locations take care of the typical fare such as hot dogs, pizza, and other arena classics. Soft drinks offered at F&M Bank Arena are from the Coca-Cola family of beverages, but fans have many more choices beyond that. Monster Energy, Powerade, Dunkin Iced Coffee, Body Armor, and various iced teas can be found at the grab-and-go locations, while alcoholic beverages include Twisted Tea, White Claw and High Noon seltzers, wine, and domestic beers. Craft beers include Michael Waltrip’s Talladega Light and Bristol Sunshine Tangerine Ale. Clarksville brewers are also well represented, including brews from Blackhorse Brewery and Star Spangled Brewing Co. Also available are both premixed canned and hand mixed liquor drinks. It is refreshing to see that the focus of stadium food here is not what has come to be expected at practically every other athletic facility.   Atmosphere   3 From the front, F&M Bank Arena does appear to be a bit of a smaller venue, due to it being built into the slope of the area. However, it houses not only a full-size arena, but also a practice-size ice rink, all under one roof. A large, four-sided scoreboard hangs over center court and runs a video feed of the game, framed by rotating panels of individual player and team statistics. The facing in front of media row also runs a tally of the current game time and score. One of the challenges of multi-use facilities is they tend to push fans further from the action at the ends of the court; F&M Bank Arena helps counter this with multiple rows of floor seating, which does help bring more of an atmosphere to those parts of the arena. However, the seating in the stands at one end of the arena does feel a bit distant from the action on the floor. Timeouts are mostly filled with on-court contests or fan interactive cams on the scoreboard. Also, when they are not entertaining with fan engagement pieces, the Austin Peay pep band is a featured part of breaks in play. One of the drawbacks of the non-university owned facility is there does not seem to be much, other than the banners in the rafters, that tells the story of the history of Austin Peay basketball. This is not to say there is no Austin Peay branding around the arena, but it would be nice to see more that tells the story of the program.   Neighborhood   4 F&M Bank Arena bridges the gap between the Austin Peay campus and downtown Clarksville, two blocks from the Cumberland River. The area directly surrounding the arena is a mix of new development and repurposed buildings from a previous era – to one side is Shelby’s Trio, a very modern feel of three levels made up of the motor-themed Joe’s Garage, Trattoria Di Cat’s Italian cuisine, and the rooftop Skyline Bar 500, while the opposite side of the arena features Strawberry Alley Ale Works,  Blackhorse Pub & Brewery, and the late night Taproom. If looking to pass some time before an evening tipoff, the Austin Peay campus is a short walk away from the facility. In addition, less than 10 minutes out of downtown Clarksville are the Dunbar Caves, which offer guided tours. Those who might be in Clarksville for more than just the day might want to consider staying at the Double Tree by Hilton; the hotel is directly behind F&M Bank Arena and within walking distance of the area’s shops, restaurants, and coffee shops. The I-24 exit off US-79 also has a large cluster of hotels, but they are well removed from the downtown area.   Fans   3 Austin Peay ranks in about middle of the pack when considering average attendance numbers throughout the A-Sun Conference. When looking for a game with the most fan impact, the match up with nearby rival Murray State  fills the seats of F&M Bank Arena to a raucous level – these rivalry games really fill out the 5,500-seat arena past its stated basketball capacity. The Clarksville community appears to do a good job coming out to support the Governors, but the student involvement appears to be a work in progress. As the program continues to find stability, student engagement can play a key role boosting the game experience at F&M Bank Arena.   Access   3 Interstate 24 runs locally out of Nashville and makes getting to Clarksville rather simple. The streets around the arena do get somewhat congested as game time approaches, and the number of one-way streets in the area can make navigating them a bit tricky at times. With entry points on three of four sides, getting into F&M Bank Arena is made as convenient as possible. Due to the extreme slope of the streets leading toward the river, however, the main entry point on College Avenue comes into the suite level at the top of the arena. The open concourse around the top of the seating bowl allows the energy of the game to permeate the entire arena; this allows fans to leave their seats and still keep up with what’s happening in the game.   Return on Investment   3 Tickets start at just over $20 before fees are added, which, considering the use of Ticketmaster, are kept rather nominal. Parking around the arena is another cost that needs to be factored in when considering the all-in expense. Concessions do seem to be a bit high, but the options at F&M Bank Arena are of higher quality than would typically be found at similar-sized arenas, so this does seem to rationalize the slightly higher prices.   Extras   3 Austin Peay’s mascot, “The Gov”, is active at court level cheering on the Governors, interacting with fans, and accompanying the cheer and dance squads in keeping fans entertained until play resumes. The rafters of the arena showcase the Govs’ conference and tournament championships, NCAA tournament appearances, retired numbers, and the 420 wins in the career of longtime Governors Coach Dave Loos. With new facilities typically come an updated lighting package – the lighting at F&M Bank Arena allows for an impressive pregame show, as well as late game timeouts to help get the fans into a bit more of a frenzied state during pivotal moments of the game.   Final Thoughts There is probably little doubt throughout the A-Sun that F&M Bank Arena is the most impressive facility throughout the conference; the comfort and amenities offered here certainly are second to none. The location in downtown Clarksville is also another feature that simply cannot be rivaled in the A-Sun. There is work to be done here in bringing in a consistent crowd, especially on the student side of the equation, but the current experience is a strong foundation to build upon.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86 Harford Varsity Baseball Field 401 Thomas Run Rd Bel Air, MD 21015 Harford Fighting Owls website Harford Baseball Field website Year Opened: 2014 Capacity: 1,000 The Fighting Owls of Bel Air Harford Community College is located in Bel Air, MD, roughly in between Baltimore and the Delaware state line. They play in NJCAA Division I, the highest athletic level for 2-year colleges and are a part of the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference. Having played on the fairly worn Thomas Run Park baseball field, Harford wanted to update its facilities. So in 2014 the college began an extensive remodel of the facility. The nearby APG Federal Credit Union Arena also opened in the last few years. The Aberdeen Arsenal of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball played the 2000 season at Thomas Run Park. The Arsenal departed to make room for the Aberdeen IronBirds, the A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles owned by Cal Ripken, Jr. The University of Delaware used the Harford Baseball Field for many home games while their home Bob Hannah Stadium was being remodeled in 2014. Delaware also usually plays against the University of Maryland at least once per season here at Harford Varsity Baseball Field, since it is located nearly halfway between the two schools. Food & Beverage 1 There technically is no food offered at the Harford Varsity Baseball Field, but with the nearby Wawa convenience store a short walk down the paved path between fields, I count it as the field’s own concession stand. The food offerings vary from hoagies, soup, quesadillas, and hot dogs. And the prices are better than most concession stands. Atmosphere 2 The new grandstand is a very nice set of stands with seat backs that wrap from dugout to dugout. Those seats will be behind a netting. There are also older seating sections further down each line that is away from the netting. If you hate to watch a game through nets you may want to move over there, although you will not have seat backs. The field is an artificial surface. This includes the infield, which is artificial turf painted brown. Some true baseball fans may hate that, but it is understandable that a community college may want to keep maintenance cost down by using such a surface. There is not much else in terms of atmosphere as it is a JUCO level baseball game. The team does have a PA announcer and plays walkup music for players. Neighborhood 4 Harford Community College is in a suburban location and has plenty of free parking. The area is safe and has many restaurants nearby. Naughty Dogs is within walking distance and has a fun, cheap bar for pre and post-game refreshments, along with food such as pit beef. JD’s Smokehouse located across the street provides another option for food and drinks and some pretty good barbecue. If you are in the mood for Mexican, La Tolteca is located just a brief distance away and is a consistently good food place. Travel into Bel Air and there are multiple chain and local options. Zen 16 Sushi Cafe and MaGerks Pub & Grill are some great options. A quick drive in the other direction is Aberdeen. Olive Tree is a better version of a well-known Italian chain, while Mamie’s Cafe with Love is an old-school Baltimore-style restaurant that offers free desserts with all meals. Super Chicken Rico is another choice with which you can’t go wrong. Fans 2 The attendees at most games are family members or other athletes. There may be a few local residents who attend the games. The fans are knowledgeable and friendly to visitors. Access 4 Harford is located just a few miles off of I-95, one of the largest highways in the northeast. But State Route 22 can be very crowded with commuters traveling between Aberdeen Proving Grounds (APG) and central Harford County. APG has become a very large Army base after the last round of federal base realignment and closure activities. So leave some extra time getting to the campus. There is plenty of free parking. Towson University in Northeastern Maryland is a brand new extension campus of the well-established state university that recently opened across from the Harford campus. Return on Investment 5 Games are free to attend so the return on investment is pretty high. The low cost of concessions at nearby Wawa also make the cost to watch a good level of baseball game pretty high. Extras 2 The Harford Sports Complex also has two other softball fields, as well as a convertible field that can hold softball and/or baseball games. Harford Stadium, home to the school’s lacrosse and soccer teams is also located next door. If you get a chance to peek into the nearby APG Federal Credit Union Arena it is worth a visit as this is quite an impressive facility for a junior college. Final Thoughts The newly designed Harford Baseball Field is an impressive facility that offers high-quality baseball for no cost to the fans. Nothing fancy, but it makes a good stop for baseball fans.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71 Lancaster Bible Baseball Field 901 Eden Rd Lancaster, PA 17601 Lancaster Bible Chargers website Lancaster Bible Baseball Field website Year Opened: n/a Capacity: n/a Bible Chargers Lancaster Bible College is a private Bible college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania that is also home to the Capital Seminary and Graduate School. The college was founded in 1933 as the Lancaster School of the Bible. The school became a college in 1973 and started offering Bachelor of Science in Bible degrees in 1981. The college now grants six bachelor's degrees, one associate degree, and two one-year certificates in addition to six master's degrees, nine graduate certificates, and three doctorate programs in Leadership, Biblical Studies, and Ministry. Lancaster Bible College teams are members of the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. In the NCAA, The Chargers are a member of the NCAA's United East Conference. Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, soccer, tennis, and volleyball; while women's sports include basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball. The Baseball Field is the on-campus home for the Lancaster Bible baseball team. The field sets behind the Horst Athletic Center. Food & Beverage 0 There are no food offerings at the baseball field. Atmosphere 3 There is not much else in terms of atmosphere as it is a Division III-level baseball game. The team does have a PA announcer and plays walkup music for players. There are some simple metal bleachers around the first base side of the field. They offer decent views of the game, although through chain link fencing. There is also a small mound of grass that seems to be a popular place to set up a chair. Neighborhood 3 The college is located in a suburban area of Lancaster. You may want to venture to downtown Lancaster for interesting options pre- and post-game. Besides downtown, the main commercial areas of the Lancaster area are the outlets area east on Route 30 and surrounding the Park City Center Shopping Mall north of downtown. Nearby Lititz is also a good option as it has numerous food and shopping options. Fans 3 The attendees at most games are family members or other athletes. There may be a few local area residents who attend the games. The fans are knowledgeable and friendly to visitors. Access 4 Lancaster is an easy area to navigate. Routes 30 and 222 are well-known, large roads that any tourist visitor to the area will be more than familiar with. Even though the college is located in a busy town, you will seldom find traffic to be too bad.  Lancaster is located about half an hour from the state capital Harrisburg. It is also about an hour and a half to Baltimore and the same distance to Philadelphia. There are many parking spaces around the college. Return on Investment 4 The games are free to attend. That, along with the free parking, means that you can attend a good-level Division III program at no cost. Extras 2 The college is an interesting visit on its own. There is a nice soccer stadium and other sports facilities nearby. There is a nice little disc golf course right near the Horst Athletic Center. Final Thoughts Lancaster Bible College plays at one of the lower levels of college baseball, but the games presented here are fun and it is certainly an experience that a true sports fan should experience if in the area.

Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey When we travel we love to find sports-related locations to expand our sports journeys. It is what we do. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, we found a great couple of sports halls of fame that are worth a visit. Our first stop was in Red Deer, Alberta at the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame. Located at #102 - 4200 Highway 2 the Hall of Fame is open every day of the week except December 24-26, New Year's Day, Good Friday, & Easter Sunday. There is an Art Gallery, Hall of Fame, Ice and Snow and Alberta Hockey Galleries, multiple exhibits, and our Orest Korbutt Theater. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for youth. There is also discount pricing for students, seniors, and the military. The Hall of Fame was created in 1957 by the Alberta Amateur Athletic Union (AAAU), taken over by Sport Alberta in 1973, and has been maintained by the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum Society since 1997. Notable inductees include Lanny McDonald, Stu Hart, Bryan Hall, Red Dutton, and "Father of Modern Rodeo" Earl W. Bascom. #102 - 4200 Highway 2 Red Deer, AB T4N 1E3 Phone: (403) 341-8614 https://www.albertasportshall.ca/ Later on, we traveled to Regina, SK where we found the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. Located downtown at 2205 Victoria Avenue the Sports Hall of Fame has three featured galleries. Hours are Monday - Friday 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and Saturday Noon – 4:00 p.m. Admission is free with donations suggested upon entry. The Hall of Fame was created in 1966 as the Molson Sports Hall of Fame but was renamed the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 1974. As of 2022, there were more than 500 inductees in the Hall, including 247 athletes and 127 championship teams across 53 sports. Notable inductees include Rueben Mayes, the 2013 Saskatchewan Roughrider Football Club, Wendel Clark, and Kimberly Bergey Kaip. 2205 Victoria Avenue Regina, SK S4P 0S4 Phone: (306) 780-9232 https://sasksportshalloffame.com/ At both of these halls of fame, we found interesting exhibits along with fun interactive activities. We did not need to be super knowledgeable about the local sports scenes of these areas to enjoy the museums. We suggest that in Alberta and/or Saskatchewan you stop in for a visit. We also suggest that you look for similar exhibits along your own sports journeys.

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 CFG Bank Arena 201 W Baltimore St Baltimore, MD 21201 CIAA website CFG Bank Arena website Year Opened: 1962 Capacity: 14,000 A "New" Arena For Charm City The arena now known as the CFG Bank Arena has a long and storied history. It opened in 1962 as the Baltimore Civic Center. During its time as the Civic Center, the arena hosted legends such as The Beatles, Martin Luther King Jr., and Led Zeppelin, as well as being the home floor of the Baltimore Bullets of the NBA until their move to near Washington, DC in 1973. The indoor soccer team, the Baltimore Blast, as well as various sports teams have also made the venue their home over the years. The late 1980s remodel saw a name change to the Baltimore Arena. It also spent most of the early 21st century with the corporate name First Mariner Arena. and then the Royal Farms Arena. The Oak View Group, which was chosen by the City of Baltimore to manage the venue, closed down the arena in early 2022 to perform a massive renovation on the aging arena. The CIAA Tournament is the first event since the remodeling work was done. The official grand opening was the April 7, 2023 concert by Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is a collegiate athletic conference, mostly consisting of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). CIAA institutions play at the Division II level of the NCAA. The CIAA is the first NCAA Division II conference to have its tournament televised as part of Championship Week on ESPN and it has become one of the largest college basketball events in the nation. The last day of the tournament is known as “Super Saturday” in which the men’s and women’s tournament champions are crowned. For 15 years, the tournament was held in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 2021 event was the first in Baltimore. The yearly event has now been extended through 2025 for Baltimore. Food & Beverage 4 There are only two major food stands open, along with various grab-and-go locations, for the event. This may change once the final renovations are done. It does appear that the arena is going to be more of a concert and entertainment venue that just happens to host a few sporting events along the way. This means the food and drink options are more aimed at the drinking crowd element than food. The Big Chicken and Koko's Bavarian Biergarten Brewery offer simple menus but the food offerings are quite good. Prices are not cheap but are at usual arena price levels. Atmosphere 5 The CIAA had been a major event in the past for Charlotte. It looks like the event is having the same kind of effect on Baltimore. Besides the tourney, there are concerts and events throughout the city during the event. A 14,000-seat venue is not a large arena, but not small either. A benefit of the unique design of this facility is that it tends to make it feel more intimate than it really is. Even the largest events there can feel like smaller ones. The effect of this also means that even less attended events can feel loud. Being a long, multi-day sporting event you will see varying amounts of fans in the stands. Some games will be more packed than others. There are alumni from all the schools attending the event and offering their cheers. There will be bands, mascots, cheerleaders, and dance squads for all of the schools, and they all offer a great addition to the atmosphere. There are some unique changes to the arena since last year. The main concourse has now been moved to the level above the main seating bowl. Walls have been removed to make this concourse now an open view to the action in the arena. This is a massive change to the venue. There are other changes in the seating bowl, such as walkways having been removed and new entry points being added. The arena had a single suite before the renovation and now has several suites and theatre boxes along with some private and premium club spaces. The arena has also gotten fresh paint jobs everywhere. The arena now has a grey and black modern look and feel. Neighborhood 3 The CFG Bank Arena is right in the heart of downtown Baltimore, with its numerous entertainment and food options close by. But the arena is a few blocks from the more touristy sections of town. And those few blocks can make a difference. I am not saying it is unsafe, as talk like that is far overblown in the city. One just needs to use caution and watch their surroundings. The 2015 riots in Baltimore City should not be forgotten, nor should they stop you from attending an event at the arena. Just be aware of where you are. If you do have some time before the game (or after…) a visit to the Pratt Street Ale House is only about a block away. They have good brews and food. Try the crab pretzel for a serious Maryland food experience. Venturing further away from the arena one of my favorites is the Abbey Burger Bar right near the Cross Street Market. The beer selection is good and they offer a dizzying array of burger choices, all of which are likely to satisfy. For slightly more upscale cuisine a visit to the 1100-1200 blocks of North Charles Street where The Brewers Art and Sammy’s Trattoria offer good food at decent prices. Baltimore is home to many touristy attractions such as Harborplace, Fells Point, and Fort McHenry. The American Visionary Art Museum on Key Highway is located on the way to Fort McHenry and should not be missed, although its unique collection will not be for everyone. Fans 5 Tournaments will have varying fan bases, so it may change from game to game. I would imagine the extremely located schools have trouble filling the stands. Pep bands, mascots, and cheerleaders also make the atmosphere rival a big-time college environment. Access 4 The CFG Bank Arena is located in downtown Baltimore about a block from the Baltimore Convention Center and two blocks from Camden Yards. It is close to I-95, with only a couple of turns from the arena putting you on the highway home. Parking garages can be found in all directions from the arena. One garage is even physically attached to the arena. Look for parking deals to come with some event tickets. Street parking is not a great option. Return on Investment 3 The best value seems to be the all-tournament pass at $225. There are day tickets available and they do appear to be more expensive than in years past. Extras 4 Even with the updates to the arena, there are still some cool and unique seating structures around the venue. The weird old squared corner seats still exist but have now been rounded until a better format. The view should be much improved from those seats. It is things like that which will make the old-school design elements a feature in themselves. The fans themselves are an extra at an event like this. They support their respective teams very well and will make this an enjoyable event to attend. Check out the dance and cheer squads as they get the crowds excited. Final Thoughts This is not the same old Baltimore Arena that many may remember. The massive renovation work has transformed the venue into a state-of-the-art entertainment venue. And with a party-type event like the CIAA Tournament, you WILL have a good time here.

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.

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86 Murray Center 600 6th Street North Providence, RI 02911 Rhode Island College Anchormen men’s basketball website Murray Center website Year Opened: 1995 Capacity: 8,000 Anchors Away! Rhode Island College is a public college in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1854 as the Rhode Island State Normal School, it is the second oldest college in Rhode Island (after Brown University). The school was located in different spots throughout the state before moving to its current location in the Mount Pleasant section of Providence in 1958. Today the school has an enrollment of 5,800 students who study in 120 combined graduate and undergraduate programs across five schools. Starting in 1965 Rhode Island College played their basketball games at Walsh Gymnasium, which burned down in 1992. Its replacement, built on the same site, was originally named the Health, Physical Education and Athletic Center. It was renamed for sisters Mary F. and Catherine T. Murray, members of the Rhode Island College of Education classes of 1933 and 1934, following substantial donations by the Murray Foundation. Both sisters taught in Rhode Island public schools following their graduation from RIC. The RIC teams, named the Anchormen (and Anchorwomen), compete in the Little East Conference, made up of nine Division Three teams from around New England. The Anchormen have qualified for the NCAA tournament eleven times, reaching the Elite Eight in 2007 and the Sweet Sixteen 2010 and 2011. The Anchorwomen have qualified for five tournaments of their own, reaching the Final Four in 2023 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2024. Food & Beverage 2 There is a small concession stand located just off the lobby. The menu is hardly extensive, but it will do the job if you need a snack. Plus, no item costs more than three dollars. Visiting fans will find hot dogs, various snacks and drinks here. Pepsi products are featured. No alcohol is sold at this on-campus facility. Atmosphere 2 As you might expect at a smaller facility like the Murray Center, there isn’t exactly a dynamic game day experience to be found. As is the case at many small gyms, a basketball game is a more laid-back experience than at the bigger facilities. Most of the noise at the Murray Center comes from the proud parents in attendance cheering on their children. This is actually a good thing, because the sound system is really sub-par. It's very difficult to make out anything said by the PA announcer during the game. There are scoreboards on either end of the gym. The larger scoreboard on the far end displays more detailed game statistics. There's a decent turnout by the student body, who can really get into the game when the Anchormen get rolling. You won't find other standard basketball features here, such as a pep band or cheer squad. It's a basic presentation, and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Neighborhood 3 Rhode Island College is a self-contained campus located in a residential neighborhood. There are not any dining or lodging options close to campus. However, given the school’s location in the capital city of Providence, there are plenty of options just a short drive away. More information on local attractions can be found here . Smith Street runs in an east-west direction from the RIC campus to downtown Providence. Some favorite local spots here include LaSalle Bakery and New York System, home of the world-famous Rhode Island Coney Island wieners. Following Smith Street a few miles into downtown will allow visiting fans to experience all the best dining and lodging options Providence has to offer. The campus of Providence College is just a mile and a half away on the other side of Smith Street. Fans 3 A typical Anchormen basketball crowd can be accurately described as a “friends and family” crowd. Average attendance generally runs around 300 fans, and based on Stadium Journey’s most recent visit, this count is pretty accurate. RIC’s enrollment in the Little East Conference and a schedule littered with local rivals ensures that there is a strong family presence for players from both teams. There is no designated student section, but there is a decent turnout by the student body, who scatter in familiar spots around the gym. Access 3 The Murray Center is located on the western edge of the Rhode Island College campus, which straddles the Providence/North Providence line. Downtown Providence is about three miles away. No highways serve the RIC campus directly, but Route 6 passes close to the campus, providing the most direct route. Most fans will drive to RIC, and RIPTA busses provide service to campus. Complete information can be found here . Ample parking is located adjacent to the Murray Center. The entrance to the building is on the opposite side of the building from the parking lots, facing the main quad. Fans will enter into a small lobby, which contains the ticket booth, rest rooms and concession stand. The entrance to the basketball court is on the opposite side of the lobby. Seating at the Murray Center is located on either side of the court. Once side has individual stadium seats and the other side has wooden bleachers. Unfortunately, the seating is pushed back a ways from the court. Return on Investment 5 Admission to Anchormen games costs just three dollars, with tickets discounted a dollar for seniors and an additional dollar for children. With free parking and no concession item priced at more than three dollars, a night at Rhode Island College is a very affordable entertainment option for Rhode Island sports fans. Extras 2 Banners hang at the Murray Center on either side of the court honoring Anchormen tournament appearances, retired numbers and 1,000 point scorers. The RIC Athletic Hall of Fame is located on the second floor of the Murray Center. The Anchor Loge overlooks the court. Unfortunately, Stadium Journey has never been able to explore this area during any of their three vists here. Final Thoughts Basketball fans who dismiss small gymnasiums like the Murray Center are truly doing themselves a disservice. Combining intimate venues, affordability and quality hoops, hidden gems like the one found here in Providence provide hoop heads with a quality Stadium Journey far off the beaten path. Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter and Instagram @PuckmanRI.

Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.29 Aitken University Centre University of New Brunswick 20 MacKay Drive Fredericton, NB E3B 5A3 University of New Brunswick Reds website Aitken University Centre website Year Opened: 1976 Capacity: 3,278 The Red Standard In many walks of life there is reference to the “Gold Standard” which refers to the best of the profession, the standard to which all strive.  In Canadian university hockey, USports, there is the Red Standard, as in the UNB Reds, the best modern program in the country.  Since 1998, the UNB Reds have brought home 10 National Championships, including 7 since 2010.  The Reds have also brought home 22 conference banners. The University of New Brunswick is located in Fredericton.  It is the oldest English language university in Canada, established by seven Loyalists who left the United States in 1785.  The Fredericton campus has over 10,000 students, a significant number compared to the modest population of 79,000 in the capital city of New Brunswick.  UNB first iced a hockey team back in 1897.  By 1956 the student newspaper labeled the university’s different athletic teams with unique names.  The hockey team was dubbed the Red Devils.  A rebranding in 1991 saw a unification of all athletic teams under the Varsity Reds brand.  In an effort to make UNB athletics feel more accessible and less elitist, in 2018 the brand was once again retooled and they are currently the UNB Reds. Home for the Reds is the Aitken University Centre, which is owned by the University of New Brunswick, and doubles as the main arena for the City of Fredericton.  It opened in 1976 and has a capacity of 3,278.  It is named after Sir Maxwell Aitken, the former Chancellor of UNB from 1964-1982. It was also the home of the Fredericton Express and Fredericton Canadiens of the AHL. Food & Beverage 4 The concession options at the Aitken Centre are a solid step above what one would normally expect from a Canadian University hockey venue.  There are two main concession stands in the concourse, on either side of the building, with a couple of smaller stands that focus on beverages and small snacks.  The menus of the concession stands are inspired by local eateries Monk’s & Jonesie and The Snooty Fox.  Fans can find typical arena items on the menu including hot dogs, popcorn, pretzels and pizza.  Some of the more interesting items include a number of naan bread items like donairs, hot dogs and chicken, as well as some signature nachos, burgers and hot dogs.  A limited selection of alcoholic beverages are available at both stands and Pepsi products are the soft drink of choice at the Aitken Centre. Atmosphere 4 Aitken University Centre is definitely of a 1970’s vintage.  The exterior features brown brick on the lower portion while the upper portion consists of brown, corrugated siding.  The main entry is on the north side and features a banner listing the gold, silver and bronze medals earned in the University Cup tournaments the Reds have participated in.  The south side features banners for the 10 National Championships the Reds have won, and can be seen from the highway. Entry from the north brings fans into a small breezeway which houses the ticketing office. It becomes immediately obvious that Aitken Centre is first and foremost, the home of the Reds.  There are Reds markings all over this breezeway and into the concourses.  Collages for the Reds’ National Championships, the Reds All-Canadians and other markings are plastered all over the concourse walls.  Getting to the arena a bit early to peruse all of this is well worth it.  Above the eye level, above door height, all around the concourse are posters from the nearly 50 years of events held at Aiken Centre.  Although the concourses do travel a full 360 degrees around the arena, fans are limited to a horseshoe shape as there is no bypass around the north entrance breezeway.  The ice surface is north-south oriented with seating all the way around.  Approximately 15 rows of wooden seats surround the ice surface, with some makeshift boxes at the top of the arena.  The seats are most definitely the original ones from the seventies, but they are in very good shape and surprisingly comfortable.  The ceiling is littered with championship banners, too numerous to count.  Banners of note are the 10 National Championship banners that hang at the north end of the arena and the three honoured Reds just north of the scoreclock.  Banners for coach Gardiner McDougall, who won 9 National Championships in 25 seasons, athletic therapist Joe Glenn and the retired number 17 for Mark Jeffrey stand out among the plethora of conference championships.  The biggest drawback of Aitken Centre are the two video screens that hang on the north wall with projectors.  The technology is well past its prime and it is difficult to see the images. The gameday production at a UNB game is solid.  The Reds have an in game host who leads promotions and keeps fans interested during stoppages.  A 50/50 draw happens near the end of the game.  The speaker system is excellent and the PA announcer does a solid job. Neighbourhood 4 The Aitken Centre is located on the UNB campus in the College Hill neighbourhood of Fredericton.  As a city, Fredericton has a good vibe and is fun in both the winter and summer months. There are a number of places that are close by for pre or post game food and drink.  Some options include Wayback Burgers, Pickle Jar, El Mariachi, Maxwell’s Steak and Seafood and Picaroon’s Brewery.  UNB benefits from being pretty much the only game in town.  The Reds also dress a basketball team as well as other university sports.  Other tourist options in Fredericton include Quartermain Earth Science Centre, Fredericton Region Museum, School Days Museum and the New Brunswick Legislature.  The Best Western and Holiday Inn are close by for fans wishing to stay near campus. Fans 5 The Reds have been the dominant program at the turnstile as well as on the ice.  At the time of writing, for the 2024-2025 season, the Reds averaged over 2,800 fans per game, which ranks first in the conference, and probably first in all of USports.  It is of note, that the Reds also do not have a signature rivalry game at a larger venue that will skew the average attendance a bit.  UNB has averaged about the same for a number of seasons.   Access 4 Getting to the Aitken University Centre is not that difficult.  It is located on the Fredericton campus of the University of New Brunswick in the College Hill neighbourhood.  It is on MacKay Drive, 4.5 km north of the Trans-Canada Highway and immediately north of NB highway 8.  There is free parking on campus, and UNB does provide parking attendants to aid in getting fans parked.  For fans who wish to take public transit, there are Fredericton Transit bus stops on campus.  Fans should check the Fredericton Transit  website for fares, maps and schedules.  Inside the arena, the concourses are a bit on the snug side and the washrooms, although plentiful, are also on the small side. Return on Investment 5 Tickets for the Reds start at $12 with discounts for Seniors, UNB Staff, Youth and Students.  Kids under 5 are free and UNB Students are also free.  A unique feature of Reds hockey is that seats are reserved as opposed to General Admission.  Purchasing tickets ahead of time is a good plan.  Parking is free and concession prices are not too bad.  On the ice, the Reds are one of the premier teams in USports and it is not possible to be much more successful than they already are.  UNB puts together a gameday atmosphere that is as close to a major junior or professional hockey experience as you can get.  In comparison, the price for this experience is excellent.  Extras 4 An extra mark for UNB putting together a major event feel and treating their team as a major junior or pro team. An extra mark for the welcome Stadium Journey received from the Reds. An extra mark for being the main game in town. An extra mark for the remarkable success that the Reds have enjoyed both on the ice and at the turnstile. Final Thoughts It is difficult to find a program that has been as dominant as the UNB Reds have been in USports hockey.  They put together a very professional product both on the ice and in the gameday production.  When in the Maritimes, taking in some UNB Reds hockey at Aitken University Centre is a great plan.  All fans should see a program that sets the Red Standard for the others to aspire to. Follow all of Dave’s sporting adventures on YouTube , Twitter , Threads  and Instagram @profan9.

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Family Arena 2002 Arena Pkwy St. Charles, MO 63303 St. Louis Ambush website Family Arena website Year Opened: 1999 Capacity: 9,643 Family Arena The St. Louis Ambush of Major Arena Soccer League is a resurrection of the former franchise that operated in the National Professional Soccer League, first in Tulsa in 1991, from 1992-2000. That organization appeared in four championship series while calling the Scottrade Center home, winning its lone title during the 1994-1995 campaign. In 2013, the name and colors of teal and black were once again revived for a new franchise to operate out of the Family Arena in St. Charles, Missouri, a 30-minute drive from downtown St. Louis. The Family Arena debuted on October 3, 1999, at a cost of $27 million in order to provide an alternative for sporting events and concerts in the St. Louis metro area. In 2013, there were over $800,000 into renovations to improve the facility; two large video boards and ribbon boards were added at each end of the seating bowl. The arena has seen its share of minor league hockey, indoor football, and concerts from Taylor Swift to Judas Priest. The arena’s capacity is officially 9,643 for indoor soccer games, but only the lower bowl is open for Ambush games. The arena itself is nestled close to the St. Charles River and a few miles away from the town’s historic downtown shops, bars, restaurants, and museums. The game of indoor soccer is fast pace and the club provides a nice little alternative to the sporting action that takes place in downtown St. Louis. Food & Beverage 3 The arena features the usual concession items such as hot dogs, brats, pizza, nachos, pretzels and popcorn at various permanent stands on the main concourse. A few of them are closed for games, but there is more than enough options to choose from at the game. A few of the more notable items include supreme nachos that are topped with chili and pulled pork and chicken tenders basket with fries. The options are basic and not over the top, but the prices are honest and on par with other venues of its caliber. The prices range between $4-$6 for most items, the supreme nachos are $8. There is a wide variety of beer and spirits that include Seagram’s wine coolers, Jack Daniel’s coolers, party bomb shots, wine, Lime-a-Rita, and wine slushies between $6 and $10 each. Draft beer sells for $6, mix drinks are $8, and double mix drinks are $14. If you are driving or do not drink, Coca-Cola products sell for $5 each. Atmosphere 3 The arena is broken up into two seating sections, with the concourse closed off to the public. The main seating bowl houses the majority of the fans, along with a high school band playing its own in-game music throughout the contest of the match. The field level seats are table tops and are located adjacent to the Ambush bench. Fans have an up close and personal view of the game and enjoy a buffet of deep-fried mini tacos and fried ravioli among other drinks and concession items. There is always active during stoppage of play including local high school cheerleaders and dancers, on-field contests for lucky fans, and various announcements. When there is in-game music piped through the speakers it’s a mix of house, remixes, and pop songs of the past 30-years. The Ambush even piped in “Midnight Express (The Chase)”, a 1980s staple at the Checkerdome during the old St. Louis Steamers days in the MISL Bushwacker is the team’s lively mascot dressed in team colors of teal and black; he is extremely active and greets fans young and old throughout the game. He even shows off some wicked dance moves when he introduced before the game. However, be careful of his mustache, its big. Halftime also provides various events and activities including a family soccer match, a bowling contest with soccer balls, a wedding proposal by an Ambush player, and a touching tribute to St. Louis legend and Indoor Soccer Hall of Famer Slobo Ilijevski whose family was on hand for bobblehead day in his honor. Neighborhood 4 The Family Arena is located a good 30-minutes from downtown St.Louis; however, the city does have a historic neighborhood along the St. Charles River that includes restaurants, shops, and bars. It is recommended to visit the picturesque little town. The options include Hendricks BBQ, 2865 Brewhouse, Amerisports Bar and Grill, and Big Woody’s BBQ. Sugarfire Smokehouse makes some of the best barbecue in the area and offer a wonderful Asian slaw and corn souffle as side options. The Old Mill Stream Inn has a fantastic patio to enjoy dinner or drinks during the warmer months of the year. A fun and relaxing way to get through town is to take the St. Charles Trolley which provides service with a 30-minute loop ride through the historic downtown. If you are looking to venture outside of downtown, the area is known for its many vineyards and wineries. Fans 4 The fans at the game enjoy themselves in various ways. They cheer on the Ambush in hope of a goal, talk with friends and families, or dance in their seats when certain music is played or when the camera is looking for fans to show on the two main screens at the arena. No matter what, the crowd is always in the mood for fun and show a lot of love towards the Ambush players. Access 4 Arriving at the arena is best by car off State Road 364; there is clear signage for the arena near the exit and it’s visible as you approach the parking lot entrance. Once inside, the main concourse wraps around the entire arena providing clearly marked signs for bathrooms and seating sections. The upper concourse hallways are draped off and the first 7 rows of seats from the bottom provide the best legroom for patrons. Return on Investment 3 The price for tickets begin at $15 for general admission tickets and top off at $47 for VIP seats on the field adjacent to the playing boards. The price of a ticket depends on your price point, but with the cost of parking set at $10, a night at an Ambush game is on par with a majority of other league franchises. However, if you are frugal like me, grab a $15 ticket, find your seat, and enjoy the game. Extras 4 1 star for the Northwest High School Pep Band that adds a college/high school atmosphere throughout the contest and also make for a nice change of pace from the dance and house music that is usually played at the arena. 2 stars for the various activities that take place during stoppage of play. There are ball tosses, free pizza to a lucky fan, and shirts thrown by staff into the stands between quarters of play. 3 stars for the table top VIP seats next to the Ambush bench. The fans are provided with food and beverage and have the best seats in the house. 4 stars for the variety of music played during the game. The in-game music is a staple of indoor soccer and what’s being played at the Family Arena is a collection of the various club, dance, and pop standards of the past few decades. Final Thoughts The St. Louis Ambush provide a wonderful experience at each home match for diehard fans and ones who are just there for a night out of fun. The music, on-field activities, concession prices, and interaction with players make it a hidden gem among the sporting events that take place in the St. Louis area.

Photos by Terry McCutchen, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14 Memorial Stadium N. Harbin Drive Stephenville, TX 76401 Tarleton State Texans website Memorial Stadium website Year Opened: 1951 Capacity: 24,000 Tarleton State Football - Memorial Stadium Stephenville is a city of approximately 20,000 people located in north central Texas. Known affectionately as the Cowboy Capital of the World, Stephenville is home to numerous world-renowned horse trainers and top-level professional rodeo athletes, most notably Ty Murray. Murray is a nine-time PRCA world champion cowboy and co-founder of the Professional Bull Riders Association (PBR). In 2023, no less than 42 (31%) of the qualifiers for the National Finals Rodeo came from the Stephenville metro area. In addition to professional level cowboys, Tarleton State University sponsors championship level rodeo, stock horse, and animal judging teams to solidify the town’s claim to the western themed title. Not just a one-horse town, Tarleton State University sponsors 15 intercollegiate sports programs at the NCAA Division 1 level – this season is the first full year as a D1 school; having begun the transition from NCAA Division II competition in 2020. The Texans football team currently competes in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS); the team qualified for postseason competition in their first season of eligibility. Memorial Stadium, home of the Texans football team, originally opened in 1951 and was named in honor of 179 former students and faculty members who lost their lives during World War II. At the time, the concrete structure had 32 rows of steel bleachers and seated 6,000 fans. As the result of several renovations and updates through the years, the most recent in 2022, the stadium now sports a turf playing surface, premium suites, an expanded concourse, various concessions, and a state-of-the-art press box, for a total seating capacity of 24,000. The commitment level of the university to compete at the FCS level is evident in the quality of the facilities here.   Food & Beverage   4 There are plenty of full-service concession stands and standalone kiosks along the concourse of the stadium selling various snacks, entrees, and drinks. While there are no major specialty items, there are enough options available for any fan to be satisfied. Souvenir cups are also available, and can be filled with a fountain drink, popcorn, or local favorite Texan Rider draft beer. Soft drinks are Pepsi products with Starry being substituted for Mountain Dew. Other beverages include Gatorade, bottled water, Celsius energy drinks, Peak tea, and several brands of beer, including Coors Light, Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra, the aforementioned Texan Rider, a blonde ale from Revolver Brewing  specifically created for the Tarleton fanbase. In addition to the expected snack items such as candy, popcorn, chips and pretzels, patrons can also purchase cotton candy, Dippin’ Dots, or pickles to satisfy their cravings. To extinguish a larger hunger, items such nachos, hot dogs, pulled pork sandwiches, and walking tacos are plentiful; local eateries Chick-fil-A and Blaze Pizza provide their signature items as well. I would suggest a Texan Dog (sausage link on a hot dog bun) topped with ketchup, mustard, and relish chased by a cold Texan Rider draft.   Atmosphere   5 Football can arguably be compared to an organized religion in the state of Texas – the passion of fans to generate such parallels is present in Memorial Stadium on game day when the Tarleton Texans are playing. Hours before the gates open, fans arrive to begin tailgating, sharing food, and preparing for the game. The team is led onto the field with the band lining the field, cannons exploding into the air, and the Texan Rider racing down the sideline on his horse, reining circles in the middle of the field before departing as the crowd roars. The players then race out of the field house and begin preparation for kickoff. During the game, students stand at attention the entire game behind the visitor’s bench, screaming in full voice attempting to play their role in every snap. LED lights, loud music, and a high-definition scoreboard work in unison to create an environment where the energy is highest, and game play is at maximum potential. The most recent game I attended was not decided until the final seconds; both teams’ crowds were electric until the final buzzer. As the visiting team’s defenders knocked down the potential winning touchdown pass in the end zone as time expired, the visiting fans rushed the field, a sight I had never witnessed before in person.   Neighborhood   4 Tarleton is set in the center of Stephenville, which is a small town of approximately 20,000 people. The area around campus is mostly residential with many restaurants and fast food choices within a few minutes’ drive. The best options include Hard 8 Bar-B-Q , Grump’s Burgers , Don Nico’s Mexican Food , Newton’s Saddlerack , or   Caam’s Pizza Restaurant . Should you prefer an old school diner experience, Jake and Dorothy’s is a locally owned joint that dates back to 1948, the place where waffle cut fries were invented and chicken fried steak is their calling card; just carry cash as they do not accept credit or debit cards. There are plenty of hotels to choose from in town; some of the more highly rated choices include Hampton Inn and Suites ,   La Quinta Inn and Suites , and   Best Western Plus , among others. If you prefer short term rental options, there are several small houses and cabins available in and around Stephenville. On busy weekends, however, availability can be an issue.   Fans   4 Memorial Stadium is the center of attention on campus on many fall Saturdays. Official tailgating takes place in Texan Alley, located in the RV parking lot northwest of the stadium and bordering the track facility – this area is packed with tents, barbecue trailers, music, and plenty of beverages to quench any thirst. Most hosts are friendly, and the experience is well worth the trip. Once inside the facility, the student section is active and loud. Located on the visitor’s side behind the opposing team, this area also includes the organized groups such as the Plowboys, The Sound and Fury Marching Band, and the Texan Stars dance team.   Access   4 Stephenville is approximately three and a half hours north of San Antonio via US-281, or three hours from Austin via Interstate 35. From the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, it is only a little over an hour’s drive. Once in town the university is easily accessible, with ample parking around Memorial Stadium. There is no commercial air travel into town and public transportation is rideshare only, which is limited at best. The best option if flying into the region is to fly to either DFW airport or Love Field in Dallas, Austin-Bergstrom airport in Austin, or the San Antonio airport, and then rent a vehicle to drive. Parking within a block of the stadium is reserved for VIP and suite ticket holders. Paid lots a two or three-minute walk from the stadium, near Wisdom Gym , are open for $10 via the ParkMobile  website. Beginning next year, however, there will be a new parking garage open on Washington Street. Free parking is also available across Washington Street in the baseball and softball complex, an approximate five-minute walk from Memorial Stadium.   Return On Investment   4 The time and expense of attending a Tarleton Texans football game is well worth the investment – with no bad seats, general admission tickets starting around $30 are sufficient. This is the average price one would expect to pay for playoff-caliber FCS football regular season games. Concession prices fall within the lower end of the price range for comparably sized colleges. With the quality of food and variety of choices here, the ROI for concessions is above average. Parking at $10, or free, within a five-minute walk is not unfair at all; all of this helps make the total package of attending a game at Memorial Stadium well worth the cost.   Extras   4 The passion the fans bring makes for a huge home field advantage. Student groups lead the student body to be loud and active the entire game; it is easy to see why football is the most popular team sport in the state of Texas, and the life force of student culture. The option for free parking within a short walk to the stadium deserves a nod – this allows fans to save a few dollars to purchase a Texan Rider or Oscar P Pretzel. Multiple drink and food options, along with plenty of concession stands and standalone kiosks, helps minimize time waiting in line, maximizing time watching the action on the field. The presentation of the stadium team, involving lights, scoreboard, music, and the announcer creates an atmosphere that is fun and energetic. There is an old West Texas saying that is applicable to the gameday atmosphere at Memorial – “If this doesn’t light your fire, your wood is wet!”.   Final Thoughts Tarleton State football, though a new participant at the NCAA Division 1 FCS level, provides a quality game day atmosphere. Replete with energetic students, supportive alumni, and high quality in-game presentation, Texans games are top notch events. It is well worth the time required to attend a Tarleton football game in the future; after a few hours of meeting new friends in Texan Alley, you can grab a snack and drink, then prepare to watch an exciting football game in an older stadium that has been renovated to meet modern demands. This is a sports stadium, though somewhat off the beaten path, that is well worth a visit.

Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Moody Coliseum 6024 Airline Rd Dallas, TX 75205 SMU Mustangs website Moody Coliseum website Year Opened: 1956 Capacity: 7,000 The ACC’s Smallest Basketball Gem Southern Methodist University’s basketball team, a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, plays on campus in Moody Coliseum, located just north of downtown Dallas. Moody Coliseum originally opened on December 3, 1956 – the multi-purpose coliseum is a large part of SMU’s University Park neighborhood, housing not only SMU athletics, but also concerts and academic ceremonies, as well as basketball and volleyball camps. However, Moody Coliseum’s most famous moment could be when the coliseum served as the temporary home for the Dallas Mavericks  in 1984; that game was titled “Moody Madness”, as the Mavericks came away with an upset playoff win versus the Seattle Supersonics. Over the years, Moody Coliseum has had minor renovations, keeping the gym current with the times. However, in 2013 it was time for Moody Coliseum to undergo a major renovation project – that renovation would update the main lobby, bring in new concessions and wider concourses, improve the lighting and seating, provide luxury boxes, give the building wi-fi capability and new locker rooms, and would also bring in an LED scoreboard, LED signage around the arena, and a new floor scheme. This renovation, at a cost of $40 million, transformed the old-school gym into an updated arena for SMU basketball. Following the renovation, Moody Coliseum re-opened on January 4, 2014 to a sellout crowd, with an upset win over the then # 4-ranked and eventual National Champion Connecticut Huskies .   Food & Beverage   3 Moody Coliseum’s concessions have been updated to having areas to pick up your items before moving to the cashier. There are plenty of these locations on both sides of the arena, but this leaves the concession menu to the basics. The menu at these stands is the typical fare of pepperoni or cheese pizza for $8, nachos for $8, or hot dogs and pretzels for $7. Other stadium fare, such as peanuts, bagged popcorn, potato chips, large cookies, and Minute Maid Italian ice cost a little less. SMU’s basketball concessions also offer Antone’s Famous Po’Boy sandwiches. The lone concession stand that offers anything outside the basics is a local Tex-Mex eatery called Mi Cocina, which offers loaded nachos or a taco salad for $17, or quesadillas and tacos available for $14, while chips and salsa are $10. SMU athletics serves Coca-Cola products on campus, so for a $7, 32oz souvenir cup you have a choice of Coke, Coke Zero, Diet Coke, Mr. Pibb, or Sprite. Along with the soda offerings, there is also Powerade ($6) and Dasani bottled water ($5). Beer and wine are also sold inside Moody Coliseum; the selection of domestic beer is limited to three choices, including Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Michelob Ultra for $10. There’s a local craft pilsner available as well, and in addition to beer, wine and Truly seltzer are also served.   Atmosphere   3 Moody Coliseum has all the modern accessories that fans enjoy, but what really makes Moody Coliseum special is the intimate feel of its basketball gymnasium. The arena’s 7,000 seats and great sightlines are a big part of an atmosphere that larger venues just can’t capture. The biggest asset of this type of atmosphere is that the fans can easily get involved with the game. The coliseum has three levels of seating, the 100 level, the 200 level, and the suite level. The suite level is above the 200 level and runs along the sideline across from the team benches. In the lower 100 level, however, the seating is dominated by SMU students, leaving only the seats across from the team benches as premium seating. The students, known as “The Stampede”, surround the baseline and bench sidelines inside the facility. They are continuously loud and energetic, and provide such an intimidating atmosphere that it contributes to Moody Coliseum having a home-court advantage for the Mustangs. The wonderful playing of college band music is alive and well inside Moody Coliseum, as one of the best bands in college sports, the Mustang Band, is positioned in section 100 behind the baseline. In addition, the SMU cheerleaders and pom squad are positioned along the baseline on opposite sides; each group works tirelessly throughout the game to entertain the crowd. The Mustangs mascot, Peruna, also not only entertains but engages the crowd, and gets the already loud and festive student section to become even more involved throughout the game. The atmosphere inside Moody Coliseum can become electric for games, but this hasn’t been a constant. However, SMU being in a new conference could be just what they need to bring back the Moody Magic, which once made this venue one of the most exciting atmospheres in college basketball.   Neighborhood   4 Moody Coliseum is on the beautiful campus of Southern Methodist University – the campus itself covers 243 acres with an enrollment of about 11,000 students. The neighborhood surrounding campus is called University Park, located just north of downtown Dallas off I-75. Within a short distance is Mockingbird Station, a development of shops, dining, and apartment complexes that were built around the Mockingbird DART light rail stop. Mockingbird Station has about 11 different restaurants and 18 shops – the most popular spot is the Londoner Pub. The complex also includes the Angelika Film Center, which provides an 8-screen theater (complete with stadium seating) devoted to independent and specialty films. In addition, just a short walk from Mockingbird Station is Campisi’s Restaurant, a Dallas staple since 1946. If you can’t find what you’re looking for at Mockingbird Station, just walk a few blocks north on SMU Boulevard and you’ll find Torchy’s Tacos, Milo Butterfingers, and the Barley House. The Barley House is the perfect college bar, especially if you plan to partake in alcoholic beverages, with its large list of beers on tap from breweries around the state. Of course, the DART light rail can easily get you to plenty of other pre or postgame activities, with downtown Dallas being just a short commute south. There is plenty of lodging around the SMU campus, with downtown Dallas being a short distance away and accessible via the DART light rail. However, if you want to stay in the area there is the Beeman Hotel on North Central Expressway, a short walk from campus near SMU Boulevard, located just across the highway from the main local attraction here, the George W. Bush Presidential Library. Besides the library there is also the Meadows Museum, just off the main boulevard on SMU’s campus, which is well worth your time to visit. The public transit and location near Dallas provide plenty of tourist attractions and a wide range of restaurants and lodging for any fan attending a game at SMU.   Fans   3 There are various levels of fandom when it comes to college sports; the fans that grew up rooting for a certain school, the alumni of the school, and of course the current students. The SMU fans and alumni combine to form a wonderful fan base, but it is the current students that are the heart and soul of Moody Coliseum, who continue to bring the arena to life game after game. The students, known as “The Stampede”, provide the support that has helped give Moody Coliseum such a homecourt advantage. They sit courtside between the two team benches, and the bigger the game, the more those seats are full and loud. As for the rest of the fans, it depends on the visiting team and the day of the game – for Saturday games, the capacity is much higher than during weekday games. Overall, the fans are what you would expect from a school that is just putting on their basketball shoes in a historically known basketball conference.   Access   4 Southern Methodist University is in University Park, just north of downtown Dallas. Moody Coliseum is located on the SMU campus and is accessible from I-75 near the George W. Bush Presidential Library. SMU’s campus doesn’t provide the most ideal parking situation for sporting events, but the campus is accessible via public transportation. There are four cash parking areas around the coliseum: Moody Garage, Binkley Garage, Meadows Garage, and Westcott Surface Lot, all of which cost $25 and are close and accessible to Moody Coliseum. Otherwise, there is also free parking at Expressway Tower or at Dallas Area Rail Transportation’s Mockingbird Station. The DART light rail is a great option for fans not familiar with the Dallas traffic; Mockingbird Station is a major stop on the Red, Orange, and Blue lines, so you can reach the station from most of the DFW area, including the DFW airport. Once you get to Moody Coliseum there is only one main entrance for the general public. After walking thru metal detectors, fans walk into the Nancy and Richard Rogers Lobby – this lobby houses the ticket office, the Mustangs Pro Shop, and other items, such as free programs. The concourse is well lit and there is plenty of signage to help you navigate around the arena. The concourse can become crowded at high-traffic points during the game, such as before the game, at halftime, and after the game.   Return on Investment   4 The recent conference realignment has put SMU back into a power 5 conference; although football is still king in Texas, entering a traditionally strong basketball conference can only improve the SMU basketball program. SMU uses a flex system for single game ACC conference games – if you are not familiar with this, flex pricing means there are price increases or decreases depending on ticket demand. ACC conference game tickets start the season with typical ACC prices, as they range from $25 to $40 per game, except the Duke game, which is $165. By the end of the season, however, conference games are down to $17 to $23. It is not that SMU is a bad team; it is just that the current SMU basketball demand isn’t there. You can always expect Duke and North Carolina to have premier ticket prices, but always check third party websites to compare with prices on SMU’s website – there are some great deals for tickets during the season, and free parking can also be found nearby. Concessions here have average prices compared to sports venues. Overall, a visit to the SMU campus, along with a game inside Moody Coliseum, is well worth the price and trip for sports enthusiasts.   Extras   3 Moody Coliseum itself has been around since 1956 and continues to keep SMU athletics engaged with other college basketball teams around the country, via serving as the home court for SMU’s men’s and women’s basketball, as well as volleyball. Moody Coliseum offers excitement for college basketball in a football-driven state and provides an atmosphere rivaling other basketball powerhouses. Former President George W. Bush is a constant presence at SMU basketball games, along with players from the Dallas Mavericks and the Dallas Cowboys . The SMU Hall of Fame, located on the east side concourse, is a real tribute to the school’s history and students, with SMU student-athlete plaques depicting their athletic accomplishments, opposite a wall mural of a pre-renovated Moody Coliseum.   Final Thoughts Although the first season in the ACC didn’t exactly take off for the Mustangs in terms of larger attendance at Moody Coliseum, being able to watch ACC basketball, in the smallest ACC arena with a high return on investment, makes this facility a basketball gem for any college basketball fan.

All Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey This month, fans have seen the All-Star competition's good, bad, and ugly. The NBA was the ugly, the NHL’s Four Nations was the bad, and the Professional Volleyball Federation was the good. The league kicked off its first match at the Fishers Event Center near Indianapolis. About 7,000 fans were there this past weekend. There was plenty of excitement the moment fans walked through the front entrances of the arena. Life-size cardboard cutouts of players in the concourse greeted many. Others could pose for photos with family and friends. Two guys dressed as if they had certain connections with an infamous organization handed out game-day towels at the entrances. The teams were not divided into east v west, but by different means. Team Shondell, led by Purdue’s Dave Shondell, faced Team Collier, coached by Georgia Tech’s Michelle Collier. The All-Stars wore black and gold uniforms and waved to the cheering crowd as the announcer called their names. Coaches, league staff, and 10,000 online votes chose the two 12-team squads. Player introductions, Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Fans in the stands wore gear from the Grand Rapids Rise, San Diego Mojo, Orlando Valkyries, Vegas Thrill, and Omaha Supernovas. Many made the trip to the Indianapolis area. The loudest fans were from the Atlanta Vibe. They cheered for their four teammates on the team. The hometown Indy Ignite was there too, showing their support. Team mascots from the Indy Ignite, Orlando Valkeires, and Vegas Thrill were on hand to greet fans, participate in pre-game contests, and then put on a few moves of their own. The game featured a DJ, dance team, and live musicians playing during the breaks. If you have never attended a professional volleyball game, it is quite an experience. A quick look at the seating bowl showed some empty seats. Media crews gathered near the court. Young fans cheered with enthusiasm. Many reached for souvenir mini volleyballs tossed into the stands. CBS made a little bit of history by broadcasting the first women’s pro volleyball match on a traditional U.S. over-the-air network. The game featured NBA star Jalen Rose and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East hosting the league's festivities. Team Shondell celebrates a point in the first game, by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey At the end of the afternoon, Team Shondell defeated Team Collier by a total score of 58-47. Team Shondell won the first sets 25-22 and 25-20 and only needed to reach 8 points in the third set to clinch the victory. That came when Team Shondell took an 8-5 lead but completed the third set with a 15-10 triumph. After the game, Vegas Thrill setter Alisha Childress felt excited. She looked forward to future all-star events in the league.  “We want to continue this not just this year, but for years and years to come. We feel that energy; we can feel that that’s what we’re doing here. We’re older and we’re playing, and to see the younger generation get to look up to us, it’s our responsibility but it’s one we take very seriously to make sure they see volleyball at a high level all the way.” Members of the Atlanta Vibe cheer on their teammates from the stands, by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey The league returns to action later this week in its eight cities until early May, followed by a post-season tournament. Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Meg Minard, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86 Phoenix Municipal Stadium 5999 E. Van Buren St Phoenix, AZ 85008 Map It Arizona State Sun Devils website Phoenix Municipal Stadium website Year Opened: 1964 Capacity: 8,775 Phoenix Muni The Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team h as a long, storied, and successful h istory, with only four losing seasons since its founding in 1959.   The Sun Devils moved to the Big 12 conference beginning the 2024-25 season after successfully playing in the Pac-12 since 1978.   The team is first in the number of alumni who have played in MLB.  The stadium’s outfield walls proudly display nineteen retired numbers, many College World Series (CWS) appearances, and five national championship years. After playing four decades at on-campus Packard Stadium (1974 – 2014) in Tempe, AZ, the Sun Devils moved to Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Phoenix Muni) in 2015.  Phoenix Muni was built as the spring training home for the San Francisco Giants (1964 – 1981) and later the Oakland Athletics (1982 – 2014).  Since taking residence, the Sun Devils have made significant renovations to the 60+-year-old facility.   These include a state-of-the-art indoor batting facility with a new patio deck down the right field line.  Fans can see the entire field and look into the batting cage from the deck.  Upgrades also include a new outfield fence.  The field designers moved the bullpens behind the new fence and changed the field’s dimensions.  The renovations include an elaborately redesigned clubhouse with a players’ lounge, nutrition room, and weight room. The newest piece of history at Phoenix Muni this 2025 season is a statue for Bobby Winkles, the first Sun Devil baseball coach (1959 – 1971). It's an enjoyable, historic park in which to watch some spring baseball. Food & Beverage 3 Phoenix Muni offers traditional concession menu items with better options down the third base concourse.  Line s do fo rm at the concession stands. Hot dogs, nachos, and sausages run $5 - $8.  Popcorn, pretzel, peanuts, and candy costs range from $5 - $13.50, depending on the size ordered.   A Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers (an Arizona sports bar chain) is to the left beyond the stadium’s entrance.  It sells ho t dog, cheeseburger, and chicke n tender baskets for $14 - $16. Phoenix Muni Cold Beers & Cheeseburgers Coke brands are the soda of choice and run $6/bottle or $6.75/$8 fountain.   Bottled wa ter is sold ($5).  Fans can bring in sealed bottled water, so save a few bucks and bring your own. Beers such as Miller Light, Coors Light, Lagunitas, Dos Equis, hard seltzer, wine, etc.    cost $7 - $15.  Tempe-based Huss Brewery sells their new ASU-themed 'Devil's Halo' amber ale at the ballpark. A Chick-fil-A and an Ice stand are on the third base concourse, with a regular chicken sandwich running a pricey $11.18.  Atmosphere 5 Attending a game at Phoenix Muni is a delightful, refreshing experience for any baseball fan.  Green fold-down stadium seats (with cup holders) make up the seating behind home plate and the infield.  Bleachers with backs (general admission) extend down the baselines.   The bleacher area provides net-free seating, though those sections do not have handrails or cup holders, and the seating is quite uncomfortable.  A patio deck is down the first baseline and offers tables with stools, and views of the field and the indoor batt ing area. To sit in the shade, get tickets behind the home plate and infield area (sections 1 – 7 on the first level or in A to M on the second level), keeping in mind that sections 1 (and F and G) are directly behind home plate. A fantastic amount of Sun Devil baseball fame and history surrounds the park.  Plaques line the exterior of the park as well as the outfield walls.  These include the number of players who made it to the majors or were selected in the M LB draft, All Americans, CWS appearances, number of conference championships and national championships, a plaque honoring Packard Stadium, and plaques acknowledging former team managers.  The left field line is 333 ft, honoring former coach Jim Brock #33; the right field line is 334 ft, acknowledging former player Cory Hahn #34.  Nineteen ASU retired numbers are visible on the outfield wall.   The light poles at the park are the ones from the old Polo Grounds, though the lights were updated before the 2025 season.  Chairs of Honor (two empty seats) recognize prisoners of war and those missing in action. The scoreboard provides excellent gameday stats (including previous at-bat results) and player information, with some video tossed in when needed. The announcer does a superb job calling the starting lineup and player changes (for both the home and away teams), though the sound person doesn’t lower the music enough, and fans must strain to hear the names (especi ally for the v isiting team). Music can get loud between innings, so you’re forced to stop talking with friends around you while it lasts.  Thankfully, minimal music is played between pitches. An excellent, not cramped, team shop on the outer concourse (turn right after entering the stadium) has an extensive selection of shirts, caps, and other Sun Devil merchandise.  Neighborhood 4 The stadium is adjacent to Papago Park , which also includes the Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden . If you’re an outdoorsy person on top of being a baseball fan, this area is the perfect place to spend the day. It is convenient to take your family to the zo o (which normally closes at 5 pm ) and then head to the ballpark for a night game. The zoo is so close you can hear fans cheering in the stadium from inside almost the entire zoo. Also, next door is the Hall of Flame Fire Museum which provides a history of firefighting exhibits.  While no places to eat or drink are within walking distance, a short drive (about 3 miles) down Mill Ave will bring fans to downtown Tempe, which has plenty of places to imbibe and dine.  Pedal Haus Brewery (brewery with a full menu), Zipps Sports Grill , Daily Jam - Breakfast & Brunch Restaurant, and Postino Annex (wine café and light fare) are just a few recommended places.  In the same area, Canopy by Hilton Downtown, Sonesta Select Downtown Tempe, and AC Hotel are some hotels for travelling fans.  Many more hotels are just two or so miles from the ballpark nearer the airport like Residence Inn, Radisson, Marriott, and Holiday Inn. For other sports to see when in town, check out ASU basketball at Desert Financial Center or several spring training facilities.  Tempe Diablo Stadium (Angels), Sloan Park (Cubs), or Scottsdale Stadium (Giants) are the closest ones; Chase Field , where the Diamondbacks play, is about eight miles west of Phoenix Muni. Fans 3 Since the baseball program is so storied, a large season ticket holder base across multiple generations is in attendance for games. You’ll see current students, families with kids, middle-aged and retired alumni, and other fans.   All cheer and applaud loudly when the Sun Devils make  a good play and yell at the umps when a call is made against the Sun Devils.  Many adorn ASU shirts and caps.  Attendance is always strong, with a 70% - 80% capacity at most games, more on weekend games, or when the Sun Devils battle their archrival U of A (University of Arizona) Wildcats .  Access 4 Fan s can g et to the ballpark relatively easily by car, bike, light rail, or bus.  It is about three miles from the ASU campus and a little over three miles from Sky Harbor Airport.  If they arrive b y car, fans must walk over a bridge to get to the stadium.  For fans unable to walk over the bridge, Ollie the Trolley , a local woman-owned and operated business, provides shuttle service from the parking lot to the stadium (and back), free of charge (tipping is recommended).  It is $7 to park.  For visitors taking the light rail  get off the stop at Priest Dr/Washington St, then walk .6 miles to the stadium. Clear sports stadium bags are allowed; knapsacks are not.  The security individuals are welcoming; walking through the scanner and getting your bag checked is a breeze.  Re-entry into the stadium is not allowed.  Select and order tickets at kiosks outside the ticket window.  Buying a ticket is cashless and ticketless; one must have a credit card and a working mobile phone to acces s tickets .  While it’s a nice idea, all parties must be present and enter together. The venue has benches near the main entrance for fans to sit and wait for friends. Functional restrooms are on the concourse down both baselines. Return on Investment 4 Because the game day experience is so welcome and pleasant, ticket prices are worth the investment.  Tickets generally run from $6 (general admission) to $20 (first level behind home plate) plus Ticketmaster fees.  Prices increase to $14 - $50 when the team plays better-known schools, especially the University of Arizona. If you want a comfortable seat in the shade, it is worth paying a few extra dollars to sit in the infield seating area.  The team offers military discounts for all veterans.  Season tickets are probably a good bet if planning on attending multiple games; the Sun Devils even have an 8-game Sunday ticket package. Concession prices are on the high side so eat before attending a game and bring your own water.  Parking is $7.  Extras 4 Both the history of the Sun Devils baseball team and the venue deserve additional accolades.  Ollie the Trolley shuttling fans from the parking lot to the entrance is a first-rate feature.  Finally, having a welcoming and painless security entry makes all the difference in the world, and the parking and security folks do that well.  Final Thoughts Phoenix Muni Papago Park The background of Papago Park sets the overall ambience of visiting Phoenix Muni.  It is a truly unique setting for college baseball and one that all baseball fans should try and experience.  The ASU Sun Devil baseball program is a premier one.  We recommend all sports fans visit the legacy and history of the team and venue during the spring.

With the surge of WNBA popularity, record-breaking attendance records this 2024 season, and the playoffs underway, it’s time for Stadium Journey to release its ranking for WNBA arenas.  While some arenas are shared with brethren NBA, G-League, or NHL teams, others are shared with college teams or played in an arena hosting various concerts and other entertainment events throughout the year. Stadium Journey ranks arenas based on their unique FANFARE rating scale, which incorporates a venue’s food, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, accessibility, value, and other factors to create an overall score.  When two or more venues are tied, Stadium Journey consults its Council of Elders to break the tie.  The WNBA competition was fierce this season and many games were sellouts!   Enjoy our list and be sure to share your favorite(s) on our Facebook and Twitter (X) pages. 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 fieldhouse still boasts an impressive collection of memorabilia showcasing the game of basketball in the state. There is an array of items from former professional clubs from the city, local high schools, and the major universities and colleges in the state. 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.     Footprint Center – 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 Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix.   5.      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.   6.     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! 7.     Mohegan Sun Arena – Connecticut Sun 3.86 Paul Baker - While a casino in the woods of eastern Connecticut may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of where to bring the family for an evening of sporting fun, the Mohegan Sun Arena is an excellent facility. There is something for everyone at Mohegan Sun, even the younger fans. 8.     Entertainment and Sports Arena – Washington Mystics 3.86 Gregory Koch - The Washington Mystics are drawing sellout crowds to the Entertainment & Sports 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 the ESA is a great experience. 9.     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. 10.   Barclays Center – New York Liberty 3.57 Lloyd Brown - The Liberty organization does a great job of maintaining a high energy level throughout the games. Ellie, the team’s elephant mascot, roams the stands, leading the cheers and posing with fans for selfies along the way. The team has a fan participation activity on the court during breaks in the action. 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.

Maddie with UVM basketball player May Kotsopoulos. When she was young, UVM fans called her "Mini-May." If there's ever a Mount Rushmore for University of Vermont (UVM) basketball fans, Maddie Ahmadi will be first ballot. She eats, lives and breathes Catamount hoops. These days, she's in the honors program at the University of North Carolina. But while she's physically in Chapel Hill, Maddie's heart remains in the Green Mountain State, rooting on her beloved Catamounts. Maddie took a few moments to discuss her passion. STADIUM JOURNEY: So where were you when Sorrentine unforgettably heaved it from "the parking lot" in Worcester twenty years ago? Describe your feelings, memories. MADDIE AHMADI:  My parents were never going to miss that game, so they brought their 6-month-old daughter along to Worcester. Some babies wear headphones during loud games, but not me. My parents were smart enough to introduce me to the joyous sounds of March Madness at an early age. They like to say that I slept through the entire game. Now, I can sleep through just about anything. I don’t remember Sorrentine’s actual shot, but it is certainly a point of pride that I was there. University of Vermont athletics is truly one of the greatest gifts my parents ever gave me, and I like to think my love of green and gold started back in March 2005.  STADIUM JOURNEY: How many games, total, men's, women's high school, have you seen at Patrick Gymnasium? If there's a record, I'm guessing that you're near the top. Describe the Patrick Gym experience. Will you be sad to see it finally go?  MADDIE AHMADI:  While I would love to hold that record, I don’t even think I can claim the top spot within my own family. My Dad certainly has me beat. He was the manager of the UVM women’s basketball team while he was a student. Since then, he consistently shows up. That said, I would estimate that I’ve attended roughly 450 games. My Dad has likely attended double that. I know Patrick Gym like the back of my hand – the tunnels, the smells, the atmosphere, and the people who make it so great. Patrick Gym is what you get when you mix energy, passion and community. It’s an electrifying environment complete with the perfect combination of old bleachers and a rarely-accurate shot clock. While I support a new arena for the growth of the program and recruitment purposes, I think the Universe doesn’t want to see the end of Patrick Gym. Until it does, I am content celebrating the joys of UVM basketball in the 1963 high school-esque miracle of a facility.  UVM men's coach John Becker cutting down the nets after another championship.  STADIUM JOURNEY: Did you spend a lot of time at Gutterson Fieldhouse watching hockey games? What's special about this venue? MADDIE AHMADI:  I love The Gut. As an Essex High School graduate, I remember watching my friends win plenty of hockey championships. For a long time, we had UVM hockey season tickets. After a while, and as other sports began to take center stage - go soccer! - we slowly attended less hockey games. I love the energy in The Gut, but it does not compare to Patrick Gym, or lately, Virtue Field.  STADIUM JOURNEY: After practically growing up in Patrick Gym, what's it like watching games in the Dean Dome? Surreal?  MADDIE AHMADI:  I love college basketball, but not for the athleticism or glamour. I love the people and the community that it fosters. While the Dean Dome is special, and the student section is unlike anything, I can’t hear what the players are yelling, or recognize the entire community, like I can at Patrick Gym. To be frank, I often skip UNC games to watch my Cats on ESPN+. Thursday through Sunday is my favorite half of the week.  Maddie doing a UNC student broadcast. STADIUM JOURNEY: Has the UNC/Duke rivalry mellowed since Coach K and Coach Williams retired? It sure seems like it, but you're on the ground. MADDIE AHMADI:  Eh. I still hate Duke. You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone on this campus that can tolerate a Blue Devil. The rivalry is alive and well. Rushing Franklin Street last year will go down as one of my top 10 college experiences. All that’s to say, I despise Albany the most. Albany men's basketball taught me what a rivalry feels like. I grew up crying on the way home from then-SEFCU arena after a devastating loss. I refused to wear purple. That place is the antithesis of Patrick Gym.  STADIUM JOURNEY: Who mentored you and helped make you the person that you are today?  MADDIE AHMADI:  My admiration for UVM basketball comes from my parents. They both prioritize community and connection. UVM is their community and they make an effort to always remain connected. Growing up, I sought to connect with my community by serving on my school board, interning with local media, and supporting the state in any way I could. I learned that from my parents and have them to thank for who I am today. Loyalty is everything.  Maddie and family STADIUM JOURNEY: So you've been away from the Green Mountain State for a few months. What spots do you make sure to hit when you're back? MADDIE AHMADI:  Let me lay out the ideal day. First, you need to take a trip to Handy’s Lunch in Burlington for breakfast. I always get a McHandy with bacon and a McHandy with sausage on bulkie rolls. The bulkie rolls are key. Then, take a trip to Church Street and check out some local shops. You will soon realize there are not very many shops in the area and that you'll need something else to do. Luckily, it should be almost time for a 2 pm UVM women’s basketball game. From 2 pm to 4 pm, you will watch the women take down Albany, all while playing stifling defense. You’ll have a short break before the men’s game, so grab dinner at The Gryphon. You must try the sweet potato nachos. They are delectable. Then, head back to Patrick and watch the men play from 7 pm to 9 pm. If we avoid overtime, you might be able to catch a late-night show at the Flynn Theater post-game. Oh, for pizza, I highly recommend Piesanos.   STADIUM JOURNEY: Same question for your adapted home, Chapel Hill. MADDIE AHMADI:  If you are ever in Chapel Hill, you need to grab breakfast at The Carolina Coffee Shop. Despite the deceptive name, the establishment is much more than a coffee shop. They have the best cornflake French toast. Last year, I saw Patriots QB Drake Maye dining with his teammates there quite often. After breakfast, there are lovely botanical gardens on campus that you could explore. You should also be sure to attend one of our great sporting events. UNC has excellent women’s field hockey, women’s soccer, lacrosse, the list goes on. There’s always something. You can dine at Top of the Hill, it’s an iconic restaurant that overlooks Franklin Street. Make sure you get the hush puppies. Take in the Southern charm.  Maddie with UVM women's basketball broadcaster Maura Sheridan STADIUM JOURNEY: This is perhaps the most important question: What's the story behind your poem "' Twas the Night Before (UVM) Madness "? MADDIE AHMADI:  Ha! The poem is a funny story. I was extremely disappointed when I found out that the America East Championship, and subsequent NCAA tournament, was cancelled in 2020. It’s the highlight of my year. I decided that I needed to channel that disappointment into writing, I am a journalist after all. It may have been the easiest piece I’ve ever written. The words, and emotions, just flowed. Jon Hart is  @manversusball

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29 Capital Union Building Gymnasium 777 West Harrisburg Pike Middletown, PA 17057 Penn State-Harrisburg Nittany Lions website Capital Union Building Gymnasium website Year Opened: n/a Capacity: 1,500 Another Penn State Penn State-Harrisburg is a commonwealth campus of Pennsylvania State University in Harrisburg, PA. Around 5,000 full-time students attend the university. The Pennsylvania State University is a geographically dispersed university with campuses located throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Most people only know of the flagship University Park campus. The college was initially founded in 1966 as the Penn State Capitol Campus an upper-division and graduate-level campus. Later on, it was called Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg—Capital College. The college welcomed its first four-year undergraduates in 2001, with its first student housing opening in 2002. Penn State Harrisburg was considered fully transitioned into a four-year college by 2004. Penn State-Harrisburg teams participate as members of NCAA Division III's United East Conference. After a 10-year break from intercollegiate athletics, Penn State–Harrisburg brought back the department as of the fall of the 2005–06 academic year. We attended the venue during a men's and women's doubleheader and the images are from the women's action. The experience should be the same no matter what game you attend. Food & Beverage 3 There is a small permanent concession stand, as well as Chick-fil-A is usually at games selling their wares as well. Prices for all items are reasonable, albeit a bit limited in variety. Atmosphere 3 The arena is a small gym that is similar to many high school gyms. Because of the small size, it can get loud pretty quickly depending on the game's action. There is a very cool "We are (Penn State logo)" permanent sign on one of the seating sections. It is lit up and looks very cool. Instead of permanent video screens, screens drop down from the ceiling for pre-game intros. That is a feature I have not seen at any other venue. Neighborhood 3 Penn State Harrisburg's campus is not located in Harrisburg itself. It is instead along the Susquehanna River near Middletown, Pennsylvania. Middletown is located 3 miles north of the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant. The Unit Number 2 Reactor at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Power Plant suffered a partial meltdown in 1979, causing then Pennsylvania governor Dick Thornburgh to order the evacuation of pregnant women and preschool children from the area. Within days, 140,000 people had left the area. President Jimmy Carter visited Middletown's Community Building to calm the nerves of anxious residents. The power plant is viewable from the Penn State-Harrisburg campus. There are some local restaurants such as Roberto's Pizza and Kuppy's Diner, but you may have to venture closer to Harrisburg for many more options. The Swatara area off of Route 283 has many options. Fans 3 There were a decent number of fans in attendance and they were quite enthusiastic.  You are also likely to find a good number of fans of the opposing teams as many of the opposing schools are located close by. Access 4 Middletown is located right by major roads such as Route 283 and the Highspire Exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike so accessing the campus should be pretty easy. There should be plenty of free parking but we would caution you to check parking regulations for any weeknight games. Return on Investment 4 It costs $5 to attend a game at Penn State-Harrisburg and the parking is free. It seemed like it was cash only for admissions and concessions. Even the simple concessions are cheap so the value is very good. . Extras 3 The "We are (Penn State logo)" permanent sign in the seating area is a feature we have not seen at other venues. We liked the innovative way of using the dropdown screens as part of the entertainment. There is a nice Hall of Fame and other athletic accomplishments on display in the building lobby. Final Thoughts The simple gymnasium at Penn State-Harrisburg is a fun place to watch a game.

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71 John Sessions Stadium River Rd Jacksonville, FL 32211 Jacksonville Dolphins website John Sessions Stadium website Year Opened: 1994 Capacity: 1,500 Between the River and the Ocean Jacksonville University is one of several institutions of higher learning in the city that field baseball teams, alongside Edward Waters and the University of North Florida . Lacking a pro baseball team closer than Tampa , however, the city is probably most well-known for its MiLB franchise, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp . The Jacksonville Dolphins play their home games at John Sessions Stadium, an on-campus facility nestled among the school’s other athletic facilities. The small venue opened in 1994, holds 1500 fans, and was most recently renovated in 2008, when a new scoreboard, entrance, and backstop were added.   Food & Beverage   3 The facility has one concessions stand just inside the main entrance, which is punnily named the Con“Sessions” Stand, reusing the baseball venue’s name; both the stadium and its concession stand are named after John Sessions, a member of JU’s first graduating class and proud supporter of JU athletics, especially baseball. This stand offers a basic menu including what you would probably expect to find at this level, including hot dogs, burgers, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, chips, candy, and snow cones, as well as soda, bottled water, beer, and wine.  Prices may be a tad on the high side, with main dishes running $6 and bottled water/soda coming in at $3/$4, but the addition of beer and wine is a nice perk, given many college sports venues don’t offer alcohol.   Atmosphere   2 Baseball at John Sessions Stadium is pretty low key; the crowd is miniscule, and there isn’t anything going on besides the game itself, although the facility itself is nicely done. The stands don’t appear dated at all, there are lots of JU color pops, and there are myriad photos and other nods to past JU players, as well as homages to past tournament and regional appearances; there is even a small Dolphins team gear stand right next to the concessions stand. The ticket office has some nice décor as well – through the window you can see a giant Jacksonville University banner bracketed by two JU baseball uniforms.   Neighborhood   4 Jacksonville University and John Sessions Stadium are located on the east and south sides of the curving St. Johns River, about 15 miles west of the beaches. Certainly beachfront activities are an option if you are in town for several days for a full three-day series, which baseball fans are accustomed to at any level, but there are also some great restaurants to be found closer to the university itself. Two well-known sandwich shops are The Sheik and Blue Boy, while Tabouleh Café and Trap House Chicken are great if you are looking for wings or Mediterranean, and of course Jacksonville also features numerous seafood restaurant and breakfast eateries, the latter of which always seem prevalent in beachside towns.   Fans   1 Attendance at John Sessions Stadium is almost non-existent during Jacksonville Dolphins baseball games – the stands can often be nearly empty, and you may see more visiting fans than home fans sitting in the chairback seats. Most fans sit in front of the press box, facing home plate, but there are two additional sections of seating, one on the first base side and another on the third base side. There is no seating in the outfield.   Access   4 There are no issues getting to, or in and out of, Sessions Stadium, other than possibly some lingering construction along one edge of the main parking lot. There is a huge parking lot on the first base side of the field, along Dolphin Drive after you pass through the gate when you come onto campus – most fans will park there and walk around to the main entrance, although insiders know there is additional parking closer to the entrance itself, if you keep driving around after you see the first, large parking area. Once inside the facility there are no issues moving around, especially given the typically small crowd size. There may be a short line for concessions, however, as there is only one stand serving the whole park – so at a busy game there might be a bit of a wait.   Return on Investment   3 Parking is free for JU baseball, and admission is only $10, although they stop selling tickets (and thus let you in free), starting around the fourth or fifth inning. Given the lack of amenities here, this might be a good way to spend an evening depending on what kind of experience you are looking for. If you are bringing a large group, you will probably have more fun at a Jumbo Shrimp game, for example, although you will likely pay a bit more for it.   Extras   2 There are a couple of dolphin statues on campus, including one carved from the stump of a tree felled by Hurricane Irma, and the team offers free electronic programs at its baseball games via a QR code, but otherwise there is not much going on at John Sessions Stadium during Jacksonville University Dolphins baseball, save for the simplicity of the game itself.

Photos by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57 Intuit Dome 3930 W Century Blvd Inglewood, CA 90303 Map It LA Clippers website Intuit Dome website Year Opened: 2024 Capacity: 18,000 The Return of Pro Hoops To The ‘Wood When it comes to hosting some of the big names of professional sports, the City of Inglewood, minutes from LAX, is no stranger. From 1967-1999 The Forum was the home to the Los Angeles Lakers  as well as the Los Angeles Kings . During that span much of The Forum’s glorious history would be provided by the 80’s Showtime Era Lakers , winning 5 of their 6 Forum era championships from 1980-1988 while attracting countless Hollywood celebrities, most notably Jack Nicholson and Dyan Cannon.  As both the Lakers and Kings would move to DTLA at the Staples Center (now Crypto.com Arena), the Clippers, who would play their home games at the nearby L.A. Sports Arena from 1984 -1999 after moving from San Diego, would join these two powerhouses.  During their time at Crypto, the Clippers were often regarded as the third tenant, resulting in several occasions with unfavorable afternoon tipoff times. As the team was turning a corner, the Clippers would not be void of controversy due in large part to former owner Donald Sterling . Even with the Clippers recent run of success, try as they may, even going as far as to cover the Lakers championship banners with banners adorning current players, Crypto.com Arena would always be associated with the Lakers.  In comes present day owner Steve Ballmer. Ballmer would be the billion dollar mastermind   that would eventually give the Clippers a home they could truly call their own. Food & Beverage 3 For being a snazzy new venue in a city with various cultural palettes, the options here are somewhat underwhelming. Options include your basic burgers and hot dogs, double cheeseburger, the famous L.A. Street Dog, cheese or pepperoni pizza and chicken tenders.  Healthy options include a chicken Caesar salad, plant based burger, a spicy tuna or garden sushi dog and a buffalo cauliflower wrap. Some of the snack options offer soft pretzels, classic and butter toffee popcorn, nachos and spinach empanadas as well as a variety of chips, candy and ice cream bars.  Coca-Cola products are the soft drink providers and can be bought in cans at any of the grab and go concession stands. Souvenir cups are also available and can be filled at the many self-serve stations throughout the concourses with unlimited refills. The souvenir cups can also be used for any future Intuit Dome events you may be attending.  Some of the domestic, import and craft beers available are Coors, Modelo, and Lagunitas IPA, as well as red and white wine and ready to drink cocktails. Atmosphere 5 Intuit Dome Pregame Intro, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey From the moment one sets foot inside the venue there is already a sense of excitement, starting from the outdoor plaza where fans can shoot some pregame hoops on a regulation basketball court, or admire the various artwork throughout , including the much talked Clipper ship .  The section that is one of the most talked about is The Wall. This section, located behind the visiting teams basket, rises vertically from the floor up with no luxury suites creating any separation, encouraging some of the most rabid fans to make their presence felt such as that in college venues. The first 13 rows provide safe standing rails to encourage those close to the action to provide an intimidating and distracting feel for the free throw shooters of visiting teams. Clippers owner Steve Ballmer spared no expense in making the team’s new digs quite a showcase. Intuit Dome View Atop the Wall, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Neighborhood 3 Intuit Dome Public Artwork, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey As the sports and entertainment complex continues to thrive in Inglewood, aside from the Kia Forum and SoFi Stadium, the neighborhood surrounding these venues has not fully developed. Visitors to the Intuit Dome may find themselves disappointed in the fact there are not many pre and postgame dining options within the area. Along Century or Manchester Blvd you will find your usual chains such as McDonalds, Jack In The Box or Starbucks but not much else.  Cosm Los Angeles  is close by offering a high tech viewing experience of major sporting events giving fans the feel of being at a live event.  Fans 3 Much like the Staples/Crypto era, Clippers fans are a much different breed from the glitzy crowd the Lakers  attract. The majority of fans who attend Clippers games are family types along with the working class. They are still miles from totally capturing the vast L.A. fan base which  their crosstown rivals continue to enjoy. Though an occasional celebrity such as Billy Crystal can be spotted every now and then, for the majority of the fans the focus, bells and whistles, et al, is still on the game without much stargazing. Some of the most passionate fans are seated in the earlier mentioned Wall behind the visiting teams basket. Though Clippers fans now have a venue they can truly call their own, they haven’t exactly been filling the seats toward the rafters on a nightly basis. One can only guess the reasons for the nightly vast amount of empty seats. Costs that include a $68 parking fee? Could it also be the fans reluctance to give too much personal information on the Intuit Dome app? Or maybe the lack of a huge big name superstar aside from maybe James Harden? Could the venue’s Inglewood location also be a factor? After all, anyone familiar with L.A. will tell you Inglewood isn’t exactly in the most centrally located part of town. I’d have to guess it’s a combination of the aforementioned factors. Perhaps as the season approaches the playoffs more interest can be attained by the Clipper Nation.  Access 3 This is L.A. OK, their new home is in the city of Inglewood. I’m sure you get the point. When in L.A., chances are great you’ll be driving. And if you’re driving, you’re more than likely to encounter traffic issues. In some, or many cases, there’s no way around it. This is THE one category that will always be an issue here in Tinsletown.  There are two main garages as well as a VIP Players garage where fans can park. Though parking may be sufficient for the venue’s size, be prepared for your card to be dented with prices starting at $68.  If planning on driving, when in L.A., allow yourself ample time to arrive. Unless you are staying at one of the hotels at nearby LAX, you’re likely to be driving a fair distance along with our famous traffic. L.A. continues to be a sprawling city with no true central point so plan accordingly. You may also want to keep in mind the KIA Forum and SoFi Stadium are neighboring venues that can host events coinciding with Clippers games. To encourage alternate ways of arrival, free gameday shuttles  from various public transit park & ride hubs are offered throughout Los Angeles County. Return on Investment 4 Excluding the parking, which at the cheapest will be $68, tickets for most games are still reasonably priced. Prices from the Intuit Dome app start as low as $29 for seats in the upper terrace wall to as much as $250 for floor level seats via third party sites. If you have an account through the Intuit Dome app, you may be able to score some day of game deals for as low as $21. For games against prime opponents such as the Lakers, Warriors and Celtics expect a significant hike with prices starting in the triple digits at $150.    Regardless what outlet you decide to purchase your tickets you, as well as other attendees from your party will need to add the IntuitDome App  to your mobile device. Once the app has been downloaded each attendee must create their own profile as well as a GameFace ID (Selfie) or an Identity Pass that can be added to your Google or Apple Wallet.  Once a profile has been created the ticket purchaser can transfer the tickets to each attendee in their group. If bringing anyone 13 or under or anyone else needing assistance, a Teammate account can be set up for them.  Are you confused? Don’t feel so bad. What may seem as advanced technology has had its glitches since the venue's first event and should you still have any reservations or questions regarding the use of the app, an Answers Portal is located right at the entrance prior to entering the lower bowl concourse. Extras 4 The moment fans step inside the main outdoor plaza they will experience a vibrant atmosphere. The outdoor plaza, open to the public on non event days, offers a full length basketball court where fans can show off their hoops skills alongside an LED screen displaying an array of Artificial Intelligence based art .  Intuit Dome Art and Hoops, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Another unique work of art that fans will be attracted to is a Clipper ship displaying various basketball hoops , making for a great meeting point. Intuit Dome Clipper Ship, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Once inside the arena fans will notice a display of basketball jerseys from every high school in California located throughout the lower concourse. This is one of the more popular displays inside the arena as fans try to find the location of their high school jersey. Fans can find their high school jersey with the assistance of this link , also available on the display wall. Intuit Dome California High School Basketball Jersey Display, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Inside the seating bowl fans will notice a console that allows them to play games such as team trivia during breaks in the action. The interactive console consists of multi colored buttons allowing fans the chance to play along. The console also comes equipped with an in-seat outlet to charge your phone. Final Thoughts With just under 18,000 seats, the Intuit Dome just may be the most intimate of all NBA arenas. In its first season, like any new venue, its had its hits and misses. Could the Intuit Dome be the model for how any potential future NBA arenas are built? Will fans eventually be accepting of the so-called technological advances that come with attending an event inside this sparkling new venue? The only thing that’s missing that can be built over time is history such as that at Crypto.com Arena, now in its 25th year of service. Once you get past all the technical stuff required to enter the Intuit Dome, you are sure to be impressed with what the Clippers can finally call their own.  Click here  for more of my thoughts on the Intuit Dome game day experience and also check out my YouTube video below for more.