Photo courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics The funds were part of Texas Tech University’s Campaign for Fearless Champions, which will be used for the completion of the South End Zone and the Dustin R. Womble Football Center at Jones AT&T Stadium . To honor the gift and recognize one of the greatest players in Red Raiders history, the school will name its soon-to-be-completed walk-through area at the center, as well as the quarterback meeting room and offensive coordinator’s office in the new south end zone building, in his honor. Photo courtesy of Texas Tech Athletics “When we first launched this campaign, Patrick was only a freshman and now we should approach the end of the campaign with a gift of his own,” Texas Tech Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt said in a news release. “We couldn’t be prouder to announce this gift from Patrick and Brittany Mahomes. We are so proud of Patrick for all he has accomplished and how he has continually supported Texas Tech on a global scale.” In just six seasons, Patrick Mahomes has torn through the NFL record books and helped make the Kansas City Chiefs  one of pro football’s premiere franchises. Amid all of Mahomes’ success, however, he has remained a loyal supporter of Texas Tech – in each of the past three seasons, Mahomes has used an open date on the Kansas City schedule to attend one of Tech’s road games, and he also returned to campus in 2022 to be inducted into the Texas Tech Hall of Fame and Ring of Honor. Patrick Mahomes’ co-branded line of apparel with Adidas, featuring the Mahomes Gladiator logo, forged a partnership with Texas Tech and has been made available to students and fans at the university’s stores. He also recently signed six Tech athletes to NIL deals  with his brand. “There isn’t a greater ambassador for Texas Tech Athletics than Patrick Mahomes,” Red Raiders Head Coach Joey McGuire said. “He is arguably the best brand in sports, not only for his success on the field but for what he and his family do off it.” The gift by the Mahomes raised Texas Tech’s fundraising total to $115 million for its projects, surpassing the athletics department’s original goal of $100 million. “Since my hiring here at Texas Tech, it’s been evident to me just how much Patrick truly loves this university and football program, and this gift further emphasizes that,” said McGuire. “On behalf of our entire program, we can’t thank Patrick and Brittany enough for the impact they are making on our student-athletes and the future of Texas Tech football.” ---- Follow Eric Moreno's Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477 .

Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Stadium Journey got a chance recently to attend the inaugural Capital Hockey Classic on December 12, 2024. This was a college hockey double-header featuring a contest between Army and Navy’s club hockey teams, followed by a matchup between Army and Penn State’s Division I programs. This event took place in Downtown Washington, DC’s Capital One Arena two days be fore the Army-Navy rivalry football game took place at Northwest Stadium. Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Jim Van Stone, President of Business Operations and Chief Commercial Officer at Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE) was quoted as saying “We are ecstatic to be able to welcome college hockey back to Capital One Arena,” and “It is an honor to host this college hockey showcase ahead of the iconic Army-Navy football game, giving fans a chance to witness this storied rivalry on the ice and then see two top Division I teams match up against each other. The military is an integral part of our community in the Washington, D.C. area and Monumental Sports & Entertainment has a long history of harnessing the power of sports to make a lasting difference in the lives of those who serve our country.” Capital One Arena, which previously hosted the 2009 NCAA Frozen Four, serves as the home venue for the NHL’s Washington Capitals. Alongside their ownership organization, MSE, the Capitals have remained committed to growing and improving the game of hockey from youth clinics and camps to community programming to talent development with their AHL affiliate team and 13-time Calder Cup Champions, the Hershey Bears. Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Hockey has long been a staple of athletics on the West Point campus of the United States Military Academy, with the hockey program originally forming in 1904. Since then, the program has become one of the most recognizable brands in college hockey with over 1,200 wins to its name across different levels of evolution in the college game. The Riley family has led the program since 1951 when legendary and 1960 gold-medal-winning USA Hockey Coach Jack Riley took the reins. From there, his son Rob featured as the head coach from 1986-2004 before Rob’s brother, Brian Riley, who now enters his 21st season as head coach, was appointed. Army was a founding member of the Atlantic Hockey Association which just ended its 21-year run at the Division I level and is set to begin a new era as ‘Atlantic Hockey America’ after merging with College Hockey America this summer. “We are excited to have the opportunity to play in the Capital Hockey Classic against Penn State,” said Army head coach Brian Riley. “We know that there are a lot of alumni and Army fans in that area so it will be a great opportunity to bring the Army Hockey Team to an area where we’ve never played. There will be a lot of energy with the Army-Navy Football Game on Saturday and this will be a great way to start the weekend with Army vs. Penn State on the ice.” Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Penn State enters its 13th season as a Division I program in 2024-25 after elevating to varsity status before the 2012-13 campaign. The Nittany Lions secured the 200th win in program history last season and have five 20+-win seasons over the last nine years leading to a pair of Big Ten Championships (2017, 2020) and three NCAA Tournament berths (2017, 2018, 2023). Before being elevated to Division I status, Penn State competed in the ACHA from 1971-2012 winning seven National Titles including a stretch of four straight from 2000-03. This marks the third meeting between Penn State and Army over the past four seasons and the second-straight year the teams will meet after the Nittany Lions erased a four-goal deficit for a thrilling 7-6 victory in Hockey Valley back in January. Penn State is 4-0-0 all-time against the Black Knights in the current era. The Nittany Lions are poised to make a return trip to Allentown and the NCAA Tournament when the puck drops in October after finishing the 2023-24 campaign at 15-18-3. “It’s truly an honor to be a part of the first-ever Capital Hockey Classic,” said Penn State head coach Guy Gadowsky. “The Army-Navy football game is a yearly spectacle and to add a hockey component to this special weekend is an awesome opportunity. I’m excited we will be able to spread our Hockey Valley community to the DMV area, an area we haven’t been to yet in our short history, but one with a large alumni base. We know there will be a lot of Blue & White support in D.C.! We Are!” Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey Navy Club Hockey competes in Division 1 of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) as a member of the Eastern Collegiate Hockey Association (ECHA). Navy won the ECHA Championship in 2022 and went undefeated in 2023, advancing to the ACHA National Tournament each year. Navy is coached by Kevin Rooney, who just completed his 8th season leading the Midshipmen. “The Navy Hockey Team is excited to continue the great legacy of the Army-Navy game,” said Rooney. “As the ‘best of the best’ student-athletes and leaders, the rivalry is historic and delivers an extreme level of competition that is only found in an event like this. In addition, it is an incredible opportunity to join with other hockey teams and Navy Football to be part of the entire Army-Navy legacy weekend. We will be ready to ‘Bring it on’ for this intense hockey weekend at the legendary home venue of the NHL’s Washington Capitals!” In the club hockey game, Army beat Navy by a score of 7-3. For the final game featuring the NCAA teams, Penn State beat Army 4-1. It was an amazing event to attend at the start of the Army/Navy weekend. Hopefully, it will indeed become a recurring event so that we can review it for Stadium Journey.

Below is the transcript of an interview from Eyes Everywhere on March Madness (EEMM), an independent college basketball watchdog group, and freelance dance teacher Danny Moves. The interview was conducted prior to the 2023 season. EEMM: Is Danny Moves your real name? MOVES: I consider it my real name, but it’s my stage name. EEMM: So, it’s an alias? MOVES: It’s the name that I’m registered under with Screen Actors Guild. EEMM: You have no basketball experience whatsoever yet you’re meeting with elite college coaches all over the country. Why? MOVES: Correct, I have no basketball experience, nor do I want any. I’m a dance teacher. EEMM: That’s one we haven’t heard before [laughing]. I’ll ask again: Why are you meeting with these coaches? MOVES: I’m teaching them dance moves. EEMM: You’re kidding. MOVES: Absolutely not. I work with coaches on their post-game locker room celebration dance moves. Dancing is an effective bonding tool. When players see their coach dancing, they become more relatable. If players like their coach more, they play harder, and that leads to more wins, at least in theory. EEM: So what you’re saying is that a dancing coach will help win games? MOVES: Yes. Just look at New York Giants football Coach Brian Daboll. He’s a dancing fool, and he completely turned around his team in just one season. EEMM: Were you his teacher? MOVES: No. But with my help, I could diversify his routine and take it to an entirely different level. The Giants could make the Super Bowl, and he’d win Dancing with The Stars. EEMM: Who were your favorite coaches to teach? MOVES: Impossible to answer. There are so many. I had quite a journey with Jim Boeheim, Syracuse’s coach. He’s the oldest coach in D 1, and he’s, ah, very set in his ways. Last year, his team didn’t make the NCAAs. It was a fragile situation. EEMM: What happened? MOVES: He was very resistant. He stood me up twice before we had an actual session. When we did meet, he said, “I don’t know who you think I am, but I’m not Dick Vitale!” EEMM: How'd you get through to him? MOVES: Eventually. I showed Coach Boeheim footage of Coach K dancing at a corporate appearance, and I played some Bruce Springsteen music videos. I heard that he loves The Boss. Anyway, after he saw the Glory Days video, he finally gave in, and we worked on some low impact moves very similar to the ones that Bruce does in his Dancing in The Dark video, with a few flourishes. Coach Boeheim got into it, and he gave me a Syracuse basketball sweatshirt, which I cannot wear, at least in public, because I must be unbiased. EEMM: Who compensated you for this? MOVES: Coach Boeheim’s employer, Syracuse University. EEMM: Do coaches ever pay you out of their own pocket? MOVES: It’s less common, but it happens. UMass Coach Frank Martin paid me out of his own pocket. He was between coaching jobs, and he was looking for a competitive edge. EEMM: What was Coach Martin like to work with? MOVES: Coach Martin was great, but he lives to talk. Everything is a passionate sermon. After a lot of encouragement, I got him to take his verbal skills and transfer it to his body. The result: Frank Martin is a magnificent break dancer. He can really spin on that bald head of his. I expect his dancing to eventually play huge dividends for UMass basketball. EEMM: Did any coaches refuse your instruction? MOVES: Well, besides Coach Boeheim, who eventually came around, no. But Arkansas’s Eric Musselman refused to stop removing his shirt. He’s the Magic Mike of college basketball. He’s really proud of his torso. But, and I told him this, he takes off his shirt way too often. It has become a crutch, and he has lost the element of surprise. I want my students to never be predictable. I challenged Coach Musselman to keep his shirt on. We developed some new moves, quite acrobatic in fact, but ultimately, Coach Musselman insisted on removing his shirt at the end of each routine. He explained that it’s his signature move, and his players love it. Coach Musselman seemed satisfied with our sessions. He sent me an autographed photo of himself, shirtless of course. EEMM: What’s next for you? MOVES: Well, Miami’s Jim Larranaga is perfecting his moonwalk, so that’s exciting. I'm also looking to expand. Right now, my clientele consists solely of men’s college basketball coaches, but I want to step into the women’s game. I’d love to hire a female instructor at some point. I’d also like hope to branch out to football. For reasons I can't explain NBA and hockey coaches refuse to dance, which is an enormous mistake. Jon Hart is @manversusball

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Indiana Farmers Coliseum 1202 E 38th St Indianapolis, IN 46205 Indy Fuel website Indiana Farmers Coliseum website Year Opened: 1939 Capacity: 6,300 A Tradition of Hockey at Indy’s Coliseum The Indiana Farmers Coliseum went through $53 million in renovations between 2012-2014 in order to welcome professional hockey back to the building. The Indy Fuel of the ECHL is affiliated with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League and has found a niche in a city that favors basketball, football, and minor league baseball during the winter months. Indianapolis has had a strong history of hockey in its city and a majority of it has been played at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Coliseum. The building debuted the same year as the city’s first professional team in 1939. The coliseum is located on the Indiana State Fairgrounds and served as home to various minor league franchises up until 2012 when it was closed for major renovations that would alter its interior structure, but maintain its historic exterior. The Fuel has tossed their hats to the list of professional hockey clubs that have called the coliseum home from the Indianapolis Capitals, Chiefs, Checkers, and Ice. The city’s biggest connection to hockey royalty is to Wayne Gretzky who began his professional career with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association in 1978 for eight games before being sold to the Edmonton Oilers. The Great One would return to the city to drop the puck for the 2018 ECHL All-Star Game held at the building. Gretzky is among a list of hockey legends who got their start or spent their time in the Circle City and include Dominik Hasek, Mark Messier, Dave Keon, Glen Hall, Alex Delvecchio, Marcel Pronovost, Terry Sawchuk, and Sid Abel. All of these men are enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Food & Beverage 4 The food at the Coliseum has improved over the past five seasons since the Fuel entered the league and there are some interesting items that are worthy of consumption when at a game. The concession areas, located on the main wraparound concourse, have a simple look, but some of the new food items are quite tasty. The menu items have changed since our last visit two years ago and offer much more variety along with updated flat-screen monitors showcasing selections and pricing. The Legacy and Slapshot burgers, pork tenderloins, and pulled pork and spicy chicken sandwiches range in price between $10-$12, All sandwich items are served with a side of fries. There are a few kiosks that offer more options including beef and chicken stir fry, grilled brats and Polish sausages, and nacho supreme. Hot dogs are served in adult and kid sizes at concession stands. Snacks and held bites include chili cheese fries, barbecue loaded fries, mini corn dogs, and chicken tenders and fries The Jose Cuervo Bar is located at center ice in Section 209 and offers mixed drinks and draft beers in a bar-like setting, while at the same time, offering wide-open glimpses of the game. There are a few more wide-open spots on the main concourse where fans can stand and watch the game. In other areas of the building, fans can pull up a stool, enjoy food and drink, and take in the game. The Coliseum offers 16 and 24-ounce domestic beers for $7 and $9. Craft beers from local Centerpoint and Sun King breweries are available in 16 and 24 ounces for $9 and $11. If you do prefer a pint or can of beer there are options for White Claw seltzer, Jack Daniels punch, and Bramble Mule cocktails. Local Whiskey Tango bourbon is also available. If you do not drink, Pepsi products are available in the arena. Atmosphere 4 The Coliseum has a seating capacity of 6,800 and has been retrofitted from its original designs that date back almost 80-years-ago. The interior’s aesthetics has been dramatically altered with the installation of the original terrazzo floors, exposed walls, and steel support beams, and the inclusion of 96 original wooden theater seats. The upper concourse does not wrap around entirely around the building and that is due to the age of the building and construction efforts to keep the interior within the realms of historical value. However, the ones who are in this area do get a nice view of the ice, but there could be a few more concession points to serve some of the fans in this seating area. The Jose Cuervo Bar is a nice spot to watch the game with a gathering of fans while enjoying something to drink. The building’s main lobby is located on ice level and all fans must depart to their seats up to two flights of stairs at both ends. The lobby consists of ticket booths, the official souvenir shop “The Garage,” and a few nostalgic nods that include historical photos, original ticket booths, and a few wooden stadium seating. However, there could be more nods to the facility’s history with perhaps championship banners, more historical photos, and paraphernalia. Neighborhood 2 The Fairgrounds are not located in the best part of the city; the best bet would be to drive less than 3 miles north to South Broad Ripple, or SoBro as the hipsters say it, where there are plenty of local restaurants, bars, and nightlife to entertain guests after a hockey game. Twenty Tap features poutine, Bahn mi sandwiches, vegetarian buffalo wing bites, and fried cheese curds to go along with one of the more prestigious selections of beers on tap and a couple that is made downstairs in the basement. Next door is Fat Dan’s which specializes in smoked chicken wings, pulled pork and brisket sandwiches, decadent burgers with various fixings, and craft beer selections. Also in this area is one of the Fuel’s official sponsors, The Sinking Ship. It’s a hockey bar with a menu that stretches from grass-fed stuffed burgers, and Cuban sandwiches, to seitan gyro wraps and wings. It is one of the area’s most eclectic spots and definitely a happening spot for hockey talk. Upland Brewing Company has a small taproom that is somewhat unassuming but orders a Champagne Velvet Pilsner or Free Time Lager on tap. Fans 4 Indianapolis does have a niche hockey market that comes alive when rivals from Cincinnati and Ft. Wayne come to town. The crowd can become even more frenzied on promotional nights that range from Blackhawk Night to Nickelodeon Night at the Coliseum. Average crowds have been creeping towards 4,000 a game the past five seasons and when there are only 6,800 seats available, the near-capacity crowd might make one think that they are indeed in a hockey town. Access 3 The Coliseum is located at the Indiana State Fairgrounds at the corner of 38th Street and Fall Creek Parkway. There are two access points into the building that may cause a line on either street, but there are more exits available after the game for quick access out of the fairgrounds complex. At times, there may be other events taking place, it may get a little confusing navigating to your parking lot. Inside the building, the main concourse does get a tad congested on busier nights in the building which may lead to the narrow corners of the concourse being somewhat cumbersome to maneuver through between intermissions. Thankfully, during game time, the concourses are quite clear of traffic. After the game, various exits and interior staircases open up for everyone to exit quickly from the building to the front of the main entrance. There are plenty of staff members who guide motorists to various exit points and back on the main streets of 38th and Fall Creek Parkway. Return on Investment 4 Ticket prices range from $12 to $45 per game, slightly higher than division rivals in Cincinnati and Ft. Wayne, but both teams play in much larger arenas. The majority of the upper-level tickets are $12 and $15 and that is a reasonable price for a minor league hockey ticket, along with secure $5 parking, not too much to ask for, or a night of ECHL hockey. The return on investment increases with promotional nights that include Fuel Do317 Right which offers $3 beers and sodas, $1 hot dogs, and $7 limited edition t-shirts on select Friday nights, $2 Tuesdays where select concession items are just two bucks, and All-You-Can-Eat hot dogs, burgers, popcorn and nachos during each Thursday game. If with the kids, take them to Nickelodeon Night, or if it is guys' night out, the popular Blackhawk Night is an ideal choice, both games draw near-capacity crowds to the building. Extras 3 The Coliseum gets an extra point for the renovated wooden seats that are available as a seating option in the building. It is a nice nod to the building’s history and the seats are quite comfortable for their age. The Coliseum has improved its concession items from the last two visits and the variety has improved from the concession stand favorites to kiosks around the concourse. All items range in price from $8 to $12 apiece with the chicken sandwich served with a side of fries. A third point for the team’s introduction on the ice through fire and Metallica’s song “Fuel,” is sort of what one expects from a team called the Indy Fuel. Final Thoughts There are times when the building is packed with hockey fans and one believes that Indianapolis is indeed a hockey town. The team does a grand job of providing various promotional nights to lure fans to the building. The exposed piping and steel beams provide aesthetics unparalleled in the ECHL. The Fuel does what it needs to do in terms of marketing itself to the populace of Indianapolis; it should continue that trend in the upcoming years.

What happened to those World War II military assets? And what the heck do they have to do with hockey? Join Dave and Paul and grab a good beer to find out all the details and what any of it has to do with the Rensselaer Engineers! You can find Stadium Journey's review of the Houston Field House and the RPI hockey gameday experience here.

Photo by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey The NBA is the second-most popular professional sports league in the United States – this is especially true online and with social media. New research from online sports betting site Casinos Sweeps  attempted to determine which team was the most popular in the NBA. Researchers analyzed the number of Instagram followers each NBA team currently has; this also revealed each team’s most followed player.   It should come at no surprise that the Los Angeles Lakers were revealed as the most followed team, with a staggering 192.5 million followers on Instagram between their team accounts and those of their individual players. Their most popular player, also no surprise, was found to be future Hall of Famer LeBron James ; the four-time MVP has an amazing online following of 159.5 million.   The Golden State Warriors came in second with a combined 126.5 million followers; 55.9 million of those belong to their most followed player, Steph Curry . Rounding out the top five were the Los Angeles Clippers with Russell Westbrook , the Chicago Bulls  with Lonzo Ball , and the Dallas Mavericks and Kyrie Irving .   “All teams have had a significant impact on the NBA’s overall popularity, both in the US and internationally … it is fascinating to see which ones have ranked the highest,” a spokesperson from Casinos Sweeps  said in a news release. “However, the popularity of each team can change dramatically with new stars, management strategies, and on-court success, so it will be interesting to see how the rankings change in future seasons.”  Image courtesy of Casino Sweeps ----- Follow Eric Moreno’s Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477 . Visit Eric Moreno’s writer’s portfolio site at ericmoreno.contently.com .

Photos by Jon Hart, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14 Pope Physical Education Center 180 Remsen Street Brooklyn Heights, NY 11201 St. Francis Brooklyn Terriers website Pope Physical Education Center website Year Opened: 1971 Capacity: 1,200 Brooklyn Basketball Located in the oversized shadow of the mega Barclays Center , nestled in the idyllic Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn’s St. Francis offers an awesome basketball experience. With a capacity of just 1,200, it’s very intimate. You’re practically on the court. You might even have to toss a ball back onto the court, so look alive! If you want a chair back, you’ll have to sit on the sideline facing the team’s benches. There’s no seating behind either team’s basket. St. Francis, which plays out of the one-bid Northeast Conference, is a low mid-major. On any given night, however, these Terriers can compete with the Goliaths. Earlier this 2018 – 2019 season, they lost by five at Boston College. In short, the Terriers have talent… but they’ve never danced in March Madness. In 2014-15, they came close, winning the NEC regular season championship but stumbling in their conference tournament. Food & Beverage 3 On game days, the St. Francis cafeteria offers pizza, pasta, and other Italian standbys from a local pizzeria. An array of packaged treats are also available. Prices are reasonable. If you’re craving an alternative, there are plenty of options on Montague Street to sample at half-time. If you can muster it, save your appetite. Brooklyn Heights has some of the finest cuisines anywhere. Atmosphere 3 Folks are into it at St. Francis. There’s almost no choice, as you’re practically on the court. St. Francis doesn’t have a band, but they have cheerleaders and a mascot, who might be one of the most mellow in all of the college sports. Neighborhood 4 Just a quick walk from the must-walk or bike Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn Heights is one of the most unique neighborhoods in New York City. With its picturesque brownstones, it’s wonderful for a stroll or a bite. In that realm, there are a plethora of dining options. Henry Street, a gem of a block, offers a gamut of options. If you’re looking for cheap, solid eat, Fuscati Pizza is the spot for a slice. Heights Falafel offers middle eastern goodies. On the higher end, there are long-time neighborhood favorites Noodle Pudding and Henry’s End. If you want to stare at your phone or watch others do just that at a coffee spot, there are plenty of those. If you don’t mind a longer stroll, Lucali in nearby Carroll Gardens is highly recommended for elite, New Haven-quality pizza. Fans 3 Terrier fans run the gamut, from students to neighborhood hoops junkies to kids, who are often allowed on the court during game breaks to shoot free throws or scrimmage. St. Francis offers a very family-friendly experience. When games get tight, Terrier diehards chant. For regular season games, the Terriers seem to get about 600 fans, give or take. Thus, getting a seat on game day shouldn’t be a problem. However, come conference tournament time, attendance is certain to increase. Access 3 Brooklyn Heights is steps away from almost every imaginable public transportation option. For drivers, you might have to hunt and peck for a parking space. Either that or prepare to pay for one of the many garages or lots in the area. If you decide to go this route, Icon on Livingston Street is recommended. Return on Investment 3 St. Francis puts on a good show, and it won’t break the budget. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for kids. Extras 3 In a way, St. Francis has two head coaches. Glenn Branca is the head coach. Ron Ganulin is an assistant. However, Ganulin was the head coach for the Terriers from 1991-2005. Often, during games, both pace opposite ends of the sidelines. There’s no Jumbotron at St. Francis, but they have a mural, a montage of popular Brooklyn images. Final Thoughts St. Francis’ facility isn’t the Carrier Dome, to say the least, but that’s a good thing. You’re close. You can hear the coaches, the bounce of the ball, and the rim reverberate. Bottom line: St. Francis offers big basketball in a small place. When St. Francis finally dances, the serene neighborhood of Brooklyn Heights will go ballistic. ----- Jon Hart is @ManVersusBall

Photo courtesy of Spurs Sports & Entertainment On Thursday, August 3 the five-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs announced a new naming rights partner in Frost Bank. Starting with the 2023-24 season, the formerly named AT&T Center will be known as the Frost Bank Center. “We believe in San Antonio – it’s our hometown,” said Frost Chairman and CEO Phil Green in a news release. “We want this relationship with the Spurs to demonstrate our unwavering sense of pride for San Antonio’s rich history and its bright future.” The change comes after the former naming rights partner, AT&T, sold their minority stake in the Spurs in 2021. They agreed to a one-year naming rights extension for the 2022-23 season while the ball club sought out a new partner. Frost Bank is the Spurs oldest business partner, with a relationship dating back 50 years. “The longevity and success of both the Spurs and Frost Bank are rooted in our shared values of integrity, caring, and excellence,” Green said. “These values ultimately help strengthen and shape our entire community. For 50 years, we have been proud to be a sponsor and a partner with the Spurs. Por Vida. Go Spurs Go!” The Spurs and Frost Bank first began their partnership in 1973 when the bank provided the necessary financing to move the then-Dallas Chaparrals of the ABA to the Alamo City. The unique partnership helped pave the way for the Spurs unprecedented run of success in San Antonio. Frost Bank has been a continued major corporate partner over the years, including being the Spurs first jersey patch partner from 2018-19 through the 2021-22 season (the Austin-based financial institution Self is the current partner) and serving as an integral component to Rock at La Cantera , the Spurs new state-of-the-art performance center and entertainment district. “We’re so excited to bring together two of San Antonio’s most treasured brands in a new and meaningful way to represent our community,” said R.C. Buford, Spurs Sports & Entertainment CEO. “Fifty years ago, our two organizations envisioned the potential of what a professional sports team could mean for our community, and it is only fitting that we’re joining efforts to welcome fans into the home of the San Antonio Spurs.” Photo courtesy of Spurs Sports & Entertainment The 2023-24 season promises to be one of renewed excitement for the Spurs – having landed the first overall pick in the NBA Draft in French phenom Victor Wembanyama, the team saw a surge in season-ticket purchases. The newly christened Frost Bank Center will add to the excitement with several new features in time for the new season, including the Frost Club complete with a “Puro Meter” corridor mural, as well as a game-day interactive light show that changes with the volume of fan noise inside the arena. “Aligning the Frost and Spurs names in such a major way celebrates both our enduring presence in Texas and our shared commitment to communities we have the privilege of serving,” said Buford.

Folsom Field, Photo by Matt Finnigan, Stadium Journey The Coach Prime effect is real. The University of Colorado has sold more than 30,000 tickets to the Buffaloes' April 22 spring football game, according to the Boulder Daily Camera . This, despite the fact that CU is selling tickets for $10 for the first time since the 1980s and with the Buffs having posted a 1-11 record. The difference? Deion Sanders. Since being named CU's head coach on December 3, 2022, Sanders has reinvigorated a program that desperately needed it. He assembled ESPN's top ranked transfer recruiting class for 2023, thanks in large part to bringing two-way star Travis Hunter. The nation's top recruit a year ago, Hunter was this season's top transfer. He came to Boulder from Jackson State University, where Sanders coached two seasons. Sanders also recruited ESPN's 23rd ranked recruiting class overall, highlighted by five-star cornerback Cormani McClain. The excitement around both the program and Sanders has made CU's 2023 spring football game a hot ticket. CU's spring football attendance records date back to 1953, with the Buffs' previous high attendance for a spring game of 17,800 fans coming in 2008. In 2022, CU estimated attendance for the spring game at 1,950. CU's Folsom Field seats 50,183. With more than 60 percent of those seats sold for the spring game and free admission for CU students, Sanders might have a full stadium for his first spring game in Boulder.

Photos by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey I thought I was attending a regular season baseball game between the Thrillville Thrillbillies and the Jackson Rockabillies at Marion Stadium this past Wednesday night. However, I soon learned it was an exhibition game dubbed The inaugural Thrillbillies Tighty Bowl. The game featured a different setup for the 9-innings of play that resembled some of the unusual rules I saw at the Savannah Bananas game a few weeks ago in Indianapolis. Rather than 9-10 unique rules, each inning played differently. A few of them worked rather well and went along swiftly. An on-field MC was on the field to entertain the crowd while continuous music flowed through the speaker during the game. The Thrillbillies mascot having some fun with toilet paper with the crowd. The game featured a different setup for the 9-innings of play that resembled some of the rules I saw at the Savannah Bananas game a few weeks in Indianapolis; instead of 9-10 unique rules, each inning played a bit differently. A few rules worked well and went along swiftly for the crowd entertained by an MC and constant music played throughout the game. The first two winnings worked out very well. The team started off the game under The Wimbleton Inning. All hitting and throwing had to be completed by a tennis racquet. Players pitched from a serve, and batters could smack the tennis ball on the bounce. Outfielders then had to catch with one hand or throw to a base for an out. It included a lucky fan taking an at-bat. A Jackson Rockabillies player swings at a tennis ball with a racquet during the first inning of play The second inning had every member of the team on the field. While batters put the ball into play due to no pitcher on the mound, and a foul ball caught in the stands is out. The Thrillbillies mascot and Sud Mobile weaved in and out of the players in the outfield during the inning of play. A few other innings had the players swap baseball for kickball. They slid into each base on a Slip n Slide doused with foam from the Sud Mobile. It was a constant presence for most of the evening as the truck sprayed a gun full of foam onto the first few seats of the grandstand, dousing everyone (including myself). A few players had some solid boots, but sliding into a sea of foam and being soaked with a ball was thrilling to watch. Safe at home during the kickball game What didn't work were a few innings that took some time to set up and caused heavy delays. The Battle of the Sexes game was fun and exciting, but both teams had to bring in makeshift plastic walls when it was their time to play by the softball rules. The saving grace, and perhaps the most viewed by the fans, was a high school junior striking out three college players, although she gave up two home runs. However, her performance wowed the crowd to the future Western Illinois pitcher. The Giveaway Inning, where four business reps from the community would run for batters as they tried to win a lucky fan a prize grill or black diamond innings, also featured three pitchers on the mound. Let the Fans Hit inning was a great idea, but it took a bit longer to select fans from the stands and then get them to play. A local high school junior struck out three players, despite giving up two home runs in her one inning of work. I have to give the T-Billies management credit; they were creating something fun and exciting for the fan base, even though many probably did not know what to expect. Just like with anything new, there is bound to be some tinkering with the rules in the future. By the time the last inning was played, in complete darkness with players decked out in glow sticks, the gimmick had worn off a bit. The Thrillbillies management earns credit for pulling off such an elaborate display of baseball shenanigans. Throughout the game, the suds mobile blasted fans, the dance team entertained patrons between innings, and many walked onto the field during events to mingle with the players for access, unlike anytime else at a ballpark. The last inning was a total blackout and played in the dark; players worked reflective suites After the game, the Tighty Bowl trophy was awarded to the Thrillbillies, who hosted the underwear cup-shaped trophy up into the air. The two teams would play again tomorrow night under Prospect League rules. However, tonight might have been the start of something in Marion. A game that could take place annually or bi-annually that will no doubt look a little different the next time the Thrillbillies take the field. It was exciting and thrilling, and when it moved smoothly, it was a marvelous spectacle. I will look forward to the next go around. ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter and his YouTube channel . Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

This week's episode counts down the Stadium Journey NHL Rankings. Will there be any surprises in our annual list of venues? Audio on HIACTalkRadio.com #ApplePodcasts , #GooglePodcasts , #Spotify , and #AmazonMusic Audio versions of the Stadium Journey podcast can be found by searching HIAC Talk Radio wherever you look for your favorite podcasts. Video simulcasts of all the Stadium Journey podcasts can be found on Stadium Journey's YouTube page . Join us live as we record every other Tuesday night at 7PM eastern at danlaw.tv .

It's that time of year again: MLB playoffs. We look at how the format is and whether the changes have been good or bad. Audio versions of the Stadium Journey podcast can be found by searching HIAC Talk Radio   wherever you look for your favorite podcasts. Video simulcasts of all the Stadium Journey podcasts can be found on Stadium Journey's YouTube page . Join us live as we record every other Monday on our social media streaming channels.

Photos by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.86 PETCO Park 100 Park Blvd San Diego, CA 92101 Map It San Diego Padres website PETCO Park website Year Opened: 2004 Capacity: 42,445 America's Finest Park From 1969-2003 the San Diego Padres MLB franchise called Mission Valley their home. From San Diego to Jack Murphy to Qualcomm, the Friars had their share of memorable moments from Steve Garvey’s 2-run walk-off in Game 4 of the 1984 NLCS to the hitting prowess provided by Mr. Padre Tony Gwynn. The Padres would make two World Series appearances during their days in Mission Valley in 1984 and 1998.  Now in its 21st year of operation, Petco Park has hosted five post season appearances and is primed for another exciting playoff chase. Food & Beverage 5 There is no shortage of dining options   at Petco Park ranging from the traditional hot dogs to an array of fare.   There are your usual ballpark options such as the Friar Frank, the half-pound Big Slugger Dog and bratwurst and local favorites Randy Jones BBQ and Hodad’s. A single bacon cheeseburger from Hodads with all the fixings piled high is big enough to satisfy even the biggest appetites. Cardiff’s Seaside Market has a cart located in the both lower and upper concourse on the third base side  serving up some tasty Burgundy BBQ tri-tip sandwiches as well as a generous helping of Burgundy Pepper tri-tip nachos, affectionately known to locals as Cardiff Crack.   Also available at Cardiff Seaside’s main marketplace in the lower concourse, and another fan favorite, is the banana bread pudding . Served in a souvenir replica of the Western Metal Supply Co. building , this collectible container adds to the appeal of the dessert which fans greatly enjoy. If craving this sought-out dessert, you will want to get to the marketplace early as it tends to sell out rather quickly.   A popular addition to the lineup is the Lob Dog .   It's a grilled chorizo sausage topped with grilled lobster tail, served on a brioche bun with charred lemon garlic aioli, chives, and a lemon slice for garnish. The dish is cooked on a special Santa Maria grill and presented in a boat-shaped box at just under $40! Petco Park offers a wide variety of local craft beers and microbrews. Among the options are Ballast Point, Karl Strauss, Mission Brewery, as well as your typical ballpark variety of Anheuser Busch/Budweiser products. If there’s one brew that you must try at Petco if only to soak in the local brew experience, it’s the San Diego Pale Ale .394. The brew is a simple Pale Ale that pays tribute to Mr. Padre, Tony Gwynn, and his highest season batting average, .394, accomplished in 1994. Coke products provide non-alcoholic options with fountain stations located throughout the yard for free refills. Atmosphere 5 Coming off their exciting 2024 campaign, expectations for this season’s team remain high and the enthusiasm throughout the stands has been evident. The recently renovated Gallagher Square , located beyond the outfield seating area is a good way for the casual fan to spend a day at Petco Park. The recent $20 million renovations to Gallagher Square present fans with more room to maneuver, as  well as an updated video board along the Sycuan concert stage, leveled tiered lawn seating and a vastly improved kids play area that features the world’s largest climbable bat and an off-leash dog park. Gallagher Square, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Another addition fans will notice to Gallagher Square is the leveled terrace named after Mr. Padre himself, Tony Gwynn. Fans will also notice the relocation of the Tony Gwynn Statue in the upper deck of the terrace. The terrace has a pedestrian tunnel leading to the staging area of Gallagher Square. The tunnel features tributes to Mr. Padre including a six-minute video highlighting some of his accomplishments.  Tony Gwinn Tunnel, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey San Diego has long been known for its military presence. Military exhibits are on display behind the lower right field stands should you choose to arrive early to view them. A statue of former legendary broadcaster, Jerry Coleman, a former Marine Veteran, is located inside the right field entrance gates. Sunday afternoon games bring out a strong military presence as one of the four branches of uniformed military personnel make their presence at the yard with the Padres donning their military themed uniforms. Neighborhood 5 Petco Park Exterior, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Since Petco Park’s opening in 2004, the vibe around the surrounding neighborhood has continually increased as more residency, as well as pre- and post-game entertainment and dining options continue to develop. The Gaslamp is the place many fans venture to with its wide variety of bars and restaurants. Bub’s at the Ballpark and The Blind Burro are some of the nearby favorites. Bar Basic, with its brick warehouse vibe as well as its signature Mashed White Pie, is also another neighborhood favorite a stone’s throw away from the yard. Fans 5 Coming off the excitement of last season’s playoff run, the level of enthusiasm continues to rise. Capacity crowds are the norm, and with another team ready for another exciting playoff chase, Petco Park could once again set another yearly attendance record. The enthusiasm among the Friar Faithful is at a fever pitch, especially when their World Champion rivals up I-5 are in town. Access 5 The downtown location of Petco Park allows for easy access, with parking lots scattered throughout the area. If you park in one of the further lots toward Broadway St to save some dough, the walk to the ballpark is approximately only 15 minutes. If you and your buddies want to do a little pre-game tailgate, Tailgate Park provides fans a small lot to grill, socialize and consume beverages before heading inside the yard. The experience at Tailgate Park is a bit scaled-down. Among the restrictions from your usual tailgate, the use of charcoal is not allowed on the premises as only gas cooking grills are allowed on the lot.  The SDMTS Trolley  is another great for Padres fans who wish to avoid the hassles of driving to the game with park and ride lots available throughout various spots throughout the city. If traveling from points north of San Diego toward Oceanside, the Coaster   provides rail service throughout the season to the Santa Fe Depot station where fans can connect free with their Coaster ticket on the SDMTS Trolley to Petco Park and back. Return service on the Coaster departs one hour after the last out or the conclusion of post-game fireworks. The latest Coaster departure is midnight. Gallagher Square Space, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Return on Investment 4 On most nights, you can get a “Park Pass” starting at $25. The pass allows fans to roam throughout the park without any restrictions. For games that aren’t filled, you should have no trouble finding a seat at the upper level. Otherwise, for games where attendance is expected to reach full capacity the “Park Pass,” while still allowing fans to roam the yard, permits fans access to Gallagher Square. Tickets inside the seating bowl for most games also start at $25, with a significant bump when certain teams, such as the Dodgers or Yankees, are in town. With crowds mostly reaching capacity status, it would be worth the few extra bucks for a seat inside the actual seating areas. Extras 5 Located behind the batter’s backdrop at the Gallagher Square, the Sycuan Stage is the first outdoor concert venue of its kind to be included inside an MLB park. Before ballgames, a local DJ spins beats from the stage. Two of Petco Park’s celebrated landmarks are statues of Hall of Famers Trevor Hoffman and Tony Gwynn. The statue of Tony Gwynn has been a very popular meeting spot for years and the Trevor Hoffman statue makes for another popular pregame meeting spot as well. The Padres Hall of Fame features a timeline of Padres and other baseball history in San Diego, as well as other photos and artifacts and an interactive video display that allows fans to view a profile of a past Padres legend. Outside the Hall of Fame at the Plaza are plaques displaying players in Cooperstown who donned the Padre uniform at some point in their career. The Breitbard Hall of Fame is located on the field concourse inside the Western Metal Supply Co. The building has a display of 153 plaques honoring athletes that left an impact on San Diego, both native San Diegans and those who played for a San Diego organization. A bronze bust of Johnny Ritchey can be viewed at the Breitbard Hall of Fame. A native of San Diego, Ritchey would be the first black ballplayer to break the color barrier in the AAA Pacific Coast League one year after Jackie Robinson would break the MLB color barrier during a time when MLB’s furthest team west was in St. Louis. The historic Western Metal Supply Co. building, Petco Park’s signature feature, is nicely incorporated into the yard, located by the left field corner, with rooftop viewing available throughout most games. The building also houses the main team store as well as several suites and The Loft, a sports bar on the building’s 4th floor that offers your standard ballpark brews and bites with several screens and pool and foosball tables. The Loft is open to all game-day patrons. Bringing the little ones to the yard? A miniature playground and a whiffle ball field are there for your little ones to enjoy. Gallagher Square also operates as a public park during the day as well as non-game days. If you should find yourself at an afternoon game, the playground remains open after the game for you and your young ones to work off some of that extra energy from the few innings worth of cotton candy and ice cream consumed. A plaza of retired numbers that once stood atop the batter’s backdrop can be viewed at the plaza inside the gate located at the corner of Tony Gwynn Drive and Trevor Hoffman Way. In section 114, San Diego’s high school baseball and softball make their presence known. The “San Diego Section” features hats from San Diego County high school teams that compete in CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) play. The display is also accompanied by two interactive screens where fans can search schools and professional players from those schools. Climbable Bat, Photo by Andrei Ojeda, Stadium Journey Final Thoughts Petco Park continues to play a huge role in the revitalization of the local area throughout the East Village. With a vibrant neighborhood and enthusiastic fans coming in droves along with one of the more picturesque parks among the 30, it’s no wonder Petco Park continually  ranks high among ballpark experts in America’s Finest City. ----- Follow and view all of Andrei’s journeys on Instagram   @thestadiumjourneyman and   @dreiinla .

File Photo Schenectady Stadium was somewhat ahead of its time when it opened in 1946; the modern structure had many innovations, from its field lights to its very own restaurant. However, only eleven years later, the stadium hosted its last baseball game. Owners Pete and Jim McNearney built their steel and concrete structure from their own pockets to attract an existing ball club during the Golden Age of baseball after World War II. The brothers had the foresight to understand that it might be more than just baseball that attracted fans through the gates. The home of the Schenectady Blue Jays of the latter Eastern League offered the first panoramic stadium restaurant in the country. The restaurant was open every day except Mondays, from 5 PM to 1 AM, regardless of a baseball game. Patrons had the opportunity to enjoy dinner while watching the game from the clean and modern eatery. Tables were pressed against the large windows overlooking the diamond, and a few lounge chairs provided extra comfort for those wanting to enjoy the elusive after-dinner cigarette. The house special was the stadium club steak for $2. Today, you can find many restaurants located inside or adjacent to minor league ballparks. Frickers in Fifth Third Field in Toledo, Ohio,  offers eight rows of seating overlooking the ballpark in the right-field corner of the stadium for Mud Hens fans. Against the Grain sits inside Louisville Slugger Field , serves award-winning barbecue, and brews its beer to fans before and after Louisville Bats games. It’s normal to take such comforts for granted since the stadium restaurant in Schenectady–sans the cigarette smoke–describes most suite-level bars and restaurants that are the norm at all modern ballparks. However, this was not always the case more than 70 years ago when Schenectady Stadium opened for business. The ballpark featured a few more innovations, including the same GE floodlights that were used at Yankee Stadium, coined-operated turnstiles, and a modern electric scoreboard. The 278,000-watt system made the stadium the best-illuminated field in the league. There was also a screen around the stadium’s grandstand, but as ex-Blue Jay Wally Habel would later say, it wasn’t to protect the fans; it was to save on baseballs. Pete McNerney even set up a cop outside the parking lot to make sure any balls hit outside the venue were promptly returned from the various kids looking for the elusive baseball souvenir. The Jays incorporated special nights to attract large audiences to the gate, like Booster Night, which included fireworks, prizes, and appearances by local politicians. There was also the chance for a lucky fan to be awarded $25 for the first home run, $15 for the first triple, and $10 for the first single of the night. . Unfortunately, attendance would be a problem during the last half of the team’s existence. Ads in the local newspaper pleaded with its readers to “Keep Class A Baseball in Schenectady” by sending $4 to the stadium for four tickets that could be used at any game during the 1954 season. The Booster Club set an objective of selling 100,000 tickets and offering prizes for a new automobile, toaster, and portable radio. There were nights when the crowds were large and fireworks were set off, but the future looked dimmed by the club’s 12th season. The Blue Jays folded after the 1957 season when attendance dipped heavily from the year before. A campaign to sell 2,000 season tickets for $25 a pop fell short by 58%, and the team pulled the plug on operations, despite local interest in keeping the club in town. In the end, there were only 835 season tickets sold during the drive. The disdained McNearney handed over a letter of withdrawal to the league. To him, the times were changing, and it was a different era for minor-league baseball. “During the past three to four years, minor league baseball has been on the decline. The fact has been attributed to many causes, such as television, radio, and the like. To elaborate, at this point, would be needless.” Author and local baseball historian Frank Keetz wrote two books on the Blue Jays during their days in town; he expressed his opinion in an interview with the Schenectady Daily Gazette in 2012. “Eventually, things just fizzled out . Some people faithfully supported the team right to the end, but there weren’t enough of them. They were very popular for the first three or four years, and then attendance started to decline for several reasons, and the same thing was happening in Albany and other minor league towns around the country.” McNerney would convert the ballpark into Stadium Golf Club and turn it into a 9-hole golf course before selling it in 1965. It would later be turned into an 18-hole course. The grandstand would remain as part of the clubhouse and maintenance entrance until 2002, when it was finally knocked down, 45 years after it last hosted minor league baseball. Today, minor league baseball is played at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium in nearby Troy, New York. The Tri-City Valleycats have been members of the New York-Penn League since 2002. Its name, Tri-City, incorporates the cities of Troy, Schenectady, and Albany. There is even a Mayor’s Race that features mascots represented by the likeness of each city’s three mayors at every game. The golf course is still in service today, and its logo crest features a blue jay in the middle with two golf clubs, a nice little nod to the city’s baseball minor league past, and a stadium that was somewhat ahead of its time but should not be forgotten. --- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photo Courtesy of Google Some ballparks don’t die; many are just distant memory. Many have been torn down and replaced with other structures that bear little connection to the former baseball home. However, there is one ballpark still standing and posing a striking resemblance to its past glory. That former ballpark is Coble Grimes Stadium in Fredericksburg, Pennsylvania. The site is now home to the D.E. Richard Garage. It is also home to the Speedway Mart gas station, a car wash, and a truck bay on its premises. It also provides 24-hour towing and PA safety and emission testing. If you need a new tire, this is the place to be; if you are looking for a baseball game down the road to either Harrisburg or Reading. A walk around its premises, and you can see the outfield walls, the old covered grandstand, the backstop, and the general shape of the ballpark. The right field is gone, and a sea of cars now occupies the outfield, but to a trained ballpark hunter, this was once home to a baseball team. It is one that had a meteoric rise and fall right after World War II. Charlie and Coble Grimes were founders of College Hill Poultry; they were baseball fans, most notably Coble, who supplied the financial backing for the semi-professional College Hill Chix baseball club. They operated at the Lebanon High School baseball field for their first season in 1945, attracting an impressive audience.  A crowd of 3,000 witnessed the first game, File Photo, Lebanon Daily News The Chix averaged around 500 fans per game and revived interest in semi-professional baseball in Lebanon County. It was important enough that the two brothers decided to build their ballpark the following year. One that would be big enough to satisfy the baseball-hungry crowds preceding the war. They found a parcel of land at the intersection of the recently constructed Route 22 and Main Street, 10 miles north of town in Fredericksburg.  The new highway merged with the old Rt. 22, creating a natural triangle. Foul balls could land on the new route and home runs over the center field, or left-field walls could land on the old Route. 22.  The privately financed stadium housed 3,500 fans and would be ready by June of 1946. The grandstand itself would be able to accommodate close to 2,000 fans. It included a press box, an announcer's booth, light towers, and concession stands underneath, selling refreshments.  The local newspapers called it the “finest in the east” upon its completion. A crowd of 3,000 packed the stadium to witness a 2-0 12-inning loss to Cornwall. “Coble was a real ball nut, and he could afford it,” former site owner Dale Richard, Sr., told the Lebanon Daily News in 1990. “He built the baseball diamond out of his pocket. The Chix got players from all over the area, Lebanon, Fredericksburg, and Meckville. I’d say maybe 100 guys played here over the years.” The stadium hosted various ball games from semi-pro games to exhibition games against the House of David clubs, local area high school and college teams, and Negro League teams passing through the area to delighted fans. The first-ever Keystone Semi-State Baseball tournament was held, in which the Chix won. Opening night for the Chix in 1949. In 1949, the Chix joined the Class D Mid-Atlantic League and were affiliated with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Grimes added box seating closer to the field level, along with infield grass for the first time. The newly named Lebanon Chix featured an 18-year-old Ken Boyer beginning his professional career. He would win the NL MVP with the Cards in 1964. The first-ever game produced a crowd of 1,800, and the following year, they were champions of the league. Unfortunately, the Chix would never play again after its championship series victory. The club announced it was withdrawing from the league in January 1951 due to military involvement in Korea and disappointing attendance during the season. The death of Coble in October was a devastating hit to the ball club, due to his financial backing of the team. Without his support, College Hill Poultry got out of the baseball business, but would still allow local clubs to play free of charge from time to time. The ballpark would become home to the Fredericksburg High School baseball team, along with a series of events that included another semi-state baseball tournament, local twilight games, Little League baseball, Lebanon Valley College baseball, and Negro League games. Wrestling, boxing, and donkey baseball would find an audience at Grimes Stadium. After the high school built a new campus and athletic field in 1958, it moved off the premises. By this time, the ballpark was renamed Norelco Stadium and was still housing local baseball leagues. That changed in 1965 when Dale E. Richards, Sr., purchased the 10-acre site and converted the baseball facility into a race track. It resulted in a few cosmetic changes that would alter the baseball pattern. The right-field wall was demolished to extend the track into the area once used as the parking lot for baseball games. The oval featured two turns, one of them where home plate once stood in front of the grandstand. Additional bleacher seating was added where the left field once stood to increase the venue’s capacity to 3,800. The ballpark, when it was the Fredericksburg Speedway, File Photo, Lebanon Daily News. “I guess you got to be a little bit crazy to buy something like this,” said Richard to the Lebanon Daily-News in 1990. “But the main reason I bought it is that I had property adjacent to it. I was thinking I’m going to have to live next to it the rest of my life anyways.”  Richards operated the now-named Fredericksburg Speedway until 1972, before closing it down due to the track not making any money for him, despite his time and effort into renovating the building. It reopened in 1975 under new promoters but closed for good after the following racing season. The D.E. Richard Garage opened its doors in 1977, but the old grandstand would remain standing, but no longer a home for racing, but a haven for used cars and spare automobile parts. In the 1990s, a 4-bay truck and car wash and Speedy Mart grocery store opened on the site. Richards passed away in 2010, and his son Richard, Jr. would take over the business, which he continues to operate today. “I’ve got people stopping quite a bit, people who went to the races, people who like baseball,” said Richard to the Lebanon Sports Buzz in 2013 . “But when the younger people drive by, they have no idea what it was. I’d bet money on that.” The grandstand seats are visible, and old cars line the infield. Photo from Lebanon Daily Buzz. If you visit the site, you can see the 70-plus-year grandstand with new siding, but still with its concession and ticket windows intact. The first and third base sides of the building have had garage doors installed, but a look inside its interiors tells a much different story. A birdseye view of what the former ballpark looks like today. The grandstand is warped with splintered pieces of wood that are filled with used auto parts, most notably car rims. There is now tall grass and trees sprouting up through parts of the concourse, and the original protective screen is tattered, but still hanging from the ceiling of the structure. A look towards the old playing field will result in a strewn of used automobiles rusting in the sun. A new building was constructed in left field, and the old track is visible where motorcycles and stock cars once zipped at fast speeds. What is left of the outfield wall has been painted white with blue and red striping, a nice look for the old baseball palace. The lights were removed a long time ago, and only memories of baseball and racing remain at the site, but the station does offer a collection of photos from its days as a speedway. The exterior of the grandstand. Note the original concession windows, Google Docs Image The site is an anomaly since most former minor league stadiums from this era were knocked down decades ago. The Schenectady, New York, grandstand stood until 2002 as the golf course storage unit, but that might be the only other structure of its kind that existed after being used for baseball. It is an example of baseball fever that took place soon after the war in Europe and Japan ended. Many cities and towns across the country built new stadiums or renovated existing ones for the minor leagues.  The College Hill Chix lasted six seasons and only used the stadium for five years; built at a unique time in the country where almost every town, large and small, built or renovated a stadium for a baseball club. Many have faded into history, but the former Grimes Stadium is a quiet history lesson to ballpark fans in the 21st century. I wish I had known about this place a little bit earlier; I definitely would have visited. Then again, what fun would that be? Harrisburg isn’t far off the beaten path, and it is just another reason to hop in the car to make a future ballpark trip. --- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 St. Michael’s College School Arena 1515 Bathurst St York, ON M5P 3H4 St. Michael's Buzzers website St. Michael's College School Arena website Year Opened: 1956 Capacity: 1,600 A Buzzing Hockey Cathedral The oldest franchise in the Junior A level Ontario Junior Hockey League is the St. Michael’s Buzzers.  Established in 1917, the Buzzers are affiliated and owned by the prestigious Toronto private Catholic school, St. Michael’s College.  The Buzzers began at the Junior B level, side by side with the highly decorated St. Michael’s Majors, who were once the affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs.  As a Junior B team, the Buzzers won the first-ever Sutherland Cup in 1934 and followed that up with five more.  In 1962, St. Michael’s College shut down the Majors, with only the Buzzers continuing to ice a team at the Junior level.  In 1995, the Buzzers moved up to the Junior A level and the OPJHL.  However, two years later, the Buzzers suspended operations with the return of the Majors to the OHL.  In 1999, the Buzzers returned and remained in the OJHL at the Junior A level, long after the move of the Majors to Mississauga  and eventually to Brampton as the current Brampton Steelheads .  The Buzzers have enjoyed success on the ice in the OJHL, culminating in the 2005, 2006, and 2013 Buckland Cups.  Buzzers alumni is a who’s who of hockey royalty, including Sean Burk, Andrew Cogliano, Kevin Dineen, Peter Mahovlich, Mitch Marner, Tony Tanti, Rich Tocchet and Kevin Weekes.  St. Michael’s also boasts fifteen members of the Hockey Hall of Fame as Alumni, including Frank Mahovlich, Dave Keon, Bobby Bauer, Father David Bauer, Gerry Cheevers, Dick Duff, Murray Costello, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Tim Horton, Reg Noble, Frank Rankin, Joe Primeau, Eric Lindros, and Jim Gregory. The home of the Buzzers is an absolute hockey cathedral.  Located on St. Michael’s Campus, St. Michael’s College School Arena was built in 1956 and also served as a home for the most recent iteration of the Majors after the closing of Maple Leaf Gardens in 2000.  St. Michael’s College School Arena has a capacity of 1,600, but also acts as a museum to hockey history at St. Michael’s. Food & Beverage 2 St. Michael’s Arena has a small snack bar at ice level for concessions.  Hot dogs, nachos, pretzels, popcorn, chocolate bars, and chips are all available.  Coca-Cola products, coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, water and slushies are the beverage options.  Cash and cards are accepted for payment. Atmosphere 5 St. Michael’s College School Arena is a hockey cathedral. Built in 1956, it shows its age but not its wrinkles. The exterior is tastefully painted with the school colours of double blue and white. There is no surprise as to what is binding inside, as the half-barrel domed roof is obvious from the exterior, with an added lobby to the south side, which is the main entry. The box office is in the vestibule upon entry, and the trip through history begins right away. There are a number of photos of NHL players, all of who attended St. Michael’s College, on the walls. The photos encircle a large directory with engraved plates of every NHL player to play for St. Mike’s in one way or another. The Hockey Hall of Fame emblem is on the plates of the appropriate members. Entering the main arena, fans quickly discover that the NHL portraits are really the overflow of the St. Michael’s and NHL Wall of Fame, which begins on the south wall with classy wood paneling. To the right of the beginning of the Wall of Fame is a glass enshrinement for the members of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame-like sketches are framed and posted on wood paneling behind floor-to-ceiling glass panes. The ice is south-north oriented, with the best spot for a centre ice logo picture on the east side. St. Michael’s College School Arena has a rounded, half-barrel ceiling made of wood, a design that has been lost to time. Unfortunately, but understandably functional, the hardwood ceiling is covered by silver insulation. A simple hockey score clock, still with Majors markings, hangs over centre ice. The majority of seating is found on the east and west sides, with seven rows of covered benches on each side.  Both the north and south ends have a row or two of traditional, plastic arena seats.  The absolute legends of St. Michael’s have banners that hang from south to north over the ice. These include Frank Rankin, Red Noble, Joe Primeau, Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Tim Horton, Gerry Cheevers, Dave Keon, Father David Bauer, Bobby Bauer, Murray Costello, and Dick Duff. On the east side, above the seating area, are the modern championship banners, including the 2005, 2006, and 2013 Buckland Cups as OJHL Champions.  Classic championship banners hang above the west seating and include both Majors and Buzzers Championships.  The Majors won the Memorial Cup in 1934, 1945, 1947, and 1961.  The Buzzers won the Sutherland Cup as Junior B Champions in 1934, 1936, 1945, 1948, 1961, 1982, and 1989.  The gameday production at a Buzzers game is very simple.  There are no promotions, mascots, or anything like that.  The speaker system in St. Michael’s Arena is pretty good, and the PA announcer does a decent job, making announcements easy to understand. Neighbourhood 4 St. Michael’s College School Arena is located in the Forest Hill South neighbourhood of Toronto.  It is a fairly residential area, but there are some spots for pre- and post-game food and drink in the immediate area.  JABS, Sea Witch Fish & Chips, Pura Vida Restaurant, Camsine and Kiryo.  There are a number of international options with some chains.  There are a ton of other sports options in the area.  The campus is just 3 km from the University of Toronto, which fields a full complement of athletic programs, including football , hockey , and basketball .  Toronto Metropolitan University has taken over the iconic Maple Leaf Gardens, where Bold hockey  and basketball  are found.  Of course, fans will also find the Maple Leafs , Raptors , Blue Jays , Argonauts , Toronto FC , Marlies , and Sceptres not too far away.  As for the nearly uncountable other tourist options, St. Michael’s is only 1 km from Casa Loma.  Toronto’s Harbourfront and CN Tower also headline a plethora of other options.  Fans wishing to stay in the area will head out of the neighbourhood, where there are a ton of other options to either the south or north. Fans 2 Assessing fans in the OJHL can be difficult, and the St. Michael’s Buzzers are part of that category.  The Buzzers have sporadic attendance reporting throughout the season.  They tend to average less than 100 fans per game.  The game that was attended had only 63 fans in attendance, so a friends and family crowd.  With so many sports options in Toronto, the challenges in getting to the arena and the normal Tuesday evening games, it is difficult to see a surge in fan attendance at St. Michael’s   Access 3 St. Michael’s College School Arena is located in the Forest Hill South neighbourhood of Toronto.  It is at the northeast corner of St. Clair and Bathurst, 5 ½ km south of Highway 401 and north of the Gardiner Expressway.  This is the heart of Toronto, and driving to the arena will take a while, especially just before the game, during rush hour.  There is limited parking at the arena, and construction in 2025 in the surrounding area has limited parking even more.  For fans wishing to take public transit to the game, there are streetcars that run along St. Clair and buses that run along Bathurst.  The St. Clair West subway station is close by and may be the best method of getting to the arena.  Fans should consult the TTC  website for fares, schedules, and maps.  Getting around the arena is a bit tight and it does show its age in this regard.  The majority of seating is benches with no back support, which is not the most comfortable.  The washrooms are adequate for the number of fans in attendance. Return on Investment 5 Tickets for the St. Michael’s Buzzers are available at the door with cash.  Adults can get in for $18 with discounts for students and seniors.  Kids 11 and under are free.  This is a bit on the high side for this league; however, the opportunity to explore a hockey cathedral like this offsets the cost.  Concession prices are good and parking is free.  The level of hockey on the ice is very good, and fans will no doubt enjoy their time at the game. Extras 3 An extra two marks for the over 100 years of history of the St. Michael’s programs and the displays at St. Michael’s College School Arena. An extra mark for the quirkiness of the affiliate situation between St. Michael’s and the Toronto Maple Leafs.  During Conn Smythe’s ownership of the Leafs, in the Original Six era, he believed that Catholics and Protestants should be separated.  Therefore, Catholic prospects played for St. Michael’s while the Protestant prospects played for the Toronto Marlies. Final Thoughts St. Michael’s College School Arena is a trip back through time, a journey in hockey history.  They just don’t build them like this anymore.  Taking in a St. Michael’s Buzzers game will allow fans to see a solid hockey product on the ice, in a true hidden gem of a hockey cathedral. ----- Follow all of Dave’s sporting adventures on YouTube , Twitter , Threads  , and Instagram @profan9.

Photos by David Welch, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00 Fifth Third Bank Stadium 3200 George Busby Pkwy Kennesaw, GA 30144 Atlanta United 2 website Fifth Third Bank Stadium website Year Opened: 2015 Capacity: 10,200 The Deuce is Loose When professional soccer was officially announced for Atlanta back in 2014, anticipation built quickly for the debut of Atlanta United, which finally took the field in 2017. Like many top-tier clubs around the world, the flagship squad was just one piece of a much larger operation. Behind the scenes, the organization began building out a full developmental structure, from academy levels to a women’s program, all designed to feed into the club’s growing identity. The club’s reserve squad debuted in 2018 and is known as the Two Spikes, a nod to Atlanta’s original name, Terminus, where the final spike of the Western & Atlantic Railroad was located. The Two Spikes’ inaugural season was spent sharing Coolray Field in Lawrenceville with the Braves’ AAA affiliate; the setup worked, but only to a point, as baseball diamonds are rarely ideal for soccer. So a year later, the club shifted across the metro area to a more natural fit at Kennesaw State University’s Fifth Third Bank Stadium, which has served as their home ever since. Originally part of the USL Championship league, the Two Spikes made the move to MLS Next Pro in 2023, joining the league’s growing collection of reserve and developmental squads aligned with MLS franchises.   Food & Beverage   3 Concessions at Fifth Third Stadium stick mostly to the basics – hot dogs, pizza slices, nachos with cheese and salsa, soft pretzels, and popcorn make up the core offerings, with candy and chips rounding things out. Beverages include Coca-Cola products, while alcohol is not sold during Atlanta United 2 matches, which keeps the experience more family-oriented, but also tones down the typical matchday buzz found elsewhere in the league.   Atmosphere   2 More than most college football stadiums, Fifth Third Bank Stadium has the feel of a venue built for soccer. The exterior’s black-and-yellow aluminum panels and sharply angled rooflines give it an industrial-modern vibe, while the home side features a press box constructed from repurposed shipping containers. The container design adds an industrial character to the stadium, but does blocks parts of the field view from the concourse. Seating is limited to the nearside stand and consists of a mix of individual fold-down and molded seats. The main scoreboard at the north end provides a clean live feed of the match with a running ribbon for score and time. The atmosphere leans heavily on the parent club; scoreboard hype videos borrow directly from Mercedes-Benz Stadium , but the buzz that fills the Five Stripes’ home does not quite carry over to Atlanta United 2. A small yet committed supporters’ group does its best to inject life into the match day, though with crowds in the low hundreds, sustaining energy remains a challenge.   Neighborhood   4 Fifth Third Stadium is wedged between Interstates 75 and 575 to the east and west, and is sandwiched between Barrett Parkway and Chastain Road to the north and south. These are a collection of the area’s most traveled thoroughfares in the northwestern Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw, which is just under a mile from the heart of the Kennesaw State campus. Within a mile of the facility is a dense mix of shopping centers, restaurants, and hotels, giving visitors everything they might need for a game match. One of the most popular stops is Taco Mac, a regional favorite offering a refined pub-style menu and more than 100 beers on tap. Beyond the modern bustle, Kennesaw has deep Civil War roots; Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield and the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History (home to the famous Big Shanty Train Chase) both offer great ways to explore the area’s past, or fill the day before kickoff.   Fans   2 Atlanta United 2 draws some of the smaller crowds in the league, often just a few hundred fans per match. A small but vocal supporters’ group brings an extra spark, doing their best to replicate the parent club’s energy with familiar chants. Still, with their limited numbers, it is tough to build on that momentum. Even with Atlanta United leading the MLS in attendance, that level of enthusiasm has not extended to the reserve side.   Access   4 A fair number of Atlanta United 2’s matches are played on weekday evenings, which can make reaching Fifth Third Bank Stadium a challenge thanks to suburban Atlanta traffic. The I-75 Peach Pass Lane can help ease the drive, and using the Big Shanty exit provides the most direct route to the stadium. Parking is available in the main lot directly across the street, though crossing in front of the stadium can be tricky before the road is closed. A safer option is to walk down Busbee Parkway to Big Shanty Road and use the crosswalk at the intersection, which leads straight to the southwest gate. The only other open entrance is the main gate near the front of the facility. Only the west side of the stadium is open on match days, which makes sense given the smaller crowd, but the look of an empty east stand is not exactly flattering. The main concourse, however, offers plenty of space for fans to move around comfortably.   Return on Investment   5 Tickets for Atlanta United 2 matches are affordable, with general admission seats $11 and reserved midfield spots at $13. Children under eight can get in for $5.50, while students with a valid ID pay just under $8. Parking in the lot across the street is free, which adds value to the overall outing. Concessions here see the usual stadium markup, but the prices are not unreasonable for this level of soccer. Overall, attending a Two Spikes match offers a budget-friendly way to experience live soccer in the Atlanta area.   Extras   1 There are not many extras at Atlanta United 2 matches, but after the final whistle, players often make their way to the stands to thank the fans for coming out and showing support. It is a small gesture, but one that helps strengthen the bond between the team and its community.   Final Thoughts A cross MLS Next Pro, many reserve sides under the umbrella of their parent club struggle to draw consistent crowds, and that lack of attendance inevitably affects the matchday atmosphere; Atlanta United 2 fits that mold. For fans who come primarily for the excitement of the game, that is perfectly fine, but for those looking for a more immersive experience, the presentation may feel subdued. Still, attending a Two Spikes match offers a chance to see the next generation of Atlanta United talent, players who could soon be stepping onto the pitch at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with the Five Stripes.

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00 Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium 341 Williamston Rd Anderson, SC 29621 Anderson Trojans website Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium website Year Opened: 2005 Capacity: 5,000 New Football Team in SC Anderson University started its football program in 2024, currently competing in the NCAA’s Division II. As D2 programs go, Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium in Anderson, SC offers a great gameday experience for college football. The venue is also used for lacrosse and soccer, was built in 2005, and holds 5,000 fans, most of whom sit on the home side.   Food & Beverage   4 Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium provides a ton of food and beverage options during home football games, highlighted by a bunch of different food trucks. There are food trucks spread out all along the southwest side of the field, from coffee and smoothies on the east side, near the main entrance, to myriad other options on the west side concourse, next to the Soccer/Lacrosse Fieldhouse (the field is oriented southeast to northwest instead of the typical East-West layout). There is also a Chick-fil-A table under the main stands, as well as a couple of school-run stands selling pizza, chips, candy, and drinks. Prices are decent at Trojan football games, with bottled drinks running only $3, a slice of pizza costing $4, and most snacks priced at $3. Food truck items will run more, as you might expect, and a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich will cost $7. Nevertheless, the fact that there are numerous low-cost options available is a major plus, allowing you to eat a little without spending a lot. Note that Anderson is a Christian University, so no alcohol is sold inside the facility.   Atmosphere   4 Compared to similarly-sized venues, Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium offers a great atmosphere on gameday. The fans are really into it, there is plenty of Trojans team gear to be seen, and there is a giant videoboard that is easily visible to those sitting on the home side. The two fieldhouses bracketing the field look stately and brand new, and the staff plays Money for Nothing every time the home team scores, which is a fun and unique song you won’t hear at many other sports facilities. The football squad also has a team tunnel, which they run onto the field through, which many D2 stadiums can’t boast. The band is on the small side, but they have plenty of cheerleaders. I don’t remember seeing a mascot, but there is a giant (presumably plastic) sword on hand behind the team bench, which is held aloft by a player who makes a great play on defense, such as an interception or fumble recovery – a great tradition which is a nod to the Trojans team name.   Neighborhood   3 Anderson is a small town about 45 minutes south of Greenville, SC. There aren’t a ton of restaurants and hotels in the area, but a few good hangout options for before or after the game include Common House, Doolittle’s, and Carolina Bauernhaus Brewery & Winery. In terms of attractions, most of the tourist attractions you will find in the area are parks and local museums.   Fans   4 Anderson Trojan fans are really excited to finally have football at their school, and you can tell from the crowd noise. The stadium may not be packed quite to the gills, but the home side is almost full, and there are plenty of fans who watch from one of two small hills (berm seating) on either side of the home stands. You can also see fans watching from the balconies of the two field houses behind the end zones. The most notable fans are the five or six wearing banana costumes, in the front row around the 10 or 15-yard line. This is apparently a tradition at Anderson, among the students.   Access   4 Once you are inside the facility, moving around is easy; there is plenty of room. There are also plenty of nice bathrooms – real toilets in trailers, no port-a-johns here, which is a real plus; this writer can tell you that for sure. There also isn’t really an issue with access once you get near the stadium – there are plenty of parking lots around the stadium, some closer than others. Parking costs $11, but be sure to purchase online before the game, so you can get in more quickly; you can also park on nearby streets for free if you are willing to walk a bit. There isn’t that much traffic, per se, but because this is such a small town, a few extra cars can mean a line waiting to pull into the parking lot, meaning a wait of 5 to 10 minutes, at times. There are local cops directing traffic, however, which helps ease the flow. The only real drawback to access is the fact that Anderson, SC, is a bit away from the freeway – you’ll have to take local roads, or smaller highways for a good many miles once you get off I-85, to get to the football stadium.   Return on Investment   5 Coming to a game at Spero Financial Field at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium is well worth it for the gameday atmosphere and wonderful scenery – you will be surrounded by greenery as far as the eye can see. Tickets to conference games start at $16, while tickets to non-conference games may only run $8, with $5 pricing for children. Tickets are available online only, and sometimes sold on EventBrite, which I hadn’t seen before at a football game.   Extras   4 They have a free hydration station (water in paper cups) next to the main entrance, which is a great way to keep fans hydrated at no cost. There is also a Trojan head statue next to the fieldhouse near the main entrance, which might be a great photo op for some. There are also benches dotted around the concourse where you can sit. There isn’t necessarily much shade on hot days, but there are a few places, such as standing under/behind the scoreboard, or sitting in the top-most rows on the home side in front of the press box.   Final Thoughts Attending a Trojans football game at Melvin and Dollie Younts Stadium is definitely worth the trip – a great D2 football stadium, where you can have a relaxing day, get some low-cost concessions, and get out quickly once the game ends.

Triple-A Baseball is comprised of the International League and the Pacific Coast League.  Representing affiliates for all 30 Major League Baseball teams, the leagues offer a myriad of high-quality baseball experiences all across the United States.  It is the highest level of Minor League Baseball and has teams that date back to the late 1800s.   In 2025, Jose Rojas of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders led the International League in Home Runs with 32, and Justin Crawford of Lehigh Valley had the top batting average with .334.  In the PCL, Ryan Ward of Oklahoma City led in Home Runs with 36, and Cody Freeman of Round Rock had the top batting average with .336. Logan Workman of Durham led the IL with 152 strikeouts, and Trevor McDonald of Sacramento led the PCL with 144.  Memphis’ Curtis Taylor had the top ERA in the IL, and Jhonathan Diaz of Tacoma had the best ERA in the PCL.  The IL’s Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp had the best record in the first half, followed by the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders in the second half.  The two squared off in the playoffs, with the Jumbo Shrimp coming out victorious.  Over in the PCL, the Las Vegas Aviators took the first half, with the Tacoma Rainiers winning the second half.  In the end, the Aviators moved on to face the Jumbo Shrimp in the Triple-A World Series, with Jacksonville crowned champions after an epic, walk-off home run. The 2025 season saw a few changes with the Salt Lake Bees moving to a new ballpark in South Jordan, Utah, and the Sacramento RiverCats sharing their stadium with the Athletics of MLB. Stadium Journey was right there through it all with 9 updated reviews and a brand-new review for Salt Lake.  The Triple-A Baseball rankings at Stadium Journey are based on the FANFARE metric used on the website, where writers assess the baseball experience based on the categories of Food, Atmosphere, Neighborhood, Fans, Access, Return on Investment, and any extras that the writers experienced.  The stakes are high, with a sizzling average grading of 3.94 being earned out of a possible perfect 5.0. This list is just an amalgamation of a number of opinions, and may not agree with all.  Please let Stadium Journey know your opinions on our various Social Media outlets.  How is your list different from ours?  What do we have right?  What do we have wrong? Without further ado, Stadium Journey is proud to present the 2025 Rankings of the Triple-A Baseball Experiences. 1. CHS Field - Saint Paul Saints - 4.71 James Hilchen - (IL - Minnesota Twins) - Opened on May 21, 2015, CHS Field is home to the Saint Paul Saints. The Saints were born in 2003 and were a member of the Northern League until 2005, when they became members of the American Association. 2021 marked a new beginning of sorts for the team as the Saints left the independent baseball world and became the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Between the beautiful ballpark, great food, unique promotions, and a very creative staff, CHS Field is one of the true gems in all of baseball.  CHS Field replaced Midway Stadium as the home of the Saints. Midway Stadium, which had hosted the Saints since 2003, simply became outdated and too small to hold the fans of a franchise that has proven to be extremely successful over the years.  Located in the Lowertown District of St. Paul, the $89 million ballpark played host to both the 2016 and 2019 American Association All-Star Games. 2. Truist Park - Charlotte Knights - 4.57 Gregory Koch - (IL - Chicago White Sox) - Located in the heart of Uptown Charlotte, Truist Field is home to the Charlotte Knights, the Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox. The gorgeous ballpark opened in 2014 and offers sweeping views of the Charlotte skyline beyond the outfield fence. Truist Field is a gorgeous baseball stadium, and a Charlotte Knights game is a fun atmosphere from the moment you walk into the ballpark. The stadium has a 360-degree concourse, and the field is visible from everywhere on it except when it passes behind the home plate club and the batter's eye in centerfield. 3. Coca-Cola Park - Lehigh Valley IronPigs - 4.57 Steven Kee - (IL - Philadelphia Phillies) - When you think about Triple-A ballparks in some parts of the country, the Leigh Valley IronPigs come to mind. They have entertained the folks of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton since 2008, when the Philadelphia Phillies placed their top farm club less than 90 minutes away from Citizens Bank Park. The fanbase responded positively, leading all minor league baseball in attendance the last two seasons.  Coca-Cola Park cost $50.75 million and has seating for 10,178 people, including a grass berm, 19 suites, numerous VIP sections, and one of the first standing-room-only social areas in baseball. The attention to these areas has made it the hub of excitement in an area without affiliated baseball since 1956.  The IronPig name comes from a nickname derived from the term “pig iron” used in manufacturing steel in the Lehigh Valley. There are also nods to the history of baseball on the concourse, with photos and art of past teams and players. All of it adds to a Triple-A ballpark known for its “Hog Wild” fan base. 4. Durham Bulls Athletic Park - Durham Bulls - 4.57 James Hilchen - (IL - Tampa Bay Rays) - Opened on April 6, 1995, Durham Bulls Athletic Park (DBAP) is home to the Durham Bulls of the Triple-A East – Southeast Division. The current ballpark replaced the iconic Durham Athletic Park, which was the primary setting for the movie “Bull Durham.” The designers of the stadium also designed Camden Yards in Baltimore, Jacobs Field in Cleveland, and Coors Field in Denver.  The Bulls moved from Single-A to Triple-A in 1998, which made it necessary for the ballpark to add more seating. This seat expansion set the current capacity, which is 10,000. Numerous other renovations have occurred since the opening.  5. Victory Field - Indianapolis Indians - 4.43 Marc Viquez - (IL - Pittsburgh Pirates) - Victory Field in downtown Indianapolis remains one of the premier spots to enjoy a minor league baseball game in the country; its design, setting, minor improvements, and simplicity keep attracting fans repeatedly during the season. The team has been an institution in town since 1902 and has a stadium that is synonymous with baseball in Indianapolis.  The Tribe has been the top draw the past two seasons in all of minor league baseball and has averaged numbers well over 9,000 fans a game. The secret to the team’s success might be the spacious ballpark that ages like fine wine and affordable tickets, or its location downtown near the zoo, WhiteWater Amphitheater concert venue, restaurants, bars, bike paths, museums, and Lucas Oil Stadium. Then again, it may be just the perfect ballpark for the size of the city. 6. First Horizon Park - Nashville Sounds - 4.43 Paul Baker - (IL - Milwaukee Brewers) - Professional baseball has been played in the city of Nashville since 1884. Numerous teams played at historic Sulpher Dell, located just north of Tennessee’s state capital building, from 1885 to 1963. Most notable among these teams were the Southern Association’s Nashville Vols, who called Sulpher Dell home from 1901 to 1963. When the Vols disbanded after the 1963 season, Nashville was left without pro baseball for 14 years.  The Sounds franchise began life as an expansion team in the AA Southern League. In 1983, Sounds ownership looked to establish Nashville as a viable Major League market. They purchased the AAA Evansville Triplets and moved them to Nashville, joining the American Association. When that league dissolved in 1998, the Sounds joined the Pacific Coast League. When MLB reorganized the minor leagues in 2021, the Sounds were assigned to the International League. The Sounds are the oldest professional sports team in the city of Nashville. In their time at the AAA level, Nashville won one championship in 2005. 7. Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark - Oklahoma City Comets - 4.43 Terry McCutchen - (PCL - Los Angeles Dodgers) -  Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark, even though it’s the second-oldest ballpark in the Pacific League, presents a great setting for Triple-A baseball. Free parking and reasonably priced concessions allow families to attend games without busting the monthly budget. In addition to high-level minor league baseball, Oklahoma’s capital city provides plenty of entertainment and dining options for fans of all ages. OKC, sitting in the center of the country and home to a little over 700,000 residents, is underrated by most travel experts. As a hidden gem, planning a visit to Bricktown Ballpark should be on all baseball fans’ bucket lists. 8. Innovative Field - Rochester Red Wings - 4.29 Dave Cottenie - (IL - Washington Nationals) - Rochester, New York, is the quintessential minor league city.  Few places around the country offer a full complement of minor league sports like Rochester does, with little competition from the big leagues or big-time colleges.  At the center of Rochester’s sports identity is the Rochester Red Wings of Minor League Baseball’s International League.  The Red Wings are currently the Triple-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals and have been around since 1899.  The Red Wings were saved in 1957 after their affiliation with the St. Louis Cardinals ended, and it looked like baseball in Rochester was for naught.  Morrie Silver led the 72 Day Miracle, which sold over 8,000 shares to over 200 shareholders to purchase the team and stadium and keep Rochester baseball strong.  Members of the Silver family still work for the Red Wings, and the street outside Frontier Field is named Morrie Silver Way.  Since 1989, the home for the Red Wings has been Innovative Field. Replacing venerable Silver Stadium, Frontier Field has also been home to soccer and lacrosse. The Red Wings experience offers plenty to the baseball fan and is a must-do for baseball fans. 9. AutoZone Park - Memphis Redbirds - 4.14 Lance Sutehall - (IL - St. Louis Cardinals) - Downtown Memphis is home to the Memphis Redbirds, the AAA affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals since the team’s inception in 1998. After playing their first two seasons in Tim McCarver Stadium, the Redbirds moved to their current home, AutoZone Park. The stadium cost $80.5 million to build, which was the most expensive minor league stadium to be built at the time. It was built in a way that it could be expanded if Memphis received a major league team.  The Redbirds moved to the International League in 2021 after playing in the Pacific Coast League (PCL) since their inception. The Redbirds won four titles in the PCL, last winning the league in 2018. Memphis also won the AAA national championship game that same season. The Redbirds have a rivalry with the Nashville Sounds, even having an official “I-40 Cup Series” from 2012 to 2015. 10. Huntington Park - Columbus Clippers - 4.14 Paul Baker - (IL - Cleveland Guardians) - Huntington Park was built in 2009 to replace the aging and obsolete Cooper Stadium, which had been the home of Columbus baseball teams since 1931. The facility is part of the Arena district in the capital city of Ohio, adjacent to Nationwide Arena and Lower.com Field. The mixed-use development also contains several businesses, bars, restaurants, clubs, and residential areas. It is located on the site of the former Ohio Penitentiary, which housed over 5,000 prisoners at its height before closing in 1984. 11. Sahlen Field - Buffalo Bisons - 4.00 Dave Cottenie - (IL - Toronto Blue Jays) - he Herd has been very popular in Buffalo during their latest tenure in part due to the opening of Pilot Field in 1988.  The first “retro classic” ballpark was designed by HOK Sport and was built to be expandable for Major League Baseball.  The stadium would inspire the design of Oriole Park at Camden Yards, a stadium that heavily influenced the ballpark design and aesthetics at the Major League level.  Naming rights for the stadium passed through several companies, eventually settling on Sahlen Field, a meat-packing company based in town, in 2019.  Major League Baseball would temporarily call Buffalo home with the Toronto Blue Jays taking residence beside Lake Erie for parts of two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. 12. RGCU Field @ Isotopes Park - Albuquerque Isotopes - 4.00 Meg Minard - (PCL - Colorado Rockies) - In May 2001, city voters approved a $25 million renovation of the existing stadium.  Construction crews razed and completely rebuilt Albuquerque Sports Stadium on the same site.  Business individuals purchased the floundering Calgary Cannons and moved that team to Albuquerque for the 2003 season as the Albuquerque Isotopes (affiliates of the Miami Marlins).  The owners named the new venue Isotopes Park. The Isotopes again became affiliates of the Dodgers from 2009 to 2014.  In 2015, the team became the AAA affiliate of the Colorado Rockies when that team moved from Colorado Springs, CO. They are a member of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). Isotopes Park, officially known as Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park (RGCU Field), is nicknamed ‘The Lab,’ as an isotope is a science-related term.  It is a top-notch stadium to watch minor league baseball. 13. Louisville Slugger Field - Louisville Bats - 4.00 Marc Viquez - (IL - Cincinnati Reds) - The city of Louisville has a rich baseball history since the 19th century. Its first major league club, the Eclipse, was a member of the American Association from 1882 to 1891 before changing its name to the Colonels after the 1884 season. The Colonels would join the National League in 1882 and remain in the league for the rest of the decade before owner Barney Dreyfuss acquired a controlling interest in the Pittsburgh Pirates and allocated 14 members to the Bucs in 1900. One of those players was Hall of Famer Honus Wagner.  The Redbirds rebranded as the RiverBats in 1998 and then shortened the name to the Bats a few years later. In 2000. The 13,131-seat Louisville Slugger Field debuted along the Ohio River. It would be one of the top drawing facilities in minor league baseball for the next decade. A key design feature of the $40 million ballpark is the integration of a historic rail freight depot at the main entrance. The restoration of the late 19th-century depot station is a vital component that houses everything from weddings, meetings, and a children’s play area. 14. Las Vegas Ballpark - Las Vegas Aviators - 4.00 Lloyd Brown - (PCL - Athletics) - Las Vegas Ballpark opened in 2019, as the new home of the rechristened Las Vegas Aviators. The team is the AAA affiliate of the Oakland A’s, and they play in the Pacific Coast League. The stadium has two levels: a concourse level with the main seating bowl, and a club level, which includes 22 suites as well as a lounge and the press box. The capacity of the ballpark is 10,000, including 8,500 fixed seats, 500-600 spots on the berm, and 1,000 in the suites, club seats, and party decks.  The team, the ballpark, and even the surrounding community are owned and developed by the Howard Hughes Corporation. This is important to remember, as nearly all aspects of the club and stadium relate in some way to the late billionaire Howard Hughes, who was heavily involved in the aviation industry. He was a designer of planes, raced planes as a hobby, and owned several airlines at some point in his lifetime. His company is also the largest developer in the Las Vegas Valley. 15. Polar Park - Worcester Red Sox - 4.00 Paul Baker - (IL - Boston Red Sox) - In February 2015, a group of investors, including former Boston Red Sox President Larry Lucchino, purchased the Pawtucket Red Sox from the family of the late Ben Mondor. The ownership group immediately began a search for a new ballpark, as the Pawsox’s longtime home, McCoy Stadium, was deemed unfit without major reconstruction. After several proposed plans in Pawtucket and Providence fell through, it was soon announced that the team would relocate to Worcester (pronounced “Woo-stah”), MA, for the 2021 season.  The new facility would be a part of a proposed live-work-play development. Cost for the ballpark alone would reach $159.5 million, making this the most expensive minor league stadium ever built. Polar Beverages purchased naming rights for the ballpark. The Red Sox, colloquially called the “WooSox,” played their first game on May 11, 2021. 16. Principal Park - Iowa Cubs - 4.00 James Hilchen - (IL - Chicago Cubs) - Located at the confluence of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, Principal Park, then Sec Taylor Stadium, opened in 1992. Principal Park replaced the outdated Sec Taylor Stadium. The new stadium was also named Sec Taylor Stadium until 2004, when the Principal Financial Group bought the rights to the name, and Principal Park was born.  Through the years, upgrades have been made to the stadium, including adding sky boxes in left field. In 2006, new seats and a new video board were installed along with a fountain beyond right field. Before the 2013 season, the locker rooms were upgraded, along with a small patio area beyond left field that now plays host to musical acts before and after selected games. In 2015, a brand new video board replaced the dated video board. The new Daktronics video board measures 64x24 feet and allows for far more statistical information to be displayed for fans.  17. Southwest University Park - El Paso Chihuahuas - 3.86 Meg Minard - (PCL - San Diego Padres) - The El Paso Chihuahuas (the San Diego Padres' AAA affiliate) moved to El Paso, TX, in 2014. Before that, they played their baseball games as the Tucson Padres at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium in Tucson, AZ. Southwest University Park sits on the site of the former El Paso City Hall, which the city demolished in 2013 in preparation for the ballpark construction.  Its architecture has a brick facade similar to the style of El Paso’s Union Depot. The Chihuahuas won the Pacific Coast League championship in 2016 and have won two conference titles and five division titles.  Current MLB players Josh Naylor (Cleveland Guardians) and Andres Munoz (Seattle Mariners) were with the El Paso Chihuahuas. 18. Fifth Third Field - Toledo Mud Hens - 3.86 Marc Viquez - (IL - Detroit Tigers) - The Toledo Mud Hens are members of the International League. The Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers began to play in 1965 at Ned Skeldon Stadium before relocating to Fifth Third Field in 2003. The downtown ballpark revamped the neighborhood that is now called HensVille.  Just like many ballparks of its kind, it stands out among others in the league.  The MudHens name dates back to 1896 and has been used for a majority of minor league clubs in Toledo until 1953, when new management went with the Glass Sox, later shortened to Sox, the name for three years. When baseball returned in 1965, the Mud Hens' name was properly brought back. In the 1970s, native Jamie Farr commonly wore Mud Hens gear on the TV show M*A*S*H that was provided by the team. Having your team showcased on one of the biggest shows of all time increased awareness among millions of people. Perhaps that is the reason behind The Swamp Shop, which offers a cavalcade of team merchandise from old-school t-shirts and caps to current team gear. 19. VyStar Ballpark - Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp - 3.86 David Welch - (IL - Miami Marlins) - Following the reorganization of Minor League Baseball coming into the 2021 season, the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp saw themselves receive a promotion from their parent club, the Miami Marlins. The Jumbo Shrimp would move from the Double-A Southern League to the Triple-A International League.  At a capacity of 11,000 fans, what is now VyStar Ballpark was the largest AA ballpark, and it seemed to be too large of a stadium for the level, so a move from Double-A to Triple-A only made sense.No matter the classification, the Jumbo Shrimp have long been known as one of the most innovative organizations in Minor League Baseball, providing an entertaining evening at the ballpark. 20. Dell Diamond - Round Rock Express - 3.86 Eric Moreno - (PCL - Texas Rangers) - At the start of the 21st century, baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan and his business partners purchased the Jackson Generals and moved them to the north central Texas city of Round Rock – in time for the 2000 season, the Round Rock Express, named for their famed owner, was born. As the Triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers, the Express has experienced lengthy periods of success while sending crop after crop of talented ballplayers to the big leagues.  Round Rock has taken home seven division titles, three conference titles, and one league title as a member of the Texas League (the latter in 2000). Former MLB All-Stars such as Yordan Alvarez, Chris Davis, Joey Gallo, and Josh Jung are just some of the ballplayers who have donned the unis of the Express. 21. Cheney Stadium - Tacoma Rainiers - 3.86 James Hilchen - (PCL - Seattle Mariners) - Opened in 1960, Cheney Stadium plays host to the AAA Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League. The stadium has a unique history. Cheney Stadium needed to be built in short order in order for Tacoma to obtain the AAA team that was based in Phoenix. The mission succeeded with the stadium being built in a mere three and a half months to meet the Opening Day deadline.  In 2011, Cheney underwent a comprehensive $30 million renovation that included luxury suites, a kids' play area, more restrooms, concessions, and shoring up the main seating area. In addition to the Rainiers, Cheney Stadium hosted the Tacoma Defiance and OL Reign soccer teams, in addition to hosting the AAA All-Star Game in 2017. 22. Sutter Health Park - Sacramento RiverCats - 3.57 David Hegler - (PCL - San Francisco Giants) - The Sacramento River Cats have played on the banks of the Sacramento River in Sutter Health Park since 2000 and have been developing talent for Bay Area teams ever since. They were the Oakland A’s minor league affiliate from 2000 to 2014 and have been the Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants ever since 2015. Along the way, the River Cats have won 12 division titles, seven conference titles, and five league titles, the latest of each being in 2019.  Sutter Health Park has rarely strayed from its original capacity of just over 14,000, with more than 10,600 seats and large sections of grass to sit on by the outfield as mainstays in the ballpark's configuration. Seeking a brighter future in Las Vegas, the A’s have moved into Sutter Health Park for the next couple of years and share the facility with the River Cats.  Due to their move, the A’s renovated the quarter-century-old park in the 2025 offseason, adding new baseball-themed lights and a clubhouse behind the left field wall, as well as a video board that should be the envy of the minor leagues. 23. Coolray Field - Gwinnett Stripers - 3.57 David Welch - (IL - Atlanta Braves) - After spending four decades in Richmond, the AAA Braves played their final season at "The Diamond", where they had been for 23 years. With an aging stadium and little hope for the upgrades needed for a minor league baseball team, the AAA Braves relocated to Lawrenceville in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a suburb less than an hour from downtown Atlanta, in 2009.  The new ballpark in Gwinnett was billed as a mixed-use development, to include apartments, shopping, and dining. However, the development took longer than expected to materialize – Coolray Field stood alone in an open field for its first five years, while plans to build around it were still being finalized. Apartment complexes now surround the stadium, and have changed the feel of the ballpark as they were completed; the first apartment building was finished in 2015, with a second completed in 2021. 24. Werner Park - Omaha Storm Chasers - 3.57 James Hilchen - (IL - Kansas City Royals) - Opened on April 11, 2011, Werner Park is home to the Omaha Storm Chasers, a Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. At an initial cost of $36 million, the ballpark replaced Rosenblatt Stadium as the home of the then-Omaha Royals. With a capacity of 9,023, it offers plenty of seating for fans to enjoy a game.  The ballpark is located in unincorporated Sarpy County, southeast of Omaha. In 2015, Werner Park hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game. Slight renovations have occurred since its opening, largely to host other sports. Among the renovations are a retractable pitching mound and a new building in left field to house equipment and staff. 25. Greater Nevada Field - Reno Aces - 3.43 Andrew Maurins - (PCL - Arizona Diamondbacks) - With names like the Silver Sox, Oilers, Padres, Chukars, Blackjacks, Astros, and back to Silver Sox, professional baseball has a long, colorful history in the Truckee Meadows across multiple leagues and levels of play. Most of those teams played at the 4,000-seat Moana Stadium, built in 1947 as part of a city-owned sports park a few miles south of downtown. When the Pacific Coast League’s Tucson Sidewinders announced their intention to move to Reno in late 2007, city leaders knew the site would be wholly inadequate to host a Triple-A baseball team.  On a site next to the Truckee River and just east of downtown at the corner of 2nd Street and Evans Avenue, triple-A baseball finally came to Reno in 2009. A naming rights deal with a local credit union rechristened the stadium Greater Nevada Field in 2016, and now the ballpark enters its ninth season with a very noticeable enhancement in left field. 26. NBT Bank Stadium - Syracuse Mets - 3.43 Michael Rusignuolo - (IL - New York Mets) - Professional baseball goes back a long way in Syracuse, beginning when the Jersey City Skeeters moved north in 1934 to start playing in the brand-new Municipal Stadium as the “Chiefs.” Outside of the renaming of the stadium for WWII hero Douglas MacArthur in 1942 and a three-year break in the late 50s, not much has changed in Syracuse minor league baseball except for their MLB affiliation.   During their longest affiliation with the Blue Jays, the team moved to the new P&C Stadium in 1997 from the venerable MacArthur Park (unceremoniously demolished for the new stadium’s parking lot) and changed their names to the “Sky Chiefs.”  That 11,071-seat stadium has undergone several name changes, renovations, and affiliate changes since then. And 2019 finds a new big-league club sponsoring the team, with the New York Mets taking over from the Nationals and renaming the team in their likeness. The former P&C Stadium is still their home, but since 2014, the naming rights have gone to NBT Bank. 27. Daybreak Field @ America First Square - Salt Lake Bees - 3.29 Sean MacDonald - (PCL - Los Angeles Angels) - The Salt Lake Bees had one of baseball's best stadiums in Smith's Ballpark, but there were some problems with the surrounding area and other concerns that prompted the Larry H. Miller Company, owner of the franchise, to move the club. In a rather unique choice for a minor league franchise, they built their community in South Jordan, about 20 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. This sports-anchored, mixed-use development is known as Daybreak, and the 200-acre site will eventually include apartment buildings, restaurants, and shops, making it similar to The Battery in Atlanta. However, at this time, only the ballpark is ready, with the surrounding area in various stages of construction. When complete, it promises to be a summer sports destination for those visiting the Beehive State, but at this point, much work remains to be done. Stadium Journey paid a visit to The Ballpark at America First Square for their second-ever game and were impressed with some aspects, but look forward to when the full dream is realized. 28. Harbor Park - Norfolk Tides - 3.29 Gregory Koch - (IL - Baltimore Orioles) - Located on the Elizabeth River in Downtown Norfolk, Virginia, Harbor Park is the home of the Norfolk Tides of the International League. The Tides were a long-running Mets affiliate between 1969 and 2006, but have been the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles since 2007. Originally known as the Tidewater Tides in the broader region, the team changed its name to the Norfolk Tides to honor its home city when the new ballpark opened in 1993.  Harbor Park takes its name from Hampton Roads, the natural harbor that divides the region of the same name into two and is located just minutes from the stadium. Fans can see ships of all sizes going up and down the Elizabeth River beyond the outfield fence, from small craft to large ships. 29. Constellation Field - Sugar Land Space Cowboys - 3.29 Eric Moreno - (PCL - Houston Astros) - In 2008, the city of Sugar Land, Texas (which was founded to be a company town for the Imperial Sugar Company in the early 1900s), approved a plan to build a new ballpark in the hopes of luring a minor league franchise to the city. After several years of negotiations, the route to bring an independent league squad was born, in the form of the then Sugar Land Skeeters, in 2012.  As members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, the Skeeters made headlines by bringing in baseball greats like Roger Clemens and Rafael Palmeiro, as well as NBA Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady, to serve as members of their ever-rotating roster. The team would win league championships in 2016 and 2018.  After the Covid-19 pandemic, the Skeeters reached an agreement with the Houston Astros to become their Triple-A affiliate, rebranding as the Sugar Land Space Cowboys in 2021. As members of the Pacific Coast League, they would add another championship to their trophy case in 2024. 30. PNC Field - Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders - 3.14 Gregory Koch - (IL - New York Yankees) - Minor League Baseball has been played in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania metropolitan area since 1989, when a team then known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons arrived from Maine, playing in the International League. The team plays its home games at PNC Field in Moosic, rather than in Scranton or Wilkes-Barre.  Originally a Phillies affiliate, the team became a Yankees affiliate in 2007 and renamed itself after the parent club. In 2012, PNC Field was almost completely rebuilt, with only the seating bowl and ticket office remaining in place. For that season, the Yankees were forced to play all their “home” games in other stadiums across New York state. For the 2013 season, the team unveiled a new identity, the RailRiders, to go along with their “new” stadium.

Photos by Richard Smith Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57 Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd. Towson, MD 21286 Goucher Gophers website Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena website Year Opened: 1991 Capacity: 1,200 Home Of The Gophers Goucher College is a former all-women’s college located in Towson, Maryland, a northern suburb of Baltimore. The college opened in 1885 as the Women’s College of Baltimore City, changed its name to its current name in 1910, and went coed in 1986. Goucher moved to its present suburban location northeast of the county seat of Towson in Baltimore County in 1953. The college is named in honor of its founding member, John Goucher, and his wife, Mary Fisher Goucher. Goucher College is a private co-educational liberal arts college. It was originally affiliated with the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, but currently has no real church affiliation. The college has approximately 1,480 undergraduate students studying in 33 majors and 1,200 students studying in graduate programs. Notable alumni include Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps Margaret G. Kibben, Maryland State Delegate John A. Olszewski, Jr., and frequent John Waters actress Mary Vivian Pearce. Goucher athletic teams are known as the Gophers. The college competes in NCAA Division III as part of the Landmark Conference. The Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena opened in 1991. The 1,200-seat arena was built as part of the expansion of the original Lillian Welsh Hall. Food & Beverage 0 There is no permanent food stand at the Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena. Atmosphere 2 The arena is very nice, but it is basically a high school-type setup. As you enter the arena, you will find wooden grandstands sitting along two sides of the court. The only thing I found interesting is how far away the grandstands sit from the actual basketball floor. Maybe they are expecting a huge need for floor-side seats at some point. Neighborhood 4 The Goucher College campus has been used for a few scenes in the Netflix series House of Cards, so expect to recognize the stone buildings from a few scenes there. Towson is a semi-urban environment with a very large shopping mall and numerous restaurants in the area. Downtown Towson has many options for good food and drinks. Baltimore is also a quick drive away. Check out the Federal Hill neighborhood, south of the Inner Harbor. There are a few fun restaurants and bars here. Fans 2 The only real fans who attend the games are friends and family of the players. A few scattered students attend, but it is not a big event on campus. Access 4 Goucher is located right off the Baltimore Beltway/I-695. The only negative is that Towson is a busy area, and traffic can be bad at times. The college itself is pretty and quite suburban. You will find plenty of parking close to the arena, although a night game may mean that parking could get tight at times. Return on Investment 5 The games are free to attend. So, although the level of play is quite low, the free parking and admission make this a great value for sports fans. Extras 1 Goucher College has a nice little athletics hall of fame located in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena lobby. Final Thoughts The Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena is a pretty basic, low-level arena located in a nice suburban setting in Baltimore. It is not worth making a trip just for a Goucher Gophers game, but if you are in the area, you will enjoy the game for its low level of investment.

If you think that Banana Bal l and Cosmic Baseball have been spectacular at the ballpark this year, then you should see what was being offered to fans in 1950. Instead of watching soccer, football, and auto racing, why not combine all three and turn it into a new sport? The sport was moto-polo, and it was described as the world’s most daring and thrill-packed game ever presented on the racetrack. Others called in 2 hours or rolling suicide, and the home of a thousand spills and hundreds of roll-overs. It was a sport designed for early TV sets in the Los Angeles area, to present an idea crazy enough that people would pay to see at their local racetrack and speedway.  ​ On April 16, 1950, at the Kern County Fairgrounds, fans witnessed the first contest featuring moto-polo. Here, two teams of three specialty-built cars faced off, each trying to push a 200-pound ball—measuring 5 to 7 feet in height—down 100 yards to score a goal. These cars, capable of reaching speeds of 50 miles per hour, were equipped with large cages to protect drivers from injury during rollovers. ​ Adding to the spectacle, a specialized, smaller referee vehicle with a siren was used. Like the other cars, it was encased in steel hoops enabling it to flip and right itself. The referee signaled penalties by firing a gun into the air, and for major infractions, a third car with a giant hook removed offending vehicles from the field. ​ “You can hear the emotion surge through the crowd when an unusually spectacular accident occurs,” said California Polo League secretary Gene Gach. “They love it! They gasp when parts fall off the cars! Once in a while, a petrol tank bursts and fuel catches fire. The crowd goes wild!” ​ That year also saw the formation of the California State Moto Polo League, which included four teams: the Los Angeles Red Devils, Hollywood Wolves, San Francisco Shamrocks, and Oakland Pirates. With games televised, 10,000 fans attended the inaugural contest at Washington Boulevard Stadium in Venice, California. A year later, new teams called the Sacramento Speedbusters, Stockton Skyrockets, and Oakland Thunderbirds entered the ring. ​The majority of the vehicles were stripped down to 1935 and 1946 Ford V8 passenger cars that were covered by a framework of steel tubing to prevent them from rolling over or tipping end-to-end without injuring the driver, who was strapped to his seat belt. The drivers did not have harness belts at the time, and each car cost around $2,500 to build for the league. ​The game would begin when a ball was put into play by a “smash off,” when a car struck the giant inflatable ball into the air and then back into play. An out-of-bounds ball would be put back into play by a “twist off” between two cars speeding towards one another in opposite directions. There were also three-minute fouls in a penalty box, removal of players, and their version of a penalty kick called a free “smash” on the goal at mid stripe. There were bumps and bruises inside the car, but the spectators were more at risk for serious injuries from the stands. Spectators had to keep their eyes on the action or suffer being hit by a flying tire, a ripped railing, or other car parts flying near or through the fencing. A bystander in Bakersfield was injured sitting on a rail near what officials deemed the “danger area.” The next year, the show went on the road throughout the West Coast and other parts of the country. Games were held in Oregon, Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma, and Illinois. The majority were held at speedways, racetracks, county fairs, and minor league ballparks. “Once in a while, we would get two (cars) on a side, ram him, pick him up, and drive him around the place,” former driver Jack Phillips said. “He’d scream at us to put him down, and he’d blow his whistle, but we just laughed. So would the fans.” The events were advertised as a riot on wheels and mechanized mayhem. The events were held within a 2-hour time frame and featured half-time motorcycle stunt performers. Drivers signed autographs to a legion of fans after each game, and some were paid close to $250 a week. However, by 1955, the once promising new sport had lost steam. Digging through the newspaper archives, there are more than plenty of black and white photos of the cars and rubber ball, some grainy and others very clear. The height was between 1950 and 1952, and with Hollywood stars such as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby painting the new sport, it seemed destined for coast-to-coast popularity. According to former driver, Jack Phillips, the end was the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds. A car accidentally bumped into a TV tower, causing it to sway back and forth. Other drivers raced over and rammed their vehicles into the tower as a joke. The stunt backfired, causing thousands of dollars' worth of damage to the equipment. The TV station sued the drivers, and their cars were impounded, leading to the quick end of moto polo. A ticket to see it live was around $1, and it appeared to be a fun-filled 2 hours of back flips, crashes, speed, and stunts. The sport enjoyed brief fame and made it into many newspapers across most of the country. Sadly, its fast rise ended just as quickly and is nearly forgotten 75 years after its debut. However, it might be time for a revival. Check out a clip from the KTLA archives! ---- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter  and his YouTube channel . Email at marc@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Clark Companies Rink @ Haldimand County Caledonia Centre 100 Haddington St Caledonia, ON N3W 2N4 Caledonia Calvaires website Haldimand County Caledonia Centre website Year Opened: 2004 Capacity: 1,500 All for Caledonia Caledonia, Ontario is located on the edge of the Six Nations Reserve, split by the Grand River and southeast of Brantford.  It is home to the Caledonia Corvairs of the Junior B level Greater Ontario Hockey League.  The First Nations influence is found in the team with the logo, one of the best in the league.  The current iteration of the Corvairs were founded in 1970 as the Brantford Jets.  They also spent time as the Gunners, Penguins, Alexander B’s and Classics.  In 1992 the team moved to Ohsweken, right on the Six Nations Reserve to become the Golden Eagles.  Their time in Ohsweken was short and they moved to Brant County in 1998 before returning to Brantford in 2012.  A decade later, the team moved to Caledonia and became the Corvairs, where they currently reside.  This was not Caledonia’s first crack at junior hockey.  The original Caledonia Corvairs were founded in 1961 and played at the Junior D level in the Southern Ontario Junior Hockey League winning the OHA Cup as provincial champions in 1969.  In 1972, the Corvairs made the jump to the Junior C level and proceeded to win the Schmalz Cup in their first season.  They immediately jumped to Junior B the following season where they played seven seasons before returning to the Junior C ranks.  The team went on permanent hiatus in 2012 with the Junior B Corvairs moving to Caledonia. The Corvairs are currently owned by Pro-Fit Health and Performance and are often referred to as the Pro-Fit Corvairs due to their sponsor’s name.  Home for the Corvairs is the Haldimand County Caledonia Centre.  A community hub, the Caledonia Centre has two ice pads, library, community centre and athletic fields.  The main ice pad, where the Corvairs play, is the Clark Companies Rink, named after a local agricultural firm. Food & Beverage 3 There is a main concession in the lobby of Haldimand County Caledonia Centre. There is a decent variety of typical arena snack bar foods. Hot dogs, burgers, fries and popcorn are all available. Pepsi products, Slush Puppies, coffee, tea, water and energy drinks are the soft drinks available. At the north end of the arena is the Blueline Club, which sells alcoholic beverages. Patrons must stay in the north end to consume their beverages.  The Blueline Club is normally inside at other arenas, however it is out in the arena at Clark Companies Rink allowing for fans to continue to hear the sounds of the game with their beer. Atmosphere 3 The exterior of the Haldimand County Caledonia Centre is fairly non-descript. It is a low profile building with light brick and a green overhang at the main entrance. The HCCC houses two NHL sized ice rinks as well as community rooms and the public library. Outdoor sports fields are also on the grounds. Inside the HCCC fans enter a small lobby. There are a couple of interesting items in the lobby. A number of trophy cases in the lobby house trophies and artifacts from a variety of leagues and organizations. There is one case dedicated to the Corvairs with old pictures and other items. Scrapbooks from historic teams are in the case and can be viewed with permission from the office.  Two main items of note are near the Clark Companies Rink entrance.  The Haldimand County Wall of Fame as plaques for inductees.  Right across from the Wall of Fame are two framed hockey jerseys that make it clear who the favourite sons of Caledonia are.  Ray and Don Edwards have framed NHL jerseys on the wall.  Ray is from the Caledonia area and his nephew, Don, played for the Junior C Corvairs.  Both ended up making it as goaltenders in the National Hockey League.  After passing the ticket desk in front of the entry (the best time to explore the Wall of Fame is after the second period, when the ticket desk has been put away) fans enter the Clark Companies Rink to find a south to north oriented ice rink.  There is seating on both the east and west sides with the east side having the best view of the centre ice logo and being more comfortable.  The east side features three sections of seven rows of plastic arena seats.  A section of benches is found on either side of the seat sections and all of the west side seating is benches.  The Corvairs have enjoyed a decent run of success, winning their conference since the amalgamation of Junior B hockey in 2007 and a run of three straight Sutherland Cups as Junior B Champions from 2014-16.  This does not include a few accolades earned as the Brantford Eagles.  All of the championship banners flank the scoreboard at the north end of the arena.  Caledonia hockey history is not lost as classic Corvair banners hang in the northeast corner for the 1969 Junior D Championship and 1973 Junior C Championship.  Finally, at the north end hang the retired numbers of NHL player, Oshweken native and former Corvair Brandon Montour, and former Waterloo Warrior  Tyler Norrie who tragically died in 2014. The gameday production at a Corvairs game is a typically simple ordeal.  The promotions include a 50/50 draw.  The sound system at the Clark Companies Rink is decent and the PA announcer is okay, but at times he yells into the mic making it more difficult to understand announcements due to the subsequent buzzing. Neighbourhood 3 The Haldimand County Caledonia Centre is located in central Caledonia.  It is less than a km south of the Grand River.  As part of Haldimand County, Caledonia is not huge with a population of just 12,000.  Caledonia has a cute downtown that is worth looking into.  Within walking distance of the HCCC are a few chain restaurants.  Other options include Tony’s Corner Xpress, Argyle Street Grill, Oasis Drive In, Ye Olde Squire and The Real Hammer Hogs BBQ.  Although the Corvairs are the only game in town, there are plenty of other sporting options a short drive away.  The Junior C Hagersville Hawks  are close as are the Six Nations Arrows  and Six Nations Chiefs  lacrosse teams.  Bigger events are found at nearby Hamilton and Brantford.  Some tourist options that are close to Caledonia include the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum and Caledonia Mill Heritage Site.  Staying in Hamilton or Brantford is the best plan for fans wishing to stay in the area. Fans 3 For the 2024-25 season, the Caledonia Corvairs averaged 427 fans per game.  Caledonia ranked 11th in the GOHL, right in the middle.  The game that was reviewed was an odd Sunday evening game and only saw 240 fans in attendance.  Fans in attendance are fairly reserved and quiet.   Access 4 Haldimand County Caledonia Centre is located in central Caledonia in Haldimand County.  It is southeast of Brantford and southwest of Hamilton, less than a km south of the Grand River.  It is south of Highway 54 and east of Highway 6, which are not large, multi-lane highways.  It is not difficult to get to Caledonia from out of town most of the time, however, it could be a bit of a challenge during snowy times.  There is plenty of parking on site at HCCC.  For fans wishing to take public transit, there is a SOT bus stop on Haddington Street, the southern border of the HCCC.  Fans should consult the Southern Ontario Transit  website for fares, schedules and maps. Return on Investment 5 GOHL hockey provides great value for the sporting dollar and the Caledonia Corvairs are no different.  Tickets are purchased at the door and go for $12, cash or card.  There is free parking on site and concession prices are what one would expect at a venue in the GOHL.  The product on the ice is solid and fans will definitely enjoy the experience. Extras 3 An extra mark for the Haldimand County Caledonia Centre as a community hub. An extra mark for the First Nations inspiration in the current Corvairs logo. An extra mark for the success the Corvairs have enjoyed in their short time at the Junior B level in Caledonia. Final Thoughts Taking in a Caledonia Corvairs game is a great way to take in some Junior B hockey.  The Haldimand County Caledonia Centre offers a good mix of hockey history with modern comfort that will have fans satisfied at the end of the game.  Follow all of Dave’s sporting adventures on YouTube , Twitter , Threads  and Instagram @profan9.

Photos by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14 Bruno-Plache Stadion Connewitzer Straße 21 04289 Leipzig - Lößnig, Germany Map It 1. Lokomotive Leipzip website Bruno-Plache Stadion website Year Opened: 1922 Capacity: 15,600 (currently capped at 7,000) Lokomotive Leipzig From victory over Napoleon to the peaceful overthrow of the oppressive DDR regime, Leipzig has earned its nickname, the city of heroes. The number one football team in the city, Lokomotive Leipzig, has several heroes of their own. Whether it’s their fans who in perilous times would never let their club die, or Uwe Zötzsche, 3 three-time GDR cup winner whose bloodied head injury didn’t stop him scoring a penalty that booked Lok a place in the 1986/87 UEFA Cup Winners Cup Final. Whilst the semi-final v Bordeaux that season was played at the main centraalstadion in Leipzig (100,000 said to be in attendance), home for Lok is ‘Das Bruno’ four miles south east of the city centre. On a damp evening, alongside over 5000 die-hard fans, stadium journey witnessed a feisty 1-0 win over Babelsburg in the Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier) to keep Lok at the top of the table. The stadium, built in 1920, has seen far better days; no ultra-modern facilities like the ‘new club’ in Zentrum-West Leipzig here. The main stand, however, is a thing of beauty, and who needs prawn sandwiches when you can stand in the rain for 90 minutes, singing praise to your footballing heroes? Food & Beverage 4 Numerous food stalls can be found as soon as you enter the main turnstiles on Connewitzer Strasse. Ur-Krostitzer is the local beer, costing €4. Currywurst is €5 (€7 with pommes) and bratwurst is €3.50. You can also buy crepe sweets and soft drinks. Atmosphere 5 The police vans and chanting fans offer a jolting juxtaposition to the large, wealthy homesteads and open fields in the immediate vicinity of the ground. As is often the case, the first thing you will spot is four floodlight poles reaching high into the night sky. Once through the main block of turnstiles, the Fankurve, reserved for ultras, is the first entrance you see; it’s the northernmost section, behind one of the goals. To the right is the family area, to the left, the Nordostkurve sweeps round to the halfway line, a popular spot for supporters. Away fans are placed far from the action in the Gasteblock, reachable via Zum Förderturm. The classic old scoreboard and clock dominate the south end of the ground. Bruno-Plache Stadion - Old Scoreboard and Clock at the South End, Photo by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey Finally, the wooden main stand with facilities for VIP customers runs the length of the western touch line. The stand offers fine views of the action and is even carpeted! Fans sitting in the main stand are as passionate and vociferous as the ultras in the Fankurve. The entire perimeter of the playing surface has high fences with large concrete terraces, uncovered from the elements. Neighborhood 4 Leipzig is a fascinating city where you can easily lose a couple of days. The ornate narrow passageways, the churches that rose to prominence before and during the peace protests, and the museums telling stories of times past. An audio tour called ‘On the trail of Leipzig’s communist past’ is downloadable onto your phone and talks through the story of the DDR and those peaceful revolutions which began here. The city has a confident, young, and trendy vibe with many exhibitions, bars, and outdoor music offerings. With Bach and Wagner as previous residents in the city, its musical pedigree is high. The Leipzig fascination with books is well known; a little less known is its links to the fur trade in times past. In the winter in Leipzig, you may wish to bring one. The local suburb for Das Bruno is Probstheida, it is adjacent to the ground, so handy to pick up a bottle of beer or kebab. There isn’t a great deal else to see, but the Napoleon Brauhaus is an option for fans who like to drink in a pub rather than a street corner. Fans 4 Attendances have grown over the last few years. After five games of the 2025/26 season, the average was just over 5000. The biggest rivals are Chemie Leipzig , BFC Dynamo, and Dynamo Dresden. The yellow and blue of Lok can be found in street art, stickers, and on our visit, the pyrotechnics launched from the Fankurve. Previous players, heroes who’ve been idolised over the years, include Henning Frenzel, Wolfram Löwe (60s and 70s), René Müller, Matthias Liebers, and Olaf Marschall (80s). In 2005, German International Lothar Matthäus played for the club in an official local Cup semi-final. Shout out also to Uwe Rosler, a Lok player who went on to play for Man City and Southampton . Access 3 After WWII, East German sports clubs were reorganized under the socialist system, and many were placed under the sponsorship of major state industries (like police, army, railways, etc.). For Lok, the clue is in the title! The appropriate way, therefore, to arrive in Leipzig for a Lokomotive match is, of course, via train. In doing so, you will inhabit the largest train station in Europe (by sq. ft), a cavernous station with two identical entrances, one originally built for the Prussian State Railway, the other the Royal Saxon State Railway. If you are feeling brave, download the e-scooter app VOI and scoot south along Prager Strabe to the stadium. A more conventional route is to leave Leipzig Hauptbahnhof and take the S-Bahn S1, S2, or S3. Disembark at Leipzig Völkerschlachtdenkmal. Adjacent to the Wilhelm-Kurtz-Park, you will see the 300ft high (Europe’s biggest) monument to the Battle of the Nations. An imposing memorial that commemorates the defeat of Napoleon's French army at Leipzig. There’s a small bistro at the monument serving coffee, ice cream, and beer. If you are travelling by car, the Bruno-Plache-Stadion can be reached via the B2 and Prager-Str. Return on Investment 5 Tickets can be purchased on the Lok website, priced from €12. Beer is cheap, a club scarf is €17, and travel from the centre of Leipzig will cost less than €10. Overall, for an old-school football experience such as Das Bruno, this is well worth your money. Extras 4 Three fans/historians have written some fantastic books about the club. One about Lok’s 130-year history, with over 500 pages, was awarded German Football Book of the Year 2019 in Germany. There is also one on the 1973/74 UEFA Cup run and the most recent publication, ‘A Dream’ covers the 2024/25 season when dreams of promotion were cruelly denied in a play-off match v TSV Havelse. Until 1949, the ground was called the Probstheidaer Stadion. The stadium was then named after Bruno Plache, an activist who in 1945 became sports director of the Leipzig city council. Uwe Zötzsche stickers are available from the ultras stall behind the Fankurve. This Leipzig hero looks out from lampposts across the city, buy yours for just a couple of Euros! Look out for the club podcast on your Spotify account. It’s called LokCast! Final Thoughts What would be your motivation to visit Das Bruno to see Lok? If it’s ‘customer experience’ and comfort, there are many better options for you. However, if you like muddy puddles, high fences, crumbling terraces, police sirens, beer, bratwurst, and good football, then we recommend you come and see the Lok heroes in action.

Shane Barclay from JapanBall.com joins us to talk about the ballparks of Japan, the differences between experiencing a game in North America and Japan, as well as a little bit of Japanese baseball history. We even discuss some of the incredible tours offered by his global baseball tours website . Audio versions of the Stadium Journey podcast can be found by searching HIAC Talk Radio wherever you look for your favorite podcasts. Video simulcasts of all the Stadium Journey podcasts can be found on Stadium Journey's YouTube page . Join us live as we record every other Tuesday night at 7PM eastern at danlaw.tv .

Image courtesy of Quince Imaging At a recent hockey game at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, fans were able to participate in an interactive Frogger-style game on the ice between intermissions. The entire ice was lit up like the classic arcade game in what was called Frog Dash.  The game is the latest creation from Quince Imaging, a company that’s been pushing the boundaries of arena entertainment for more than a decade. Fans strap on helmets fitted with infrared trackers, step onto the ice, and control their digital frogs in real time. Built with Unreal Engine and Pixera, and powered by Stage Precision, the setup makes for a true one-on-one competition that feels like a classic arcade game come to life. “It's controlled by the person from the ice, but it is real-time tracking and playing like you have a controller,” VP of Innovation Eric Gazzillo said. “You get out there and control it yourself. It is 1 vs. 1, and there are different ways to control the game.” The Ducks quietly rolled out the feature two seasons ago, taking advantage of what’s considered the brightest projection system in the NHL. The move is part of Anaheim’s effort to carve out a unique identity, build an Orange County vibe, and stand apart from the L.A. sports scene. Image courtesy of Quince Imaging Quince Imaging has been designing interactive projection games since 2013, with previous titles including a Dunkin Coffee Run, a Pong-inspired challenge, a coin collection game, and even Pac-Man-style chases. Over the years, the company has worked with teams across the NHL and NBA — from the Devils and Hurricanes to the Utah Jazz. But Frog Dash  is just one piece of what the technology can do. The same system allows teams to display player shot charts, stats, and instant replays directly on the ice. “We've been installing these systems for over 10 years,” Gazzillo added. “To have 200 feet of clean projection mapping at an NHL game is hard to pass up.” The NHL has embraced projection tech more than any other league, thanks to the size of the rink and the spectacle it creates for fans. Gazzillo says nearly every NHL arena now features some version of the system. The games aren’t just a gimmick. They’re designed to keep fans engaged and give them something to cheer for, even when the scoreboard isn’t going their way. “Fans want to cheer each other on,”   Marketing Director Bill Arseneau said. “They want to see a win, no matter how the home team is doing.” This summer, at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, the company’s projection mapping honored Hank Aaron’s 715th home run. Quince used 16 Christie 50K RGB laser   projectors across three double-stacked outfield rasters to turn the stadium into an impressive   visual tribute—celebrating one of baseball's most iconic milestones. Looking ahead, Quince plans to add more features to Frog Dash  and continue building its library of interactive titles — with sponsorships playing a key role in how quickly that happens. For now, Ducks fans can enjoy hopping across the ice like it’s 1981 all over again. ------ Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter @ballparkhunter   and his YouTube channel .  Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

The Richmond Flying Mummies were announced tonight as the newest members of the Northwoods League. The unveiling included the introduction of the club’s home uniforms and on-field caps. The team is set to play at Historic Don McBride Stadium in Richmond, Ind.; and returns baseball to town after a two-year absence. The name is a nod to the city's two Egyptian mummies that are on display and the Wright Brothers' aviation history in Richmond (they lived in town between 1881 and 1884), which blends ancient mystique and the thrill of flight. The two mummies were acquired in 1889 and 1929 from Cairo and are displayed at the Wayne County Historical Museum and the Joseph Moore Museum of Natural History. The home uniform features gold and black horizontal stripes to mimic bandages, photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey "The Flying Mummies represent resilience, surprise, and that unbeatable rush of a comeback win,” said President/Managing Partner Matt Bomberg. “Richmond is ready to unwrap something truly special.” The logo, designed by John Worthen of Worthen Design, showcases a dynamic mummy character framed by the wings of a Wright Brothers-inspired plane. The mummy dons an old-fashioned leather helmet, aviator goggles, and a red scarf. The custom typography pairs a sleek script for “Flying” with a playful, wrapped-style font for “Mummies,” creating a look that stands out on both jerseys and caps. The official team colors are linen gray, mummy gold, nightfall black, and Richmond red (a nod to the Richmond High School Red Devils athletic teams). The mummy image has a meaner look that is not typical for minor or summer collegiate logos. The newly unveiled home uniform features vertical striping reminiscent of mummy bandages, paired with the team name in white, accented by bold brown and black outlines. Bomberg noted that the black top alternate will showcase the city name across the chest and the mummy head logo, where the TV number is, and will be matched with gray pants. While the red jersey top highlights the mummy head logo on the left chest, a TV number is opposite it. It will be paired with white pants and a red cap. Team merchandise fills a table at the introduction, photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey The club introduced three on-field caps in black and gray (there will be a red version as well). They feature the mummy head by itself and the letter “R” with a wrap-style font, scarf, and aviator glasses, which took a little extra work to design, according to Bomberg. “We had the scarf coming across the letter R in red, but it looked more like the letter “P” instead of an “R”, so we had to get creative." Jacob Sparks submitted the first entry for Mummies, and Bobbie Williams submitted that the name should have a flying or aviation theme. The other finalists in the name the team balloting were the Groove, Wampus Cats, Starlight, and Plastic Dinos. The Groove came in second place in the fan voting. A secondary logo features two crossed bats wrapped in bandages, photo by Marc Viquez, Stadium Journey The city last fielded a summer collegiate team in the Richmond Jazz, who competed in the Great Lakes League from 2016 to 2023. Before that, the Richmond River Rats represented the city in the Prospect League from 2009 to 2015. Professional baseball also has roots here, dating back to various teams that played between 1946 and 1952, followed by the Richmond Roosters of the Frontier League, who took the field from 1995 to 2005. ——— Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter   @ballparkhunter   and his   YouTube channel .   Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com

Photos by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43 Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld Roland-Ducke-Weg 1 07745 Jena, Germany Map It FC Carl Zeiss Jena website Ernst-Abbe-Sportfield website Year Opened: 1924/2024 Capacity: ~15,000 Carl Zeiss Jena Few names evoke DDR football ostalgie more than Carl Zeiss Jena. When spoken aloud, “Carl Zeiss Jena” carries a mellifluence that belies its industrial origins. The iconic club badge, in use since 1976, with its vivid blue, yellow, and white colours, is recognisable to football fans across Europe. The city of Jena is located in Thuringia, in central Germany. It was part of the old DDR until reunification in 1990. This growing city, famous for its optical industries, sits in a valley through which the River Saale flows, overlooked by rugged, rocky mountains. The original Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld opened in 1924, complete with a running track. In 2020, the rebuild began, and the striking new stadium was officially opened in July 2024. Mercifully, the famous old Jena stadium clock tower was saved, an iconic reminder of footballing times past. The new Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld (aka, Ad Hoc Arena) was recently voted the best stadium in the world in a poll by Stadium DB, ahead of Real Madrid’s Berna b è u Stadium . The Jena men’s team currently plays in the 4th tier of German football (Nordost). They were DDR-Oberliga champions, three-time cup winners, and in 1981, UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup finalists, narrowly losing to Dinamo Tbilisi. As for many former East German giants, those halcyon days are now a distant memory. Their Frauen side competes in the Women’s Bundesliga. Stadium Journey’s visit coincided with a match against Union Berlin Frauen in front of 1384 spectators. Food & Beverage 3 The city centre has a variety of food outlets to use before or after your stadium journey. The L’Osteria sits under the Jena Tower on Johannisstraße, and although not a ‘local’ option, the spaghetti bolognese offers an alternative to ‘another’ bratwurst. Inside the stadium, water is €3.50, cola is €4, and Köstritzer Pils 0.5L costs €5. Nachos and a dip €5. Bratwurst €4 oder Rostbrötchen €5. All available from various kiosks on the outer concourses of the stadium. Atmosphere 3 The highest attendance was reported to be around 27,000 for a Champions League match v Atletico Madrid. Another claim to fame is the world javelin record fell at the old ground by Czech athlete, Jan Železný. The new stadium, designed by Lau Dirsat Architekten, was built at a cost of around €60 million and has a capacity of just over 15,000. Three stands are completely new, and one was incorporated from the previous iteration. Home ultra fans are at the North end of the stadium, which is standing only. Neighborhood 3 As the club and stadium names demonstrate, the optical industries are intrinsically linked with the city of Jena. Carl Zeiss (1816–1888) was a German industrialist and scientific instrument maker. Carl founded the Zeiss company in 1846. Ernst Karl Abbe (1840 -1905) was a social reformer and optical engineer who was co owner at Carl Zeiss AG. Their statues can be found in the city and cultural references are everywhere. For €6, take a lift to the 29th floor of the Jena Tower for spectacular views, including Zeiss' current HQ and the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld. Ernst-Abbe-Sportfield View from the Top of Jena Tower, Photo by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey There aren’t too many must-see tourist destinations in the city. You could probably find enough to do in Jena for a day, although longer if you’d enjoy hiking in the surrounding forests. Fans 4 “We are Jena, we are Jena…” to the tune ‘we are sailing’ is sung loudly and gets in your head for days to come! Home fans have a bitter rivalry with Erfurt, a city around thirty miles west of Jena. Union fans brought the noise for this fixture; nearly half the crowd had travelled south from Berlin. German international Bernd Schneider is one of many famous footballers to have played for Jena. Two new scoreboards are visible to fans from all parts of the stadium. At the old version of the ground, in 1978, Jena had the first ever electronic scoreboard in the GDR! Access 5 A river walk towards the match always feels very civilised. Fulham has the Thames, Bremen has the Weser. Whilst smaller in scale, the walk or cycle south from the centre of Jena along the River Saale is a charming route to the ground. The walk, through leafy parkland, takes just 15 minutes. Most fans stop along the way to drink their bottles of beer and discuss the upcoming fixture. If it’s a rainy day, trams 1,4, or 5 from Paradiesbanhof to Sportforum take just ten minutes. To get to Jena itself, there are train services and Flix Bus options from Leipzig or Frankfurt. Access into the stadium is through electronic turnstiles. Once inside, there are steps up into the stands with the usual additional amenities available. Return on Investment 3 A trip to the fan shop in the centre of town or outside the ground could be an expensive one. Scarves are €19 and home shirts are more than €60. They have a wide range of branded goods available. FC Carl Zeiss Jena Club Shop, Photo by Chris Tuck, Stadium Journey Tickets are available in the fan shop/ticket centre at the stadium or the fan store in Jena city centre, as well as online or by telephone hotline. Ticket prices range from €10 to €20. Extras 3 The club still produces an informative printed programme for all home matches. An excellent way to commemorate your visit. Club name changes were almost a historical imperative across East German football. SG Stadion Jena, SG Carl Zeiss Jena, BSG Mechanik Jena, BSG Motor Jena, and SC Motor Jena are just a few iterations from days gone by. As with many modern stadia, the venue seeks to serve the wider community seven days a week. Corporate events, conferences, congresses, sports events, stadium tours, Christmas parties, and catering are all available in three exclusive, individually customisable event areas. Final Thoughts The city of Jena is certainly off the beaten track in European ground-hopping terms, which means you need a good reason to visit. This famous old East German football team, soaked in history, and its brand new award-winning stadium will give you all the reasons you need!

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.29 Bridgewater Ice Arena 20 Bedford Park Bridgewater, MA 02324 Stonehill Skyhawks women's hockey website Bridgewater Ice Arena website Year Opened: 1995 Capacity: 500 Stonehill Hockey Editor's Note: For the 2025-2026 season, Stonehill moved the majority of their men's hockey games to Warrior Ice Arena in Boston. The men's team will play only one game at their former home at the Bridgewater Ice Arena this season. The women's team will continue to use the BIA as their primary home. Although they will play a portion of their home schedule in Boston at Warrior, they will play 12 of their 16 home games in Bridgewater. This review was written during Stonehill's first season at the BIA in 2022, and is from a men's game. On April 5, 2022, tiny Stonehill College, a private Catholic school located in Easton, Massachusetts with an enrollment of 2,500 undergraduate students, announced it was moving all of its athletic teams to the NCAA Division I level, effective in the fall of 2022. Prior to 2022, Stonehill was a member of the Northeast-10 Conference in NCAA Division II. The hockey team would begin life in Division I as an independent, as Stonehill’s new home, the Northeast Conference, does not support hockey. While in D-II, Stonehill won three NE-10 conference championships Both the men’s and women’s hockey teams play their home games at the off-campus Bridgewater Ice Arena. This public rink, located 12 miles from the Stonehill campus, features two NHL-sized rinks, a full-service café and seating for 500. The complex also plays host to numerous high school teams as well as the Bridgewater Bandits of the USPHL. Stonehill’s athletic teams competed for years as the Chieftains. In 2002 the school decided to change its nickname. After considering several options, Stonehill officially changed its nickname to the Skyhawks in 2005. This name has no connection to a bird or animal but does have a connection to the school’s history. After the school’s property was purchased by the Congregation of Holy Cross, an airfield on site was leased to the Navy during World War II and to private companies afterwards. The airfield was closed in 1955 as the college grew, but the Navy continued to use the land for training exercises and would employ the Skyhawk aircraft between 1954–1995. Food & Beverage 3 There is a snack bar located at the back end of the lobby. The menu here isn’t as extensive as other snack bars you’ll find in community rinks, but there are enough choices here to keep all fans satisfied. A combination of breakfast and lunch foods are available here. Breakfast sandwiches, burgers, chicken nuggets, grilled cheese sandwiches and meatball subs can be purchased here. If you’re just looking for a snack, an assortment of muffins, candy, popcorn and pop tarts are available. Pepsi products are featured, with hot chocolate and coffee popular choices in this chilly rink. Many fans bring their own beverages in, with lots of Dunkin’ coffee observed in the stands. There are also vending machines in the lobby should the snack bar not be open during your visit. Atmosphere 1 The game day atmosphere at a Stonehill hockey game is a bare bones one to be sure. With the facility’s physical limitations, you wouldn’t really expect anything more. A simple scoreboard at the far end displays basic game information, while a surprisingly good sound system plays music during play stoppages. The PA announcer goes about his business in an understated manner. There are no promos or contests during the game to distract and there is little to no noise from the sparse crowd in attendance. There is little evidence at Bridgewater Ice Arena that a Division One hockey team even plays here. The USPHL’s Bridgewater Bandits are the primary tenant, with a sign advertising their presence on Bedford Street along with a large banner hanging at center ice. The pro shop here sells Bandits gear, but no Stonehill swag. The only mention that the Skyhawks even play here are a pair of banners hung in a far corner of the rink. Neighborhood 2 Given Bridgewater Ice Arena’s location in an industrial park, you wouldn’t expect any attractions or lodging options in the immediate vicinity of the rink. However, there are places to be found a short drive away. Downtown Bridgewater is about two and a half miles away to the north, with Route 44, a local route connecting Providence and Plymouth, passing by three and a half miles to the south. Numerous dining and lodging options can be found in either direction. Barrett’s Alehouse and Fireside Grille are local favorites located close to Bridgewater Ice Arena. Visitors to Stonehill looking to explore more than just the immediate neighborhood may gravitate to Boston, a 45-minute ride north or Cape Cod, a 30-minute ride to the southeast. A half-hour drive can also bring you to the historic seaside towns of Plymouth or New Bedford. Visitors to the area will find plenty to do in any of these locations, even during the winter months of the hockey season. Fans 1 It’s early on in Stonehill’s Division One tenure (Stadium Journey attended the Skyhawks’ third ever home game at BIA). An individual associated with the team stated that crowds so far have numbered between 75-100 fans. These numbers appear to be accurate, which places the Skyhawks firmly at the bottom of the NCAA attendance rankings. Hopefully the team will be able to create a following as the program continues to grow. Most of the fans in attendance appear to have a connection with the players on the ice. With the BIA located a dozen miles from campus, there is little to no representation from the student body at games. The women’s team, which began play this season, has been enjoying slightly larger crowds in their inaugural season. Access 4 Bridgewater Ice Arena is located 12 miles from the Stonehill campus in suburban Bridgewater, Massachusetts. Situated in a small industrial park just off Route 18, it is very easy to get to from any direction. Interstate 495 passes just a few miles to the south of the rink. Directions to the rink can be found here . There is plenty of free parking in the lot adjacent to the facility. The Skyhawks play in the east rink, one of two rinks in the facility, which will be on your right as you enter the lobby. Seating consists of metal bleachers that run along the length of one side of the rink. There is some standing room at the near end of the ice. Nets are hung at both offensive zones, but the center sections are free from obstruction. Rest rooms are located just off the lobby and are more than large enough for a typical Stonehill hockey crowd. Be warned that the rink is very chilly, so dress appropriately. Return on Investment 5 There is no charge to watch a Skyhawks hockey game. Parking is also free in the arena parking lot. It’s entirely possible to go to a Division One hockey game without spending a cent. Even if you decide to get a snack while at the game, you certainly won’t be breaking the bank. Extras 0 There isn’t a whole lot going on at a Skyhawks hockey game that can be considered extra. This experience is about as bare bones as it gets. Final Thoughts The trend in Division One hockey in recent years has been for the smaller schools to move out of community rinks and into new rinks built on campus. As tiny Stonehill College begins competition at the sport’s top level, they find themselves at one of these community rinks. It’s proving to be an inauspicious beginning for the Skyhawks. Here’s a guess that the Bridgewater Ice Arena won’t be a long-term home for Stonehill. Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter and Instagram @PuckmanRI.

Before Jacob Slichter was in the rock band Semisonic, and before he penned his book about his experiences, So You Wanna Be a Rock & Roll Star:How I Machine-Gunned a Roomful Of Record Executives and Other True Tales from a Drummer's Life ( You can buy Jake's book here ) , he was a Chicago Bears fan. Jake took a moment to discuss his favorite team and some other fun stuff. STADIUM JOURNEY: Let's start with the glory. What was it like to play at RFK Stadium? What do you remember? Did you check out the crowd when you were playing, or did you stay completely focused on the skins? Who'd you hang with backstage? JACOB SLICHTER:   We played RFK Stadium for a radio festival right as “Closing Time” reached the top of the alternative radio charts.  I will never forget how unprepared I was for the moment when 40,000 people joined us on the first chorus.  It almost knocked me off my drummer’s throne. Closing Time... STADIUM JOURNEY: Stuck on the glory. Did you meet any super famous people who surprised you and were genuinely down to earth? JACOB SLICHTER:   We met a lot of famous people: Aimee Mann and Sheryl Crow, both of whom we toured with and both of whom were astonishingly down to earth (and amazingly talented).  I’ll never forget meeting Beatles producer George Martin, to whom we were introduced as he was having dinner after a very long day.  He had woken that morning in London, flown to Toronto, done a bunch of promotion for a new album of his, and then here he was, being introduced to some band of whom he’d never heard.  Yet he was so gracious.  He spoke to us, standing, for twenty or so minutes before we finally let him go.  I had a similar experience with Lionel Richie at a Grammy after-party.  All of these interactions were immensely instructive. STADIUM JOURNEY: What comes first: Your love for music or the Bears? JACOB SLICHTER:  Music, lol. STADIUM JOURNEY: What are your fondest Bears memories? Who were your favorite players? Was Soldier Field your home away from home? JACOB SLICHTER:  I’ve never attended a Bears game in person.  I became a sentient Bears fan just after Gale Sayers suffered his career ending injury.  There wasn’t much offense to root for, so I’d watch the television and wait for Dick Butkus and the defense to take the field.  My greatest memory was watching them win the Super Bowl with a few friends and other Bears fans crowded into a Pizzeria Uno somewhere in San Francisco’s Marina district.   STADIUM JOURNEY: You went to Harvard. Did you attend any football games? Is the Harvard/Yale rivalry the real deal, or is it more of a syllabus requirement? JACOB SLICHTER:  I went to two Harvard/Yale games and never felt any passion for it. STADIUM JOURNEY: How was the music scene at Harvard? Were you in a band there? JACOB SLICHTER:  I was in a few cover bands before pairing up with current bandmate, Dan Wilson, and another friend, Hal Movius.  I wouldn’t say the music scene at Harvard was anything special.  The Boston scene, however, was and remains very special. STADIUM JOURNEY: When you were touring, were you able to fit the Bears in? In general, what's life like on the road? JACOB SLICHTER:  Fitting the Bears into one’s schedule is like fitting in coffee with the ex who broke your heart and still treats you horribly.   STADIUM JOURNEY: How'd the book come about? Were you keeping a journal all along? What was the process? JACOB SLICHTER:  I only started keeping an actual journal about halfway through, but the first half of the journey was seared into my memory. STADIUM JOURNEY: I know you're working on a sequel. How's that going? JACOB SLICHTER:  It’s not a sequel but something else entirely.  It’s coming along very slowly. STADIUM JOURNEY: If you could play any position on the football field, which would you choose and why? JACOB SLICHTER:  I used to imagine myself playing safety, which is kind of like being the drummer in a pop band.  It’s the thing no one notices until things go terribly wrong.  But in the end, I think there’s a reason I avoided playing sports.  I’m not someone who wants to defeat someone else.   Jon Hart is @manversusball

The United Football League is adding teams in Louisville, Ky.; Columbus, Ohio; and Orlando, Fla.; for the 2026 season. They will all play in smaller, soccer-specific venues, aiming to create a more vibrant atmosphere with 10,000 to 15,000 fans per game. ​ The Columbus Aviators will play at Historic Crew Stadium, the Louisville Kings will play at Lynn Family Stadium , and the Orlando Storm will play at Inter&Co Stadium . Each venue has a seating capacity of under 25,000. ​ Louisville will share its field with the USL Louisville City FC in the 15,304-capacity Lynn Family Stadium, starting in the 2026 season. The market had been discussed for several months, and it will be the first time the city will host a spring football team. “Columbus, Louisville, and Orlando are true football cities with deep sports roots. We’re proud to bring professional football to these communities – in energetic, fan-driven stadiums built to create an authentic gameday experience and strengthen the foundation of this league for years to come,"   said Mike Repole, co-owner of the United Football League. ​ ​The Aviators will relocate to the former home of the Columbus Crew and utilize it as a stadium for gridiron football. Crew Stadium has a seating capacity of 19,968.  The Storm returns spring football to the city, having previously been home to the Orlando Guardians, which played at Camping World Stadium in 2023. Beginning in the 2026 season, the Houston Roughnecks will be renamed the Houston Gamblers (the name the city used in the USFL in 1984 and 1985 when Jim Kelly was their quarterback) and will play at the home of the MLS Houston Dynamo, Shell Energy Stadium . Simultaneously, the Arlington Renegades will relocate to the home of MLS FC Dallas, Toyota Stadium,  and be known as the Dallas Renegades. ​ Team uniform designs will be released at a future date. The regular season begins on February 27, 2026. ---- Follow all of Marc’s stadium journeys on Twitter   @ballparkhunter   and his   YouTube channel .   Email at Marc.Viquez@stadiumjourney.com