Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86
Biddle Field 610 W High St Carlisle, PA 17013
Year Opened: 1903
The Red Devils Of Carlisle
Dickinson College is a private liberal arts college in Carlisle, Pennsylvania which was founded in 1773 and officially chartered in 1783. This means it is the first college to be founded after the formation of the United States. Dickinson’s campus is not far from the nation’s second oldest military base, Carlisle Barracks, which is now used as the U.S. Army War College.
The Dickinson Red Devils play at the NCAA Division III level and are members of the Centennial Conference.
Biddle Field is part of the larger Biddle Field Complex. The complex is home to the college’s football, field hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s track & field, and men’s and women’s tennis. The stadium and turf surface was renovated recently in 2019. There is the Durden Athletic Training Center, which opened in 2014, that added locker rooms and a varsity weight training facility.
Food & Beverage 2
There is a small concession stand located behind the main stands that sells pizza, chips, candy, Gatorade, water, and soda. Prices are cheap and the pizza was tasty, but if you want more please plan on eating before or after the game.
Biddle Field Concessions, Photo by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Atmosphere 2
We get the feeling that Dickinson is not a big football school. The stands are lightly filled by fans, with more fans in the visiting stands for the game we attended. There are cheerleaders, and that is about it in terms of atmosphere. High schools will be more boisterous than the fans at Biddle Field.
Neighborhood 4
Carlisle is a pleasant town in the Cumberland Valley of Pennsylvania. In 2010, Forbes rated Carlisle and nearby Harrisburg, as the second-best place to raise a family. This is evident in the beautiful area.
The U.S. Army War College, located at Carlisle Barracks, is close by so you may see high-level military personnel preparing for their strategic leadership responsibilities.
If you are coming to a game at Dickinson, you can venture east down High Street and find quite a few small-town dining options.
Fans 2
There was not a large number of fans at the game we attended. The visiting team brought a more visible and loud bunch, even though the home team was the far superior team that day. The fans who did attend were not very loud.
Access 3
Dickinson is located west of Harrisburg along a major Interstate highway, I-81.
There is not a lot of parking right at Biddle Field, but there is enough street parking and other campus lots that can handle the small crowds.
Return on Investment 5
Attending a Red Devil’s game is free. There was also no charge for parking. The concessions are very decent in terms of pricing, so with all of that, the return on investment is pretty good, even if the level of play is fairly low.
Extras 2
The campus is one of the nation’s oldest and the stadium is also very old. There are a few plaques and interesting, historic entrance gates that one should spend some time checking out while attending a game at Biddle Field.
The college has gone digital with its game programs. Some may find this annoying, but we find it refreshing to see an official statement about that.
Final Thoughts
Biddle Field and Dickinson Red Devils football is not going to be a place for all kinds of fans, but it is a pleasant and cheap place to enjoy a college football game.