Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.43
Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium 707 Mount Cross Rd Danville, VA 24540
Year Opened: 2000
Capacity: 1,200+
The Cougars of Virginia
Daly Field at Frank R. Campbell Stadium was built in 2000 and has permanent bleacher seating for over 1,200 fans, with plenty of additional seating in the form of berm seating along the hill on the east and south sides – bring your own blanket, of course. There is a fieldhouse behind the north end zone, and a static scoreboard behind the south end zone (the scoreboard does have a small section for video, but it is only used for graphics and logos, not replays).
Food & Beverage 5
Campbell Stadium has great concessions options for fans at low prices – drinks are only $2 (bottled water, soda, and Powerade, as well as slushies and hot cocoa during some contests), and you can also get candy bars, chips, granola bars, Slim Jim, or nuts for $1. There is a grill in front of the main entrance, which even lets students use their meal dollars, as well as the main concessions stand under the press box which sells burgers (including turkey burgers), Chick-fil-A chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, and nachos, in addition to the items mentioned earlier. There is also a Kona shaved ice food truck.
The best thing about the concessions at Campbell Stadium is the condiments table to the right of the main concessions stand, which offers fresh lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, pickles, and banana peppers, as well as the traditional relish, ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise – you rarely see this level of condiments offered at sports stadiums, and it really ups the taste and quality of your burger, dog, or chicken sandwich. Note the lines might seem long at times, but they move super-fast, as there are actually four cashiers taking money (either cash or card).
Atmosphere 5
Averett football (pronounced ‘Ave’ as in cave + ‘rett’ as in Brett) has a great atmosphere, which starts in the parking lot with tons of tailgaters out in front of the stadium, set up under brightly colored yellow and navy tents, with food grilling and families playing cornhole. There are two different team gear stands set up once you enter the stadium proper, and several different concessions stands as well.
Before the game begins, you will see the cheerleaders and dance team performing on the field, followed by prayer and the singing of the National Anthem. The cheerleaders will then hold up a large Averett banner, which the team runs through as they come onto the field, and the Cougars mascot can be seen prowling the stands. The crowd is loud, overflowing the stands and spreading all the way around the grassy hill on the east and south sides. Overall, a great time to be had for all – you can really feel the energy emanating from the fans.
Averett Cougars Team Gear Store, Photo by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Neighborhood 4
Averett University has a couple of campuses in Danville, VA – Main Campus (near Main St) is where most of the classrooms are, as well as the dorms, dining halls, and administrative buildings. The athletic facilities, including Campbell Stadium, are located on North Campus (Mount Cross Rd), so be sure to take note when putting the address into your GPS.
There are some great restaurants in Danville as well, including Kickback Jack’s which sponsors the Cougars – Kickback Jack’s is a popular local sports bar with locations in NC and VA only, making it a great option for out of town visitors looking for something unique – the multiple TVs inside let you catch all the days’ sports action, and the steak, seafood, burgers, and other pub fare (plus the alcohol selection) makes for some good eats and drinks. Other great restaurant choices in the area include Golden Leaf Bistro and Mucho Taqueria.
Another unique option for visitors to Danville is the AAF Tank Museum – located about 15-20 minutes from Campbell Stadium, this kitschy attraction includes a large collection of tank and cavalry artifacts dating all the way back to the 1500s, including battle-captured tanks from the Gulf War. The museum also hosts radio-controlled tank battles in November.
Fans 5
The fans at Campbell Stadium are great – the stands only hold around 1,200 and are packed out, with tons of additional fans set up on the grass berm around the field. You will also see some fans sitting at the numerous patio tables set up around the inside of the stadium, most within sight of the field, eating and enjoying themselves underneath colorful umbrellas. The fans are loud and proud, and you can hear their roar, especially during 3rd downs by the opponent, or on big plays made by their Cougars. A lot of them are showing off their team spirit with Averett shirts and hats, and the two team gear stands out front do a brisk business.
Fans Fill the Stands at Campbell Stadium, Photo by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Access 4
Danville, Virginia is located at the intersection of Highway 29 (running north and south) and Highway 58 (running east and west), a few miles north of the NC-VA border and probably a good hour from major freeways like I-40/85 (to the south) or I-81 (to the west). That said it might take some time to get here, depending on where you are from, but the traffic is pretty light in and around town, which is a major plus.
Once you get to Campbell Stadium, there is a large parking lot right in front of the main entrance, as well as an overflow lot nearby if the main lot fills up; there is no cost to park in these lots. The main grandstand is underneath the press box and offers plastic chairback as well as non-chairback seats, while the visitor’s section on the opposite side of the field features a much smaller quasi-temporary looking set of metal bleachers – there is also plenty of additional capacity in the form of berm seating along the hill on the visitor’s side (east side) and behind one end zone (south side). There is an asphalt walking path around the stadium that allows you to move around from section to section.
As mentioned before the concessions lines might seem pretty long, but they move so quickly there is not much of a wait. There does seem to be a little bit of a wait for the bathrooms, however, especially for the women’s room.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets to Campbell Stadium cost only $10 (cash or card), which is pretty much as low a ticket price as you will find for almost any level of football. The concessions are also very low cost, and parking is free, so this represents a fabulous return on your sports dollar. If you are anywhere near Danville, VA, I recommend you stop by Averett University to take in a game here.
Extras 3
A big plus for all the patio tables dotted around the stadium, complete with umbrellas in Averett’s colors, which you can use to sit and eat while watching the contest. The Cougars also have an award-winning pep squad, and a mascot which can be seen roaming the stands revving up fans during the game. The practice field, next to Campbell Stadium, is also open during Averett football games – kids can be seen over there tossing footballs around and enjoying themselves while their parents take in the action on the gridiron.