Photos by Aaron Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.29
D. B. Milne Field 2800 University Blvd N Jacksonville, FL 32211
Year Opened: 1998
Capacity: 5,000
FCS Football in Jacksonville
D. B. Milne Field in Jacksonville, Florida is a small stadium with a high school football vibe. The venue opened in 1998 and has a capacity of just 5,000. While this crowd size won’t lend itself to a ton of energy, even if the venue were full, the experience here is on par with a lot of other football programs in the FCS.
Food & Beverage 2
The concessions offered at D. B. Milne Field are not much, but they do have a pretty good beverage selection – in fact there are more beverage options on the menu than food items.
Food options at D. B. Milne Field consist of hot dogs, chili cheese dogs, Tostitos with chili, soft pretzels, chips, and candy bars, with prices of $2.50 to $4.25. Beverage options include botted soda, bottled water, Gatorade, hot cocoa, Starbucks coffee, and beer and wine, including a craft beer selection. Drink prices run from $2 to $8, with alcohol being the most expensive, and hot cocoa the least.
Atmosphere 1
The Jacksonville Dolphins currently compete in the Pioneer Football League of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Their football stadium, D. B. Milne Field, consists of a grandstand with metal bleachers along one sideline, with additional berm seating behind one of the end zones. The 5,000-seat venue doesn’t have a lot of crowd noise, partly due to the Dolphins on-field performance at times, but the facility does have a play area for kids next to the grandstand, and the mascot is pretty impressive.
The football field is surrounded by a track, and the venue doubles as the home of Jacksonville’s track and field teams.
Neighborhood 3
D. B. Milne Field is across the St Johns River from EverBank Field, home of the Jacksonville Jaguars. While there is not much in the immediate vicinity of D. B. Milne Field except some fast food restaurants, Dolphins fans (or visiting fans) will find plenty to do in the rest of Jacksonville.
There are a couple of non-fast food restaurants near D. B. Milne Field, including Cotton’s Bar-B-Que and Spices Caribbean Restaurant. If you plan to be in town for the day or for the weekend, you can also visit the Alexander Brest Museum, located on Jacksonville University’s campus – this small museum features Tiffany glass, porcelain, and other exhibits.
Unfortunately, there aren’t really any hotels very close to the stadium – for those you will have to go a few miles east along I-295, or across the aforementioned river. The two closest hotels to D. B. Milne Field are Regency Inn and Kings Inn, but there are plenty of more well-known brands further away if you are looking for something nicer.
Of course, if you are willing to explore further afield than the immediate vicinity of D. B. Milne Field, fans will find plenty to do in Jacksonville, including tons of great restaurants, myriad nightclubs, and plenty to do on the water, such as river cruises, dolphin watches, and fishing. If you want to stay an extra day, you can also make the short 45-minute trip south to St. Augustine, which is America’s oldest city, and features plenty of history and several tourist attractions. Or you can check out the Jacksonville Zoo & Gardens.
Fans 1
D. B. Milne Field rarely sells out, and the fans in attendance tend to be mostly friends or family members of the players, or affiliated with Jacksonville University in some way. At a typical game you may only see the stands about half full, if that, although a few fans do watch from the berm area behind the end zone.
Not many of the fans in attendance wear Jacksonville Dolphins gear, and I did not see any for sale inside the stadium, either.
Access 4
Getting to and around D. B. Field is no problem at all, thanks in large part to the small size of the venue and the small crowd size. You can park for free in the Jacksonville University parking lots right next to the Athletics complex, about 150 yards from the stadium. There is also one bathroom on site for each gender, so at least you don’t have to worry about port-a-potties, and there is plenty of room to walk around inside the venue, and no lines to worry about at the lone concessions stand. The only potential downside here is that the bathrooms are a little dated.
Return on Investment 3
If you just want to watch some college football, D. B. Milne Field is a great option, as tickets can be had for as little as $5, even if you do not purchase in advance. With free parking and cheap (albeit limited) concessions, this is about as good a deal as you will ever find for college football. Note however that you won’t necessarily get a ton of energy, and you won’t see very many great teams come to town. That said, this may be a stadium to wait to visit until your favorite FCS team comes to town.
Extras 2
The Jacksonville mascot, Dunkin, is pretty great, and the dolphin signage around D. B. Milne Field is pretty cool to see, especially given the school’s proximity to the ocean.