Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium - New Haven Chargers
Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Ralph F. DellaCamera Stadium
138 Rockdale Rd.
West Haven, CT 06516
Year Opened: 2009
Capacity: 5,000
The Other Football Team in West Haven
The University of New Haven was founded in 1920 as the New Haven Junior College, a subdivision of Northeastern University. They shared buildings, laboratories and faculty members with Yale University for 40 years. Today the school boasts an enrollment of over 9,000 students, who study in 109 undergraduate programs and 116 graduate programs.
The University of New Haven’s first football team played in 1973. They began as a member of Division III, moving up to Division II in 1982. The Chargers competed as an independent until the school dissolved the football program after the 2003 season. During their 22 seasons as a D-2 independent, UNH qualified for four postseason tournaments, reaching the national semifinals in 1992 and the finals in 1997. Among the head coaches for New Haven were Tony Sporano and Mark Whipple.
The team played their home games at Robert B. Dodds Stadium on the University of New Haven’s north campus. Dodds Stadium served as home to the school’s football team until the dissolution of the program in 2003. Dodds Stadium continued as home to the Charger soccer and lacrosse teams until 2007. The facility was shuttered at that time for renovations, which included the installation of new turf, a new press box, scoreboard and video board. Financing these renovations was UNH alumnus, CIO of DellaCamera Capital Management LLC in Manhattan, and member of the school’s Board of Governors, Ralph F. DellaCamera.
The signature element of the new facility is its blue turf, which was chosen to generate excitement and publicity for the re-establishment of the football program. The new-look stadium debuted on September 19, 2009. A week later the facility was dedicated in DellaCamera’s name. The Chargers, now members of the Northeast-10 Conference, won six conference titles and played in four D-2 tournaments from 2009-2024. Five New Haven alumni have gone on to play in the National Football League.
Beginning with the 2025 season, New Haven moved all of their athletic programs to the Division One level, joining the Northeast Conference (NEC). During their first season of play at the FCS level, the Chargers went 5-5.
Food & Beverage 4
There’s a small concession stand in the southeast corner of the stadium. A basic menu is available here, with burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, nachos and french fries all sold at the two points of sale. Chicken wings and corn dogs add a bit of variety to the offerings. Snacks, including cups of chili, fried dough, assorted candy and pretzels round out the menu. Prices are decent, quality is good, and lines are not bad, even at halftime.
Greater variety is achieved at DellaCamera Stadium with the presence of food trucks, which set up shop in the southwest corner of the stadium. During Stadium Journey’s visit, trucks offering BBQ and Fried Chicken were offering their wares.
Pepsi products are featured at DellaCamera Stadium. Fans looking for an adult beverage can head to the north end zone, where the end zone club offers all you can eat food and a selection of beer and wine for purchase for a $20 fee.
Atmosphere 3
The gameday atmosphere at DellaCamera Stadium is pretty typical of what you find at small college facilities across the country. There aren’t a lot of fancy bells and whistles available for the New Haven athletic staff to use, but they do a nice job with the tools at their disposal. Their resourcefulness is on display from the start of the game, as the Chargers enter the stadium to a cloud of smoke created by a phalanx of fire extinguishers operated by staffers.
All of the elements found in a proper college gameday presentation can be found here. The school boasts a large marching band. Featuring 300 members, the band plays throughout the game, along with the cheerleading and dance teams. The scoreboard in the north end zone displays basic game information, and features a small video screen, which is used for some pregame hype videos and some in-game advertisements and graphics. The sound system could use an upgrade, as it didn’t seem to be able to handle the music volume. The PA announcer kept fans informed and entertained without being too over the top.
Despite a capacity crowd in attendance during Stadium Journey’s visit, the fans didn’t add a whole lot of energy to the proceedings at DellaCamera Stadium. This could be due to the Chargers’ performance on this afternoon, which was a sub-par 21-3 loss, giving the fans little reason to cheer. It does seem that this would not be the place for a rowdy fan base, anyway.
Neighborhood 3
DellaCamera Stadium is located separate from the main University of New Haven campus alongside the rest of the University’s athletic facilities, including Frank Viera Field, The Hazell Center and New Haven Softball Center. Less than two miles away are many of Yale University’s athletic facilities, including the Yale Bowl, George H.W. Bush ’49 Field and Reese Stadium.
The rest of the University of New Haven campus is located on the other side of Boston Post Road a half mile away from the stadium. This part of West Haven is a mixed residential/commercial district, with plenty of local restaurants and access to New York, Hartford and Boston nearby. For more information on things to do in West Haven/New Haven, the University has detailed information here.
New Haven is known as the home of some of the nation’s top pizza. The local version, called apizza, can be found throughout the city at legendary spots including Frank Pepe’s, Sally’s and Modern. Another top spot, Zuppardi’s, is located just three miles from DellaCamera Stadium in West Haven.
In addition, New Haven claims to be the birthplace of the hamburger. Louis Lunch, founded in 1895, was recognized by Congress as the place where the first hamburger was made. They continue to make their burgers the same way they were made back in the 19th century. They have been featured in countless food shows over the years.
Fans 4
New Haven debuted at the FCS level in the 2025 season. During that season, they averaged 5,949 fans per game, a figure well over DellaCamera’s listed capacity of 5,000. Stadium Journey visited New Haven for the Chargers’ second home game of the 2026 season. The team’s first two games drew crowds of 7,000 and 4,800. The team is drawing fans like crazy since their ascension to D-1.
Despite their large numbers, the fans don’t feel like they are adding a ton of energy to the proceedings at DellaCamera Stadium. You’ll find a good turnout by the student body, but no organized student section. The Chargers are viewed as an alternative to the nearby Yale Bulldogs, and the locals are responding.
Access 3
DellaCamera Stadium is located along with most of UNH’s other athletic facilities a few blocks north of the main campus. Despite its location in a busy neighborhood, the stadium is easily accessible by car, as it is just a couple of blocks from Boston Post Road (Route 1) and about a mile and a half from Interstate 95. Fans utilizing public transportation can take the CTTransit’s 261 or 265 busses, which both run along Boston Post Road, stopping at Pruden St.
Parking is available in a lot adjacent to the Jeffrey Hazell Athletic Center a short walk from the football field. This lot fills up quickly. Additional parking is available in the lots around campus, with shuttle buses available to take fans to the stadium. Parking is not allowed on local streets. DellaCamera Stadium is located at the far end of the athletic complex, and fans will have to take the walk from the lots past the softball and baseball fields before entering the football stadium.
The field is oriented in a north-south fashion, with bleachers on either side of the gridiron. All seats consist of metal bleachers without backs, with one section of individual plastic seats at midfield. There is standing room on either end of the field. There are paved paths around the field, but much of the grounds is covered by small stones, so those with unsteady gait should tread carefully.
There is a small restroom in the southeast corner of the facility. Additional port-a-johns are lined up in the southwest corner of the stadium to help alleviate lines.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets to Charger football games are priced at $11 for adults and $6 for seniors and children. This price is for general admission seating. Reserved seats (one section of plastic seats at midfield) are priced at $21 per ticket.
Parking in the main lot near the Hazell Athletic Center costs $10, with other satellite lots free of charge. As mentioned earlier, access to the End Zone Club will cost $20, but features all-you-can-eat food and access to the beer garden. Concessions are reasonably priced for this level of college football.
Extras 1
DellaCamera Stadium’s blue turf warrants an extra point. Far from being as distracting as you might think, the turf was installed for the 2009 return of the school’s football program. One of 15 non-green college football fields in the nation, and one of only 3 at the FCS level, the University of New Haven had to enter into a licensing agreement with Boise State to use their blue and yellow field, which they tweaked to their school colors to differentiate it from the famous “smurf turf” at Albertsons Stadium.
Final Thoughts
New Haven’s rise to FCS has been met with great enthusiasm and large crowds at DellaCamera Stadium. Time will tell if this momentum will continue, but for now, fans are all charged up for more football in West Haven.
