Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Setzler Field 2300 College St Newberry, SC 29108
Year Opened: 1915
Capacity: 4,000
Newberry Seeing Red
Setzler Field is home to the Newberry Wolves of NCAA D2 Football. The stadium opened in 1915 and is named after a Newberry professor who is known for bringing football to Newberry and intercollegiate sports to the state – Setzler helped found the Intercollegiate Athletics Association of South Carolina, as well as helped convince the Newberry Board of Trustees to allow football at the college.
Newberry College is a private Lutheran college located in Newberry, SC that has an enrollment of around 1,250 students. The Wolves currently compete in the D2 South Atlantic Conference.
Food & Beverage 3
Setzler Field is unique in the fact that its concessions include food trucks both inside and outside the stadium – there is a food truck outside the stadium (which I don’t think you can visit during the game, however, as there is no re-entry allowed) that sells items such as shrimp wraps and gyros, and another food truck inside the stadium which sells gourmet ice cream selections. Besides these food trucks, there is also a Chick-fil-A stand that sells chicken sandwiches or 8-piece nuggets for $5 each, as well as a few other items; there is also a tent operated by the women’s soccer team which sells soda and bottled water for $2 each.
Atmosphere 3
Setzler Field has a pretty good atmosphere for college football and gets pretty full for home games. There is a good tailgating atmosphere outside the stadium and a Georgia Tech-esque vintage automobile (painted Newberry red of course) that leads the team onto the field. The band is a little on the small side given the school’s size, however, and there is no video board on which to watch replays – just a static scoreboard attached to the front of the athletics center in the south end zone.
One interesting thing about the stadium is that there is a graveyard within sight of the venue, visible from the main stands when facing toward the southeast corner. I would also mention that the stands require some updating – the main grandstand is a little wobbly in certain places, and you can see some of the metal struts attached to the front of the benches are starting to come off.
Graveyard Beyond Setzler Stadium, Photo by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Neighborhood 3
Newberry, SC is a small town of about 10,000, but there are plenty of options near the stadium if you plan to be in town for the day or weekend. There are several restaurants near Setzler Field such as Summer’s Restaurant, Cabana Café, and Steelhorse Smokehouse (for BBQ) if you are looking for a bite before or after the game, although hotels are a little more scarce – there are only two options that are actually in town, i.e. Rodeway Inn and Hampton Inn, but if you go a little further out you can find Days Inn and Holiday Inn.
In terms of attractions, there is a Japanese garden nearby as well as the Newberry Arts Center, plus several parks and other outdoor attractions, such as a winery, if you are into those types of activities.
Fans 4
You wouldn’t be able to tell at kickoff, but by the beginning of the second quarter you can expect the visitor and homestand at Setzler Field to be pretty full for games – I wouldn’t call it a sellout necessarily, but it is hard to say that any of the seats are empty. Part of this is a testament to the great tailgating atmosphere outside the venue, which you can see from the top of the stands, so many people are just late coming inside, taking their time in pre-game celebrations. The stadium also generates a high level of crowd noise, more than you would expect for a facility of this size.
Newberry Wolves Tailgating, Photo by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Access 3
Setzler Field is easy enough to navigate and easy enough to get to, but there are some challenges in terms of access. In terms of parking, you can park right next to the stadium for $20, and for that grass lot the staff will even put out metal ramps so you won’t damage your car driving over the curb. Alternatively, you can park a block or two away for $10, or possibly find free on-street parking in the surrounding area.
In terms of bathrooms, however, there is only one set of “real” bathrooms inside Setzler Field, which are on the west end of the athletics center in the south end zone; there is a gate there but it is unlocked during games, so the bathrooms there ARE open, although that is a little bit of a walk from the stands. The only other option is the port-a-johns in the north end zone.
Return on Investment 4
Like a lot of other venues lately, tickets to Newberry Wolves games at Setzler Field can only be purchased online – even if you show up at the stadium ticket booths on game day, all you will find is a QR code to scan that takes you to the website, so you may as well purchase them beforehand. General admission tickets are $15 but there are a couple of dollars in fees added to that. On the plus side, parking can be had pretty inexpensively and depending on how crazy you want to go with concessions, a sample meal can be had in the stadium for under $10, so all in all you don’t have to break the bank for games here.
Extras 3
Setzler Field doesn’t have much in the way of Extras – I already mentioned the Georgia Tech-esque mascot that leads the team onto the field, the band, and the food trucks – beyond that there isn’t much else to call out at Newberry. The team does have a pretty cool logo (a howling wolf superimposed over the letter “N”) and plenty of signage around the field, but otherwise, you will find about the same amenities here as you will typically find at a college football game at this level.
Final Thoughts
I think the number one thing to recommend at Newberry is the fans – there is a great tailgating atmosphere and a great crowd, so if you are in the area during football season, visiting Setzler Field is a great way to spend a day or evening.