Strong Stadium - Beloit Buccaneers
Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Strong Stadium 1499 Chapin St Beloit, WI 53511
Year Opened: 1934
Capacity: 3,000
Don’t Give up the Ship
The Beloit Buccaneers football team competes in the NCAA’s Division III, and while their home facility, Strong Stadium, is dated, their fans are as loud and vocal as can be. The small contingent in the stands under the press box screams wildly on every positive play for the Buccaneers. There is also no cost for admission, no cost to park, and cheap concessions.
Food & Beverage 2
Strong Stadium has a Kona Ice food truck on the north side of the stadium, as well as a small concessions stand in the athletics building located under the grandstand. The stand sells hot dogs, chips, candy, soda, and bottled water, with nothing costing more than $3. During my most recent visit, there was also a table set up by Wisco Votes, a non-profit movement aimed at getting students to the polls in November, which was giving away free hot dogs and bottled water.
Atmosphere 1
Strong Stadium is a bit dated, with only a digital scoreboard and metal bleachers to sit on, with a few cracks and potholes in the cement walkway used to get to your seats. There is no mascot, no band, no cheerleaders, and not much going on except the game itself. The stands are all on one side of the field, under the press box, with the student section on the north side and the visitors on the south end.
Neighborhood 3
Beloit, WI, sits near the border of Illinois, close enough that on a good day, you could probably throw a rock across the state line. There are several restaurants in the area, most of them to the west of the stadium along Rock River, as well as a couple of hotels. There is an anthropology museum in town that looks like an old church, with its Gothic Revival architecture, as well as a couple of art museums. Or, if you prefer to immerse yourself in more sports, you can see the Beloit Sky Carp at ABC Supply Stadium, as long as you plan your visit early in the football season.
Fans 5
The stands at Strong Stadium will probably not be full, but the fans who are there are INTENSE. If you sit in the center section (the non-student home side), you will find yourself surrounded by a couple dozen absolute diehards, screaming their heads off for most of the game, cheering on their beloved Buccaneers. I assume these individuals are friends or family members of the players, given how enthusiastic they are, but I don’t know that for sure. The students are a little more subdued, but the crowd in the center section more than makes up for it.
Access 2
Finding Strong Stadium is a little tricky – once you get to Beloit, it is a little off the beaten path, but your GPS should be able to get you close enough to see the facility. Once you arrive, there is free parking in the grass next to the venue, a short walk from the grandstand.
The weird part is the grandstand itself. A couple of tunnels look like they might take you to your seats, or down into the building under the stands, but most of them either dead-end or lead to locked gates. Your best bet is to walk in front of the seats until you get about halfway down, then use the ramp to enter the athletics building; that will take you to the concessions and bathrooms. You can also walk around the back side of the athletics center, behind the grandstand where the grass parking is, and use the double doors to get inside.
On the plus side, there is enough room to sit anywhere in the grandstand you want, either higher up to get a better view or lower down to get closer to the action.
Return on Investment 3
There is no cost to get in, no cost for parking, and concessions are super cheap. The facilities aren’t the best, but the crowd is intense, so you might find it very enjoyable. At this level of college football, games are usually over in about two and a half hours, or at most two hours and 45 minutes, so the lack of amenities is less of a problem than it would be during longer contests.
Extras 2
There is an inflatable football tossing game next to the Kona Ice truck, as well as trophies and plaques next to and above the concessions, so you can take a walk through Beloit’s athletic successes during a break in the action.
