The Ivy League has the best FCS stadiums?

[Franks Tanks]

I have been arguing this for a while. Now I am certainly not claiming they have the best game day atmosphere, but when it comes to the actual brick & mortar structure and the history behind it, they are second to none. Check out the article and from ESPN.

http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=3016019

Those of you who have never been to the Ivy Stadiums check out the pics you will be impressed.

[Go...gate]

I have been arguing this for a while. Now I am certainly not claiming they have the best game day atmosphere, but when it comes to the actual brick & mortar structure and the history behind it, they are second to none. Check out the article and from ESPN.

http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=3016019

Those of you who have never been to the Ivy Stadiums check out the pics you will be impressed.


Absolutely agree.

[DrG]

It may be short on creature comforts, but nowhere do you get a better view of a football game than in Harvard Stadium. Unless you're stuck in the far end of the horseshoe, which only gets filled for the Yale game, you're right on top of every play.

[Go...gate]

It may be short on creature comforts, but nowhere do you get a better view of a football game than in Harvard Stadium. Unless you're stuck in the far end of the horseshoe, which only gets filled for the Yale game, you're right on top of every play.

I have always liked Franklin Field and Brown Stadium, and loved old Palmer Stadium (though the new Powers Field at Princeton Stadium is lovely).

[Ivytalk]

It may be short on creature comforts, but nowhere do you get a better view of a football game than in Harvard Stadium. Unless you're stuck in the far end of the horseshoe, which only gets filled for the Yale game, you're right on top of every play.

That's right, DrG, but don't forget your seat cushions!;)

[BlueHen86]

I use to go to Yale games all the time back in the 70's. The games always seemed to draw well, especially the Harvard game. I liveed about a half mile away from the bowl, people use to park in front of my house and walk to the games.
Unfortunately not that many people go anymore. Nobody parks in my old neighborhood. Even the Harvard game draws less than half capacity, maybe only 25%. I went to The Game a few years ago (4 or 5), it was a beautiful day and the bowl was less than half full.xsmhx
The picture accompanying the article in the link is probably pretty old.

The Yale Bowl is also in need of work, at least it was last time I went.

I've been to Franklin Field once, I will be taking my kids to a game there either this year or next.

[Umass74]

If you love college football, you need to make a pilgrimage to Harvard stadium. It defines (literally) what the college game is all about. xbowx

[Ivytalk]

I use to go to Yale games all the time back in the 70's. The games always seemed to draw well, especially the Harvard game. I liveed about a half mile away from the bowl, people use to park in front of my house and walk to the games.
Unfortunately not that many people go anymore. Nobody parks in my old neighborhood. Even the Harvard game draws less than half capacity, maybe only 25%. I went to The Game a few years ago (4 or 5), it was a beautiful day and the bowl was less than half full.xsmhx
The picture accompanying the article in the link is probably pretty old.

The Yale Bowl is also in need of work, at least it was last time I went.

I've been to Franklin Field once, I will be taking my kids to a game there either this year or next.


86: There were a few years in the 90s when the H-Y crowds were off, but not lately. Harvard Stadium was sold out for at least the last 3 hosted Games, and the Yale Bowl has been well over 50,000 for at least its last two hostings. I remember the crowds for the '75 and '81 Games in New Haven both exceeded 65,000 ('81 may have eclipsed 70,000).

[terrierbob]

Those schools and their stadiums (stadia?) are all national treasures.

[BlueHen86]

86: There were a few years in the 90s when the H-Y crowds were off, but not lately. Harvard Stadium was sold out for at least the last 3 hosted Games, and the Yale Bowl has been well over 50,000 for at least its last two hostings. I remember the crowds for the '75 and '81 Games in New Haven both exceeded 65,000 ('81 may have eclipsed 70,000).
I was at the 75 game! And 77 & 79 too. The last game I went to was in 2003 and the crowd wasn't great - of course I'm comparing it to the 70's crowds that The Game used to draw.
Was the crowd in 2003 really 50,000? I don't recall it being that full.

[TigerFan17]

Man, I had seen pics before but I forgot how stunning the Yale Bowl and especially Harvard Stadium are. Beautiful. xnodx xnodx xnodx

[aust42]

I agree, beautiful stadiums. What is the capacity and avg attendance for the IVY league stadiums?

[Ivytalk]

I was at the 75 game! And 77 & 79 too. The last game I went to was in 2003 and the crowd wasn't great - of course I'm comparing it to the 70's crowds that The Game used to draw.
Was the crowd in 2003 really 50,000? I don't recall it being that full.

The announced attendances for both '03 and '05 were over 53,000. If I remember correctly, though, they had only about 27,000 in '97 (a raw day and an off-year for Yale). It was like a ghost town in there.

[bulldog10jw]

http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?id=3016019

The essence of college football is found in three stadiums that stand as time pieces in a roughly 300-mile labyrinth of Interstate 95 between Philadelphia and Boston.

They no longer draw the nation's largest crowds and rarely do their participants go on to play on NFL Sundays, but Penn's Franklin Field, Harvard Stadium and the Yale Bowl stand as monuments to the past.

Yellowed photographs hint at their history, but they tell only part of the story. What those photos don't reveal is how visionaries turned a bloody mess of a game into the nation's most popular sport.

[UAalum72]

I agree, beautiful stadiums. What is the capacity and avg attendance for the IVY league stadiums?
From the NCAA for 2006:
Yale 18,562 62,512
Harvard 15,548 30,898
Princeton 12,220 27,800
Penn 12,021 52,958
Cornell 5,008 25,597
Dartmouth 5,597 17,000
Brown 6,517 20,000
Columbia 4,612 17,000

[charliej]

Franklin Field is a great place to see a game.It just has a "feel" to it.

[Zoo]

The best? Maybe, but it's debatable.

The best historic wise? Certainly.

The Yale Bowl, Harvard Stadium, Franklin Field, absolutely historic stadiums to sit and watch a game.

The ghosts of the players that were there in the early 1900's still live. xthumbsupx

[YaleFootballFan]

I use to go to Yale games all the time back in the 70's. The games always seemed to draw well, especially the Harvard game. I liveed about a half mile away from the bowl, people use to park in front of my house and walk to the games.
Unfortunately not that many people go anymore. Nobody parks in my old neighborhood. Even the Harvard game draws less than half capacity, maybe only 25%. I went to The Game a few years ago (4 or 5), it was a beautiful day and the bowl was less than half full.xsmhx
The picture accompanying the article in the link is probably pretty old.

The Yale Bowl is also in need of work, at least it was last time I went.

I've been to Franklin Field once, I will be taking my kids to a game there either this year or next.

Actually, that's a picture of the last Yale/Harvard game at the Bowl in 2005. That game drew about 52,000. In fact the last 4 Yale/Harvard games in New Haven have drawn over 50,000.

The Yale Bowl has gone through an extensive renovation over the last two years. The Bowl has never looked so good. The concrete has been repaired, brand new seats and soon a brand new video scoreboard. The skyboxes will be renovated and expanded for 2008. If you haven't been to the Bowl in the last few years, you will be amazed on how good it looks.

[YaleFootballFan]

The announced attendances for both '03 and '05 were over 53,000. If I remember correctly, though, they had only about 27,000 in '97 (a raw day and an off-year for Yale). It was like a ghost town in there.

That was the smallest crowd ever for a Yale/Harvard game at the Bowl. It broke the previous record of 41,000 in 1991. Yale was also a 1-9 team in 1997 and was a heavy underdog in The Game (Harvard won 17-7) which is probably why the crowd was so small.

[FCSFAN]

Ivy Leaguers rarely play in the NFL? They have more players on NFL rosters this year than 2/3 of the FCS conferences.

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

The Ivy League stadiums are great. I actually enjoyed going to Temple games when they played at Franklin Field, it's just an awesome place to see a game no matter who's on the field. I've also been Princeton(old and new), Yale, and Cornell. Princeton's new stadium is stunning for it's size. People always say Montana's is the nicest but in reality it's Princeton. Cornells Schoepkolf(sp??) Field is also a pretty cool place. The enormous "away" side is somewhat strange but it makes for great views of the surrounding area. I was at the Yale Bowl in 2004 and at that time the renovations had just began. It's a cool old place with a lot of history but i was in pretty rough shape. I'm really hoping i get up there this year for the Lehigh game as i really enjoyed my last trip to New Haven. Deffinately one of my favorite places especially in October.

[bulldog10jw]

86: There were a few years in the 90s when the H-Y crowds were off, but not lately. Harvard Stadium was sold out for at least the last 3 hosted Games, and the Yale Bowl has been well over 50,000 for at least its last two hostings. I remember the crowds for the '75 and '81 Games in New Haven both exceeded 65,000 ('81 may have eclipsed 70,000).

From Yale's website:

The Bowl has held crowds of over 70,000 on 20 occasions, the most recent on November 19, 1983, for the 100th playing of the Yale-Harvard Game. The largest crowd to attend a Yale game at the Bowl was 80,000 for the Army game on November 3, 1923. The crowd of 75,300 which attended the Yale-Harvard showdown in 1981 was the largest at a sporting event in New England in more than 50 years.

[DFW HOYA]

Yale and Penn rank higher than any I-A stadia in the East, and only Michie Stadium comes close in tradition.

Outside the Ivy, visits to Delaware and Lehigh are also well worth it.

[Franks Tanks]

Yale and Penn rank higher than any I-A stadia in the East, and only Michie Stadium comes close in tradition.

Outside the Ivy, visits to Delaware and Lehigh are also well worth it.


Do you consider Penn State to be in the East? Also a lot of History at Lafayette's Fisher Field which was built in 1926, Bucknell's stadium is also ancient-pre 1920 I believe.

[bison137]

Do you consider Penn State to be in the East? Also a lot of History at Lafayette's Fisher Field which was built in 1926, Bucknell's stadium is also ancient-pre 1920 I believe.



Bucknell's Christy Mathewson Stadium was completed in 1924 - renovated in 1989.

http://bucknellbison.cstv.com/facilities/buck-christymathewson-memorialstadium.html

[RadMann]

I've seen a game in Palmer Stadium at Princeton. The old stadium was a great place to see a game even though it was at the end of its useful life.... I've heard the new place is very nice as well. I've also seen several games at Franklin Field which is really special....

[YaleFootballFan]

I've seen a game in Palmer Stadium at Princeton. The old stadium was a great place to see a game even though it was at the end of its useful life.... I've heard the new place is very nice as well. I've also seen several games at Franklin Field which is really special....

Palmer Stadium became a dump in its last 10 years of existence. If the University wasn't going to tear it down, it was going to collapse on its own.

The new Princeton Stadium is like night and day compared to old Palmer. Princeton's new stadium is not only among the best in the FCS, but it's probably better than most FBS stadiums.

[DFW HOYA]

Do you consider Penn State to be in the East?

I do, but Beaver Stadium has all the charm of an erector set. It was built in 1960, so there's no way it has the tradition of stadiums a half century its senior.

Pitt Stadium and Archbold Stadium had their days, but both are gone now.

[GeeWiz]

I also agree that the Ivies have the best FCS stadiums.

I've been to Harvard Stadium twice and Columbia's Wein Stadium. Harvard's is a classic but like one of the HU fans here stated - bring a seat cushion! xoopsx

I thoroughly enjoyed going to Harvard-Yale in 1998 in Cambridge. If you call yourself a diehard FCS or college football fan in general you must go to one for the tradition and atmosphere.

Wein Stadium in upper Manhattan has a great view of the Spuyten-Duyvil creek as it leads into the Harlem River (only if you sit at the top of the stands).

My issue with the Ivy stadiums is, with the exception of Harvard-Yale, none of them are EVER close to filled capacity. Last Saturday I watched about an hour of Lehigh-Princeton and there were a lot of fans dressed as seats for the Tigers season opener.

[brownbear]

According to the attendance figures, we only had about 3,000 fans show up last week against Duquesne. It was pitiful how quiet and empty it was. However, that's what you get in a meaningless game after a heavy rainstorm. When we play other Ivy League teams, we can get over 10,000 fans in there. This Saturday, I expect Harvard Stadium to be pretty full. Someone said they had already sold 20,000 tickets, and probably lots more will buy tickets at the gate.

[footballfan11]

yeah the princeton is one of the best ive seen around it would a hell of a atomosphere when its sold out, i bet

[Franks Tanks]

I do, but Beaver Stadium has all the charm of an erector set. It was built in 1960, so there's no way it has the tradition of stadiums a half century its senior.

Pitt Stadium and Archbold Stadium had their days, but both are gone now.

Ya fair enough and I tend to agree regarding Beaver Satdium. It somewhat remind me of Montana's stadium, it just looked a little funky after all those expansions.

[flyenhigh]

The Yale bowl smells of College football. Simply awesome.

[PantherRob82]

Drake Stadium is smaller, but reminds me of the same idea. Take out the track and I would love watching games at Drake.

[ngineer]

No question the Ivies' stadia have the aura and tradition... though Ihaven't been to games in all (Dartmouth and Brown). I think Franklin Field and Harvard Stadium combine both the classic close sight lines with adequate accouterments. Princeton's new stadium, IMO, is the best in the country of any stadium in terms of sight lines, facilities, conveniences, etc. Cornell's and Yale's, while having the historical ambiance, place one too far back from the field. Never saw a game at Brown, but drove past its 'coziness' when my daughter visited on the 'college tour'.

[RadMann]

YaleFootballFan: As noted in my post, I was not commenting on the condition when I wrote about Palmer, just the merits of the stadium. It was a very cool stadium. The condition, as noted, was very poor.

[Engineer91]

I have not yet been to Columbia or Brown

Harvard - Massive - was waiting at halftime for them to let loose the lions and the Christians

Franklin Field - a feeling of coziness for a big stadium love the big stone building in the one end-zone, but sometime I HAVE to come down for the Penn Relays

Yale Bowl - my personal favorite - walking through one of those tunnels and opening onto that massive bowl makes you feel like you are walking back into history. Gave me chills

Dartmouth - ehhh ... the B&B I stayed at was nice

Schoellkopf Field - big arch is pretty cool, I like walking up under the roof

Princeton - very nice inside

bathroom arrangements at the various stadiums are interesting comparing it to the University

Harvard - porcelain as far as the eye can see
Penn - tiled wall, floor and trench ... but hey you get to piss on Penn xlolx
Cornell - stainless steel animal trough

[BULLDOG8180]

Only problem with Ivy League stadiums is too many dang liberals attend the games!

[Franks Tanks]

I have not yet been to Columbia or Brown

Harvard - Massive - was waiting at halftime for them to let loose the lions and the Christians

Franklin Field - a feeling of coziness for a big stadium love the big stone building in the one end-zone, but sometime I HAVE to come down for the Penn Relays

Yale Bowl - my personal favorite - walking through one of those tunnels and opening onto that massive bowl makes you feel like you are walking back into history. Gave me chills

Dartmouth - ehhh ... the B&B I stayed at was nice

Schoellkopf Field - big arch is pretty cool, I like walking up under the roof

Princeton - very nice inside

bathroom arrangements at the various stadiums are interesting comparing it to the University

Harvard - porcelain as far as the eye can see
Penn - tiled wall, floor and trench ... but hey you get to piss on Penn xlolx
Cornell - stainless steel animal trough

Brown and Columbia are both similar to Fisher in that they have a large homeside and a rather small away side. Both are nice FCS venues and better than most, and defintily nicer than Dartmouth, but also not incredibly special.

[89Hen]

The best? Maybe, but it's debatable.
Which conference would you put up against them as a whole?

[brownbear]

I have not yet been to Columbia or Brown

Harvard - Massive - was waiting at halftime for them to let loose the lions and the Christians

Franklin Field - a feeling of coziness for a big stadium love the big stone building in the one end-zone, but sometime I HAVE to come down for the Penn Relays

Yale Bowl - my personal favorite - walking through one of those tunnels and opening onto that massive bowl makes you feel like you are walking back into history. Gave me chills

Dartmouth - ehhh ... the B&B I stayed at was nice

Schoellkopf Field - big arch is pretty cool, I like walking up under the roof

Princeton - very nice inside

bathroom arrangements at the various stadiums are interesting comparing it to the University

Harvard - porcelain as far as the eye can see
Penn - tiled wall, floor and trench ... but hey you get to piss on Penn xlolx
Cornell - stainless steel animal trough

Brown has troughs too. The one problem with Brown's stadium is that the home stands face east and the press box casts a shadow over the entire stands which in the fall can get unnecessarily cold.

[bulldog10jw]

Brown has troughs too. The one problem with Brown's stadium is that the home stands face east and the press box casts a shadow over the entire stands which in the fall can get unnecessarily cold.

I always liked Brown's stadium. A lot of years when I was going to games Brown was either the 3rd game of the season or the opener. That meant the weather was almost always nice.

For some reason, no matter how many times I went to a game in Providence, I always had a hard time finding the Stadium in that residential area.

[brownbear]

I always liked Brown's stadium. A lot of years when I was going to games Brown was either the 3rd game of the season or the opener. That meant the weather was almost always nice.

For some reason, no matter how many times I went to a game in Providence, I always had a hard time finding the Stadium in that residential area.

It's not as easy to find as the Yale Bowl, but Brown and Yale are the only two that still have natural grass!

[Cobblestone]

Brown stadium is nice and has a lot of history behind it as do all Ivy stadiums. One nice feature about the Ivy League games is that all the teams have been playing each other for 100 years or so, making each game a rivalry.

[YaleFootballFan]

YaleFootballFan: As noted in my post, I was not commenting on the condition when I wrote about Palmer, just the merits of the stadium. It was a very cool stadium. The condition, as noted, was very poor.

I agree that old Palmer was a very cool stadium. The north end of the stadium had a very gothic look. It almost looked like a castle instead of a football stadium!

It's just a shame that the University let it go. I enjoyed all my trips down to Palmer, but I was always weary of the structure. It looked very unsafe.

[Go...gate]

Palmer Stadium became a dump in its last 10 years of existence. If the University wasn't going to tear it down, it was going to collapse on its own.

The new Princeton Stadium is like night and day compared to old Palmer. Princeton's new stadium is not only among the best in the FCS, but it's probably better than most FBS stadiums.

Ah, But Palmer Stadium in its day was a special place.

[YaleFootballFan]

For some reason, no matter how many times I went to a game in Providence, I always had a hard time finding the Stadium in that residential area.

Same here. Last year when I was heading to Providence, I went prepared. I had directions straight from the Brown Media Guide that I had snagged the year before from the Bowl press box.

By the time I got into Providence, I ran into a construction area and a bunch of blocked off roads. It took me almost an hour just to find the stadium. I was not a happy camper.

[YaleFootballFan]

It's not as easy to find as the Yale Bowl, but Brown and Yale are the only two that still have natural grass!

Not to mention among the few without lights!

Dartmouth being the other.

[GeeWiz]

Only problem with Ivy League stadiums is too many dang liberals attend the games!

xcoffeex

... and yet last Saturday you had about 77,000 of them in Camp Randall Stadium at Wisconsin. xrolleyesx

[appfan2008]

certainly the conference as a whole is the best but individually things could be different

[Zoo]

certainly the conference as a whole is the best but individually things could be different

Agreed to an extent here, and to also answer Hen's question:

In my opinion, all Ivy League stadiums have tradition, but there are some stadiums around the country that strike me as being great stadiums, I think Brown's and Cornell's stadiums are good, but not great like Harvard Stadium, and the Yale Bowl, and Princeton's new stadium.

I think Washington-Grizzly is up there, the FargoDome, and maybe even throw in Kidd Brewer for their excellent gameday atmosphere, but that's for another topic.

xpeacex Just my two cents guys. xpeacex :D

[BigApp]

they should have the nicest stadiums. they've got the most $$$$$$$$$$$$

[bulldog10jw]

they should have the nicest stadiums. they've got the most $$$$$$$$$$$$

They have the most $ and spend the least. At least on their sports facilities.xsmhx

The Yale Bowl restoration was done through private contributions. Having rich alumni doesn't hurt, either.

[JoltinJoe]

They have the most $ and spend the least. At least on their sports facilities.xsmhx

The Yale Bowl restoration was done through private contributions. Having rich alumni doesn't hurt, either.

I'm looking forward to Fordham's next trip to Yale in 2010 because it will be the first time the Rams will play in the restored Yale Bowl. Yale visits Rose Hill October 2008 for its first new look at our renovated Coffey Stadium (ie, the new field turf).

Question: do you know where I can find Yale future schedules? A law school classmate of mine, a former Yale player, mentioned to me sometime ago that Yale intended to extend the current two-game committment in 2008 and 2010 to include games in 2012 at Rose Hill and 2014 in New Haven. He said Yale alumni were looking to get a New York game on the schedule in years when Yale hosted Columbia.

Have you heard anything? I know Yale likes to rotate their opponents so I was pleased to hear about an extended contractual agreement to play more games.

[bulldog10jw]

I'm looking forward to Fordham's next trip to Yale in 2010 because it will be the first time the Rams will play in the restored Yale Bowl. Yale visits Rose Hill October 2008 for its first new look at our renovated Coffey Stadium (ie, the new field turf).

Question: do you know where I can find Yale future schedules? A law school classmate of mine, a former Yale player, mentioned to me sometime ago that Yale intended to extend the current two-game committment in 2008 and 2010 to include games in 2012 at Rose Hill and 2014 in New Haven. He said Yale alumni were looking to get a New York game on the schedule in years when Yale hosted Columbia.

Have you heard anything? I know Yale likes to rotate their opponents so I was pleased to hear about an extended contractual agreement to play more games.

http://yalebulldogs.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/yale-m-footbl-body.html

The future schedules are here. If you go into the media guide, they have the future schedules up through 2012, I believe. They may be looking to Fordham to replace Army who may be backing out of the games scheduled for 2012 and 2014.

[appfan2008]

i know it wont happen but i would like to see the ivy schools branch out and play other top fcs schools to see better how they compare... like socon and big sky

[bulldog10jw]

i know it wont happen but i would like to see the ivy schools branch out and play other top fcs schools to see better how they compare... like socon and big sky

I would like that also. Yale seems to schedule OOC games, at least away games(not including the PL games), based on where many alumni live. Southern California, Chicago, Florida, Ohio, those are all big Yale alumni areas and Yale has scheduled games in those areas over the last 10-15 years. I would like to see them branch out more.

[Pard94]

Agreed to an extent here, and to also answer Hen's question:

In my opinion, all Ivy League stadiums have tradition, but there are some stadiums around the country that strike me as being great stadiums, I think Brown's and Cornell's stadiums are good, but not great like Harvard Stadium, and the Yale Bowl, and Princeton's new stadium.

I think Washington-Grizzly is up there, the FargoDome, and maybe even throw in Kidd Brewer for their excellent gameday atmosphere, but that's for another topic.

xpeacex Just my two cents guys. xpeacex :D

Well this is where I have to play the homer and throw in a nod towards Lafayette's new digs. I'd certainly put Fisher Stadium up there against any arena I have ever been to. While this is hardly an exhaustive list it does include all of the PL, all of the Ivies and Michie Stdium. I think it is just a matter of time before people really start talking about it in these kinds of conversations This is it's first full year complete with the varsity house. Once enough people pay Easton a visit, it will be hard to deny Fisher a place among the best.

Feast your eyes on this (for thos who haven't already seen it)...

Bourger Varsity House

http://goleopards.cstv.com/view.gal?id=10759&template=player_gallery

[carney2]

i know it wont happen but i would like to see the ivy schools branch out and play other top fcs schools to see better how they compare... like socon and big sky

When/if the Patriot League goes scholarship, you will probably see the Patriot-Ivy connection unravel a little. There are some naturals/traditionals such as Brown-URI, Cornell-Colgate, Dartmouth-UNH, Columbia-Fordham and any number of Ivies vs. Holy Cross, but in the end each of these schools needs 3 OOC games. Princeton already has a 2008-2009 home and home with The Citadel.

[89Hen]

I think Washington-Grizzly is up there, the FargoDome, and maybe even throw in Kidd Brewer for their excellent gameday atmosphere, but that's for another topic.

xpeacex Just my two cents guys. xpeacex :D
There are certainly individual stadiums around the country that compare very favorably with the Ivy, but you just named three stadiums from three different conferences. Point being, you'd have to cherry pick the best from each conference to come up a whole list that would compare with the Ivy.

FWIW, there's not a stadium in the CAA that can hold a candle to Princeton Stadium for physical structure, and none that can hold a candle to Harvard, Yale or Franklin for history.

[Franks Tanks]

Agreed to an extent here, and to also answer Hen's question:

In my opinion, all Ivy League stadiums have tradition, but there are some stadiums around the country that strike me as being great stadiums, I think Brown's and Cornell's stadiums are good, but not great like Harvard Stadium, and the Yale Bowl, and Princeton's new stadium.

I think Washington-Grizzly is up there, the FargoDome, and maybe even throw in Kidd Brewer for their excellent gameday atmosphere, but that's for another topic.

xpeacex Just my two cents guys. xpeacex :D


I agree that Kidd-Brewer has great atmosphere, but the point of this thread was just the physical stadium and its importance/significance overall. And again no-one can hold candle to the great ones in the Ivy.

[HIU 93]

The Ivy stadiums are huge and historic, yes. Nice? I would say no. They are old and beat up, at least when I went.

I am making my judgement on Penn Stadium ('02) and Harvard Stadium ('92).

[Cobblestone]

The Ivy stadiums are huge and historic, yes. Nice? I would say no. They are old and beat up, at least when I went.

I am making my judgement on Penn Stadium ('02) and Harvard Stadium ('92).

Brown Stadium (built in 1900) is actually in very good condition for its age. That's the only Ivy Stadium I have ever been to and I only go there when we play them at Brown.

http://publish.netitor.com/photos/schools/brow/genrel/facilities/brow-faclitilies-stadium.jpg

[Lafayette71]

I believe dartmouth is in the midst of a stadium renovation? Maybe someone can confirm that. I know that a new field house is being completed this fall behind the stadium, but I am not sure what the plan is up there for the field itself.

[Go...gate]

The Ivy stadiums are huge and historic, yes. Nice? I would say no. They are old and beat up, at least when I went.

I am making my judgement on Penn Stadium ('02) and Harvard Stadium ('92).


You will like the new Princeton Stadium.

[WUTNDITWAA]

They have the most $ and spend the least. At least on their sports facilities.xsmhx

The Yale Bowl restoration was done through private contributions. Having rich alumni doesn't hurt, either.

You know, Yale could use an international airport.xdohx

[Lafayette71]

You know, Yale could use an international airport.xdohx

Im not made of airports!

[Pard4Life]

I was at Franklin Field this past weekend for the Lafayette game... tremendous venue... I got many good pictures from different angles at halftime...

Seats were excellent from the middle visitors side..

They even had seats behind the stairwell... like one could see! I bet it would have been occupied in 1940 though..

[Pard4Life]

Im not made of airports!

Ha yes... "He spelled 'Yale' with a '6'."

Not Yale but..

Sideshow Bob: "And what about those buffon lessons? The four years at clown college?"
Cecil his brother: "I'll thank you not to refer to Princeton that way."

Sideshow Bob is an Eli fyi..

[Go Lehigh TU Owl]

Franklin Field is an awesome place for college football. Despite its' age it is well maintained by the UPenn. I truly enjoyed it when my Owls played there. When i was at school i saw them against Oregon State, Navy, Toledo and Miami as well as a couple other games. The support and excitement was a ton better that Franklin Field when compared to the Vet or the Linc. Temple was actually competitive in my Fr. ('01) and Soph. ('02) years and i throughly enjoyed going to the games despite the usual outcomes, we were 5-6 my soph year believe it our not. Still i'd rather go to Yale game for a Lehigh game. Something about Connecticut in the fall. Truly a great place to watch a game.

[brownbear]

Not Yale or Princeton:

Skinner: Lisa, the president of Harvard would like to see you.
Pres.: Nasty business, that zero. Naturally, Harvard's doors
are now closed to you, but I'll pass your file along to
[snickers] Brown.
Skinner: Mmmm, Brown. Heckuva school. Weren't you at Brown, Otto?
[camera pans to Otto, sunning himself on the hood of the
school bus]
Otto: Yup. Almost got tenure, too.
Lisa: [gasps in horror] No, not Brown, Brown, Brown ...