Which schools atmosphere do you enjoy the most on road games

[Sitting Bull]

Thought it might be interesting through another angle.

[FUBeAR]

Thought it might be interesting through another angle.
Other than Furman and Mercer being head and shoulders above the rest, here is the ranking of the other 7 SoCon schools…

1) CIT - even with their half-a-stadium. ChuckTown and the pageantry are aces.
2) VMI - even with their crumbling concrete visitors side. Shenandoah Valley and pageantry are aces.
3) ETSU - right up there with the 1st 2. Far better stadium. Great band, but FUBEAR likes the fake soldiers
4) WCU - not far below the 1st 3. Mountain views are sweet. Also BIG and good band.
5) Chattanooga - best part is the new-ish bars & brewpubs surrounding. Lose points for stupid train horn
6T) Samford - sleepy, boring, no GameDay experience. Campus is nice though
6T) Wofford - Can’t think of anything positive. Grass field is in pretty good shape usually

[Tribe4SF]

Hands down it's Delaware. Love their fans and tailgate is always great. Good stadium too.

Next would be Elon with Towson a close third.

Among FBS schools we play Va Tech is a runaway winner.

[ysubigred]

For me..

1. McNeese

2. SIU

3. Western KY when MVFC

FBS U KY

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk

[kdinva]

VMI @ Richmond, in City Stadium; 1300 Corps there, at least 4,000 VMI grads/alumni/family....typical total attendance north of 15K

[SDFS]

for the MVFC - it used to be the Back Yard at SDSU. But, that isn't the same. USD has built it's tailgate up a bit. So, it is improving. I might go to UNI this year to check it out when they plan UND. I have not been to most of the conference yet. What is everyone's general opinion on MVFC tailgate:

NDSU
SDSU (my guess it will be packed this year because of the national championship.
UND
USD

The rest of the conference, I have no idea just a guess:

YSU
SIU
MSU
UNI
ISU-R
ISU-B
WIU
MrSU

[The Cats]

Other than Furman and Mercer being head and shoulders above the rest, here is the ranking of the other 7 SoCon schools…

1) CIT - even with their half-a-stadium. ChuckTown and the pageantry are aces.
2) VMI - even with their crumbling concrete visitors side. Shenandoah Valley and pageantry are aces.
3) ETSU - right up there with the 1st 2. Far better stadium. Great band, but FUBEAR likes the fake soldiers
4) WCU - not far below the 1st 3. Mountain views are sweet. Also BIG and good band.
5) Chattanooga - best part is the new-ish bars & brewpubs surrounding. Lose points for stupid train horn
6T) Samford - sleepy, boring, no GameDay experience. Campus is nice though
6T) Wofford - Can’t think of anything positive. Grass field is in pretty good shape usually

Totally amazed you didn't put WCU last.

[ElCid]

For me, I like to look at the big picture. Travel and ease of game day travel has to be considered in addition to the standard things. Here are my top three.

1 - I like VMI of course. Nice game day experience. It was just 30 miles from my dad's previous residence and we all went to games a few times over the years. I usually scheduled visits to coincide with games. Nice setting in the valley. Familiar pageantry. About a six hour drive from me now though.

2 - Western Carolina is obviously a beautiful setting. Nice half time shows. As a bonus, it is so close from me now, it is ridiculous. A mere 30 miles or so through the forest. We drive up there frequently just to sightsee.

3 - Mercer was good. We usually had a good contingent show up for the games there before I moved away from middle GA. It was about 20 miles from me then. Too far to go now much. Home fans were nice. Facilities were good, even if Macon is a pit, mostly.

Furman and Wofford aren't bad. Nothing great, nothing bad. But they are both really close to me now. About 30 and 60 miles. Two more ridiculously easy drives for me. I love the SOCON. Haven't been to Samford or UTC...a bit far. ETSU is on my schedule this fall to see their stadium. They are about 100 beautiful miles up I26 over the mountains from me.

The sadest part now is no longer having a house in Charleston to crash at for home games. It was just over a 4 hour drive from middle Georgia, with a place to stay, but now it's a good 5 hour drive with no place to stay. Only been to a few games in the last 5 years or so.

[POD Knows]

Montana has a great tailgate and game time atmosphere. Went to Newark to the NDSU/Hens game. So Bison folks organized a big NDSU tailgate so I didn’t see much of the Delaware Tailgate. Stadium was decent, Delaware fan reaction after the game was epic in our section and on the way out but most of their fans were cool except the old dudes with the walkers/wheel chair and canes that don’t like fake field goals for some unknown reason. 😎

EWU had a pretty good tailgate and we stood right in the middle of a bunch of EWU fans during the game. They were all super nice.

[UAalum72]

Hands down it's Delaware. Love their fans and tailgate is always great. Good stadium too.

xthumbsupx

Any place fans offer you crabcakes as you walk by is OK by me

[Sitting Bull]

I have been for other games, not W&M, though really enjoy Lehigh. The stadium, concessions, marching band, etc. Very nice.

Within CAA, I would love to visit Elon though haven’t as yet. I do enjoy UD, good football atmosphere. I also like Towson - the stadium is very nice and we often win there.

In FCS, hands down Montana State so far for me. Despite our recent drubbing there, it was an electrifying atmosphere.

In FBS, no finer set-up than Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. We’ve played some out of better games there, just can’t get a win. I’ve seen 3 Tribe games there - we scored respectively 27 points, 36 points and 38 points. Didn’t win any of them.

[Tribe4SF]

I have been for other games, not W&M, though really enjoy Lehigh. The stadium, concessions, marching band, etc. Very nice.

Within CAA, I would love to visit Elon though haven’t as yet. I do enjoy UD, good football atmosphere. I also like Towson - the stadium is very nice and we often win there.

In FCS, hands down Montana State so far for me. Despite our recent drubbing there, it was an electrifying atmosphere.

In FBS, no finer set-up than Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill. We’ve played some out of better games there, just can’t get a win. I’ve seen 3 Tribe games there - we scored respectively 27 points, 36 points and 38 points. Didn’t win any of them.

Montana State atmosphere was great except for the several hundred young fans who surrounded the Tribe section when they realized Cam Newton was with us. That scene was really bad and was close to fisticuffs numerous times. Between the icy field and those obnoxious fans I have no desire to return.

[Bisonoline]

Montana State and Montana were great. Before and after the game.

[Ivytalk]

For the Ivies:
1. Yale. When it’s close to full for The Game, you can’t beat it. Atmosphere is electric.
2. Princeton: Best stadium in the Ivy League, but student body is apathetic. Good tailgating and stadium food. Band is a bunch of preppy azzholes.
3. Columbia: My surprise pick for #3. The new Wien Stadium is lots better than the old Baker Field. Band is kooky. A bit tough to get to, but worth the trip.
4. Penn: Franklin Field really holds the noise when anyone shows up. I wish they hadn’t put turf in it. The student section is full of obnoxious kids who couldn’t get into the Big 3.
5. Dartmouth: Quaint New England town feel. Pretty scenery. Used to have the nastiest female fans in the IL.
6. Cornell: Overrated. The stadium is falling apart, the scenery isn’t as spectacular as it’s cracked up to be, the parking sucks, and the band is a bunch of Hotel School people who weren’t good enough to play at Ohio State.
7. Brown: A total dumpster fire.

[caribbeanhen]

For the Ivies:
1. Yale. When it’s close to full for The Game, you can’t beat it. Atmosphere is electric.
2. Princeton: Best stadium in the Ivy League, but student body is apathetic. Good tailgating and stadium food. Band is a bunch of preppy azzholes.
3. Columbia: My surprise pick for #3. The new Wien Stadium is lots better than the old Baker Field. Band is kooky. A bit tough to get to, but worth the trip.
4. Penn: Franklin Field really holds the noise when anyone shows up. I wish they hadn’t put turf in it. The student section is full of obnoxious kids who couldn’t get into the Big 3.
5. Dartmouth: Quaint New England town feel. Pretty scenery. Used to have the nastiest female fans in the IL.
6. Cornell: Overrated. The stadium is falling apart, the scenery isn’t as spectacular as it’s cracked up to be, the parking sucks, and the band is a bunch of Hotel School people who weren’t good enough to play at Ohio State.
7. Brown: A total dumpster fire.

Nice list but when was the last time the Yale Bowl was close to full for a game? Probably long before I was helping Corncob harvest his melons on Bethel road

[Go...gate]

Goodman Stadium at Lehigh.

Bucknell, Marist and Wagner also offer nice settings.

[Go...gate]

For the Ivies:
1. Yale. When it’s close to full for The Game, you can’t beat it. Atmosphere is electric.
2. Princeton: Best stadium in the Ivy League, but student body is apathetic. Good tailgating and stadium food. Band is a bunch of preppy azzholes.
3. Columbia: My surprise pick for #3. The new Wien Stadium is lots better than the old Baker Field. Band is kooky. A bit tough to get to, but worth the trip.
4. Penn: Franklin Field really holds the noise when anyone shows up. I wish they hadn’t put turf in it. The student section is full of obnoxious kids who couldn’t get into the Big 3.
5. Dartmouth: Quaint New England town feel. Pretty scenery. Used to have the nastiest female fans in the IL.
6. Cornell: Overrated. The stadium is falling apart, the scenery isn’t as spectacular as it’s cracked up to be, the parking sucks, and the band is a bunch of Hotel School people who weren’t good enough to play at Ohio State.
7. Brown: A total dumpster fire.

Good list, though I would switch Brown and Cornell.

[Sitting Bull]

Nice list but when was the last time the Yale Bowl was close to full for a game? Probably long before I was helping Corncob harvest his melons on Bethel road

I’ve seen two games there. One was Harvard about 10 years ago and there were 50,000+ there. It was a great atmosphere.

A second game there vs Holy Cross had about 4,000 people. Inside a 70,000 seat stadium, it was a sad sight, like a post apocalyptic movie. Even the benches seemed to have more splinters.

[caribbeanhen]

I’ve seen two games there. One was Harvard about 10 years ago and there were 50,000+ there. It was a great atmosphere.

A second game there vs Holy Cross had about 4,000 people. Inside a 70,000 seat stadium, it was a sad sight, like a post apocalyptic movie. Even the benches seemed to have more splinters.

I hear you, was at Yale Bowl for Cornell in 2019 and couldn’t have been 2,000 people in attendance but I was in tune with how great it must of been back in the day. New Haven? Yuck

[aceinthehole]

I hear you, was at Yale Bowl for Cornell in 2019 and couldn’t have been 2,000 people in attendance but I was in tune with how great it must of been back in the day. New Haven? Yuck

Best pizza in America!

[caribbeanhen]

Best pizza in America!

The pizza is good I’ll give you that

[bulldog10jw]

Nice list but when was the last time the Yale Bowl was close to full for a game? Probably long before I was helping Corncob harvest his melons on Bethel road

49,500 for Harvard in 2021 which is 80% of capacity. The 2017 game drew 51k.

[crusader11]

In the PL...

Holy Cross is the best stadium in the PL from a pure viewing perspective. If you've never been to Fitton, the stands are literally right on top of the sidelines. If you're sitting in the first row, good chance you can hear the plays being called in. There's not a bad seat in the stadium and the stands are elevated enough that if you walk up 30-40 rows you have a fabulous view of the field, while still being close to the action.

From an overall atmosphere perspective, I guess Lehigh by default? These days, all of the atmosphere in the PL are pretty nondescript, although Goodman is a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon. Easy to get in and out of the Lehigh athletic complex, ample parking, tailgating right next to the stadium, some decent food options inside Goodman, picturesque scene with the mountains in the background and grassy hill in one of the endzones...it checks a lot of boxes.

[Bill]

In the PL...

Holy Cross is the best stadium in the PL from a pure viewing perspective. If you've never been to Fitton, the stands are literally right on top of the sidelines. If you're sitting in the first row, good chance you can hear the plays being called in. There's not a bad seat in the stadium and the stands are elevated enough that if you walk up 30-40 rows you have a fabulous view of the field, while still being close to the action.

From an overall atmosphere perspective, I guess Lehigh by default? These days, all of the atmosphere in the PL are pretty nondescript, although Goodman is a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon. Easy to get in and out of the Lehigh athletic complex, ample parking, tailgating right next to the stadium, some decent food options inside Goodman, picturesque scene with the mountains in the background and grassy hill in one of the endzones...it checks a lot of boxes.

Agree with crusader there...

[filippogallo]

Because I live in Europe, I've never been to a live game and always watched it on TV. But even when watching my favorite Wofford games on TV, I get goosebumps from the atmosphere at the stadium. I dream of being there (https://betpokies.com) someday.

[FUBeAR]

Because I live in Europe, I've never been to a live game and always watched it on TV. But even when watching my favorite Wofford games on TV, I get goosebumps from the atmosphere at the stadium. I dream of being there someday.
https://www.icegif.com/wp-content/uploads/evil-laugh-icegif-1.gif

[caribbeanhen]

https://www.icegif.com/wp-content/uploads/evil-laugh-icegif-1.gif


I can’t stop laughing

[DFW HOYA]

In the PL...

Holy Cross is the best stadium in the PL from a pure viewing perspective. If you've never been to Fitton, the stands are literally right on top of the sidelines. If you're sitting in the first row, good chance you can hear the plays being called in. There's not a bad seat in the stadium and the stands are elevated enough that if you walk up 30-40 rows you have a fabulous view of the field, while still being close to the action.

From an overall atmosphere perspective, I guess Lehigh by default? These days, all of the atmosphere in the PL are pretty nondescript, although Goodman is a pretty nice way to spend an afternoon. Easy to get in and out of the Lehigh athletic complex, ample parking, tailgating right next to the stadium, some decent food options inside Goodman, picturesque scene with the mountains in the background and grassy hill in one of the endzones...it checks a lot of boxes.

Agree with HC...but only on the home side,. Along 290, the visitors seating is reminiscent of the west stands at Columbia.

Like the league itself, the home field rankings haven't changed much over the years.

1. Lehigh
2. HC/Lafayette
4. Colgate/Bucknell
6. Fordham
7. Georgetown

[NY Crusader 2010]

I agree with Crusader11 on Fitton -- love the vantage points, the closeness of first row to the field and the natural grass turf. If only we had better locker rooms and concessions. But since we're ranking "opponents atmosphere" I'll refrain from ranking our venue for this exercise.

1) Lehigh -- not much of a debate here. I love this trip because it's super easy from Metro NY on a Saturday morning. Good tailgating, phenomenal concessions. They just need better teams to fill up the joint again.

2) Fordham -- underrated FCS fanbase IMO and they play in my home borough of NYC so I'm a bit biased. They always draw well for Holy Cross. ARTHUR AVENUE AFTER THE GAME. Biggest drawback is the lack of a visitor's side.

3) Lafayette -- Like Lehigh, will be an even better venue to be at when the team finds a way to be competitive again. But beautiful stadium and athletic complex. Couple decent sports bars within walking distance to grab a couple pints and watch Gameday before the game.

4) Colgate -- crowds are always small, even when the team is good, which is kind of a downer. Population of Hamilton is smaller than the capacity of Andy Kerr Stadium, which is why it's tough to draw there. The frats drive the game day atmosphere here. Overall, an OK stadium.

5) Georgetown -- yes, it's more of a lacrosse field than a football stadium. But smack in the center of campus, it is cozy. And because of the size, they actually fill the place up 75-80% most of the time which makes for a nice atmosphere.

6) Bucknell -- Less than an hour away from Happy Valley and a reasonable drive between the fertile recruiting grounds of Ohio, Western PA and New Jersey yet the school is beyond apathetic towards football to the point that it's appalling. Haven't been to Lewisburg for a game since 2009 and absolutely no interest in going back any time soon. Stadium is a dump too.

[crusader11]

6) Bucknell -- Less than an hour away from Happy Valley and a reasonable drive between the fertile recruiting grounds of Ohio, Western PA and New Jersey yet the school is beyond apathetic towards football to the point that it's appalling. Haven't been to Lewisburg for a game since 2009 and absolutely no interest in going back any time soon. Stadium is a dump too.

Think you're being a little harsh on Christy Mathewson. We aren't talking about the football program, after all, but rather the atmosphere.

The stadium is okay for FCS standards. The bushes in the closed endzone of the stadium designed to read "BUCKNELL" is a nice touch. Very easy to park and tailgate right around the stadium...campus security / Lewisburg police didn't really give me much trouble lingering after a game the last time I was there.

Plus, I think the main street in Lewisburg is nice enough (within walking distance from the campus and stadium) -- Bull Run and Towny T are solid sports bars. Excluding HC, I'd rank PL school atmospheres --

1) Lehigh
2) Colgate -- Hamilton is a great town! A real hike, sure, but the Colgate Inn and town itself with frats nearby are beautiful.
3) Lafayette
4) Bucknell
5) Fordham -- It's a real JV operation at Rose Hill, IMO.
6) Georgetown

[KPSUL]

I've been to three UNH games at Elon's Rhodes Stadium and it is a great venue in almost all respects. The fans are always friendly and welcoming. The visitor side is relatively small and built into a grassy berm that wraps all the way around the endzone and to the much larger home side grandstand. The only drawback, proximity of visitor parking, was resolved several years ago when the built a new Basketball Arena with a huge parking lot a short walk to Rhodes.

I've been to Wofford's Gibbs Stadium for one UNH @ Wofford playoff game and enjoyed the atmosphere and facilities as much as Rhodes. In fact, the two stadiums have much in common. The fans at Gibbs were exceptionally welcoming, both before and after the game. It has a great grassy berm, a great design and finishes. Like at Rhodes, there is no track around the football field.

In general I would describe both places as top quality small college stadiums that reflect very positively on the schools they represent.

[caribbeanhen]

I've been to three UNH games at Elon's Rhodes Stadium and it is a great venue in almost all respects. The fans are always friendly and welcoming. The visitor side is relatively small and built into a grassy berm that wraps all the way around the endzone and to the much larger home side grandstand. The only drawback, proximity of visitor parking, was resolved several years ago when the built a new Basketball Arena with a huge parking lot a short walk to Rhodes.

I've been to Wofford's Gibbs Stadium for one UNH @ Wofford playoff game and enjoyed the atmosphere and facilities as much as Rhodes. In fact, the two stadiums have much in common. The fans at Gibbs were exceptionally welcoming, both before and after the game. It has a great grassy berm, a great design and finishes. Like at Rhodes, there is no track around the football field.

In general I would describe both places as top quality small college stadiums that reflect very positively on the schools they represent.

Well it’s southern hospitality… what did you expect

[Son of Eli]

Harvard, Princeton, Cornell, Dartmouth and Holy Cross. The first two are huge rivalries. The final three are home coming games that draw well. All the stadiums are either excellent or good and some are historic. The local areas offer lots of fine dining and other attractions. The drives to Cornell and Dartmouth are both very scenic. Unfortunately, road trips to watch Ivy football are way down due to the ESPN contracts.

[Ivytalk]

Nice list but when was the last time the Yale Bowl was close to full for a game? Probably long before I was helping Corncob harvest his melons on Bethel road

And about the same time CornPop was giving Joe Biden lip at the neighborhood pool.

[NY Crusader 2010]

I hear you, was at Yale Bowl for Cornell in 2019 and couldn’t have been 2,000 people in attendance but I was in tune with how great it must of been back in the day. New Haven? Yuck

Pivoting back to the Yale Bowl for a minute.

I actually enjoy New Haven and have had a pleasant time every time I've been in town, be it for HC football or hockey games against Yale, visiting friends in town, or going to a show at Shubert Theatre.

As far as the stadium, the worst part of gameday at Yale is the fact that they charge a premium price to sit in between the 30 yard lines, even if you want to sit all the way at the top. No other differentiation in quality, it's not like those seats are chairbacks in contrast to the hard benches that make up the entire Bowl. As a result, the already sparse crowd in the gigantic stadium becomes even further spread out.

[Bill]

Unfortunately, the folks at Mr. Burns' alma mater still don't have it right with the Yale Bowl. Please, give in to the temptation, and follow Princeton's lead. Even though it's been about 20 (yikes!) years, the Palmer renovation/transformation was remarkable - well done in all aspects...and when you're sitting on a $40+ billion endowment like Yale, there's no excuse for the Yale Bowl as is. Get it done, and do it right.

[DFW HOYA]

Unfortunately, the folks at Mr. Burns' alma mater still don't have it right with the Yale Bowl. Please, give in to the temptation, and follow Princeton's lead. Even though it's been about 20 (yikes!) years, the Palmer renovation/transformation was remarkable - well done in all aspects...and when you're sitting on a $40+ billion endowment like Yale, there's no excuse for the Yale Bowl as is. Get it done, and do it right.

Very, very few want to see the Yale Bowl get downgraded to 18,000 aluminum seats with a plaque of what it used to be. And unlike Palmer Stadium, it's must stronger structurally and isn't likely to rust into oblivion.

Small stadiums stink. Having attended many a game in the worst facility in Division I FCS, I have only respect for the Yale Bowl.