Toughest Place to Play in Your Conference

Started by e_lee, August 22, 2005, 09:53:45 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Devil Badger Gopher

The WIAC has some wicked stadiums and they are nearly half full or less.  Many of them are one-sided where most (if not all seating) is on the home side.  Whitewater has the most impressive stadium being the largest and in the shape of a bowl.    I would like to say most of the teams in the league have winning records at home within the past several seasons.  Stevens Point is the worst and Eau Claire and River Falls being a close second and third, respectively.
2000 WIAC Conference Champs

K-Mack

Quote from: section13raiderfan on October 16, 2007, 08:31:27 PM
Hey Pat and/or K-Mack, how many of the D3 stadiums you have visited would seat over 10,000? I dont believe Ive been in any that would hold more than 7 to 8 thousand. Are the larger ones shared with another team? Even for a playoff game Ive never seen a crowd over 8 thousand at MUC. And that was with standing room only. 

UW-W's has a listed capacity of 13,000 or 13,500, but I remember being told when I was there that that is a very friendly estimate. When I saw the school-record 9,500 and change last year, the grandstand was nearly full. The away side doesn't hold many.

The Monon Bell games and The Game games (R-MC/H-SC) that go into five digits include standing room only around the field. Hampden-Sydney has a bowl setting too that allows people to pick a good seat anywhere on the grass around the field.

I don't really understand why when Bridgewater made the Stagg Bowl and Salem Stadium (capacity 7 and change) was pushing 10,000, why they didn't make use of the end zone sloped area for seating, a la U.Va. or N.C. State.

I think Brockport is listed at 10,000 too. There's a reference in the NCAA D2/D3 record book if you want to look it up.

(scrolls page)

I see some of this has been covered.

Home side only or home side dwarfing the two sets of bleachers on the visitors side is very common in D3. End zone seating is almost non-existent except when the field is roped off for SRO.

A lot of teams have very impressive home sides, FWIW.
Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

repete

I like the end zone slope at Salem, a horrible call by a tub-of-goo Pennsylvania official was right in front of me a few years back.

Meanwhile, couches are nice in the end zone unless you need to seat an additional 2,000+plus ....



section13raiderfan

Quote
Quote from: K-Mack on October 17, 2007, 10:01:20 PM
Quote from: section13raiderfan on October 16, 2007, 08:31:27 PM
Hey Pat and/or K-Mack, how many of the D3 stadiums you have visited would seat over 10,000? I dont believe Ive been in any that would hold more than 7 to 8 thousand. Are the larger ones shared with another team? Even for a playoff game Ive never seen a crowd over 8 thousand at MUC. And that was with standing room only. 



I don't really understand why when Bridgewater made the Stagg Bowl and Salem Stadium (capacity 7 and change) was pushing 10,000, why they didn't make use of the end zone sloped area for seating, a la U.Va. or N.C. State.



I was at a STAGG BOWL in the rain once when some kids turned that endzone slope into one big mudslide. They got some TV time out of it too! Their parents probably tied them to the roof of the car to take em home. ;D

That hill is usually strung with electrical wires for the TV crew, making it unusuable for seating.

I wonder what kind of a matchup it would take to sell the stadium out?

Pat Coleman

Quote from: K-Mack on October 17, 2007, 10:01:20 PM
Quote from: section13raiderfan on October 16, 2007, 08:31:27 PM
Hey Pat and/or K-Mack, how many of the D3 stadiums you have visited would seat over 10,000? I dont believe Ive been in any that would hold more than 7 to 8 thousand. Are the larger ones shared with another team? Even for a playoff game Ive never seen a crowd over 8 thousand at MUC. And that was with standing room only. 

UW-W's has a listed capacity of 13,000 or 13,500, but I remember being told when I was there that that is a very friendly estimate. When I saw the school-record 9,500 and change last year, the grandstand was nearly full. The away side doesn't hold many.

The Monon Bell games and The Game games (R-MC/H-SC) that go into five digits include standing room only around the field. Hampden-Sydney has a bowl setting too that allows people to pick a good seat anywhere on the grass around the field.

I don't really understand why when Bridgewater made the Stagg Bowl and Salem Stadium (capacity 7 and change) was pushing 10,000, why they didn't make use of the end zone sloped area for seating, a la U.Va. or N.C. State.

Because it was wet that night and it was considered a liability.
Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

TC

Quote from: repete on October 17, 2007, 11:25:28 PM
I like the end zone slope at Salem, a horrible call by a tub-of-goo Pennsylvania official was right in front of me a few years back.

Meanwhile, couches are nice in the end zone unless you need to seat an additional 2,000+plus ....




I was agains the St. John's "student section" bleachers at first, but wow.  But after the Cobber and Ole games--wow, it really adds to the atmosphere (and blocks most of the blah Palaestra, too, which is an added benefit).

As that picture shows, a lot of schools would be satisfied drawing as many fans as the Johnnies put in their end zone bleachers.
St. John's Football: Ordinary people doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.

WWW.JOHNNIEFOOTBALL.COM

ADL70

Aah, thanx for 'splaining that picture.  At first I thought it was photoshop work.
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
HA-WOO, HA-WOO, HA-WOO
Think beyond the possible.
Compete, Win, Respect, Unite

Ron Boerger

As far as the SCAC goes, it's Trinity (TX).   From this week's game notes:

The Tigers have also won 57 straight regular season home games against Division III opponents, dating back to the end of the 1995 season.

It will be interesting to see what happens when Millsaps comes to town next year (assuming the streak continues until then).   And yes, before someone says it, the SCAC's not the WIAC, the OAC, the ASC, etc.  But the original question posted was what's the toughest place to play in your conference

repete

Quote from: cwru70 on October 18, 2007, 07:27:23 PM
Aah, thanx for 'splaining that picture.  At first I thought it was photoshop work.
Naw, if I wanted to PhotoShop something, it would be:

a) Ice skates for Wesley at UWW in 2005
b) an East team at Salem
c) Marietta 72, MUC 0 on an Alliance scoreboard
d) a self portrait without red blinders :)

K-Mack

Quote from: Pat Coleman on October 18, 2007, 06:23:26 PM
Quote from: K-Mack on October 17, 2007, 10:01:20 PM
Quote from: section13raiderfan on October 16, 2007, 08:31:27 PM
Hey Pat and/or K-Mack, how many of the D3 stadiums you have visited would seat over 10,000? I dont believe Ive been in any that would hold more than 7 to 8 thousand. Are the larger ones shared with another team? Even for a playoff game Ive never seen a crowd over 8 thousand at MUC. And that was with standing room only. 

UW-W's has a listed capacity of 13,000 or 13,500, but I remember being told when I was there that that is a very friendly estimate. When I saw the school-record 9,500 and change last year, the grandstand was nearly full. The away side doesn't hold many.

The Monon Bell games and The Game games (R-MC/H-SC) that go into five digits include standing room only around the field. Hampden-Sydney has a bowl setting too that allows people to pick a good seat anywhere on the grass around the field.

I don't really understand why when Bridgewater made the Stagg Bowl and Salem Stadium (capacity 7 and change) was pushing 10,000, why they didn't make use of the end zone sloped area for seating, a la U.Va. or N.C. State.

Because it was wet that night and it was considered a liability.

Ah. If the term 'standing room only' exists, there should also be some sort of 'at your own risk.' It's a shame Bridgewater fans were turned away when there was that much open space available. Maybe neccessary, but still a shame.

Not like it's hard to find a vantage point outside Salem Stadium ... or at Corned Beef.

Maybe they can use the board at the Avalanche Stadium for proper overflow next time :) ... I'll mention it to Brad and Carey.  ;)
Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

repete

That slope can be slippery.

I saw a couple of UWW fans slide down out of control last December  ... and the only liquid had been applied internally.

I actually like sitting there. I only discovered it when Repete Jr. and his buddy went to play a little ball at halftime on that flat area off to northeast (?).

Pat Coleman

Publisher. Questions? Check our FAQ for D3f, D3h.
Quote from: old 40 on September 25, 2007, 08:23:57 PMLet's discuss (sports) in a positive way, sometimes kidding each other with no disrespect.

DutchHawk

I remember hearing of some huge crowds for the Central - Simpson games in the mid to late 90's when they were both Top 5 or 10. I wasnt there and dont have any exact numbers so Im just going of other peoples stories!
30 IIAC Championships
20 Division III Playoff Appearances

K-Mack

For that running list of largest-ever D3 crowds:

QuoteWilliams leads the series 68-48-5. It's Division III's most-played rivalry and has been played in front of crowds as large as 13,671 at Williams in 1993 and 12,449 at Amherst in 1996.
Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.

K-Mack

Here's the thread on which we've traditionally discussed Division III stadiums and their features, plus largest known crowds.

Kicked up with respect to this week's ATN topic.
Former author, Around the Nation ('01-'13)
Managing Editor, Kickoff
Voter, Top 25/Play of the Week/Gagliardi Trophy/Liberty Mutual Coach of the Year
Nastradamus, Triple Take
and one of the two voices behind the sonic #d3fb nerdery that is the ATN Podcast.