Best DIII Stadiums

Started by hazzben, July 19, 2013, 02:21:17 PM

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ADL70

Quote from: Just Bill on August 14, 2013, 03:19:17 PM
CUW's football stadium's press box is accessed through the parking ramp...

http://www.cuwfalcons.com/facilities/tomasinistadium



The same is true of Carnegie Mellon and Case Western Reserve.  DIY skyboxes from the roof.
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
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Think beyond the possible.
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Quote from: AUPepBand on July 19, 2013, 02:48:37 PMOf course, being a homer and having not been to ALL the D3 stadiums, Pep is pretty partial to AU's Merrill Field:


Incidentally, the young lad pictured was the "Voice of the Saxons," announcing most sporting events at Merrill Field aside from football. Having graduated, he's moved along....but no doubt remains fond of his time with the mic at Merrill Field.

As for the "stadium" itself, the press box is too small with the newly installed homeside grandstand. The bleachers on the visiting side, built into the hill, give visitors a splendid view of the field so long as they're not lined up with a light post. A newly constructed "Connors Pavilion" at the south end of the field offers a place to "warm up" in inclement weather and venue for hosting alumni gatherings and the like. It also serves as a "clubhouse" type setting for parents to watch games during colder weather.

But the greatest attribute at Merrill Field is the atmosphere come game time. It's a fun place to catch a game. Pep is hoping attendance will soar this season with the enrollment of some Hornell High grads who have been followed to the Carrier Dome the past three or four years by the city of Hornell...winning three of the last four state titles.

On Saxon Warriors!


On Saxon Warriors!

It looks like they have redone the field since I graduated (many moons ago).  It has always been a fun place to see a game but in my time it was a grass field.

When my son and I were making the rounds I was partial to the old fields with lots of history like the field at Bowdoin.  But he really liked the field at Johns Hopkins.

Just Bill

Quote from: AO on August 14, 2013, 03:28:23 PM
I was really hopeful there wasn't a track as I couldn't see one in the photo, but alas, a track still lingers, and from what I can tell from their website, they don't host any track meets!

This is really becoming a crusade with you, isn't it? Best of luck in ridding the football world from the scourge of running tracks!
"That seems silly and pointless..." - Hoops Fan

The first and still most accurate description of the D3 Championship BeltTM thread.

AO

Quote from: Just Bill on August 16, 2013, 09:46:46 AM
Quote from: AO on August 14, 2013, 03:28:23 PM
I was really hopeful there wasn't a track as I couldn't see one in the photo, but alas, a track still lingers, and from what I can tell from their website, they don't host any track meets!

This is really becoming a crusade with you, isn't it? Best of luck in ridding the football world from the scourge of running tracks!
Soccer fields are next - but that's more about what's better for soccer.  They're thinking of starting an MLS franchise in the new Metrodome!  Half-empty, artificial turf and playing indoors in July/August.   I'm calling for the end of our multi-purpose world.  Everything is better when you're in a venue that's filled to capacity with the fans as close as possible to the action.  We're combating the digital age here, you have to work a little harder to get fans to come out to the stadium.

Jonny Utah

Quote from: SpartanMom_2016 on August 16, 2013, 09:10:25 AM
Quote from: AUPepBand on July 19, 2013, 02:48:37 PMOf course, being a homer and having not been to ALL the D3 stadiums, Pep is pretty partial to AU's Merrill Field:


Incidentally, the young lad pictured was the "Voice of the Saxons," announcing most sporting events at Merrill Field aside from football. Having graduated, he's moved along....but no doubt remains fond of his time with the mic at Merrill Field.

As for the "stadium" itself, the press box is too small with the newly installed homeside grandstand. The bleachers on the visiting side, built into the hill, give visitors a splendid view of the field so long as they're not lined up with a light post. A newly constructed "Connors Pavilion" at the south end of the field offers a place to "warm up" in inclement weather and venue for hosting alumni gatherings and the like. It also serves as a "clubhouse" type setting for parents to watch games during colder weather.

But the greatest attribute at Merrill Field is the atmosphere come game time. It's a fun place to catch a game. Pep is hoping attendance will soar this season with the enrollment of some Hornell High grads who have been followed to the Carrier Dome the past three or four years by the city of Hornell...winning three of the last four state titles.

On Saxon Warriors!


On Saxon Warriors!

It looks like they have redone the field since I graduated (many moons ago).  It has always been a fun place to see a game but in my time it was a grass field.

When my son and I were making the rounds I was partial to the old fields with lots of history like the field at Bowdoin.  But he really liked the field at Johns Hopkins.

Alfred does have a cool stadium with some nice hilly views.  But they also had some of that old-school concrete "turf" far longer than they probably should have.

@d3jason

Quote from: frank uible on August 01, 2013, 11:29:33 AM
Has anyone here outside of Pat seen as many as or more than 20% of the D3 stadia?

I have seen 51 in the last 20 years. Though I counted McMurry (D-II now but D-III when I saw them.)

crufootball

Quote from: @d3jason on August 19, 2013, 04:31:14 PM
Quote from: frank uible on August 01, 2013, 11:29:33 AM
Has anyone here outside of Pat seen as many as or more than 20% of the D3 stadia?

I have seen 51 in the last 20 years. Though I counted McMurry (D-II now but D-III when I saw them.)

Will you be in Belton this year to get some BBQ... I mean for the UMHB Wesley game?

ADL70

I'll be in Central Texas for Thanksgiving.  Hope the Cru hosts a playoff game week 12.
SPARTANS...PREPARE FOR GLORY
HA-WOO, HA-WOO, HA-WOO
Think beyond the possible.
Compete, Win, Respect, Unite

Toby Taff

Quote from: crufootball on August 19, 2013, 04:45:32 PM
Quote from: @d3jason on August 19, 2013, 04:31:14 PM
Quote from: frank uible on August 01, 2013, 11:29:33 AM
Has anyone here outside of Pat seen as many as or more than 20% of the D3 stadia?

I have seen 51 in the last 20 years. Though I counted McMurry (D-II now but D-III when I saw them.)

Will you be in Belton this year to get some BBQ... I mean for the UMHB Wesley game?
I'll be there with my soon to be completed hot dog cart from which to tailgate. (I'll probably also be there fr BBQ)
My wife and I are Alumni of both UMHB and HSU.  You think you are confused, my kids don't know which Purple and Gold team to pull for.

@d3jason

Quote from: crufootball on August 19, 2013, 04:45:32 PM
Quote from: @d3jason on August 19, 2013, 04:31:14 PM
Quote from: frank uible on August 01, 2013, 11:29:33 AM
Has anyone here outside of Pat seen as many as or more than 20% of the D3 stadia?

I have seen 51 in the last 20 years. Though I counted McMurry (D-II now but D-III when I saw them.)

Will you be in Belton this year to get some BBQ... I mean for the UMHB Wesley game?

I am hoping to be. Travel details aren't worked out as of yet. But there's no place I'd rather be that weekend. I will have to lose about ten pounds in the next month to get ready for the BBQ tour. UMHB may have the best sradium in D-III now, but they've always had the best press box spread. Class all the way!

JahEazy

Quote from: JahEazy on August 01, 2013, 03:18:04 AM



Not saying it's the best, but it's pretty new. Pacific University's Lincoln Park Stadium in Forest Grove, Ore. I mean they hosted DI Big Sky Track & Field conference championships this past season so that's gotta be saying something, right? No?

Apparently, we're getting a roof for the stands in a few years! Woo! Best thing evar! [/sarcasm]
But actually now that I think about it, I guess having a roof does help especially when it rains.

Ron Boerger

I took in the UMHB-Trinity(TX) game last weekend at the new Crusader Stadium and it is a jaw-droppingly "Holy s**t" incredible facility that would not be out of place on a Division II campus (and maybe even a small FCS campus).  Yes, it IS that good.   

AO

Quote from: Ron Boerger on October 09, 2013, 11:54:09 AM
I took in the UMHB-Trinity(TX) game last weekend at the new Crusader Stadium and it is a jaw-droppingly "Holy s**t" incredible facility that would not be out of place on a Division II campus (and maybe even a small FCS campus).  Yes, it IS that good.   
It would be in the top 5% of D2 stadiums.  Now that the Dakotas have gone to FCS, the MIAC has dominated the local d2 conference (Northern Sun) in attendance.  After reading some of the recent articles about the financial sense of D3 football it really makes you wonder what some of these schools see in the D2 model.  Less attendance, less media attention, more expensive.

K-Mack

Just wanted to make the comment here, if I haven't already, that the Toughest Place to Play in Your Conference thread was also a Best DIII Stadiums/Highest Attendance thread at times over the years.

I kicked it up and wrote this there ... for the stadium aficionados, the new D3.com site redesign is huge news!

QuoteBefore Hazzben started the best stadiums thread, this had kind of morphed into that thread over time from what it was titled.

Just wanted to make the comment that the stadium photos are awesome. They seem best taken aerial or from the highest perch on the visitor's side 50-yard line, with exceptions for scenery behind the visitor's side like Coast Guard, Redlands, etc.

If your school doesn't have a pic up, bug the SIDs office about it or take a panoramic with your phone next time you're at a game.
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AUPepBand

Pep L O V E S the stadium pics with the team pages. Now Pep is gonna search for (or take) a pic of the newly-named Yunevich Stadium at Merrill Field, preferably with a big crowd. As it appears now, someone turned out the lights!

On Saxon Warriors!
On Saxon Warriors! On to Victory!
...Fight, fight for Alfred, A-L-F, R-E-D!