I'm a newish college soccer fan, and have ONLY been to 3 stadiums. DUKE, UCLA and Crieghton. Creighton by far is the better of the 3. Which programs have the best college soccer stadiums in the country?
How do you separate the stadiums from the fans? it is a total soccer experience!! never been there and not a fan but maryland has got to rank up there...sorry to have to say that...but it appears to be a crazy soccer environment!!
Some stadiums are just better facilities - have all necessary elements, good surface, stands, locker rooms on site, restrooms and consessions etc. Some of the better ones include: Princeton Creighton Wake Other solid facilities probably missing one of the above elements: Maryland UVA Penn State Dartmouth UCSB IU UNC USF Brown OSU UCONN WVU Feel free to add others....
CalPoly SLO has a new one I hear is very nice. Saw pics, but never visited. UCSB's is very nice and large, but older and has a great atmosphere. UCLA's is nice, but I do not like how it's a combo track and soccer stadium. It makes the pitch very far away from the stands.
Fair point - an error on my part. IU does have all four of those elements. IMO I'd still rate them behind the other 3 (never did like the big space between benches at stands - at least that was there 4-5 years ago), but you are correct they have everything that was mentioned.
i think the best college soccer stadium in terms of weighing fan's and stadium quality is Ludwig Field (University of Maryland). http://www.umterps.com/facilities/md-kehoe-track-complex.html fans are the best, but i may be biased
It may be in Nebraska, but it is the single best stadium I have ever been to watch college soccer, and I've been to almost all of them. UCSB's is a close second, with their fans winning hands-down for their psychotic participation(and I mean that in a good way).
I have only experienced some of the West Coast schools so I can give my opinions on those. Obviously I am content with UCSB's facility. If you are talking about the stadium itself, UCSB does rank up there being able to sit 17k, newer locker rooms on site with a "tunnel" leading to the field, etc. It also comes with 2 sets of bathrooms, a new ticket booth, a kids "play zone" at one end of the field, and a snack bar. Rumor is we might be trying to get a beer garden for next year. Here is a link that describes it a bit more http://ucsbgauchos.cstv.com/ot/soccer-town.html. I think there can be improvements in the Stadium, (primarily the press box) but overall its a nice facility. As for other stadiums, ones that don't stand out at all that I've been to are: - UNLV (field with steel bleachers) - CSUN (small field with steel bleachers, some improvements lately, but don't even have lights) - UC Irvine (field surrounded by a track with concrete steps for seating) - LMU (small field with steel bleachers) A common thing with these places are also the lack of restrooms in the stadium, no true pressbox (except maybe UCI), and no locker rooms in the stadium. I want to put UCLA with that group. Their field is a bigger version of UCI's. A field surrounded by a track putting visiting fans more than 50 yards away from the action behind the benches that restrict view of the field (they have those Euro looking plastic half circle covers for their benches). They only allow home fans to sit on the sideline in steel bleachers. Their press box is open and not well equipped and the locker rooms are not in the stadium. They do get points for the bathrooms being there. Other than UCSB, the others that I have seen that are decent stadiums are: - Cal State Fullerton (a few US games, mainly women I believe, have been played in this deep football time stadium with folding chairs as seats with the locker rooms being located at one end of the field. - Cal Poly (deserve some recognition. Brand new football stadium that holds 11k that can convert into a decent soccer pitch with a great press box. Field is a tad small though.) I haven't been to UC Davis but have seen video and pics and the field looks horrible and it only seats something like 2k. I also haven't been to UC Riverside but have heard mixed reviews. A soccer only stadium that only holds 2k on "tiger turf".
Creighton-Morrison Stadium http://www.gocreighton.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml I don't know why they have the best stadium in the nation, but they do!
UCONN has a nice facility, but that's based most on attendance and the quality of the pitch. The actual stands aren't the greatest. But, they are now moving the soccer teams over to the "old" football stadium and refurbishing it. They have formed a student committee to help advise the college on recommendations to make it more fan friendly. I'm hoping that they somehow bring back the stands behind the north goal again. They were torn down years ago on the existing stadium because they were unsafe. Scattered rumors were spread after that about rebuilding them but they never came to fruition. It's a tradition that I'd like to see reinstated. Nothing like having the Student Goal Patrol behind the visitor's goalie all game long.
University of Portland has one of the best stadiums as well as atmospheres in college soccer. Great location to watch a match.
The NCAA will not allow you to have a "beer garden". Have you not been to the stadium at USD? It is as good of quality, if not better than the two other top ones in CA that I have been to (UCSB and Cal Poly-SLO).
When my son played against Portland he enjoyed their fans. Rowdy, threw barbs at the players and were genegally obnoxious in support of their team. Great fans! And we were the visitors! UCLA is too big for the crowds (or lack there of) they get. UCSB, always great fan support in the converted football stadium. They must have had a soccer guy in the mix when they planned that stadium as it is a good width after the conversion. Not sure if it is full regulation but close if not. I used to play rugby there every April. Creighton is by far the best "soccer only" stadium though. Clemson, Penn, Duke, Maryland are nice but don't compare.
When my son played against Portland he enjoyed their fans. Rowdy, threw barbs at the players and were generally obnoxious in support of their team. Great fans! And we were the visitors and appreciated them! UCLA is too big for the crowds (or lack there of) they get. UCSB, always great fan support in the converted football stadium. They must have had a soccer guy in the mix when they planned that stadium as it is a good width after the conversion. Not sure if it is full regulation but close if not. I used to play rugby there every April. Creighton is by far the best "soccer only" stadium though. Clemson, Penn, Duke, Maryland are nice but don't compare.
Here in the Chicago-land: Northwestern's new set up is awesome and scenic, but being on the lake can get damn cold. UIC has a tremendous atmosphere with a rowdy and knowledgeable fan base, a great grass surface, and the Chicago skyline in the backdrop. I'd bet Trask and co. will keep building that into something very cool. A little further east - ND has a new stadium under construction now. Word is that it will be small but very, very nice. On line for 2009.
So am I to assume that you split the "Student Goal Patrol" and put them at both ends of the pitch??? Only having bleachers behind the North goal doesn't provide your fans to be behind the visiting goalie all game long. They switch sides each half Well, I don't know the NCAA rules, but I know that beer is served at other sporting events throughout the Big West at other locations, so I think the phrase "beer garden" is primarily there to say that it will be a closed off place for only certain people to purchase and drink some beer. No I haven't been to USD b/c they are DII I believe and the Gauchos haven't played them since me following them.
the "goal patrol" switches sides at halftime. pretty much everyone knows that this is gonna happen so they leave those sections open. most fans don't want to sit behind the goal anyway, so the other fans that sit there are pretty sparse.
USD is Division 1. They play in the West Coast Conference. I am 25 years removed from my college days but I thought the NCAA was pretty strict on their "no alchohol served at NCAA events" rule. But if you have been sold it at other Big West events than I stand corrected.