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RamblinRedWolf44 Offline
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Post: #1
MAC stadium reviews
Glass bowl is by far my favorite looking stadium Iin the MAC but just curious how rocket fans compare your mac bretherns stadiums (who's the worst? Most over/under rated?)
12-18-2014 04:49 PM
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rocketinchitown Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Ive been to BG, OHIO and NIU and would say Ohio has a nice stadium. Great campus location and they fill it quite nicely.

BG's is a dump and not just because they are our rival.

NIU has a nice big stadium but the two sides are separated, cant go from one side to the next and they took my liquor.

(12-18-2014 04:49 PM)RamblinRedWolf44 Wrote:  Glass bowl is by far my favorite looking stadium Iin the MAC but just curious how rocket fans compare your mac bretherns stadiums (who's the worst? Most over/under rated?)
12-18-2014 05:15 PM
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Terry Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
(12-18-2014 05:15 PM)rocketinchitown Wrote:  Ive been to BG, OHIO and NIU and would say Ohio has a nice stadium. Great campus location and they fill it quite nicely.

BG's is a dump and not just because they are our rival.

NIU has a nice big stadium but the two sides are separated, cant go from one side to the next and they took my liquor.

(12-18-2014 04:49 PM)RamblinRedWolf44 Wrote:  Glass bowl is by far my favorite looking stadium Iin the MAC but just curious how rocket fans compare your mac bretherns stadiums (who's the worst? Most over/under rated?)

Buffalo is architectial mess!!!! The one end zone stand is larger than either along the sidelines. In addition, the track surrounds the field making you feel further away from the game. (Boise has a track around the blue turf, but the stands don't seem as far away as Buffalo.

bg's "stadium", if you can call it that, is a wind tunnel. Bring a parka to stand it.

EMU was too nice for that school until they put in that ugly gray turf. Some more of my wasted state tax money, down the drain.......... 03-banghead

If you can stand traveling half way to the Arctic Circle, Central Michigan's is alright. But don't go through the student tailgating in the parking lot. You'll either smell like Milwaukee's Best or Bud Light, depending what they throw at you.

Ball State has a glorified high school stadium. Plain and simple.

Kent State isn't that nice either.
12-18-2014 05:38 PM
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rockytop Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
I agree Ohio is the best. Miami is also nice. WMU is ok too>
12-18-2014 06:26 PM
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DetroitRocket Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
I've been to all of the MAC stadiums.

Most are just ok. I would say BG and Kent fall in the bad category. Ohio could be pretty good, but a lot of the parts don't fit together.

Akron and Toledo,IMO, are the nice ones. Akron is new, but a little sterile. The crowds are so bad also.

The Glass Bowl has history. Of the current MAC members, it had the first video board, second generation artificial turf, team building, modern press box and luxury suites. It also has a beautiful alumni pavilion that no other school has.
12-18-2014 06:31 PM
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Henry Burlingame Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
I read an article about a year or so ago rating the MAC stadiums. The Glass Bowl was rated the best because of its looks, history, and fan experience. Akron was rated second because it is so new and so well designed, even though the fan experience sucks because of the small crowds and very limited tailgating. I have been to Kent, OU and BGSU stadiums and, IMO, they are terrible. Each reminds me of a glorified high school bleacher stadium. Maybe I'm a homer, but I don't think you can beat the Glass Bowl. I enjoy bringing out-of-town visitors to games and they always come away impressed. I hate the stadiums that have running tracks between the field and the stands. Buffalo is like that and I think EMU is as well. The Glass Bowl is so cozy. You are up close to the action in most seats. I love that.
12-18-2014 07:13 PM
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indianasniff Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Ball State is decent. They have made some renovations that make it nice but the chirp chirp cheer sends it WAY down the list

Sent from my KFTHWI using Tapatalk
12-18-2014 07:40 PM
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emanoh Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Been to all the stadiums except akron's new digs. Looks great on paper. Glass Bowl is by far the best. Followed by WMU and OU based on scenic location. I don't mind kent and Miami. BG is the worst by far. EMU could be cool but zero atmosphere. It's easier to get to than BG.
(This post was last modified: 12-18-2014 08:03 PM by emanoh.)
12-18-2014 07:56 PM
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Rocket A Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
After making it to Kent St this year, I have been to every MAC stadium, except UMass. Here are my rankings:

1) Toledo - Glass Bowl - Of course I am biased, but i still believe it is the best stadium in the MAC. True horseshoe, huge Press Box w/ suites, great history, love the stone outer wall and towers in the corners of the endzone, new scoreboard and sound system are great improvements. Only negatives, poor lighting, lighting standards in front of some of the upper deck seats on vistors side. Visitors side restrooms and concessions need some work.

2) Akron - Infocision Stadium at Summa Field - Beautiful new stadium, too bad no one goes to games.

3) Western Michigan - Waldo Stadium - One of my favorite trips every other year. Neat old stadium, One side built into a hill, interesting carnival type concessions, amtrack runs right by the stadium, usually decent crowd & good band. Good Tailgating.

4) Central Michigan - Kelly Shorts Stadiums - Another of my favorite trips, prefer going to CMU in Sept or Oct as opposed to Nov. Another horseshoe , with one side of the stadium built into the side of the hill. Good Tailgating

5) Ohio - Peden Stadium - Beautiful setting. Don't like the way the stadium is pieced together. Great Band. Good Tailgating

6) Eastern Michigan - Rynearson Stadium - I like this 2 sided facility, but there is never anyone there, which kills the atmosphere. Free, close parking, for tailgating, usually as many UT fans as EMU fans.

7) NIU - Huskie Stadium - 2 sided stadium - Hate playing weekday night games there in November.

8) BGSUcks - The Dump err I mean the Doyt - 2 sided stadium, always windy.

9) Miami - Yager Stadium - They have made some improvements and are continuing to do so. Used to be a one sided stadium with bleachers on the other side. They are continuing to make improvements. Nice setting.

10) Ball State - Schumann Stadium - One sided stadium, with bleachers on other side, made some improvements to both endzone. Tailgating only allowed 3 hours before game is a joke, parking and traffic can be a disaster.

11) Buffalo - University Stadium - I hate stadiums with tracks around the football field. The seating on the both side lines is nice, but small. More seating in endzone than sidelines. Press Box makes decent wind break during awful weather.

12) Kent State - Dix Stadium - One sided stadium, bleachers on visitors side, small crowd, no atmosphere.

Hoping Toledo play at UMass next year, and on campus, so I get a chance to check out their renovated stadium.
12-18-2014 08:10 PM
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crusher38 Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
rockets have the most complete stadium


akron and kent state a close second


...all the others look like grand style high school stadiums....dead serious
(This post was last modified: 12-18-2014 08:30 PM by crusher38.)
12-18-2014 08:28 PM
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Henry Burlingame Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
The Glass Bowl needs to get rid of the troughs in the mens room. My only major complaint.
12-18-2014 09:24 PM
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RocketJeff Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
I'd have to put Akron's stadium at the top of the list. It is very well laid out and has all the amenities I'd like for the Glass Bowl. I hope our athletic department takes a good look at it when it comes time to renovate our stadium. Until then I'd put us a close second. Miami and Ohio have very beautiful geographical features and MU did a nice job with their renovations, but I haven't seen OU's stadium since they did theirs. I like the way WMU is built into a hill and I like the way EMU incorporated the arena with the football stadium. CMU is decent but I can't think of anything distinctive about it. BG's was nice it its day but it needs some updating (not a bad place to watch a game though.) Ball state has made some nice improvements but they're only about half way done. I'm not a fan of the track around Buffalo's field and don't care for the layout of Kent's stadium. I haven't been to NIU since their renovations so I can't comment on the stadium.
12-18-2014 09:26 PM
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UofToledoFans Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Toledo
Akron
Bsu- small but nice
Wmu-big and old but different
Niu- need new press boxes but its still okay
Buffalo- huge
Cmu-blahh
Emu-never has fans and too big
Bg-doyt sucks
Kent-has some good qualities, but not many

Never been to OU, or Miami
12-18-2014 09:43 PM
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inductchuck16 Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Toledo's Glass Bowl is the best in the MAC because it features a great horseshoe wraparound, has an amazing and large press box, has a top notch video board, and it gets pretty dang rowdy during a sell out (although, we rarely get sell outs)

It desperately needs to be power washed, it needs new fencing and lighting (to modernize its look), among other things. I'd love to see a renovation similar to the one our Savage Arena received a few years back. They hit that renovation out of the park. I love Savage.

Oh, and we really need video ribbon boards. Those things enhance the atmosphere like you wouldn't believe it. I know an excellent place to put them, right where all our print advertisement boards are on the east side.
12-18-2014 09:57 PM
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DetroitRocket Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
O'Brien said that the Larimer renovations were the "last piece of the puzzle". Don't expect any GB renovations other than minor ones.
12-18-2014 10:03 PM
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inductchuck16 Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Haven't been to Kent's, but from looking at it, it's by far the worst. Their one side of stands can't even be deemed 'glorified' high school stands because I've seen high schools with far better stands than Kent's. It's a complete embarrassment, imo.

Bg's stadium has literally no life to it. I always feel so dull going onto Bg's campus, but feel better coming out with a Rocket victory.

Niu has those cool ribbon video boards, although they'd be cooler if they weren't right at field level. Their biggest mishap is that you can't go from one side to the other. You're stuck on one side. I love their athletic complex right behind their end zone, with their indoor practice facility right behind that as well. Very cool look.

Buffalo and Emu have a track surrounding the field and for that reason, they're low on my list.
12-18-2014 10:03 PM
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inductchuck16 Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
(12-18-2014 10:03 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  O'Brien said that the Larimer renovations were the "last piece of the puzzle". Don't expect any GB renovations other than minor ones.

Would 'power washing' be considered a minor renovation??
12-18-2014 10:06 PM
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therockets046 Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
Yeah a lot of MAC stadiums aren't really stadiums as much as they are 3-4 assemblies of bleachers around a rectangle that is sometimes circled by track. I do prefer ours to all other Mac stadiums, most by wide margins.

Akron's is very nice. When we played there, there was 6" of snowfall that they only partially cleared out, so fans were confined to just the midfield sections and I think that made for a better atmosphere than it otherwise would have been.

WMU I'd rank pretty high due to its setting, end zone press/suite tower, and action around the stadium in any direction, even when 6" of rain is falling.

CMU's is a decent but isolated setting and have had an enthusiastic to rowdy fan base, especially during the Dan LeFevour/Kent Smith era.

Ball State is cursed with evil spirits everywhere. There's a reason there's only one road that gets you there.

EMU is a nice facility and gets bonus points for the gray turf and more bonus points for them opening up their basketball arena next door during our game up there when it was 25 degrees. The product stinks though and they haven't had fans since they were called The Hurons.

Bowling Green looks a lot better with their new facility in the north end. But looking to the south screams "you're in the middle of nowhere", and you are, plus there's somehow only like 1 entrance to the whole venue.

I've been to Kent St. twice and don't remember much distinctive about it other than their entrance gate is pretty cool.

I'd like to forget I ever went to Miami of Ohio.

Buffalo, for being a city university, is more isolated than you'll ever imagine. Atmosphere stunk during my only trip there due to 6' (not ") of rainfall.

Haven't seen Ohio U yet, haven't seen Umass yet. Haven't seen NIU because the sports channel always puts our game with them on a weekday night. The NIU guys come on here and post stadium pics that look pretty nice. I heard that just to the west of the stadium is a little corn field, and that corn field extends all the way west to Salt Lake City, UT. If it's true, that's way cool!
12-18-2014 11:03 PM
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FMRocket Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
(12-18-2014 08:10 PM)Rocket A Wrote:  After making it to Kent St this year, I have been to every MAC stadium, except UMass. Here are my rankings:

1) Toledo - Glass Bowl - Of course I am biased, but i still believe it is the best stadium in the MAC. True horseshoe, huge Press Box w/ suites, great history, love the stone outer wall and towers in the corners of the endzone, new scoreboard and sound system are great improvements. Only negatives, poor lighting, lighting standards in front of some of the upper deck seats on vistors side. Visitors side restrooms and concessions need some work.

2) Akron - Infocision Stadium at Summa Field - Beautiful new stadium, too bad no one goes to games.

3) Western Michigan - Waldo Stadium - One of my favorite trips every other year. Neat old stadium, One side built into a hill, interesting carnival type concessions, amtrack runs right by the stadium, usually decent crowd & good band. Good Tailgating.

4) Central Michigan - Kelly Shorts Stadiums - Another of my favorite trips, prefer going to CMU in Sept or Oct as opposed to Nov. Another horseshoe , with one side of the stadium built into the side of the hill. Good Tailgating

5) Ohio - Peden Stadium - Beautiful setting. Don't like the way the stadium is pieced together. Great Band. Good Tailgating

6) Eastern Michigan - Rynearson Stadium - I like this 2 sided facility, but there is never anyone there, which kills the atmosphere. Free, close parking, for tailgating, usually as many UT fans as EMU fans.

7) NIU - Huskie Stadium - 2 sided stadium - Hate playing weekday night games there in November.

8) BGSUcks - The Dump err I mean the Doyt - 2 sided stadium, always windy.

9) Miami - Yager Stadium - They have made some improvements and are continuing to do so. Used to be a one sided stadium with bleachers on the other side. They are continuing to make improvements. Nice setting.

10) Ball State - Schumann Stadium - One sided stadium, with bleachers on other side, made some improvements to both endzone. Tailgating only allowed 3 hours before game is a joke, parking and traffic can be a disaster.

11) Buffalo - University Stadium - I hate stadiums with tracks around the football field. The seating on the both side lines is nice, but small. More seating in endzone than sidelines. Press Box makes decent wind break during awful weather.

12) Kent State - Dix Stadium - One sided stadium, bleachers on visitors side, small crowd, no atmosphere.

Hoping Toledo play at UMass next year, and on campus, so I get a chance to check out their renovated stadium.

Having been to all MAC venues several times(with the exception of Akron-once & Buffalo-from a distance) I would have to say Rocket A's observations are pretty much on the money. Upgraded lighting and sprucing up the east upper deck & concessions would go a long way... As someone else stated, ribbon boards on the bottom of the east deck replacing the gaudy old sports arena dasher board signs there now,would be constant revenue from advertising...
12-19-2014 11:17 AM
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FMRocket Offline
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RE: MAC stadium reviews
(12-18-2014 10:06 PM)inductchuck16 Wrote:  
(12-18-2014 10:03 PM)DetroitRocket Wrote:  O'Brien said that the Larimer renovations were the "last piece of the puzzle". Don't expect any GB renovations other than minor ones.

Would 'power washing' be considered a minor renovation??

This, and finish painting the exposed beams under the deck... The underneath middle section with the replacement of the risers done years ago has a brighter dark blue coat. But the sections from the endzones (north & south) to about the 20 yard line is a faded out blue with a lot of rusty areas exposed.... I know it's minor, but little things like that, along with power washing the older brick would be an improvement...
(This post was last modified: 12-19-2014 11:28 AM by FMRocket.)
12-19-2014 11:26 AM
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