I think one of the nice things about holding the games at college stadiums is for the players to have that opportunity.
William & Mary Stadium
- Thread starter homeNabroad
- Start date
I don't have a dog in the fight. That being said, I have attended many state championship games over the years. I attended the 3A-4A games this year and last and I attended the 1A-2A games in 2014.
Though Zables home side has been remodeled the visitors side, plainly, has not. It's old and feels old. The entry way right on the 50 yard line is not conducive to great site lines. It also has the affect of spreading the crowd out therefore affecting the overall experience. The visitor side bathrooms are woefully in adequate as are the concession stands. From my seat on the home side I noticed that, at one point, the visitors concession line stretched to the 40 yard line. The home side is very well done overall.
I am not trying to start a big debate about this but I am not a fan of stadiums that have tracks around the field. It affects the overall sight lines and moves spectators further from the field.
Liberty's stadium is very nice though they suffer from the same visitor side concession stand issues. I have read and heard reports that Liberty's locker room facilities aren't very nice. Well, during my exploration of Zable I poked my nose into the visitors locker room (the door was open for all to see) located under the visitor side stands. It was dump. No edge for W&M here. My understanding is that the home team used the "new" visitors locker room while the visitors used the "old" visitors locker room?
The only real edge W&M has over Liberty is Williamsburg. The fact that the stadium is in close proximity to restaurants is nice. However, parking and traffic at W&M negates some of these advantages.
I don't particularly care for the gentle slope of the stands at either stadium as it further distances the spectators from the field. Same can be said for the lower level of Scott Stadium. Lane has this about right. To bad they are both far to big for the high school game.
Though Zables home side has been remodeled the visitors side, plainly, has not. It's old and feels old. The entry way right on the 50 yard line is not conducive to great site lines. It also has the affect of spreading the crowd out therefore affecting the overall experience. The visitor side bathrooms are woefully in adequate as are the concession stands. From my seat on the home side I noticed that, at one point, the visitors concession line stretched to the 40 yard line. The home side is very well done overall.
I am not trying to start a big debate about this but I am not a fan of stadiums that have tracks around the field. It affects the overall sight lines and moves spectators further from the field.
Liberty's stadium is very nice though they suffer from the same visitor side concession stand issues. I have read and heard reports that Liberty's locker room facilities aren't very nice. Well, during my exploration of Zable I poked my nose into the visitors locker room (the door was open for all to see) located under the visitor side stands. It was dump. No edge for W&M here. My understanding is that the home team used the "new" visitors locker room while the visitors used the "old" visitors locker room?
The only real edge W&M has over Liberty is Williamsburg. The fact that the stadium is in close proximity to restaurants is nice. However, parking and traffic at W&M negates some of these advantages.
I don't particularly care for the gentle slope of the stands at either stadium as it further distances the spectators from the field. Same can be said for the lower level of Scott Stadium. Lane has this about right. To bad they are both far to big for the high school game.
Overall, I would say that Zable was a step backwards from Liberty. It might not seem so for the fans that had not been to any of the previous championship games at LU. But, for me, it was somewhat of a disappointment.
For any of you that took in a game at Hampton U, how was the experience?
I didn't get a hospitality pass this year, and I haven't talked with anyone that went up to check it out.
Incidently, I did have a brief conversation with the Amherst AD. Nice guy. He had to resolve a pass issue. Your name and the Amherst ladies came up. No question in his or anybody else's mind that not having you gals handle the hospitality was a major downer.
Incidently, I did have a brief conversation with the Amherst AD. Nice guy. He had to resolve a pass issue. Your name and the Amherst ladies came up. No question in his or anybody else's mind that not having you gals handle the hospitality was a major downer.
DP said: For any of you that took in a game at Hampton U, how was the experience?
I saw the 6A game. Parking at Hampton U. was not an issue as there is a large lot a 5 minute walk from the stadium. There is also another large lot immediately adjacent to the stadium that could accommodate several hundred cars but you could not park there-it appeared to be for busses and handicapped, but it was 95% empty. The stadium is also immediately off I-64 and there are a handful of fast food places nearby. The stadium was no where near full; each side was maybe 80% full and the one end zone section had almost nobody in it. It is a very old stadium and has that old time feel with brick walls and small, old restrooms under the stands (at least on the visitor side). The walkways were far too narrow between the stands and the retaining wall around the field, only about 4' wide, with few points to exit the stands (only on the ends, if I recall). I did not visit concessions but I heard it was one of the slowest services many people had seen. And they stopped serving or ran out of items in the 3rd quarter. The stands on the visitor side were along the entire length of the field but only about 12 rows high. The home side was a bit higher, maybe 15-18 rows.
I don't really worry about this sort of thing too much and I get to the games very early so I was fine. The one issue I did have was location-in the far corner of the state.
I saw the 6A game. Parking at Hampton U. was not an issue as there is a large lot a 5 minute walk from the stadium. There is also another large lot immediately adjacent to the stadium that could accommodate several hundred cars but you could not park there-it appeared to be for busses and handicapped, but it was 95% empty. The stadium is also immediately off I-64 and there are a handful of fast food places nearby. The stadium was no where near full; each side was maybe 80% full and the one end zone section had almost nobody in it. It is a very old stadium and has that old time feel with brick walls and small, old restrooms under the stands (at least on the visitor side). The walkways were far too narrow between the stands and the retaining wall around the field, only about 4' wide, with few points to exit the stands (only on the ends, if I recall). I did not visit concessions but I heard it was one of the slowest services many people had seen. And they stopped serving or ran out of items in the 3rd quarter. The stands on the visitor side were along the entire length of the field but only about 12 rows high. The home side was a bit higher, maybe 15-18 rows.
I don't really worry about this sort of thing too much and I get to the games very early so I was fine. The one issue I did have was location-in the far corner of the state.
In my post I should have said "stadiums in NOVA" (then again, that is mostly irrelevant to the D4/D3 fans in SWVA). I am aware of the stadium in Salem and hear it is an excellent facility. Although poorly stated, my point was that most HS stadiums cannot handle the expected crowds.
Similar threads
