November 17, 2012
Delaware Stadium (Capacity: 22,000)
Newark, DE
Delaware Blue Hens vs Villanova Wildcats
Final Score: 10 – 41
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A couple weeks prior to this visit, Hurricane Sandy impacted the area significantly and I had to change plans. This game was still favorable on the schedule and I was able to make it down to Delaware for the Blue Hens’ season finale. The University of Delaware takes up much of Newark (pronounced New-ark, as opposed to New Jersey’s New-erk), a college town of about 31,000 in the Northwest part of the state. UD is a public ivy with a high academic standard that includes strong chemistry, engineering and pharmaceutical programs. The school also is a football powerhouse, with six national championships (one at the FCS level). In the past decade, they won a title (’03) and appeared in two title games. Though I attended a game during a down season, it is quite apparent that this is the state’s most popular team in any sport and the very good fan support help offset an average facility in Delaware Stadium. The place was built in 1952 and despite several expansions and renovations through the years, the core interior set-up remains similar since the 70s.
Prestige Ranking: 3 out of 5
Location
Before heading to the stadium, I spent some time on Newark’s East Main Street, which has a decent mix of local restaurants, shops and bars, many of which are in historical buildings. It was buzzing on a Saturday afternoon with a blend of people and students as the University merges into downtown. Campus is a nice walk-through on The Green, but the overall area offers little in the way of attractions. This section lies more than a walk away from the stadium, which sits a few miles to the south in an athletic complex. Just a few hotels and chain restaurants line the nearby street, along with an eyesore in a former Chrysler Assembly Plant.
Location Ranking: 5 out of 10
Accessibility / Parking
It was quite easy to get to the stadium parking lots and to my surprise, traffic was very minimal, despite warnings on the UD website. Delaware Stadium is close to I-95 and though Exit 1 is closer, it is better to use Exit 3 and arrive via US-4. Several lots are reserved for season pass holders and though general public parking is held for grassy areas, it is only a 5-7 minute walk. The lot I used just off of US-4 on the right side had the easiest in/out entries and least traffic.
Accessibility / Parking Ranking: 7 out of 8
Exterior
The interior design of Delaware Stadium doesn’t allow for much of an exterior. The prominent feature is the concrete steps of the east and west stands, however the school has spruced this up well by putting seven huge vertical rectangular posters that show pictures of old players. At the stadium’s main gate on the west side is a Wall of Champions mural, along with a “Delaware Stadium” sign, featured with a few logos. The other side has a more understated entrance sign. End zones were separated by fencing.
Exterior Ranking: 4 out of 10
Concourse
Before entering, a hopping fan zone is set up just before the main gates. With a stage for a band, along with various games and entertainment, it’s a nice little section that included a pre-game menu featuring barbequed items along with traditional sides. Inside, the concourse on each sideline is covered by the stands above and occasionally is interrupted by concrete pillars (with ads slapped on). For 22,000 there is way too little space, but I was surprised at halftime that the crowds weren’t terrible (maybe because many stayed in the stands to watch the band). There were a couple Campus Shops featuring displays for apparel. Bathrooms are oddly spaced out and apologies to the females reading, but the “urinals” for the men was just a wall that falls down into a trough-like gutter. I’ve seen troughs before, but this was new and quite primitive.
Concourse Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Food
Nothing stood out, however the assortment was adequate. Along with the hot dogs, there was barbeque beef and pork, with the aforementioned fan zone adding a slew of sides to the meals. Other available items included pizza, chicken fingers, Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and Philly cheesesteaks. No alcohol is served at Delaware Stadium and soda is in the form of Pepsi.
Food Ranking: 5 out of 8
Interior
There’s not much to talk about inside Delaware Stadium as the set-up is quite plain. Sideline seating consists of bleachers set in concrete and it is quite a hike to get from the bottom entrances to the top of the stands (my calves were burning by the time I got to Row PP). These stands extend out to each goal-line. Just in front of the first bleachers is a poor excuse for “box seats” as these sectioned off areas are a group of blue, plastic seats with backs. On top of the bowl is a pair of press boxes, with the main one on the West side as that is blue with a yellow “University of Delaware” and UD logo. For those annoyed by sun glare, sit on the West side as the other sideline seats have a persistent sun in the eyes for the few hours prior to sunset. End zone seating consists of very small metal bleachers, while the corners of the stadium are open. It is nice that the stands are rather close to the field and that hedges separate the sideline and beginning of the seating bowl. Also, sightlines are good with the angle of each row at a decent level. The open corners and short end zone stands allow for a view beyond the field, which features other athletic facilities and practice fields. Though UD Stadium certainly has size covered for the capacity crowds, the stadium isn’t much of a highlight.
Interior Ranking: 6 out of 14
Scoreboard
One feature that does shine is the relatively new scoreboard beyond the left portion of the North bleachers. The board is highlighted with a center screen that has very clear video, while they leave the right 1/3rd of it for more in-depth game stats. The bottom features a traditional box score set-up. After a set of ads above the video, there is a sign for the University of Delaware. The other end has a simple digital scoreboard on the Bob Carpenter Center.
Scoreboard Ranking: 3 out of 4
Displays
I love the aforementioned Wall of Champions banner that immediately lets those entering know that this is a successful team. That banner features a listing of each year that the team has won a National Championship, Conference Championship and Lambert Cup (presented annually by vote to the best team in the Northeast). Also on the outside, is a blue wall next to the ticket window that displays Delaware’s All-Americans. The Blue Hens have quite a pedigree with coaches as three successive head men went into the College Football Hall of Fame. In a corner outside are the busts of these three coaches, along with a plaque describing records and honors. Inside, Delaware proudly displays its six national championship years by putting them on a blue banner complete with logos on the bottom of the sideline seating wall.
Displays Ranking: 3.5 out of 6
Cost
Popularity and winning football come with a price and it certainly is noticeable here. Parking is an expensive $15, which is higher than many FBS programs. The tickets are ok as the average is $27. End zone seating costs $15 while seats in the 50 yard-line sections run for $32. The annoying thing is their affiliation with Ticketmaster, which jacks prices another $10 after all the surcharges are done. All of this pushes the event to be at the higher end of other CAA teams. Concessions were ok with a bottled water $3, hot dog $4 and a soft pretzel $2.
Cost Ranking: 5.5 out of 8
Fan Support
The fan support for Delaware Blue Hens football is undeniable as both attendance and reputation show. From 1999-2010, Delaware averaged 20,000 or more, a feat that stands alone in FCS. The last few years, the Blue Hens have ranked between #3 and #7 in the rankings as crowds have slipped with no sellouts. I was still impressed to see a full crowd dressed in blue and yellow for the last game of the year with a mediocre team as the only open spaces were in the upper corners and the ends. Student turnout however, was disappointing as that section was barely filled. Delaware football is the most popular team in a state not particularly known for sports.
Fan Support Ranking: 6.5 out of 8
Atmosphere
Inside, the atmosphere was OK as the crowd did little to really try and spark the team. It seemed like they were at the end of a long season and it showed when many left at halftime of a 17-10 game. They also booed their head coach after an unpopular play call. Crowd noise was good during the big plays, I just thought with the popularity there would be more to the crowd liveliness. One organized cheer surfaced, however that was manufactured by the PA and scoreboard as they got one side to shout “Blue” and the other to say “Hens”. One aspect of the atmosphere that was very impressive was the University of Delaware Marching Band, an excellent outfit of 300 strong that did a great job throughout the entire game.
Atmosphere Ranking: 8.5 out of 14
Other Stuff
Delaware’s athletic teams are known as the Blue Hens, which is the state bird. There are also many references to the football team being called the “Fightin’ Blue Hens”…..The full name of the football stadium is Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium. The field was named after the head coach in 2002, following his retirement the previous season…..Delaware is one of the few teams to sport the Michigan-style winged helmets. This was started in the 60s, when the Blue Hens made the Wing-T offense a trademark…..The game I attended was against Villanova, a rival just 45 minutes away in Pennsylvania. The game is known as the Battle of the Blue and it is typically reserved for the last game of the year. A secondary rival has emerged in recent years and rightfully so as Delaware State has finally started to appear on the schedule…..Fans are allowed to bring in one bottle of water to the stadium, thank you for that…..Towards the end of the game, I started to get a whiff of something funky. Turned out to be horse manure as the University Farmhouse is not too far away to the North…..Tailgating was displayed throughout all of the parking lots as mostly alumni enjoyed some quiet get-togethers with food and drink.
Game
Big plays were the name of the game in the first quarter as Villanova used a 40-yard run to lead to the first touchdown. Delaware returned the favor with a 94-yard kickoff return for a TD. After a few possessions, a long QB scramble brought Villanova deep into Blue Hens territory, however they fumbled in the end zone and Delaware dodged a bullet. Though Villanova only took a 14-10 lead into the half, they were dominating and that continued for the rest of the game as the Wildcats had 215 more yards than the Blue Hens. Gradually points were put up on the board and then they broke the game open with a couple pick-sixes towards the end as they won in a romp 41-10. Delaware’s Nihja White had 12 catches for 88 yards.
Stadium and Arena Visits 
