Football Stadium Review: Raabe Stadium (Wisconsin Lutheran College)

 On the same day I visited Tomasini Stadium, I also took the trip southwest of there to Raabe Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors.  After the hype of seeing one of the best games I have seen, I had to obviously temper my expectations for the upcoming matchup against, ironically, St. Norbert. This time, the Green Knights came out in front of the Warriors, avenging their loss the previous week to Concordia. This day-night double header was just.. it's football man. And how could just not love football? My marriage with football aside, let's review Raabe Stadium shall we?

Amenities:

A very clean stadium, a nice stadium as well. One main food stand through the stadium, but they also had a food truck.  Note I will mention that later in the review.  The road around the stadium also had a My24 truck, as they carried the games on their network for Warriors home games, which is honestly really neat.  The bathrooms are super clean, and the staff deserve a lot of credit for the stands also being clean and tidy. Overall, 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

I did this to St. Norbert, so unfortunately I have to give this to WLC as well. Listen, Milwaukee/Chicago in the MLB playoffs did WLC no justice due to them being on at the same time. Fortunately for Concordia on this day, all of it happened before the playoff game. On this day for WLC, the night game didn't do them a favor with the playoff game as well.  So the crowd was already limited in numbers (less than 400 came to the game) so they were transfixed on the playoffs.  However, most of the game, WLC did the crowd no major favors either as they only scored seven points until deep into the fourth quarter and made the game 17-14, which was the ultimate final score that they lost by.  Sorry WLC, I have to do it. 1 out of 5.

Location: 

Raabe Stadium is off of the interstate and pretty easy to get back on it. However, it's also a couple miles from campus.  I understand it is difficult to get an on-campus stadium in the Milwaukee suburbs and a lot of the athletic facilities are actually away from campus, but this does drive the number down. With it also being the Milwaukee suburbs, food and drink places and really anything isn't too far away either. We'll go down the middle on this with a 2.5 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

Okay, free parking is a plus and the ticket was fairly cheap which is another plus.  However, the pizza was pre-ordered from a pizza place and warmed up/kept warm. The drink choices were fine.  The food truck grabbed most of the attention but I didn't buy anything from there as it was too expensive for my liking.  Overall, lack of main grandstand choices puts this at a 2.5 out of 5.

Review: 

Raabe Stadium is a nice stadium, but definitely has its flaws.  The food being the main one.  They cannot do much with the location unless WLC gets a stadium that is on campus or at least significantly closer to it. I also cannot fault them when most of the populace was more focused on the Brewers over them, so this would likely be up for a revision in 2027 or 2028 like St. Norbert. For now though, 11 is the score I will give.

Football Stadium Review: Tomasini Stadium (Concordia University-Wisconsin)

 On the shores of Lake Michigan, our second stadium to have the lakefront view and this one is home to the Concordia-Wisconsin Falcons.  If you remember my most recent post, they took on St. Norbert and won that game.  However, we got to go to them in his now near middle of October matchup against Lakeland, which is the Cheese Bowl rivalry.  It was also homecoming for the Falcons, and this was evident right from the kickoff what this meant to the crowd.  How did the game fare? Well an instant classic in D3, a 41-34 OT winner for Concordia, who kept their dream season going (they would win the conference and get to the NCAA playoffs fyi).  Ironically this was the second time I had seen the stadium, as I went to Kapco Park, home of the Lakeshore Chinooks years earlier. This time, I went for a game and felt like rating it sooooo here we go!

Amenities: 

There is one main food stand, where they actually don't premake the food and wrap it up.  They had the grills going for this one, and they needed it.  There were plenty of options of food and drinks.  Overall the area seemed pretty clean, if not a bit crowded (again, it's Homecoming so I suspect this was going to be the case). The unusual thing about Tomasini Stadium is there is a parking garage behind the main press/coaches box.  My suspect guess is it is for parking near some of the halls that are near the stadium for classes and for the basketball arena nearby as well as football/baseball.  Overall, 4 out of 5 works well here.

Atmosphere:

The crowd was buzzing at the start of this one, as it was homecoming, a rivalry game and it was an over capacity crowd of over 2,000 for this game.  However, by early in the third, that over capacity crowd was stymied by a 28-7 Lakeland lead. However, the tides turned and early in the fourth the crowd was rocking again when it was 28-27.  Even after a touchdown by Lakeland, CUW came back late in the fourth to tie the game to send it to overtime.  It was a monstrous buzz of a crowd who thought hope was lost.  An OT touchdown made it more noisy but only after the game was sewn up by a Lakeland turnover did the crowd fully celebrate. Yes, homecoming does make this go up. 5 out of 5 atmosphere.

Location:

Smack dab on campus, on the shores of Lake Michigan, with a terrific view of said lake.  This isn't going to be rated lower than a 5. You literally just cannot give it lower. So obviously, it's a 5.

Price/Quality:

Free parking, massive plus. Ticket was less than 10 bucks, another massive plus. Food quality though, eh could be better but could be worse. Will rate it higher since I saw them making that food rather than it being pre-made and wrapped up. Drinks are reasonably priced and heck I got a popcorn for all the drama that is football because HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE FOOTBALL MAN? 4 out of 5.

Review:

Tomasini Stadium, like it's neighbor Kapco Field, is a wonderful stadium.  That 18 goes a long way friends. Don't think you can't get it higher. Just a couple of tweaks to your amenities and food quality and you may nail the perfect score. Overall, a sensational stadium and one that the Falcons can take great pride in.

Football Stadium Review: Donald J. Schneider Stadium (St. Norbert College)

 Donald J. Schneider Stadium in De Pere, Wisconsin is the next stadium to get a review. Yes, it's named after the guy who founded Schneider National. Those are those typically big orange semis you were to see on the road.  This stadium is about 8 miles south of a much larger, more famous cathedral of football, Lambeau Field.  However, the Green Knights of St. Norbert call this stadium home. The 3,000 seat stadium hosted Concordia-Wisconsin in an October matchup in 2025, one that the Falcons won by seven.  How do we rate this stadium? Let's find out!

Amenities:

Arguably one of the cleanest stadiums I have ever been to. No trash anywhere, staff always aware, seats were clean, bathrooms were immaculate, concourses were terrific.  There is one large food/drink stand behind the grandstand. They have a lot of choices of food and drinks so you aren't limited in choice. All in all, this gets a major 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

Oh boy, this is where I have to dock the St. Norbert fandom here.  I apologize in advance.  The issue is (And another school will get docked on this too) the fact the MLB playoffs were on at the same time and Milwaukee played Chicago. That in itself will attract the state of Wisconsin well more than a D3 showdown in De Pere.  Unfortunately, the crowd itself (ironically this guy included at times) were more interested in the baseball than the football.  I easily see why the stadium was about a third full on this Saturday.  The other thing might have been it was gorgeous out on this day and for October, you take it and run because that means it'll be cold in about 3 days in Wisconsin.  However, the game was competitive but there wasn't much in the way of energy showcased.  Sorry St. Norbert, but I can't give you higher than a 1.

Location:

It's a bit of a weird Location for Donald J. Schneider Stadium, as it is off the main town area (Honestly, one of the two high school stadiums are closer to downtown to be honest) and at best, it is on the outskirt of campus even. However, it isn't hard to get to downtown. It's just a turn left after the parking lot of the stadium and you are good to go. Still, where the stadium is, you get a good nature setting, so that bumps it up. 3 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

Free parking, always a good thing for a college stadium. I think the ticket was under 10 dollars, so also pretty solidly cheap. Food/drink though will run a touch higher here than most stadiums and honestly, still average at best quality.  So all in all, 4 out of 5.

Review:

Donald J. Schneider Stadium is a beautiful stadium, but on this day they got the unlucky gift of the playoffs being on at the same time as their game.  Without the playoffs I would have hoped more people came to the game to see the game, but alas you have to rate the days you go to the game eh? 13 is a reasonable score for this game. I wouldn't mind giving this a second chance in 2027 or 2028.

Football Stadium Review: Kikkoman Stadium (Jefferson High School)

 Kikkoman is the name of so many food sauces and spices.  It's also the sponsor of the high school stadium in Jefferson, Wisconsin. There was a naming deal, I've personally never seen it but ya know, tomato, potato eh? HOWEVER, I was there for their homecoming last year (Yes, it was that time of the year where homecomings happen, both in HS and in college) so I got to see this football stadium for the first time.  How do we think it fared friends? Let's find out below! And for the record, from now on we also add quality to the price category.

Amenities:

Kikkoman Stadium is pretty clean, with a lot of room behind the main stand to just walk around and just relax.  There is one main food stand which is pretty roomy I must say, not everyone tripping and running into each other. They also had a small merch stand which for high school is pretty impressive honestly. All in all, with the cleanliness and the merch, this bumps it to 5 out of 5!

Atmosphere:

Homecoming likely skews this higher, as a likely regular game makes it not as high a score.  However, we rate based on the night we show up.  Given they walloped their opponent, the cheers became more casual as the game went along.  Hard to lie, it was a blowout, they won by 45 (which also broke our losing streak by the way in this series) and the game was practically over after the first quarter. So the crowd was more or less tuning into the halftime Homecoming showcase and looking to get the game over with so they can enjoy the night.  Still, not a bad, over capacity crowd. 3.5 out of 5.

Location:

Everything is kind of in the area for Kikkoman Stadium, but not also in the heart of downtown, which is alright as well. This is typically the case for a lot of HS stadiums, yes it's on campus with a lot of residential area nearby.  Not many are in the heart of downtown or a big campus like colleges or pros.  Still, have to give their due, everything isn't terribly far away for the crowd to go down town.  3.5 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

Free parking, a fiver to get in which is absolutely glorious.  Food and drink won't run you too high a price. Merch was pretty cheap as well so if you could nab something there, definitely do so! The quality of the food, well.. it was average. You pay a less than average price though, you'll likely get that same quality. The price though is phenomenal, quality of food needs to be better so.. 4 out of 5 is fair here.

Review:

Overall, Kikkoman Stadium is a solid HS stadium, 16 is a very reasonable score for a HS stadium.  Homecoming definitely brought an energy to the crowd that likely would not have been there otherwise.

Football Stadium Review: Art Keller Field (Carthage College)

 Art Keller Field is home to the Carthage Firebirds in Kenosha, Wisconsin.  This stadium is situated on the shores of Lake Michigan, as is the campus.  This makes the late September game I went to last year against Illinois Wesleyan a beautiful setting for the game. It was also Carthage's homecoming, which will not be the last homecoming game I went to in 2025. It was warm yes, but it was picturesque.  So, I guess that's that for the review right?! Welllllll not so fast. As you all know, here's my review of Art Keller Field!

Amenities:

So here's a bit of a new thing, there's a bookstore/dining hall that is connected to the stadium.  That does offer some options for people wanting to cool down on a warm day, or shop Firebirds merch, which they have a LOT of. Through the game, it didn't seem like a lot of the food options inside that hall were open, so that leads me to think it's a Monday-Friday sort of thing.  However, there were numerous food and drink stands on this day. The bathrooms also were in that dining hall type area, so it worked out.  Overall, though the amenities had long lines and while the staff worked hard for trying to thin the lines, with it being homecoming it was going to be a long line. Overall, 4 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

While Illinois Wesleyan won 34-10, there was a sizeable 20-0 lead built up where there wasn't much to cheer about with the over capacity crowd of 3,500 on this day. However, when Carthage got an INT down 20-7, but couldn't get a touchdown off of it to swing momentum, that was the curtain call for quite a number of fans.  Even down 20-10, there was the feeling that the Firebirds weren't coming back.  Quite a shame really, because the crowd was energized for the game.  Any closer of a game or a Firebirds win, this goes to a 5, however as it is, 3.5 out of 5 I think is appropriate.

Location: 

This is an on-campus stadium on the shore of Lake Michigan. A late September game makes it picturesque already, however Homecoming adds more to that of course.  There honestly isn't a ton of food or drink options near by, but you cannot beat the location of where this stadium is. 5 out of 5.

Price:

I'll be honest, I forget how much I paid for the ticket but I know it was under 10. I also had to park about a mile from the stadium due to all of the spots taken up and all the overflow also taken up. However, parking was free and the shuttle was fine. At the stadium, the bookstore merch wasn't incredibly expensive but I didn't get anything and just checked it out. The food and drinks were fine priced, but not overwhelmingly great or bad.  The other stands were a bit more expensive for my liking, but that's a homecoming for you.  Overall, solid 4 out of 5 is warranted here.

Review: 

You cannot beat a great lakeside stadium on a Saturday afternoon and Carthage does deliver that.  The crowd was into the game, and if Carthage capitalizes on a couple more mistakes then the crowd is deep into the game on this homecoming.  However, Carthage will honestly have a good place in my heart over the crowd of just really neat people that attended the game.  16.5 is a good number for you guys, keep up the good work Firebirds.

Football Stadium Review: Strong Stadium (Beloit College)

 Strong Stadium in Beloit, Wisconsin is the football stadium for the Beloit College Buccaneers. This 3,000 seat stadium is on the very outskirt of the college itself, about three-quarters of a mile away from the college and very near the Wisconsin/Illinois border.  On the same night that I went to Carroll University earlier in the day, I traveled I-43 to Beloit to find myself at this game, which was ironically its Homecoming Night vs. Knox. Spoiler: Beloit lost by 2, 16-14.  However, the drive down was uneventful, but how was the game and Strong Stadium itself? Let's go below!

Amenities:

The parking lot was fuller than full.  But there was a LOT of tailgating here before the game and during halftime which was fantastic. The food/drink options were all inside the stadium's entrance, as were the bathrooms.  I cannot comment on the restroom but the entrance itself was not many frills and okay. All in all for amenities, 3 out of 5 works here.

Atmosphere:

This will be skewed based on the fact it was homecoming so a greater than capacity crowd for the home side was expected.  The official attendance on the box score stated 800 but I tend to think it was more than that with the later arrivals (myself included). The crowd on the away side did have people but it was not nearly as rambunctious as the home side on the homecoming.  Unfortunately, the team didn't give the crowd a ton to cheer about. Still have to go with what it is, 3.5 out of 5. If it weren't homecoming, there'd likely be a lower score.

Location:

Not being squarely on campus here hurts Beloit, because you actually have to travel further to get to food/drink and good spots to just have a good Saturday night out. Unless you would rather go to South Beloit, in Illinois which has some stuff right away as you cross the border.  Either way, it's a good spot for an athletic complex, but there isn't a ton around it. Overall, 2 out of 5.

Price:

Have to hand it to Beloit for this: Free parking (Street parking, so, rolling with it being free), free tickets (they literally didn't have a ticket on their site and no one even checked), and low price food/drinks saves this. I didn't have any of the food because I ate before the game.  5 out of 5 though for price.

Review:

Strong Stadium is an alright place, if albeit just lacking in major details.  The student body want a winner and it has been over 15 years of a lot of losing for the Buccaneers.  I hope that they can succeed in the future so that the student base and the fans can pack Strong Stadium. Otherwise, 13 is the best I can offer here.

Football Stadium Review: Schneider Stadium (Carroll University)

 Schneider Stadium, home of the Carroll Pioneers.  It's a stadium in Waukesha that I have driven past a couple of times in the past, but wondered how it would be as a spectator to look at a football game here.  I got that opportunity a year ago to see how the Pios were against Washington University-St. Louis. This was a bit of a weird game as a storm rolled through in the third quarter of the contest, delaying the game by over an hour. By then, I had already committed to having to go to the second game of my double header day, so I had to forego the remainder of the game.  Still 2.5 quarters was good enough to summarize this stadium.  Let's see how Schneider Stadium fares!

Amenities:

Pretty good selection of food and drinks are here.  Initial concourse is a bit narrow, with a tennis court essentially side by side, however the place does widen out as you get towards the bleachers. Bathrooms are a bit dated but the VIP area behind the endzone is a neat place.  Probably the best amenity is the fact you could theoretically not pay and be able to sit in the gazebo or watch from past the stadium where there is non-screened off fencing.  Though overall, based on the amenities and the relative cleanliness of the stadium, going 3.5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

The Pios lost this game on this day by 12, though before the weather delay the crowd definitely was into the game.  This was one of the more better atmospheres.  I have to think the remainder of the crowd wasn't as boastful with energy post-delay but before that, there was a palpable energy for the home team (and those from the away side that attended as well). With that, I have to give this a solid 4 out of 5.

Location:

It's an on-campus stadium in Waukesha, so this will be a big number.  They also have a ton of options within Waukesha for food and drinks and fun spots. However, just around the stadium blocks, there are some options as well.  The fact the stadium is near the basketball arena, softball and baseball diamonds is a plus but it's smack dab on campus for the students to get to a game. With that, 5 out of 5!

Price:

Parking ended up being free, parking on a street was a good thing.  The game itself I think was around 10 dollars, so not necessarily the most expensive.  Drinks I believe were Pepsi brand, so do note that if you go to Schneider Stadium. The food was.. fine.  Wasn't anything spectacular so will knock it a bit.  With that said, 4 out of 5 seems fine.

Review: 

Schneider Stadium is a solid D3 stadium in the CCIW. 16.5 is a very good grade for this stadium in Waukesha.  The University should be happy regarding the rating, because you guys are doing things great. Keep it up!