Football Stadium Review: Community Stadium (UW-Stevens Point)

 Community Stadium at Goerke Park is my last stadium that I went to in 2025.  This stadium is located in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, and it is home not only to the Stevens Point HS team, but also UW-Stevens Point football.  The Pointers were very solid in the 2000's but have fallen on hard times as a program since the 2010's happened and this year of 2025 was no different.  The Pointers struggled after non-conference play, amassing a 4-6 record but another losing season. The last loss was against UW-La Crosse (If you remember them from the last stadium review, they had essentially a win and clinch a spot in the D3 playoffs against the Pointers) and it was a brutal one, a 52-0 destruction. Ironically that was the second 52-0 loss of the year and the third time giving up 52 points in the conference for UWSP.  How did I rate Community Stadium though? Let's find out!

Amenities:

The stadium has one main food stand that has multiple lanes so you don't have a massive wait.  The food and drinks are there and there are a good assortment of that.  There is a separate beer stand with the Point Beer, which is the staple of Stevens Point, and is a sponsor of UWSP. The bathroom however, is a small one on the visitor side and I have to downgrade that a bit.  Overall, 3.5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

If you were a La Crosse fan, you were happy. A UWSP fan though would be pretty downtrodden with the performance. The Pointer crowd did have life for the game, but the team just didn't have much going in this shutout loss.  I give credit to the fans though, so I will give them a 2 out of 5.

Location:

Not a bad location, it's on the outskirt of campus so technically qualifies.  It isn't terribly far from downtown Stevens Point and the places there. So all in all, I will give this likely a 3.5 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

The Pizza I had was.. fine? It wasn't great but not bad. The soda was fine as well.  I forget the cost of the ticket but parking was free.  The quality of the team was a let down but sometimes that is the day for you.  Overall, another solid 4 out of 5 for price and quality.

Review: 

Community Stadium at Goerke Park is a fine WIAC and D3 stadium.  It wasn't as great as UW-RF or UW-O when I went in 2008 nor UW-W but it's better than UW-Platteville if I were to rate the WIAC stadiums.  It is a solid 13 score to end the 2025 stadiums for me.  Until we go to games in 2026!

Football Stadium Review: Ramer Field (UW-River Falls)

 UW-River Falls was not notably a great football team for a long, long time.  They also weren't a powerhouse until the last few years.  They were typically an also-ran and a practical easy W on the schedule for a lot of teams.  Something happened after the time of the pandemic.  River Falls became a very, very good football team.  Sometimes that happens, and one coach helped changed that mindset as the Falcons kept winning and winning.  Matt Walker changed the trajectory of this program, one that led to a major job at Drake (good luck to him sincerely, even if I am a Warhawk fan). The reason I bring all this up, is during their darling run to being NCAA champs last year, I was able to attend the game they became WIAC champs, a demolishing of UW-La Crosse led by the Top Gun offense that amassed nearly 600 yards a game.  With that, how did I rate Ramer Field? Let's look below!

Amenities:

A large food stand behind the main grandstand is what is introduced to you right away. As you walk around the stadium, another stand, this for the adult drinks is provided and their is some sort of VIP/booster area which not many stadiums had featured which is honestly pretty neat.  This stadium is WIDE, like many people side by side wide, which makes it very nice to just walk around.  The bathrooms, pretty alright honestly, no major lines even with the near sellout crowds that Ramer Field likely accustomed themselves to the last couple of years. All in all, 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

This is an easy one, a major matchup of two top ten teams in the WIAC, conference title hopes that were happening. The crowd was jazzed all day long as they were reveling in this run of success and that run ultimately led to a national championship.  Even if the weather was cold, the fans were energetic and it was a blast to be around. Definitely a 5 out of 5 atmosphere.  I desperately hope that even though Coach Walker moved on that UW-RF is a solid program still and the atmosphere stays great.

Location:

It is on the outskirt of campus but it is with the other athletic facilities.  Sometimes that happens with these D3 colleges.  I do note it is on campus and there are a few things nearby and it is close enough to downtown to warrant a solid rating. 3.5 out of 5 overall.

Price/Quality:

The burger I had was decent, and they had Coca-Cola products here.  The alcoholic drinks are pricey if you go, but then again most places are so.. you get what you pay for there. I forget what the ticket cost but that's fine considering the high level of football played.  Parking while free is kind of a nightmare to deal with.  There wasn't a sign saying the main lot was full, so it took a lot of patience going in and out, then going across the street, which doesn't seem like a fully safe street.  I'll have to knock it for that. 4 out of 5. 

Review:

Ramer Field is a very top of the line D3 stadium by 2025 standards.  I do want to observe the Post-Coach Walker era to see how they keep their team going, if it is still a strong unit or if there is a significant drop off. All in all though, on my visit, it was a very awesome atmosphere and the Falcons and their staff and fans deserve this solid 17.5.

Football Stadium Review: Fireman's Field (Mayville High School)

 Fireman's Field in Mayville, Wisconsin was the end of our road trip of high school stadiums in 2025, and home to one of the most classic football games few will ever see.  A quarter final duel against Amherst commenced, and a back and forth game featured a wild 21-14 lead for Amherst before Mayville scored but failed to get the two to trail 21-20 before recovering the onside kick to then get a big play which led to a touchdown and a couple Amherst bad breaks later led to a 26-21 Cardinal win in the end.  That clinched them a spot in the semifinals, where they then won and then won the state championship.  This game will live on in lore for the Mayville football team, and what was my thoughts going into it? Let's find out!

Amenities: 

There's the food stand in the main level of the press box, the bathrooms are actually housed in the bus station near the stadium. It's relatively clean but relatively small as well, so there's bound to be a wait.  Same with the food stand.  Overall, pretty clean stadium, and they were in the process of donations to help the football field, so that'll be likely a cool upgrade.  Overall, solid 4 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

Quite frankly, a terrific atmosphere.  This is what playoff football is all about.  Even before the heroics of the onside kick that led to the game winning touchdown, I was rating this a five because the fans at a Mayville touchdown were excited. When Amherst scored, their fans were up and about and cheering. When the comeback happened, it was one of the loudest high school crowds. Everyone's hearts were in their throat watching the end drive by Amherst.  Easily put, 5 out of 5.

Location:

Honestly, a good location for the stadium.  Right behind the high school, near downtown and near enough stuff that is within a mile or two so that definitely warrants a good rating. Not many high school stadiums will be smack dab in a town or near a lot, so we rate it with distance to.  Mayville has that down pat. Solid 4 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

Honestly, 7 dollars and free parking for this quarterfinal that had all the fixings of an instant classic. I had a burger and it was fine on quality, but cheap price so you get what you pay for.  I forget how much the hot chocolate was but I assume it was cheap.  Honestly, the quality of the game far outweighs the decent burger. 5 out of 5 easy.

Review:

Fireman's Field definitely benefited from the instant classic this playoff quarterfinal was. It had everything and more on the field. The stadium itself is very solid as well, evidenced by the 18 point score they got.  I know they are furthering getting donations to that field when I went there last year, so in time, it likely will be even better. Great job Mayville!

Football Stadium Review: Taylor Field (Lakeland University)

 Taylor Field at Lakeland University, which is somehow with a Plymouth, Wisconsin address (more on that later) is the scene for the next stadium review.  This is a D3 school from the NACC conference who hosted Concordia-Chicago on this day that I am reviewing.  The Muskies were already out of playoff and conference contention, so this was merely for pride and good vibes for the rest of the year.  They did their job on this day, winning by 31. What did I think of Taylor Field, let's find out below!

Amenities:

A really clean stadium all around, with a food truck, a different food and drink stand, a set of tables for you to sit and eat and watch the game, also fairly clean bathrooms.  The one downside is that while they have a gift shop for merch, it's closed at halftime.  Why? No idea. Major bust there that they couldn't leave it open all day. Otherwise, 4 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

That whole being out of playoff and conference contention really, really hurt Lakeland here.  With that, even with the win, there was almost next to no energy from the crowd, outside of one fan who was raring to fight with the other teams' head coach following a late hit. He later settled down away from the people that were on the bleachers.  Can't do much otherwise though, and unfortunately for Lakeland they didn't have much excitement even in this win.  Sorry friends, you are getting a .5 out of 5.

Location:

Remember me saying that this is somehow with a Plymouth, Wisconsin address? That's because this stadium and university are like 10 miles from Plymouth.  It's LITERALLY in the middle of nowhere. Yes this is an on-campus stadium but that's literally it's only saving grace. Otherwise I cannot really give this more than 1.5 even on location.  It's just one of the more odd stadium locations and one of the more odd college locations ever.

Price/Quality:

Parking being free is always a plus, and the ticket I believe was around 8 dollars so pretty inexpensive as well.  The Food was average, the drinks were Pepsi brand so no problem there.  The food truck was too expensive for my liking (I learned my lesson from Ripon). All in all, 4 out of 5.

Review:

Taylor Field is a nice, clean facility, but it's in the middle of nowhere and when your team isn't very good, the atmosphere is pretty much non-existent.  I did give this a 10 and to be honest, it's a bit more friendly than I thought I would give. The saving grace is it is a clean stadium a relatively cheap day at the ground.  It was, unfortunately, the worst stadium I went to in 2025.

Football Stadium Review: Fireman's Park (Columbus High School)

 Fireman's Park was our next stop in Columbus, Wisconsin for a matchup that was in the WIAA playoffs featuring the Columbus High School Cardinals.  The Cardinals were a top seed in the division they were in, so they got to host this game in hopes of getting to the quarter finals. To say they easily won is an understatement. They won by 35 to get themselves into the quarterfinals.  Fireman's Park is also a football field that either does or had hosted either baseball or softball at some point. It's a old style field and one that just harkens back the days of old.  With that, let's review this place shall we?

Amenities:

This was more of a food table with snacks and drinks.  They did make the food in prep for this so that was fine.  I assume the building at Fireman's Park is where they had the bathrooms but I didn't have to use it so.. if you go for the first time needing to know where to go then the fans can let you know!  Also, another surprise awaits later in the review.  Have to say though, clean facility, 4 out of 5!

Atmosphere:

This atmosphere is what I wished Arrowhead was in the first parts of these playoff football reveals.  The atmosphere, even with a large lead, was electric.  The students and the fans were all in the game. The students were energized all night until the final whistle.  This is the atmosphere I love to see when going to a football game.  Other people, take note.  This is how you do this.  5 out of 5.

Location:

Right behind the high school is big, it's a bit of a ways from downtown but honestly, most high schools are so I cannot knock it too much. Lot of residential around the area and it's not a big town Columbus, but overall the location is fine! 4 out of 5

Price/Quality:

A solid 7 dollars and free parking just to watch a playoff game in the WIAA is fantastic. The one surprise that they had was a bake sale that went towards something at the school. Major plus because I bought cookies that were absolutely delicious.  They also had Dr. Pepper, so added plus all around.  I don't recall having other food there but the array of choices helped this place out a lot.  5 out of 5.

Review:

Fireman's Park is a fantastic place for a football game and one place that you should visit if you are in the area.  A score of 18 is very well done, and ties that of Johnson Creek High School for their great things as well.  Overall, one of the best I visited through the year.

Football Stadium Review: Hopp Stadium (Ripon College)

 Hopp Stadium in Ripon, Wisconsin is home to the Ripon Redhawks of the Division 3 Midwest Conference. This 2,000 seat stadium plays host not just to the football program, but also both soccer programs too.  It is one of the newest D3 stadiums, as it opened just three years ago in 2023.  I had the opportunity to attend a game here in this town in central Wisconsin. Unfortunately, the result was a 31 point loss for the Redhawks, which was a massive downside. However, how did Hopp Stadium fare? Let's find out below!

Amenities:

So.. no regular food stand but a food truck was there. The bathrooms were clean and the whole stadium was super clean. The staff were also super nice, so the amenities are sort of there, but no main food stand is a very interesting choice.  3 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

You definitely could easily feel for the Ripon fans, after a 31-0 loss on this day, because there were several opportunities for the Redhawks to score and make this a game but nothing was done. It was a bunch who wanted to have something to cheer about, but there was a palpable frustration throughout. Unfortunately on this day, this dampened the atmosphere.  There was emotion though, so I will give it a 1.5 out of 5.

Location:

Ripon is in central-ish Wisconsin, but with a population of under 8 thousand, it's going to rely on the college a lot.  Hopp Stadium is smack dab in the middle of the campus which makes this a solid plus.  It is also not terribly far from the main town center, but again it is a small town that won't be incredibly lively. The on-campus stadium part does help this score pretty solidly and will help the students have a Saturday afternoon watching ball for a couple of hours. 3.5 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

It's less than 10 for a ticket and it was free to park near the stadium.  Those are the plus sides.  The food was way too expensive overall and lacked the quality to make it worth the price.  At best, it was above average.  With that, its a 3 out of 5 with the ticket/parking being cheap making this as high of a score as it is.

Review:

One of the newest stadiums on the board, Hopp Stadium does have some things to work out.  Mainly, if they got a food stand of their own it might help.  The food truck was far too expensive for middle of the road quality. I feel a lot of this rating would have been better if the atmosphere was better, but you have to rate on the days you go, and unfortunately for the Redhawks, they get rated on a rather tough day.  Will say, this would be a stadium I would like to review again in a couple of years if able. For now, that 11 will stay.

Football Stadium Review: Taraska Stadium (Arrowhead High School)

 Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin is known as a state football juggernaut year in and year out, producing division 1 talent by the bunches. Taraska Stadium is where they play the sport of football and it's where I got to see them play in the first round of the WIAA playoffs in 2025.  I've been to Arrowhead High on one occasion.  Back in the year of 2007 when I was looking at colleges, they had a showcase of colleges and I got to look into it for the future. I've never been to their football stadium, nor actually saw it until this night.  Now Arrowhead did win this one going away en route to their state championship in the coming weeks. How did I rate this stadium? Let's find out below!

Amenities:

The food stand is there, there's a massive walkway, there's an elevator for the coaching staff to get to their booths in the boxes, and there was a food truck as well as the main stand.  There was one kind of major thing missing: Bathrooms.  Yep, they forgot the bathrooms to this place.  They did have porta-potties, but man, a D1 juggernaut without bathrooms? Massive gut punch bro.  3.5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

There was a section of students, but it wasn't in a numerous amount. They were kind of into the game but kind of not at the same time.  The crowd was much of the same way.  It felt like it was a game where they would attend, the team would show up, win by a bunch and they can come out in force the next couple of weeks, and to that credit, they did win.  The team does have a solid opening onto the field, kind of how you would envision a college team with the team running through an inflatable tunnel and then running onto the field with some pyrotechnics. The team has the atmosphere down, but the crowd was more laid back. Going to split this one down the middle at 2.5 out of 5.

Location:

Arrowhead is in Hartland, which isn't a big town by any stretch.  It's off a couple of highways but there is a lot of residential areas around this school.  Most high schools are like this so it's no knock to Arrowhead. Overall, not a bad location and warrants a 4 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

We paid seven dollars this time, but that's the WIAA standard for the playoffs, so it isn't on Arrowhead.  The food truck was pretty pricey so I skipped it.  The food stand itself was where I mainly just got a couple of snacks and a hot chocolate.  The hot chocolate was good, and cheap too.  The snacks were cheap so cannot complain.  I go with what I bought so I couldn't rate the other food. Honestly, solid 4 out of 5 overall.

Review:

All in all, Taraska Stadium isn't a bad stadium at all.  I wish the crowd were more into the game than what they were but I cannot complain about the rest of it.  They score a 14, and they definitely have room to make that score go higher and I fully believe they will try to.

Football Stadium Review: Lubbers Stadium (Grand Valley State University)

 For the first time since Labor Day weekend (Okay it was literally like 6 weeks, so it wasn't a ton of time) we got out of Wisconsin for a football game. This time, we went to Michigan and to a school whose football stadium is highly rated and highly thought of and home to one of the most prestigious D2 schools in the nation.  Grand Valley State plays at Lubbers Stadium, and typically it's a raucous atmosphere awaiting their opponents.  On this day, it was Saginaw Valley State who the Lakers hosted, and the road team scored a one point victory.  This isn't to wallow in the Lakers loss, even though the end of the first half was one of the weirdest I have ever seen in my life. How did Lubbers Stadium fare? Let's find out!

Amenities:

All the amenities were there for Lubbers Stadium. Several concession and drink stands in one end zone, a hilly area for some to sit and run on, multiple bathrooms, and a 360 concourse throughout. It's honestly a very clean stadium as well and the staff are right on it for any major ordeals.  All in all, have to rate the amount of amenities and cleanliness a 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

I.. I thought this was a raucous bunch and the students packed this place? On this day, hardly any students came to the game. I don't know what prompted the students not to be at the game, but there were hardly any students there and the crowd that did arrive was almost like a sleepwalking group.  The most noise at any point came from the Saginaw bunch that drove to Lubbers to cheer their team on.  I'm sorry Lakers fans, you are getting wrecked on this behalf, it's worse than a 1, it's a .5 out of 5.

Location:

It's on the outskirts of the campus, which I get, but Allendale also.. isn't necessarily close to a lot of things? The football stadium has options to eat and sleep and stuff around so it's not too far from the town's center.  Overall though, 3 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

I think I paid 15 for the ticket, which ironically was the away side.  I don't remember what I paid for parking on top of that, but it's fine. I won't complain about parking for a D2 team.  What I will complain about is the price for pizza that is average at best at the game and their burger which was also average at best.  Mountain Dew that I had was.. of course.. Mountain Dew.  I can't go higher than down the middle on this, 2.5 out of five.

Review:

I'm sorry Lakers fans, I have to get on you on this. This was honestly a disappointment to go to.  Maybe it's the fact that the team couldn't get out of its own way in the game and lost by one to a team they should have beaten. Maybe it's the fact there was no energy throughout from the crowd. Maybe it's just a combination of things but I felt let down.  It's a beautiful stadium but.. I can't give you higher than an 11 for it.  I would love to come back to see possibly a more exciting game and maybe this score will change. 

Football Stadium Review: Warriors Field (Lakeside Lutheran High School)

 I never could find the name for Lakeside Lutheran's high school field, so we roll with it with Warriors Field. I was able to attend the second half of this game after the Lake Mills first half.  In actuality, you could hear the Lakeside crowd from the Lake Mills stadium when there was a big play going on. Given the schools are only a mile from each other, that may or may not be telling. How did I find this football field? Let's find on out!

Amenities:

One main concession stand in the building with the grandstand, but you have to walk inside the school to head to the bathroom.  It's a bit weird but.. it works.  The stadium is a bit narrow to go around with but it's doable.  It's a pretty wide space once you get by the grandstand.  Also there is a hill you can sit on in one of the endzones.  Overall, 4 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

Like I said, you could hear the Lakeside crowd from the Lake Mills game, and it was a positive, festive atmosphere for this game on their senior night as well, although this squad wasn't going to the playoffs.  The second half, especially the fourth quarter, was a cheerful bunch.  And the win by 15 helped the raucous crowd end on a good note.  Overall, gotta give this group a 5 out of 5!

Location:

It's only a mile-ish from Lake Mills High School and it's a touch further away from downtown.  Not necessarily a bad thing but it does knock it just slightly.  Otherwise, a lot of residential area around this stadium and it's going to result in a 3.5 out of 5.

Price/Quality:

I know the prices were on par with Lake Mills, and honestly if I didn't come in the second half I would have had to pay a fiver to get in. However, still parking would have been free which is always a good time.  I am sure the quality of the food was on Par with Lake Mills as well.  No ice cream stand to promote FFA at this one though.  Overall, still have to go 4 out of 5.

Review:

Warriors Field is a solid football stadium to go watch a team play.  The atmosphere on this season finale was electric, so kudos to the fans and the crowd for being into the game.  16.5 is not a bad score at all for you guys Lakeside Lutheran, splendid job.

Football Stadium Review: L-Cat Stadium (Lake Mills High School)

 L-Cat Stadium in Lake Mills, Wisconsin hosts the Lake Mills High School football team.  The L-Cats play in Division 4. On this Senior Night, the L-Cats had a major night, winning by 44. How did L-Cat Stadium feature here? Well I will sit and say that I went to see this game and it was for one half, and I attended a second game right after the first half was over. But let's find out below!

Amenities:

A massive food stand, with a bathroom next to it, a solid ticket window and there is an added plus for an ice cream stand outside the stadium that donated to the school's FFA on this night.  Overall, everything was pretty solid and right there for the stadium.  Also a clean facility so have to rate amenities highly, a 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

The L-Cat fans and students were in this game early and often, and for the first half when I was here. I am guessing it became more of an informal and more chatty crowd in the second half as it was just a game to run the clock out and enjoy Senior night overall.  For the half I was there though, have to rate it high, 4 out of 5!

Location:

Lake Mills is a bit of a weird town as a lot of the business outside of main downtown is near the interstate.  The school isn't really close to the interstate, but is close enough to downtown to walk to.  But given most high schools aren't smack dab in downtown or near an interstate, I do this essentially on proximity.  With this, another 4 out of 5 is warranted.

Price/Quality:

Ice Cream that donated to the FFA was a plus, and the ice cream was good! Overall, food was alright, not significantly great or bad.  Drinks were aplenty of options but cheap.  Also, tickets at five dollars and parking being free, never a bad thing at all.  If the food was just a touch better, it'd go higher. The way it is now, solid 4 out of 5. 

Review:

L-Cat Stadium is one of the highest rated high school stadiums on this list, and for good reason. It's a solid football stadium and atmosphere.  Given that Lake Mills has typically been a good football program, it helps the fanbase.  Overall, getting a 17 is definitely warranted.

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!

Football Stadium Review: Umnus Field (Luther Preparatory School)

 Luther Prep in Watertown is a Preparatory School that is denoted as high school. Yes, wrap your head around that. On campus is their football stadium, Umnus Field. The stadium, according to the WIAA, holds 1,300 seats and the Phoenix play Division 5 football.  I was able to attend a game at Luther Prep.  Note, there will be an additional point given to the PA guy who said "Move the chains, first and tennnnnn LUTHER PREP" so be aware for that as we rate this stadium! Let's go!

Amenities:

First, the concessions are behind the stands on the lowest level of the press/coaches box. It's a bit odd, but the way the stadium is and the way Luther Prep is, it's understandable.  I didn't have to use any other concourses but noticed the stadium was clean and without major garbage anywhere so they do a good job every game of keeping the stadium clean.  Just the main concession area, no where else.  The ticket desk at the start of the stadium is very basic.  Parking is limited in the parking lot, but lots of area to street park around the stadium.  Overall, solid 4 of 5.

Atmosphere:

Honestly, what a difference pre-school year to school year makes.  When I reviewed WHS' game, the atmosphere was incredibly dull. Luther Prep's, the opposite, at least until the fourth quarter when Martin Luther (Yeah, it's weird how my last review had this, and now this one, weird coincidences abound) pulled away to a 13 point victory. We also saw referees and coaches getting into it. However, what stood out was the student section was into the game for most of it. The non-students were.. kinda just there. They celebrated big plays or touchdowns, but not necessarily other things.  Would have liked more from them.  Overall, 3.5 out of 5.

Location:

While not heart of downtown, it's closer to downtown than WHS, so this gets a bit of a boost. You are closer to a lot of the food options and other spots in Watertown from Luther Prep than WHS.  The football field being RIGHT BEHIND the campus also works. So location, it's easy 5 out of 5.

Price:

A fiver to get in the stadium, free parking, concessions that are not going to break the budget, even if the food was average. Cannot hate it at all, if they get better taste on their food, they get a five. Right now though, 4 out of 5 is solid.

Review:

Umnus Field is a solid little stadium for high school football.  Cannot go wrong with a game here.  Because I said we grant an additional point to the stadium PA guy, this gets bumped up from 16.5 to 17.5.  Keep making slight improvements Luther Prep, you are nearly there.

Football Stadium Review: Banta Bowl (Lawrence University)

 Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin is a private university (not aligned with the UW system) that is based in this city in the Fox Valley region of the state.  It's football program has been mired in being a non-competitive program for several years, with only a handful of wins since the COVID season was taken in 2020.  I was able to find the Banta Bowl for their home opener against Martin Luther, and unfortunately their best game of the season still resulted in a 19 point loss for the Vikings.  However, how did I find the Banta Bowl overall? Let's find out below (And of course, the ratings go to Amenities, Atmosphere, Location and Price).

Amenities:

If the Banta Bowl has anything going for it, it's an exceptionally clean, roomy place with plenty enough to offer to the Vikings fans.  They have a merch stand, food stand, bathrooms, and they have a concourse that is really wide.  It doubles as a soccer stadium as well, so it is helpful for all sports. Overall, very clean facility and stadium, wide concourse.  One does get a knock though is the wait at the gate to get in the stadium.  Yes, it was a game that denoted its highest crowd (though not a sellout) but there was a significant wait to get into the game. Overall, 4 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

When you have only a handful of wins in a half decade, it doesn't bode well for atmosphere.  The Vikings fans feel they want a winner, and during their touchdowns, they did get excited. However, in a 33-14 game, the fans can only be so excited and energetic. The away crowd with Martin Luther was excited as they nearly packed the away stand. So the away fans were more excited than the home fans. I have to go based off of what happened that day, so the best I can give is a 1.5 out of 5.

Location:

The Banta Bowl is situated in Appleton but secluded from the major areas of Appleton, like the mall, shopping areas, etc.  It might be on Lawrence's campus but feels like the outskirt of it. However, the way it is sunk into the earth is neat for a stadium setting.  However, around it isn't.. a lot. An aquatic center is there, but otherwise it's just a road and a side road. You'll have to travel a couple miles for a lot of the main food options. Overall, 2 out of 5.

Price:

For the fact it's a bad record-wise football team playing in a nice stadium, tickets are cheap. Food/drink is fine for price and I believe merch was a decent price too. No major frills, the food and drink are fine, but not overwhelmingly terrific. But this is where the score will be high, 5 out of 5 for price.

Review:

Unfortunately, The Banta Bowl is a stadium that is good, but surrounded in essence by a program that has lost, and continues to lose, a bunch in a half decade.  If they can ever right the ship, pardon the pun, it feels like the Banta Bowl will become a lively place.  However, 12.5 is the best they can get in these circumstances. 

Football Stadium Review: Glover Field (Johnson Creek High School)

 Glover Field in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin is a high school football stadium which its high school was featured on one of Five Points Vids YouTube clips (Yes JCHS, your domed style high school caught YT sports people's attention).  For Glover Field, we went on the third trip (Is it fair to call it a trip, its not more than 10 miles away) on the football 2025 trip that we took.  According to the WIAA, this stadium seats 1300.  How did they fare on this night? A two point win, which brought us to 3-0 on the season (Don't worry, that undefeated streak did run out soon) so how did the fans fare at Glover Field? Let's go, and note we do this via amenities, Atmosphere, location, and price.

Amenities: 

There are plenty of food and drink options at Glover Field, with one main concession stand.  There is also a bathroom so the amenities are of course there. No major issues on waiting, and unless you were waiting at halftime, it wasn't a terribly long wait anyway, even with a full crowd like this night. The staff are crisp and quick, and they keep the facility clean.  So all in all, have to give the staff a 5 out of 5 for the amenities and cleanliness.

Atmosphere:

Unlike the previous HS on this list, JCHS fans get out to support their Blue Jays in vast amounts.  This night it was a full crowd in the stands and in the overflow area.  There is plenty of grass space outside the stadium, so kids can just sit outside or play football. The atmosphere was electric for a HS crowd, and while there wasn't a ton of scoring (it was a 14-12 win), the crowd did cheer a lot for a turnover, a first down or otherwise.  They were in the game, and for that, it's a 5 out of 5.

Location:

Maybe one of the more unusual locations, considering its on the outskirt of the town rather than in town.  It does give a lot of room for the school and the stadium however, and there is the possibility that the town can expand in living area/business in years to come.  It's not relatively close to much of the main food areas or main stops in Johnson Creek, so you'll have to drive a couple miles to the main mall, food places or otherwise.  This gets a 3 out of 5.

Price:

This is easy, it's a 5. Free parking, a fiver for a ticket, with the ability for cash and non-cash tickets, 50/50 raffle is cheap. Food/drink are good choices and decent in taste. Either way, a single person can come away fulfilled with 10-15 dollars spent and not have much issue.  They deserve this five rating.

Review:

This is about as close to a perfect stadium as it can get and JCHS deserves an 18. They do a fantastic job all around with Glover Field.  With JCHS typically a solid football program every year, we can expect them to keep doing a top notch job with the stadium.

Football Stadium Review: Huskie Stadium (Northern Illinois)

 For those that have been reading my blogs through this time, we have reached a momentus milestone of 200 posts! Hooray for this! What do we do to celebrate this? Why, another stadium review of course! This time, to north central Illinois, to the city of DeKalb, IL to be exact. This is where Huskie Stadium is, and where the Northern Illinois Huskies call home.  NIU has been home to many college legends like Michael Turner and Jordan Lynch, who led the Huskies to a BCS Bowl game.  With that, this stadium that holds 28,211 was the site of a pre-Labor Day contest between the Huskies and the Holy Cross Crusaders (Sorry, Badgers fans, I am opening up that wound now). End Result: Northern Illinois walked away winners 19-17. As with every stadium review, it goes Amenities, Atmosphere, Location, and Price and a last review of the event is what we see here.  Let's go!

Amenities:

NIU makes sure they have plenty of options of food and drink around Huskie Stadium so fans will not be lacking there.  They also have a lot of room for tailgating, tents and fan zones outside the stadium so they do really well here as well.  The merch areas have a lot of different things.  I got a shirt and a plushie for a reasonable price of under 40 dollars (most days at sporting events if you get a shirt at 40, you are lucky). The bathrooms are a bit weird in some areas, as you have to walk down to get to them.  Not necessarily a negative thing, but one that is odd.  It is a fairly basic type stadium though and the people and staff maintain a pretty clean stadium overall. Will give it 4 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

I have to say the Huskies did themselves no favors getting the crowd involved in this one.  With it being on Labor Day weekend, it was going to be a tough sell against an FCS opponent to sell the game out, and it was no where close on that.  However, the team didn't give the fans much reason to cheer until the fourth quarter and getting the win.  I know the atmosphere here can be a lot better, but I do have to rate based on the game and day I went.  This really isn't on the fans, it's more on the team.  The fans seem to be a fanbase that wants a proven and constant winner, so they can have more people come in to maybe sell out the stadium.  Again, don't hate me NIU, this was more on the team not giving you more to cheer about. 2 out of 5.

Location:

A college stadium on campus is never something to not give a positive remark to.  It's also around the basketball arena, the softball and baseball diamonds so it gives a sort of athletic complex feel to it. NIU is kind of on the outskirt of DeKalb a bit, but it's easy to get to.  Parking is easy as well. So the location is a good one. They are about a mile-ish away from the major food areas and social places that aren't already on campus.  However, solid location, and with as much area as NIU has for all the tailgating and fan festivities and such, cannot go wrong.  Solid 4 out of 5.

Price:

About 25 dollars for the ticket isn't bad, and is comparable to more of the group of 5 teams in the NCAA. However, 20 dollars for parking was pretty steep I thought, even by those same standards (I don't typically go to D1 stadiums so I could be skewed). The food/drink ran me about 10 dollars combined and wasn't terribly outlandish in terms of being good or bad. Both were just fine.  As I mentioned earlier, the merch was decently priced for what I got, so no qualms there.  Again, I think 4 out of 5 works.

Review:

I haven't visited a MAC stadium before this one and NIU is the closest to me. Honest impression is a solid stadium, that has a lot to offer.  I think the 14 I gave is a solid one because I am not sure what other MAC stadiums (maybe I should say MWC now as NIU is going there) would be better. So solid stadium NIU, just keep trying to improve as you go forward!

Football Stadium Field Review: Landsverk Field (Watertown High School)

 Landsverk Field, home to my alma mater, the Watertown Goslings.  A football stadium, soccer stadium and a host with a track and field surface for track events, this multi-purpose stadium seats 3600, and has bleachers on both sides.  The game I attended was prior to the school year so this kind of makes the ratings a bit skewed but let's get on with the show shall we? We rate this based on Amenities, Atmosphere, Location and Price.

Amenities:

 At Landsverk Field, you have one main concession stand now (It appears a second one is no longer in use, or at least wasn't on this night) but a main walkway all around the stadium, bathrooms in one section of the stadium and that's mainly it.  The bathrooms are typically clean, as is the walkways around the stadium. The staff who maintain the facility on game night do a good job overall. So, with what's there and knowing the capacity isn't that incredibly high, 5 out of 5 works.

Atmosphere:

Unfortunately, Watertown has had a pretty bleak football team in terms of results for several years now.  The school is Division 2 in football, and honestly they haven't been winning more than 1-2 games for a few years now.  On this night, their home opener and second game of the year, didn't help the atmosphere too much, even with a winning effort.  The students that were there did show some enthusiasm, but there weren't a lot of students of which to come out to the game. That's largely because the first two or three weeks of the football season were played prior to school even starting so this likely affected the crowd amount.  Even with the crowd that was there, I can't give it more than 1.5 out of 5.

Location:

Landsverk Field is on campus at the high school, which is surrounded by a park, a disc golf area, some businesses but a bunch of residential areas. This will largely be a host of these stadiums though so take what I say with more or less a grain of salt.  A lot more stuff is downtown about a mile to mile and a half. Overall, 3 out of 5 for location.

Price:

It's five dollars to get in, parking is free, and most of the food/drinks won't run more than a couple of dollars.  Unfortunately, they don't have a ton of actual food options and more snacks.  Overall, given what's there and it being cheap, we'll go 4 out of 5.

Review:

Landsverk Field is part of my alma mater, but those days of having an electric team and atmosphere appear long ago at this rate.  A 13.5 rating is fine, but the cleanliness and the price really do save this rating a lot.  A good rating, now lets hope they get a good football team again.

Coors Field A Must For Baseball Fans

 Coors Field in Denver, Colorado.  Long noted as a baseball stadium that is very well rated, and one that fans always recommend to go to.  I never had the chance to go, until July of 2025 that is.  Yeah, so what happens when you match up a terrible team like the Chicago White Sox with another historically bad team in the Colorado Rockies? Some YouTubers would call this Tank Bowl, or the Greatest Game (Although this would be the Greatest Series since baseball). However, on this day, the historically bad Rockies were 20-69, on the possible verge of getting swept.  However they won (Yes, I guess my presence helped them win. I did go 4-1 after all in 2025 in baseball games). 

 How did Coors Field rank though overall? Let's find out, and like every post from past to future, it's all based on Amenities, Atmosphere, Location and Price.

Amenities:

 Most MLB stadiums do have a ton of options for food and drinks, and Coors Field is no different. Food options on virtually every level, with specialty areas on the top deck. Even the bleachers had an option for food and drinks, and this team was.. well bad.  Given the weekend of July 4th, there was a sizeable crowd. There is a play area for families in the left field area. There is a lot of shops for merch around the ball park. The ballpark is clean throughout and the bathrooms are easy to navigate and also clean.  All in all, have to go 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

Honestly, this is where I dutifully wish Colorado had a good ball club.  There is the renderings and pennants of 2007 everywhere but also the memories of that historic season plus the two years the Rockies got to the playoffs with Bud Black as manager as well.  This is a city of Denver that loves the Rockies, but they sorely wish they were just good.  Even on this day, there was a palpable atmosphere that couldn't be denied.  This city wants the team to win, they want them to be good. The atmosphere would be beyond electric with a good team. Be that as it may, it's probably the best atmosphere I have been to for a team that was as putrid as the Rockies in 2025 were.  It's a solid 3.5 out of 5.

Location: 

In the heart of the city of Denver, you can see Coors Field from a solid mile away. It's got a LOT of options around the park, right off the interstate, and is easy to get to.  It is a solid position for the baseball stadium, and they have really worked with that stadium there to get the most they can around it to make it a great gathering block.  There isn't much more to say other than give it it's rightful 5 out of 5 score.

Price:

Admittedly, this is where I will rate the tickets and parking highly.  Parking pretty much right near the park, lower ticket prices (mainly due to it being bleachers and the team being.. well again really bad) played a role into this.  I don't believe I spent more than 45 combined for the tickets and parking.  The food, bit pricey though for the quality.  Felt it could be a dollar or two cheaper and I would have been better off.  The best parts though: The churro which was amazing and the lemonade. Definitely buy both at the park.  There are some cheap options in the merch store, but if you are looking to buy jerseys, then be prepared to look at your bank account.  I don't typically do much merch, so we leave it out of the order. Overall, have to say for the fact the Rockies won, seats and parking were cheap enough but the up and down quality of food compared to price, its a 4 out of 5.

Review:

At a score of 17.5, Coors Field is one of the best ballparks I have been to.  Given the others I would rate highly are Target Field and Great American Ballpark, this is on par with those.  If they EVER get a winner back in Denver, this place will be beyond electric and ready to party.  And that atmosphere score will easily be a five.  Definitely look to go to a game either way, support the club if able. 

Omaha's Storm Chasers A Show At Werner Park

 Werner Park is home to the Omaha Storm Chasers, the triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.  Omaha has been home to the big league affiliate for a long time.  How long? Since the team was founded in 1969 (that's really, really long in the context of Minor League Baseball). Werner Park has been around now for 15 years, as the then Royals made their home here in 2011.  I was able to go to the Park in July of 2025, which was a Storm Chasers win (For the record in baseball games, the teams went to was 4-1 in 2025). So what do I think of Werner Park? Let's look below! As with the other posts, I go based off Amenities, Atmosphere, Location and Price (I finally put them in Alphabetical Order).

Amenities:

Immediately with Werner Park on a night like tonight, I looked at how much was available and how clean everything was. There were plenty of options for food, drinks, merch, and the restrooms were clean.  The ballpark itself, also really clean.  The staff at Werner Park do a really, really good job overall keeping this park in top shape. I don't remember having to wait too much overall either for food or drinks. Also, families will enjoy the berm area in right field and the kids park area in left field.  Overall on this, 5 out of 5.

Atmosphere:

It was super hot the day I went to Werner Park, but flip side of that was it was also Fourth of July Weekend, so the park was more sold out than most days at the park most likely.  I kind of planned that with a Denver trip anyway, so on the day the atmosphere can be determined mainly by days, weekends and probable holidays.  I felt there could have been more for Omaha here.  Most of the night I felt the crowd was looking to be more social, which is fine and that is what Minor League Ball is about.  At the Triple-A level, it's alright, but we'll give it 3.5 out of 5.

Location:

Technically, the stadium is in a suburb of Omaha, and not Omaha proper (Someone get me to the CWS Stat, I need to get to that stadium). Around this part is a LOT of residential lots so there isn't really a lot around the park per se.  Then it's the interstate not too far away.  However, there isn't a ton of major food/lounge options around the park.  So honestly, 2 out of 5 seems fair.

Price:

Honestly it's about the going rate overall in Omaha as other places. Parking was 5 dollars, which is not bad at all. I was able to get a berm seat for about 10 dollars, and the food/drinks went about 15 as well.  I didn't buy any merch, but from what I saw was about the standard rate as Beloit. If you want merch, please bring make sure you have some allotment of money. Overall, price I paid, value was alright.  Not mind breaking amazing, but alright. So 4 out of 5 works.

Review:

All in all, Werner Park is a very solid Triple-A ballpark.  While not the most incredible neighborhood (It's just.. all residential stuff, so fairly just cookie cutter) the park itself is full of character.  The score of 14.5 does render itself to be good I believe.  The Storm Chasers should be very happy and continue to build on this going forward.

Lake Country Baseball Is A Thumbs Up

 The Lake Country Dockhounds were a team introduced in the last five years that play in the American Association of Professional Baseball.  Think of it as an independent league.  I have gone to two other ballparks for this league, Franklin Field with the Milwaukee Milkmen and Impact Field, home of the Chicago Dogs.  The Dockhounds are one of the newest teams in all of baseball as well, starting in 2022.  They play their games at DockHounds Ballpark (There was a sponsor but that has since gone away).  

 I was able to attend a game in 2025 and it was a Dockhounds win, albeit in a really windy, really cold day overall.  What was everything like? Let's find out! And much like the last post about Beloit, this rating will be on Atmosphere, Amenities, Price, Location. 

Atmosphere:

On this night, there wasn't a lot of atmosphere just due to the weather.  I reckon if this was a mid-June, mid-summer game where it would be sunny or at least dry and in the 70's and 80's this would make it a lot higher.  However this was windy, cold and in the 40's (ironically a front rolled through, putting solid spring into near frigid temps) so the atmosphere was very much staying at home. Be it as it may, I have to rate it on the day I went, so it's 1.5 out of 5 (Likely to be higher if I went a different day).

Amenities:

The concourses were very clean, as were the seats I had, as well as the bathrooms.  All in all, the Dockhounds staff do a very good job of cleanliness throughout (The rain also helped, but this is all on the staff). There are typically plenty of food and drink stands dependent on the crowd as well so there is no shortage of those throughout. Overall, 5 out of 5.

Price:

I'll be honest, I forget at any point if I paid for parking or what the price would be on that. I also forgot what I paid for the tickets and the food/drinks.  My guess is probably around 30 altogether, but I could be forgetful on this.  I didn't get any merch so I could not tell you whether it is overpriced or not either, so pricing will not be the best of reviews. Either way I didn't think it was overpriced at all.  I feel this is a solid 4 out of 5.

Location:

DockHounds Ballpark is in Summit, which neighbors Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. It's right off of Interstate 94, which was the plan all along for the ballpark.  There are some immediate buildings around the park but using the overpass to go about a half mile, you will see a various amount of food options, as well as stores and a couple of hotels.  They are continuing to build this area up with more stores, more options so the surrounding area is bound to keep building up with housing, with businesses, and more options for people.  For this as well, 5 out of 5.

Review:

Overall, Dockhounds Ballpark is a very solid ballpark to go to. I would recommend going more as the summer goes, as April/May would be likely a hit and miss proposition for a night out to the park with weather.  I do intend to go back some day to see how this park has progressed with fans.  Overall, 15.5 is a solid rating.  Likely to be determined by the atmosphere at a later point. 

Beloit Baseball: Where Old and New Mesh

 Beloit, Wisconsin is a town on the southern border of Wisconsin and near in Illinois.  In fact, one of their baseball stadiums is just about a block from crossing into Illinois.  In one day in 2025, I was able to find myself a day to go to two games in the day, Beloit College's baseball program and the Beloit Sky Carp, which is the Minor league affiliate of the Marlins (At the time I went). The Buccaneers of Beloit won this day but the Sky Carp lost, so we went overall 1-1 on the day. This will be a review of both, and to probably accurately rate them, we'll go by location, price, atmosphere, and amenities:

Location:

For Beloit College's stadium, it's part of an athletic complex along with the football/La Crosse/Track and Field stadium, the softball diamond and soccer field.  The Strong Athletic Complex is near the Beloit College campus and envelopes a large plot of land.  I'll review a bit more later with the Strong Stadium review with Football, but have to say, pretty solid location. We'll give it 3.5 out of 5.

For the Sky Carp, they play baseball at ABC Supply Company Stadium.  It's right next to the police station and some other shops like Subway, so while it's a bit weird to have a stadium next to a police/county building, it's still a remarkable looking stadium.  It's also on the banks of the Rock River, so the lakefront and walking paths make it a major plus of a stadium overall. We'll give this location 4 out of 5.

Price:

For Beloit College this is easy, free game with free parking. This is easily a 5 out of 5.  Any money you would pay is at the football stadium, which will be covered at a later date.

For the Sky Carp, I tend to forget what I paid for the ticket, I think it was 15-20. Parking is free (Again, they practically share/expand a lot with a county building) so.. there's that.  For merch, I know it's market price but golly gracious MLB and MiLB are doing their best to price out the audience in these markets.  For food, a lot of specialty foods will lend itself to higher prices.  Too steep for me, but soda/water is still reasonable.  I have to weigh the good with the bad, let's go 3.5 out of 5. Would definitely look to have just a regular burger/brat/hot dog added to the food rotation.

Atmosphere:

For Beloit College, there is little in the way of atmosphere as it really was a crowd of mainly the families of the players.  Then again, most D3 Wisconsin baseball is that way, so you really have to go with the flow on these. Even then, there wasn't much. I'll give it.. let's go 1 out of 5 (and tbh, I am being generous).

For the Sky Carp, Minor League Baseball is kind of just there. It has typically been the case unless the Brewers have them as an affiliate (The Brewers are now operating the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in Appleton) so Beloit makes as much effort to get fans through the turnstiles as possible. While this day wasn't a giveaway day, the crowd is into the game as they can.  Typically a lot of Minor League games bring families who are looking for a day out.  This does add to the atmosphere and Beloit feels better now at their stadium than the old one of Pohlman Field.  Let's go.. 3 out of 5.

Amenities:

For Beloit College, this all takes place at the football stadium.  When I review that it will be the same rating so for this, if you needed to buy food/drink or use the bathroom, you'd be going to the football stadium to do that. It is not a long walk at all (They are literally right next door) and you might get to see other sports so we'll give it 4 out of 5.

For the Sky Carp, a very clean stadium.  The staff do very well to keep the stadium clean, keep any unruly fans away from being more unruly, and the whole concourse is well kept.  So with that, a big rating here, 5 out of 5.

Review: 

For a day out, you can go with either ballpark. Just know that the Buccaneers will be a much different experience of course.  Adding up all the scores, Beloit College gets a 13.5 and the Sky Carp get 15.5. 

Anime MKE: The folzyfantasy15 experience

 Conventions, the one thing that I wasn't really accustomed to until Reconnect in Dallas in September of 2023. After that, I was able to head to Pax East, the Midwest Gaming Classic, and to Anime Milwaukee.  I never did attend Anime MKE until 2025 when I got the chance to go on a Friday which was honestly pretty neat.  I had been to the Baird Center once before, for MGC in 2024 (I then went in 2025 again). What do I think of Anime MKE? Let's start with venue.

 The Baird Center is a massive center in the heart of downtown Milwaukee.  It may not be as large as the Boston Convention Center but it is incredibly large for a city the size of Milwaukee.  It has a bunch of rooms, and is connected to the Hyatt hotel next door to it. So it helps the convention goers have a short walk and be all good overall.  For me, it was a short, 45 minute drive from my town to Milwaukee for this. Parked nearby for like 6 or so dollars and walked a half mile to the convention center.  What awaited me was..

 Honestly a rather quick registration to get my badge and a friendly staff all around.  Also, a wide pavilion practically everywhere and the ability to move up and down with the escalators is a solid move.  The Baird Center has a main floor and two floors above that, so making three floors a major thing to walk around.  They also had lockers at one side of the convention center so it made it easy to pack up your things or bring things and put them in that locker and go from there.  Either way, each floor had something, whether it be a panel, an event or a artist alley that was showcased. I spent a lot of time on the artist and exhibit floor and attended a couple of panels on this day.  Overall I just wanted to see the experience of Anime MKE and have a good time overall.  It was honestly a very chill, very cool atmosphere and one that was exciting as there were so many panels, so many cool displays and a lot of fun anime cosplayers.

 All in all, I know I only did one day of Anime MKE but it's one that I think a lot of people should attend at least once in their life as it is a fun atmosphere overall.  A lot of good things happen in these convention centers that have cool exhibits, the fun times will apply for anyone with the wish to go to Anime MKE.  At this point, I would have to recommend Anime MKE for everyone.  PS: I don't remember the prices I spent through the convention center for tickets and food, but I would definitely recommend getting food outside the center, but park around it as it is significantly cheaper about a half mile to mile away rather than near the center. 

Nintendo 64 Game Review: Paper Mario

 Paper Mario came to the Nintendo 64 as the sequel to what was Super Mario RPG (It was actually supposed to be the sequel but.. stuff and reasons as to why that didn't happen).  However, in the midst of not necessarily being the sequel, came with a new series. One that legitimately still exists today.  With that, lets rediscover how the original Paper Mario was.

Positives:

1. Honestly, this game looks absolutely phenomenal for the next step up to the N64.  Everywhere is so graphically spectacular and made like a story book that you cannot help but be enamored by the art style that the devs did for the game.

2. Music wise, this game is also fantastic. Every single track in this game is just done very well. And it's such a gem to listen to.

3. I know the story may be a lot of the same, but the Mario/Bowzer dynamic hitting paper style actually does super well for the original.  It probably helps that the story starts with these two (eventually in later versions there are other fiends to deal with) and the story revolving the star rod is honestly pretty good overall that takes you to so many new worlds. 

4. The characters that Mario entrusts to help in the party are honestly super helpful throughout the game. Each of them has a skillset that can be powered up and they become better overall. My favorite was likely Sushie but more of them all are fantastic.

5. I also feel the sidequests in this game have some sort of importance to them, which is definitely good.  It's not that they are required, but they are fun to do. And when sidequests are fun, that makes typically for a good game!

Negatives:

1. There is only one main negative and to be fair, that is that the game is fairly easy to beat.  There are a couple of tricky bosses, but for the most part this game is very, very much able to be beaten without a single death.  Just make sure you have good items and you power up correctly and go from there.

Rating and Reaction: Paper Mario is honestly a splendid game on the Nintendo 64 and well worth a play. The graphics, story and music are all there.  The characters are fantastic throughout.  Even if the game is a bit on the easy side, it's well worth the price overall and I would highly recommend to anyone.  My overall rating is a 9 out of 10. 

Nintendo 64 Game Review: Yoshi's Story

 Yoshi's Story bounces off of the success of the SNES of Yoshi's Island into the Nintendo 64 with a lot less screaming baby Mario and more just wholesome fun with our favorite dinosaur.  What does this game do right? What does it get wrong? All that and more below!

Positives:

1. Graphics wise, this game looks absolutely spectacular.  It's a very well designed game, incredibly colorful and vibrant, and the graphics are simply amazing to marvel at in the N64 era.

2. The music is also superb, but much of this was to be expected with a Nintendo game it feels but still you have to hit the soundtrack and the folks at Nintendo did it with Yoshi's Story.

3. This is a tremendous game for young players who were coming of age in the 90's who wanted a quick game to play. Also a very easy pick up and play game. Both were still staples in the 1990's for those who didn't want to go through so many hours of playing other games and just pick up and play and go through a game in a weekend or a few days. 

4. The story is actually kind of cute to follow along with. I enjoyed the story for the most part (more on that below) but its a story that a lot of up and coming gamers will enjoy especially, considering the game is more pick up and play and breeze through it in a weekend's time

Negatives:

1. Unfortunately, if you are of the older variety who play this game for the first time later in life (It's me, I'm that person) you will find this game really, really easy. Which is fine, I am not the tailored market.  I will say this isn't an overwhelming negative though because I was the target audience when the game first released.  This is more of a "That's on me" type negative.

2. However, the boss (yes another one of those posts, like Star Fox 64) is just.. underwhelming at the end.  It doesn't help that it's essentially a recycled boss from a previous game just with a different trick up his sleeve. It's just one of those things where it seemed Nintendo wanted to grasp onto at least for a while (They changed this up a lot in future Yoshi games though.)

Final Thoughts: Another decent Nintendo game, albeit a bit lower on a rating scale than that of Yoshi's Story or Super Mario 64.  I think I said it was a 7.5 or 8 out of 10 at the time I beat it and after studying it longer, I'll stick with it.  It's definitely a very good game for kids getting into gaming, but for adults it probably falls short of expectations (which is definitely fine).

Nintendo 64 Game Review: Star Fox 64

 Star Fox 64 was the first Star Fox to hit the Nintendo 64 and the first game of the series played by yours truly (Hint: I became a Star Fox fan after and am planning to play Star Fox for the SNES at some point in 2026). So for this maiden adventure with Star Fox, Slippy, and crew, how do I think this game fared? Let's look below

Positives:

1. Honestly, this game does well for a third person camera. It does well showcasing on the radar as well where other enemies are while focusing on where your mission is. I feel the field of view is well done on this accord.

2. Controls aren't too slippery on maneuvering the ship or the land vehicles.  There is one where I will highlight later on the controls but mostly overall, the game is genuinely very smooth on utilizing maneuvering, shooting missiles at targets and artillery when needed.

3. I love the progression of how hard each and every difficulty of level it can be.  There are certain levels that feel like easy difficulty, some moderate, some hard difficulty and to be honest I absolutely enjoy that. It's such a nice twist to go through.

4. I feel like this game was a good graphics type game, especially considering how the SNES was much more barebones (based on seeing videos of Star Fox on SNES). A massive step up and feels like this was the console that the Star Fox series was made for.

Negatives:

1. I did say one part of the controls weren't as good, and it's the barrel roll is slippery but the trying to fly upside down is very inconsistent.  It's super hit and miss and it doesn't do well at all when you try to do it several times.  This was a frustrating thing I experienced on my playthrough.

2. I feel the end boss could be a bit better.  It's not that it is bad, it's just that it could be more than what it was.  Feels a bit of a let down that while we could have expected a formidable foe, it just ended up being what it was for a final boss (No spoilers from me, if you haven't played it.)

Rating and End Thoughts: Overall, solid starter Star Fox for me. The main parts of the game are played and put in very well and I thought the main objective of the game to be a step up from the SNES is well done.  There are some issues, but overall I felt like the game was fun to play through.  Overall, solid 8 out of 10 is warranted. 

Nintendo 64 Game Review: Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards

 Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards was the first Kirby game to hit the Nintendo 64, and it ended up being the only game on that platform to feature our pink bubblegum ball friend.  The cross over from the previous NES and SNES as well as Game Boy was a major change as this featured more ability to showcase a 3-D model with a 3-D type world.  How did this game fare overall? Well I got to ring in the new year in 2025 with this game, so let's see how it went!

Positives:

1. This game delivers in its next step up format from the SNES to deliver a pretty fluid game in a 3-D environment that the N64 did for one of its flagship franchises. It's a beautiful looking game overall, and it nails everything that past Kirby's are about into a more current console.

2. The story is simple, and the style of game is very much like other Kirby's of past and then to that present. It's incredibly easy to pick up and play and blitz through this game in the matter of an afternoon where you have free time, but the game just has that feel of being good.

3. For all the nuances that the N64 controller had that was.. weird about it.. Kirby 64 did well to utilize as much of the controller as possible.  Some other top games cannot hold that claim.  Most every button has some sort of use for the controller, which is a major plus considering the weirdness of that controller. 

4. The music is always phenomenal for Kirby but this again is just preaching to the choir.  The music in the game is fantastic, and well worth listening to.

Negatives:

1. Honestly, this is the major negative: The game is far too easy.  This is a staple feature of a lot of Kirby games, where they are trying to cater to a very young audience so they make the games pretty simplistic.  It just is what it is, and they know who they are tailoring the game to.

2. The game still struggles like its predecessors with frame rate.  This isn't something that was made better until the GameCube when it was finally figured out with Kirby, but at times this game moved very painfully slow, even on the N64.  

Reaction/Rating: Overall, a solid N64 game that did well to bring Kirby to the next generation of console, that ultimately led to future console games.  Kirby fans would do well to play this game, despite how simplistic it is. Overall, probably an 8 out of 10 works.