Ohio Football Topic
Topic: Question for those who went to Ypsi...
Page: 1 of 1
mail
shabamon
9/23/2017 9:32 PM
I'm so curious what the gameday atmosphere is like. Any kind of tailgate scene? Any sort of vibe in town? How about inside the stadium? Any kind of student section? Any unique touches?
mail
RSBobcat
9/23/2017 10:39 PM
shabamon wrote:expand_more
I'm so curious what the gameday atmosphere is like. Any kind of tailgate scene? Any sort of vibe in town? How about inside the stadium? Any kind of student section? Any unique touches?
The "atmosphere" was like a bright light (sun) interrogation in a sauna! Hot- Brutal Hot and Humid!

I arrived only 30 mins before game start. Not long at all to get into and parked at the lot right next to the stadium. Bought ticket at window pretty quick. So did not see a lot of pre-game tailgaiting but saw there was some, then more so past lots I did not see coming in on the way out.

Nice looking stadium and facilities - first time there. But - that field - awful - looked like someone forgot to sweep the floor - or that it had dandruff - Yuck!

Some good craft beers available. Standard concession fare on visitors side - not sure about the home side as did not check it out.

Big stadium that looked pretty empty. Home side not even half full. Visitors side - the 1/3 of it that was not covered up under tarps - was mostly HS bands as it was band day. I estimated about 100 Bobcat fans in that section (I thought there would be more - but the brutal heat forecast may have kept some away). There were others scattered around the stadium.

I am glad we don't have the track at Peden like they do - front row seats and you are 25 yds from the field. All seats are general admission -sit anywhere you want.

Scoreboard - not really much better than our temp one - but the sound speakers are LOUD!

Student section - pretty lame. Same with the band.

When the home crowd tried to get loud late in the game when OHIO had the ball - not really that loud - but prolly cause not that big a crowd.

Did not have time to check out near campus town scene - had to get back on the road home - Not a bad 3:15 min drive after a Win!
mail
OUcats82
9/24/2017 12:50 AM
I know we may never match a Big 10/SEC type atmosphere in Athens but our game day experience/setting I appreciate so much more after reading what you posted/what I saw on the broadcast. Best team the school has fielded in years and that's the support they get. Feel bad for the players.

Does EMU have a strong number of residential students or is it more of a commuter campus for students coming from that part of the state?
Last Edited: 9/24/2017 12:51:46 AM by OUcats82
mail
person
SBH
9/24/2017 12:28 PM
EMU does a nice job given their small fan base. They had a student activity area and there was a fairly decent number of tailgaters. Everyone there is always very friendly. But it was just so damn hot...no one was up for much activity. Our guys really gutted it out - it was over 100 degrees on the field.
mail
person
bobcatsquared
9/24/2017 2:01 PM
OUcats82 wrote:expand_more
I know we may never match a Big 10/SEC type atmosphere in Athens but our game day experience/setting I appreciate so much more after reading what you posted/what I saw on the broadcast.


Our day-game atmosphere may be trending toward Big 10/SEC type from what I saw when Kansas visited Athens last weekend. I arrived in Athens late (mid second quarter) due to son's Saturday morning baseball games. What I witnessed walking from daughter's dorm to Peden shocked me as multiple tailgate parties, each with 10-20 people, were still going strong an hour after kickoff. I did not realize this happens on game day Saturdays in Athens. Maybe it always has and I just never noticed as I'm inside Peden by kickoff. Too bad we can't get these people through the gates for a larger crowd.
Last Edited: 9/24/2017 2:02:34 PM by bobcatsquared
mail
person
BillyTheCat
9/24/2017 5:55 PM
bobcatsquared wrote:expand_more
I know we may never match a Big 10/SEC type atmosphere in Athens but our game day experience/setting I appreciate so much more after reading what you posted/what I saw on the broadcast.


Our day-game atmosphere may be trending toward Big 10/SEC type from what I saw when Kansas visited Athens last weekend. I arrived in Athens late (mid second quarter) due to son's Saturday morning baseball games. What I witnessed walking from daughter's dorm to Peden shocked me as multiple tailgate parties, each with 10-20 people, were still going strong an hour after kickoff. I did not realize this happens on game day Saturdays in Athens. Maybe it always has and I just never noticed as I'm inside Peden by kickoff. Too bad we can't get these people through the gates for a larger crowd.
It's been spurred on by the no re-entry policy. Many season ticket holders are just staying outside.
mail
person
SBH
9/24/2017 6:20 PM
Perhaps it was parents who felt $45 was a bit much for a MAC game.
mail
person
ypsicat
9/24/2017 9:52 PM
There is never really much buzz for EMU sporting events here. It seems to be largely a commuter school.

We arrived about 15 minutes before kickoff. We parked, bought tickets, and got a beer all before kickoff. We tried to hang out in the bleachers for the first half, but the heat was brutal. We ended up hanging out with EMU fans on the beer patio for the entire second half. Very nice people.

As for the atmosphere, there wasn't much of one. Appreciate the gameday atmosphere in Athens. We have it better than many think.
mail
person
Sam bobcat
9/24/2017 10:16 PM
ypsicat wrote:expand_more
There is never really much buzz for EMU sporting events here. It seems to be largely a commuter school.

We arrived about 15 minutes before kickoff. We parked, bought tickets, and got a beer all before kickoff. We tried to hang out in the bleachers for the first half, but the heat was brutal. We ended up hanging out with EMU fans on the beer patio for the entire second half. Very nice people.

As for the atmosphere, there wasn't much of one. Appreciate the gameday atmosphere in Athens. We have it better than many think.
My experience pretty much mimics yours. Agreed that the EMU fans were great to hang out with. Made the brutal heat a little more bearable.
mail
AlumDadDad
9/24/2017 10:56 PM
EMU folks were cordial. Gameday experience was nowhere near ours. Parked in the student tailgate area. Just a busted-up parking lot with no shade. Lots of trash lying about.

Much more recorded music during the game than band music, sometimes playing over top the band. Folks who complain about the Peden music selection should visit Rynearson. Significantly more obnoxious than ours.

Arbor Brewing truck was nice and shade in that area saved us. What's up with shaking keys on third down...lame.

Postgame in Ann Arbor was great!
mail
A-townBound
9/25/2017 8:34 AM
AlumDadDad wrote:expand_more
What's up with shaking keys on third down...lame.
Yeah, I did not understand this either...
mail
person
Joe Green
9/25/2017 9:56 AM
Kansas State does the shaking keys whenever they kickoff, it's pretty cool because the whole stadium does it.
mail
person
SWBC
9/25/2017 1:12 PM
I parked on the visitor side in the same lot with the buses that brought the band kids. No charge to park there but none of the visitor side gates were open so had to walk all the way around to the opposite side of the stadium to get the tickets. It was hot and the gray turf just looked like ash from burnt grass. I was concerned about the band kids since most of them had their super hot fall uniforms on. I only saw one school with the wisdom to wear t-shirts and shorts. EMU did have a concession stand open and the bathrooms on the visitor side were open but combined with the closed gates and the tarped seats, the visitor side seemed more like an after thought. It seemed like the beer garden was inhabited by mostly bobcats, probably because that's where the shade was and, unlike the home side which got some shade in the second half, there was no shade for the visitor side. It was also a lot cooler under the stands so we spent halftime there before heading back out to the our seats in the crucible. Rynearson stadium is a nice facility but even with the "Factory" motif (I'm not sure who that appeals to), it lacks the character of Peden.
Showing Messages: 1 - 13 of 13
MAC News Links



extra small (< 576px)
small (>= 576px)
medium (>= 768px)
large (>= 992px)
x-large (>= 1200px)
xx-large (>= 1400px)