McGuirk Alumni Stadium — Attraction in Hadley

McGuirk Alumni Stadium is a unique experience. The stadium is home to the UMass football team. UMass plays Division 1 FBS football. The stadium is one of the smallest stadiums in FBS football. A capacity crowd here is only 17,000 people. There are several positives to to the stadium. Sightlines from even the furthest seats from the playing field are excellent. Concessions in the stadiums were also very good. It is easy to be close to the field during pregame warmups. There is a laid back atmosphere here and fans are knowledgeable. The UMass marching band is also one of the best of I've seen at any college football game. Tickets are are affordable here, especially for Division 1 college football. It is best to get them through the UMass website. Despite the positives of the stadium there are a few drawbacks. There are almost no chairback seats in the stadium. The stadium could definitely use some upgrades in seating and amenities offered to fans. Many of the concession stands are located near the benches of both teams, this is definitely an unusual arrangement. With UMass moving to the MAC conference next year adding additional seats would also be a good idea. The stadium feels like it is a better fit for an FCS team or Division 2. Without a parking pass here, you have to park far away. Gameday traffic can be hectic and is poorly managed in some of the parking areas. It looks like they could park more vehicles next, to the stadium but they don't. A UMass football game is worth a look, and overall is a...

Overall, the stadium is good for what it is. I attended a game where my team was the visitor. I'm used to bigger venues and this stadium doesn't really compare to those other stadiums. But it was a good experience with my expectations being where they were.

Pros: cleanliness view of the field was great UMass fans (it was great talking to one of the fans throughout the game)

Cons: once I parked, it was a little unclear where to go to enter the stadium. I think a few more bigger signs would be helpful. restrooms were unattached from the stadium and once again took me just a little...

Great stadium. UMass runs it well. Good staff. Nice seating. Bathrooms were ok too. Could be better but not bad. Nice audio and appearance. Good camera work for graduation the day I went. One negative mark that is a HUGE ONE: THE PARKING IS A TOTAL MESS AND A MAJOR EMBARRASSMENT. It took us over an hour to leave and we were right next to the exit! Bless the people in the back. One guy ran up to the front saying he had been there for nearly 2 hours. It was really sad. And it was so hot. People were desperate for water and freedom. Otherwise, it...