Facilities

[BearCatAlum]

Hey, would love to hear anyone's thoughts on the facilities and game atmosphere at the different NSIC teams. Especially interested in Mankato, Bemidji, Moorhead, Augustana, Duluth, and Wayne.
Thanks!

[WSUWarriorFan]

Home games at Winona State are fun when its a smaller crowd. Smaller space is good for an intimate feel and you are always close to the action but it gets tough for bigger games and homecoming. Its been a while since I've made it to one but they have a cool looking experience with tailgating and activities on campus.WSU is looking at building a new baseball field by the lake next to the softball field. If that happens hopefully they can finally expand the football stadium.

[34blast]

You didn't list it, but I really like Northern's the best. Great stadium and atmosphere especially for the home team.
Wayne nice stadium, nice little town. Tailgating experience was okay. There was a tailgate on the track, several fans asked me to join wearing opposing colors LOL, just okay overall
The only place I haven't been is Duluth, I hear it is great. I hope to hear some answers on that.
Bemidji is old and kinda run down, but the lake in the background is awesome.
Plenty of good tailgating in Winona. The cliffs in the background makes a really nice looking venue. The funny part is when 1 or 2 trains drive by the north of the stadium during the game. It kinda needs an update, but alot of NSIC stadiums do.

[BearCatAlum]

You didn't list it, but I really like Northern's the best. Great stadium and atmosphere especially for the home team.
Wayne nice stadium, nice little town. Tailgating experience was okay. There was a tailgate on the track, several fans asked me to join wearing opposing colors LOL, just okay overall
The only place I haven't been is Duluth, I hear it is great. I hope to hear some answers on that.
Bemidji is old and kinda run down, but the lake in the background is awesome.
Plenty of good tailgating in Winona. The cliffs in the background makes a really nice looking venue. The funny part is when 1 or 2 trains drive by the north of the stadium during the game. It kinda needs an update, but alot of NSIC stadiums do.

Thanks for responding. How about Mankato?

[Millsy]

Building on Bemidji.

Tailgating is awesome. They gather in Diamond Point Park, which is a City Park right next to the Stadium on the home side of the field. Used to be a really tree covered, but the derecho that hit Bemidji last June really did a number. 125 mph winds, the Bemidji area lost something like 11 million trees in the storm, video of the aftermath below (Diamond Point Park/BSU Campus is in the beginning).

https://youtu.be/b9L2KLzGk6E?si=H9Y2oM82JnAxaQ2B

Parking can be an issue, there is not a lot of it around the stadium. If you go, you may end up walking a bit, not that the campus is that big. If you park to the south of Bangsberg Hall on the south end of campus, you can take a nice walk along the lakefront to get to the Chet and Diamond Point Park. Otherwise it is street parking or finding a spot in the dorm lots.

The Stadium. Yes, it is run down, it is a WPA project from the late 1930s, early 1940s. Creature comforts are lacking (port-a-johns, concessions out of trailers).

I am biased, but I don't think you will find better views in D-II football with it being right on the lake. The early season games when they have them at night are awesome, fall when the leaves are changing and you can look out across the lake, wow. The late season games can get a little chilly if the wind is off the lake. Boats will anchor off the southeast end zone and watch the games. I haven't been to a lot of NSIC stadiums, but the bleachers are right on top of the action (Mankato is probably the only one that is closer). The visitors side used to be A LOT closer when the track was there, the track went BEHIND the visitor's bleachers. When they installed turf in 2013, they removed the track and recentered the field so they could host soccer there. Even with the removal of the track, there isn't a lot of throw in area for soccer.

There has been a push to renovate the fan areas of the stadium, back when it was really being pushed, they were talking about $10-$15 million. But I think they ran into some snags as far as the history of the WPA project and encroaching on the City and Diamond Point Park. BSU is really land-locked as far as any expansion is concerned, so I can see space being an issue.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ch...oASAFQAw%3D%3D

[BearCatAlum]

Building on Bemidji.

Tailgating is awesome. They gather in Diamond Point Park, which is a City Park right next to the Stadium on the home side of the field. Used to be a really tree covered, but the derecho that hit Bemidji last June really did a number. 125 mph winds, the Bemidji area lost something like 11 million trees in the storm, video of the aftermath below (Diamond Point Park/BSU Campus is in the beginning).

https://youtu.be/b9L2KLzGk6E?si=H9Y2oM82JnAxaQ2B

Parking can be an issue, there is not a lot of it around the stadium. If you go, you may end up walking a bit, not that the campus is that big. If you park to the south of Bangsberg Hall on the south end of campus, you can take a nice walk along the lakefront to get to the Chet and Diamond Point Park. Otherwise it is street parking or finding a spot in the dorm lots.

The Stadium. Yes, it is run down, it is a WPA project from the late 1930s, early 1940s. Creature comforts are lacking (port-a-johns, concessions out of trailers).

I am biased, but I don't think you will find better views in D-II football with it being right on the lake. The early season games when they have them at night are awesome, fall when the leaves are changing and you can look out across the lake, wow. The late season games can get a little chilly if the wind is off the lake. Boats will anchor off the southeast end zone and watch the games. I haven't been to a lot of NSIC stadiums, but the bleachers are right on top of the action (Mankato is probably the only one that is closer). The visitors side used to be A LOT closer when the track was there, the track went BEHIND the visitor's bleachers. When they installed turf in 2013, they removed the track and recentered the field so they could host soccer there. Even with the removal of the track, there isn't a lot of throw in area for soccer.

There has been a push to renovate the fan areas of the stadium, back when it was really being pushed, they were talking about $10-$15 million. But I think they ran into some snags as far as the history of the WPA project and encroaching on the City and Diamond Point Park. BSU is really land-locked as far as any expansion is concerned, so I can see space being an issue.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Ch...oASAFQAw%3D%3D

Thank you for all of this info! I had no idea what a derecho was. Sad that it caused so much damage along the lake.

[laker]

I've been to every football stadium and all of the basketball arenas except for Jamestown.

The biggest problem with stadiums is having a track around the field. Puts you too far from the action. Glad that the newer stadiums have gotten rid of them (and yes, I've seen the old stadiums at Augie, Northern & St Cloud- plus Upper Iowa when they were in). The next problem is the visitor's side.

Top of the list- Northern. The stadium speaks for itself.

Augie has a lot of nice features- I like how the team comes in under the walkway on the north side. Lacking lights.

Winona is where you are close to the field and it gets loud. Especially when the train goes by. Make sure that you check both ways before walking across the tracks- there is a big mirror there. I don't know if there has ever been a fatality there because of that from someone being overly lubricated.

Wayne is extremely friendly- has a visitor tailgating area.

I like Southwests with the pair of Golden Mustangs in the Southwest corner of the stadium.

UMD has really quite a following when the weather is decent. I have been there in rainstorms and snowstorms- the lake effect.

Moorhead put a lot of improvements into theirs compared to what it was.

Hard to top watching Bemidji by the lake when they win homecoming- stay to see the players jump into it after the game.

In Mankato you are right on top of the action. Too close for the players, I have seen some of them hit the concrete over the years on the sideline. The berm on the south end is great.


It was a shame that St Cloud dropped football. Waste of a decent stadium with a nice view of the Mississippi. Crookston's field- well, I've been to a lot of high schools that were better.

[Tundra_Man]

Crookston's field- well, I've been to a lot of high schools that were better.

I always thought that Crookston shared the field with the local high school? Am I remembering that incorrectly?

[laker]

I always thought that Crookston shared the field with the local high school? Am I remembering that incorrectly?

Yes, they did. I remember when someone drove on the field after a HS game and UMC had to play their last two home games at UND.

That also happened over 20 years ago at Howard Wood. Someone left ruts on the field on a Friday night- when I got up the next day I found out that the Mav game had been move to USD. Barely made it on time since USD had a game with NDSU at 6 PM too.

Jamestown also shares their field with the HS.

[Millsy]

Yes, they did. I remember when someone drove on the field after a HS game and UMC had to play their last two home games at UND.

That also happened over 20 years ago at Howard Wood. Someone left ruts on the field on a Friday night- when I got up the next day I found out that the Mav game had been move to USD. Barely made it on time since USD had a game with NDSU at 6 PM too.

Jamestown also shares their field with the HS.

Crookston HS now has their own turf field on their grounds. And yes, it is surrounded by a track......

Bemidji also shares their field with the Lumberjacks.

[WSUWarriorFan]

Winona is where you are close to the field and it gets loud. Especially when the train goes by. Make sure that you check both ways before walking across the tracks- there is a big mirror there. I don't know if there has ever been a fatality there because of that from someone being overly lubricated.

thankfully we have tunnels now. From what I recall there were some near misses that helped expedite the process.

[Discopooch]

When my kiddo started playing, kinda made it a goal to get to as many away games in the NSIC as could. Here's what I've hit so far...

Concordia-St Paul: in between St Paul and Minneapolis, ample parking for visitors, the players have to cross a busy street to get to the stadium. Visitor bleachers are pretty old and wooden; field is right there up and close; you can hear all of the hits, cracks, and pops. pre-game presentation was pretty lackluster.

Winona State: cool things about this field--train runs right by the NW end zone, everything is close; staff was great; wasn't sure which side was "home side" so both team's fans were mixed in with each other. Views of the bluff were awesome. Long walk for the visiting team from the locker room, even passing by a house full of college kids having a party who also liked to yell at the visiting players walking...good college stuff. lol. I was there for Winona's Homecoming back in 2023 when they played Augie. Their tailgate scene was good. Oh, yeah, I took the train from downtown St. Paul down to Winona for the day (left StPaul at 8:00am-ish, did the game stuff, ate dinner, got back on the train around 9:30pm back to St.Paul)

UMary: looooong walk to get from entry on home side to the visiting side. field was blah, FG posts were weird bc they've got the college ones along with the high school ones there. atmosphere was mediocre, but friendly people for sure. I know Umary can't wait until their new stadium is supposedly being built. Concessions on home side only.

Sioux Falls: went this last season for Augie's big 29-28 win so that made it a lot more fun. windy as heck there and the no-see-ums were in full force. parking and tailgating in a dusty lot sucked. bleachers were packed bc of the rivalry.

Minnesota State: another long walk for the visiting team and visitors...lol...cool little berm on the SE(?) side of the stadium. Tall bleachers and love the grass field. Band walk in was awesome...they walked in behind a police cruiser through the MSU tailgate. Food was cheap pricewise and tasted good. Cool to see both teams walk across the street and on into the stadium. scoreboard sucks for school like MSU...reckon I'm used to video boards too much. ha. Check out the bar scene if you're in town.

Bemidji: cool stadium, old stadium; cool lake scene; was there during September and great weather; small airport; rented a car and went to the start of the Mississippi river, greatness. Did a lot walking in downtown area; food spots were nice.

Augustana: home team! Pretty cool to see the team walking from their locker room and under the walkway; tailgate scene is superb along with the Augieville for food and games; visiting team has to walk up a grass hill to get into the stadium, then down steps to get to the field. Videoboard is fantastic.

Fall 2026 (Headed to these places....Stay tuned)
Sept. 5 - Duluth
Sept. 26 - Winona (again)
Oct. 10 - CSP (again)
Oct. 31 - Northern State
Nov. 7 - Mankato (again)

[Stanger86]

Bemidji also shares their field with the Lumberjacks.

Southwest as well. I think Wayne does as well. Pretty common in smaller communities.

The old Northern stadium (Swisher Field) was a HS facility.

[WSUWarriorFan]

Southwest as well. I think Wayne does as well. Pretty common in smaller communities.

The old Northern stadium (Swisher Field) was a HS facility.

The Catholic High School in Winona plays their home games at Winona State. Winona Senior Highs football field has a track that both high schools and WSU use.

[BearCatAlum]

Wow thank you all for so much great information!