Alumni Stadium

Pros: Clean bleachers, sunny in most spots, good atmosphere and tailgating.
Cons: Narrow walkways, not much food choice, no alcohol served.
Verdict: Would recommend.

The date was 9÷27÷14 when I witnessed Boston College beat Top 10 ranked USC. I try to attend all USC away games and as far from all the ones I’ve been to this one reminded me of Stanford Stadium. Pretty good looking stadium from in and out, it does not have that run down look to it, even though it was raining that day. So yes, I traveled all the way from Los Angeles to see USC get beat, but it was also for the experience that matters. Another thing I really loved about this stadium that USC does not have… ALL THE SEATS WERE COMFORTABLE… well the section I was in, every single one of them had cushion for extra comfort… perfect for you watch a long football game! =)

Full Disclosure: I’m a BC Alum and a long time season ticket holder (try 21 years and counting). But I think I can be honest about Alumni Stadium.
It’s nice, but a little limited. And for those who have had bad experiences with bathrooms it helps if you know the building. There are more facilities, more food, more shops and a little peace and quiet in Conte Forum, the arena attached to the South Side of the stadium.
As to the quality of those facilities, etc.: the bathrooms get crowded, but no more so than at other similar arenas and stadiums. The food is mediocre at best. Nice clam chowder, good, salty popcorn but lousy pizza and forgettable hot dogs. But every seat has a good sight line, and at about 44,500 seats it qualifies as «medium.» Big enough to make noise, but small enough to not be overwhelming.
As to those folks who don’t like the parking options, you can park along Hammond Pond Parkway and walk about 20 minutes, or you can take the T. Three different branches of the Green Line let off nearby, with the B line a 5 minute walk.
This is not the sort of ‘small city’ stadium you’ll find in places like Ann Arbor, College Station or South Bend. This is a more intimate location where tickets are expensive but not insane, where alumni and local fans are both welcome and easily able to attend, and where you’ll see football ranging in quality over the years from «meh» to top notch. It’s about a 3 and ½ star stadium, but if you know and love it it’s a 4.

Small, tiny bathrooms and horrible parking. But still a nice place to see a game.

Went to my first game there on Saturday for the Notre Dame game, and it will be my last. YIKES! It was clear that the facility can not support a sellout crowd. Mens rooms, the size of a closet, only had one door (served as both in/​out); after waiting on line for 30 minutes I realized that the bathrooms only had urinals; no toilet facilities. And forget any compliance with ADA requirements.
Parking is attrocious and advance traffic and directional signing is even worse. A cop instructed me to park on Beacon Street, and I came out after the game to find that my car had been towed.
If this dump is any indication of the state of BC athletic facilities, there is little question why they have become the bottom feeders of the ACC.

Getting to and from the stadium is a pain, once there, it doesn’t seem to be any bad seats. took me an hour to get a taxi after the game, very limited parking.

My first encounter with college football began when I took my son to a game at Boston College. It was OK, but the fans there are either pretty subdued from watching too much mediocre football, or college kids who are there more to be seen than to watch the game. I’m not advocating goon squads but a little cheering for good play and jeering intentional roughness by an opponent is sometimes called for. Though I’m a casual fan, sometimes I feel bad for the team when the silence gets deafening other than the efforts of their relatively small but good band and cheer leading squads.
The surrounding town of Newton endures the football games but protests night games and prohibits parking in their neighborhoods on game days. So much for local support. The majority of the most loyal fans are either alumni or people from working class Boston, and their aren’t that many of them. BC made a move to the ACC a few years back which boosted attendance for a couple of years but cost them some good rivalries with Big East teams, as a result and I don’t think it benefited them in the long run.
I take it most of the people praising BC football haven’t been to some of the major football venues where tailgaiting is not just for the elite who can afford to park in one of the few spaces offered by BC to season ticket holders, but also for the average guy who can shell out 10 or 20 dollars to park nearby as at UConn or West Virginia, two other schools I have attended games at. The stadium is small and cramped and when a decent crowd does show up the lines at the restrooms are a problem.
I hope that someday BC will become serious about having a first class operation rather than just pretending to do so.

Eagles on the war path, OOH AHH!

BC football is a warm, friendly and unique experience in New England sports, giving the region its only taste of big-​time college football. If you’re a BC alum, BC football gameday is a slice of heaven. If you’re not, it’s still worth checking out.
The stadium is limited by draconian restrictions on parking and tailgating caused by a combination of the BC Brighton neighbors being psychotic and of the BC administration looking to bilk customers for as much money as possible. Tailgating spots can cost hundreds, even thousands of dollars for the season and is limited to just a few hours before and after the game. (If you’ve ever gone to a big time college football game someplace other than BC, you’ll know that tailgating is supposed to be an all-​day activity.)
The stadium is clean and pleasant but plain. The atmosphere could be better in terms of creating a great home environment, as BC alums have a well-​deserved reputation for hand-​sitting, but the warmth and love for BC and the team is very palpable. The concessions are very very average.
The best part of a trip to Alumni if you’re a first time attendee is the overall college experience — the band, the TREMENDOUS, color-​coordinated student section (very underrated — they show up for the full 60 minutes and are loud the whole way through), the «Eagle Walk» parade two hours before gametime where the cheerleaders and band lead the team through lower campus and into the stadium, the rivalries, the away fan section… it’s all tremendous and, like I said, unique. It’s a totally different feeling from pro sports in the area for better or for worse, and well worth a trip to Chestnut Hill.

For many years Boston College had the luxury of being the only division 1 NCAA football program in all of New England (since changed when UConn made the leap). Boston College is nestled on the outskirts of the City of Boston and the leafy suburbs of Newton. Parking at Alumni Field is an issue. Essentially the only tailgating spots are in the William J. Flynn Fund parking lots. That is not to say that fun can not be had. Nearby Cleveland Circle is perfect for those looking to grab a few pregame drinks and perhaps some food. As for getting to the game, there are 3 branches of the Green Line (light rail) that surround Boston College and all have stops within a 15 min walk of the stadium. There are few places in the world that are more pristine than Boston MA in the fall. Time it right and you will see spectacular foliage, crisp beautiful weather and quality ACC football.

Gorgeous, well-​built, open, airy, clean, and full of BC pride. Great place to watch a game. You better dress warm if you’re here in late fall/​winter though!
Thing I was most impressed with? The band! Holy crap is the BC band AMAZING.

For seven Saturdays a year, Alumni Stadium becomes my home. Its 44,500 seats are more inviting than my own bedroom. Everyone sitting there (or standing and cheering) with me becomes my family in what is easily the greatest reunion that I can ever be a part of.
Alumni Stadium, which sits on Boston College’s Lower Campus, is home of the Boston College Eagles football team. By college stadium standards, it is on the small side. Of the twelve teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, BC’s Stadium ranks ninth in capacity. That said, it’s a wonderful place to see consistently exciting football.
The parking lots and, to an extent, the entire campus, becomes a party on the day of the game. The tailgate festivities are tremendous, and reflect the love of seafood and slow-​cooked meats that make New England cuisine so much fun. A live band plays near one of the dining halls, the cheerleaders roam campus and the football team engages in an «Eagle Walk» to the stadium two hours before game time. Imagine a 45,000 person block party. The atmosphere is outstanding, as the amount of love BC fans have for their school is on display in every conceivable way.
Inside the stadium, the food is fairly cheap and very good. Sausage sandwiches and hot dogs abound. As of this year, vendors now roam the aisles with drinks from insulated backpacks. The student section takes up about a quarter of the sidelines, clad in their yellow Superfans shirts, and they do get loud. They stand for the entire game, though most of the other fans stay seated until big third down defensive plays. For a stadium of its size, the noise generated is big.
In the Northeast, where college football isn’t as religious an experience as elsewhere, BC is the only bigtime football school for 300 miles. (No, Rutgers doesn’t count, so don’t ask. And sorry Syracuse, really.) As such, it’s really the only game in town, and absolutely worth seeing. It is a different kind of vibe than any of the other sporting events in this, the greatest sports city in the country. If you’ve never been to a college football game, Alumni Stadium is a wonderful place to see your first.
Come, join the family.