
### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 27](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

The Upper Valley Nighthawks were founded in 2015 in the White River Junction area of Vermont (near the intersection of the two major interstate highways that travel through the state). The family who established the team (and it seemed like they were still in control when I visited) were involved with the then-[Laconia Muskrats](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats), but I guess they moved from the Lakes and decided to set up operations in White River Junction.

They've been playing at a local park known as the Maxfield Sports Complex since their inception (which, it should be noted, doesn't have a Wikipedia page). I don’t think I can properly discuss this place without discussing my experiences trying to catch a game AND get a hat since I didn’t have a regular Nighthawks hat when I visited (emphasis on the "regular" - which I'll get into later).

Let’s start with the field itself and the best part: games are actually free to attend (or at least they were back in 2023)! It’s the only stadium I've been to outside of Cape Cod that does this (though Mystic is seemingly doing it now since they moved out of Dodd), and it made what happened a little less painful. Outside of that, I’d say it’s pretty standard NECBL material - not awesome, but not a horrible experience. There are very FEW bleachers, so much like a Cape League game/Danbury/Ocean State, a lot of fans show up with lawn chairs and plop then down along the fences.

So what actually happened?

Let’s start with this: the date I used to mark this post is actually the THIRD time I visited the Nighthawks; my original plan for Summer 2023, in essence, gave me only one chance to come here (it is somewhat drivable from Boston at a 2-ish hour drive, but it’s not a fun drive IMO). However, thanks to my parents booking a week in Vermont (partially as my plans to visit the [Lake Monsters](2026-09-05_vtlakemonsters) and [Mountaineers](2026-09-07_vtmountaineers) coincided with them vacationing with my mom's cousin), I had a week in which the team was home three times: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. That same week, however, featured another thing: rain. Basically every day.

On Monday, I saw that the team was scheduled to play a doubleheader - neat! I can go down and get my "stuff" done early...or so I thought. Instead, it rained so hard on the way to the stadium that I thought I’d end up hydroplaning off the winding roads of Vermont for like a good two miles. When I got to the stadium, it was still pouring...but thankfully the rain eventually stopped. The doubleheader turned into a single game that started at 7 and didn’t go nine innings because of the rain, and the uncertainty with the weather caused the team to opt not to sell concessions/merch (part of the reason I went to all of these stadiums is because I like collecting team hats, which are usually unavailable online).

After that mild disappointment, I decided to give it another go on Wednesday - my weather models that I use to check conditions seemed to indicate that things should be fine. Unfortunately, things were very much NOT fine, and the game was postponed to I don't know or remember when because it's honestly not important.

Finally, on Friday, things worked out and I ended up going to a game, getting the stuff done that I wanted to do before heading back to Massachusetts (where I lived at the time). Unfortunately for the team, they end up getting walloped by the worst team in the league that year ([North Adams](2026-09-02_nasteeplecats))... 

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

As mentioned earlier, the first game I went to did not feature concessions or merchandise, as the team wasn’t sure if it’d actually go on as scheduled. However, the second game featured the team’s standard concession stand (i.e. the press box), from which VERY LIMITED merchandise was sold - by which I mean just hats and NOTHING ELSE. Honestly, this was fine by me as I was really only looking for hats , but the team seemingly did have a few old jerseys lying around, though I wasn’t super sure if they were available (and they were shirseys, so I wasn’t actually that interested).

However, it should be mentioned that the second game featured local food trucks, and one of the trucks sold maple products (unlike the other Vermont stadiums) including something I had never heard of until 2023 (even if it is more or less just soft serve ice cream) - a creemee (AND it was in a mini helmet to boot)[^1]!

---

### ON DECK

The NECBL's most self-descriptive team.

---

[^1]: I think I mentioned it in another post, but this particular week marked what I think is the first time I've ever been in Vermont in the summer - EVERY other time I've been has been during one of the other three seasons.

A story of EXCRUCIATING travel

Upper Valley Nighthawks @ Maxfield Sports Complex (White River Junction, VT)


I've mentioned the possibility (or rather, unfortunate likelihood) of an [MLB lockout](2026-05-02_1994ws) that could have MASSIVE impacts not just in 2027, but beyond as well. The last thing I've heard is that things are very much NOT going well, and some owners are prepared to lose AN ENTIRE SEASON of baseball if necessary. With that in mind, I also have a different goal in mind - one I kinda alluded to at the [last MLB game I was at two days ago](2026-09-06_nymets2).

Y'see, the MLB Ballpark app has this feature where it tracks which stadiums/teams you've seen based on which games you attend - including a feature to manually add games you went to in the past (such as games that occurred prior to the app's debut in 2012). Heading into this game, I've seen 18 of 30 MLB teams, and my goal is to get to 30/30 by 2030 (lockout be damned). To this end, I had several games I was tracking on SeatGeek for potential visits, but wasn't able to make it to most of them for various reasons[^1].

This game is one of those contests I was tracking - a National League East showdown between the Phillies and Atlanta Braves with postseason implications on Labor Day. While tickets weren't SUPER expensive despite the two teams, I was a bit hesitant on committing to one - and then I got an email: as part of a promotion involving the team's All Stars, the Phillies had a flash sale with special ticket prices for select games - and this was one of the games[^2]. Sure, the only tickets available were in the 400 section, but SeatGeek's least expensive tickets were still double what I ended up paying for this seat during the sale (and were unlikely to get any "better"). Funnily enough, I also saw this game go on sale about a week or two before it happened, but the prices for seats arguably WORSE than what I got were HIGHER than what I paid (and as a reminder: this was all "firsthand" pricing). I won't say that this was "merely" an upper deck seat, as I honestly LOVE this view you get of the game from up top (and it includes views of the Philadelphia skyline, which you don't really get at the lower levels):

![An image of Citizens Bank Park](/images/2026/0907-fullfield.jpeg)

As I've been to Citizens Bank Park TWICE this year already and have pretty much seen all it has to offer, I won't go over it this time. However, before I talk about the game itself, I'd like to discuss

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

I didn't think I'd be doing a merch section in this post, but here we are!

First, I probably should've mentioned this as more than just a footnote last time, but the Phillies are a bit different from other teams in that they don't publish a "magazine". Instead, they have these scorecards with a single article plus the standard "how to score a baseball" guide for "programs", which are much more compact (and less expensive than a regular program). At [the last Phillies game I was at](2026-06-08_phiphillies), I got that game's card plus ones for the games before it, and at this game, I got the scorecards for the games between my last trip and now. As this game's scorecard is the last card for this season, I (think I) now have a full set of Phillies scorecards for the 2026 regular season - NONE of which have a game score recorded in them.

Second, there was a deal on merchandise associated with the Phillies' City Connect identity, where if you got a jersey, hat, and shirt from the team's City Connect collection, it was 40% off (City Connect being a Nike program wherein MOST MLB teams have a special jersey meant to harken to the city they play in)[^3]. I should've mentioned this when I was at Citi Field [two days ago](2026-09-06_nymets2), but the Mets also had a 40% off deal on their City Connect jerseys. What that means I'm not fully certain, but I do know that teams tend to cycle through City Connects on a three year schedule (the Mets and Phillies both debuted their current City Connect uniforms in 2024), so it's very possible that one or both teams are planning on releasing new City Connects soon (again, whether or not they hit the field next year is questionable right now).

Finally, I decided to visit the Eagles team store at Lincoln Financial Field across the street (as I had arrived early to ensure that the parking I wanted was available). While I've said that I'm not interested in football things, there are two Eagles players whose jerseys I'm mildly interested in due to a connection I share with them (which also happens to involve the day the Eagles won that Super Bowl over the Chiefs). Alas, I'm not a fan of replica football jerseys as the name and number are usually not that great, and while they did have an Authentic jersey for one of the players, I'm not the biggest fan of the "style" of the jersey they had (it's a throwback), plus it wasn't super discounted like the Sauce Gardner jerseys at [MetLife](2026-08-15_nyjets). However, they did have discounted jerseys for a player the team traded this past offseason (including "Authentics" - but those were only available in 3XL and 4XL...).

### Your own personal Jesús _(hey-soos)_

This game ended up being a pitchers' duel - a game where the pitchers for both teams excel and hits and runs are hard to come by. Exactly ONE mistake was made by either side's pitchers, and it was the game's lone relief pitcher who pitched for the Braves - star Phillies hitter Kyle Schwarber turned a misplaced fastball late in the game into one of his patented home runs (commonly known as "Schwarbombs").

That Schwarbomb ended up being enough for Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo, who was absolutely dominant - pitching a complete game shutout (i.e. he was the only Phillies pitcher and gave up zero runs). In the modern era of MLB where pitchers are HEAVILY regulated (i.e. they're pulled after like 70 pitches and/or four innings), it's INSANELY rare for a starting pitcher to even be allowed close to finishing the game by himself - and it seems the crowd knew it as well, as the place LIT UP when he came out to pitch the ninth inning.

With this game in the books, I (am pretty sure1) I have teams remaining that I haven't marked as having seen yet[^4]:

- Colorado Rockies
- Chicago Cubs
- Detroit Tigers
- Kansas City Royals
- Los Angeles Angels (of Anaheim)
- Wherever-the-hell-they-claim-they-are-from Athletics
- St. Louis Cardinals
- Seattle Mariners[^5]
- Texas Rangers
- Toronto Blue Jays

This is almost certainly the final MLB game I go to this year, as I don't see myself going to another game before the end of the regular season (there's only one team I haven't seen yet that's visiting New York or Philly, and it's the Rockies getting fed to the Yankees this week - but I'm busy). Assuming this is the final MLB game I get to see in person before 2028, at least I had a SUPER good game to end this year on (and it was under two hours too!).

![An image of the final scoreline of the game](/images/2026/0907-finalscoreboard.jpeg)

<figcaption>As an aside, the fact that the Phillies script above the scoreboard is "left aligned" and not "center aligned" is INFURIATING to me</figcaption>

---

[^1]: This is also part of why I opted to go to Mets/Giants, as I hadn't recorded the Giants on the app either.

[^2]: It should also be noted that all of the games listed were weekday games - this one being the only afternoon game as it fell on a holiday (namely Labor Day).

[^3]: 28 of MLB's 30 teams have had at least one City Connect - the two teams without one being the A's (due to the whole "Screw Oakland - Vegas or bust" thing) and...you can probably guess the other team.

[^4]: There's a chance that there's more than ten teams, as there are a few Mets games I recall going to but don't remember the opponent. I'm almost certain these games were against the Diamondbacks, Marlins, and Astros so I put them in the app, but I could very easily be wrong (the Astros game being my lone visit to Shea Stadium).

[^5]: I ALMOST saw the Mariners TWICE this year: once in Washington, DC (though it was never going to be likely - more on that soon), and then at Yankee Stadium with friends in August, but let's just say there are a fair number of reasons I wasn't able to make it - one of them being my inability to justify willingly buying Yankees tickets (especially in light of several announcements they made in the days before the game...).


A THIRD trip down to "The Bank" in 2026

Phillies 2: Another Phine Day Out


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 26](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

I could dive into the history of the Vermont Mountaineers, but <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_61ce44Jw8" target="blank">someone did it better</a>. Not much has changed since this song came out (though the team made the NECBL finals in 2022), which I personally think is kinda damning[^1]...

Anyway, I’ll just cut to the chase: located north of downtown Montpelier, Recreation Field was opened in 1940. Wikipedia indicates that some minor and/or independent league played, but there is little to no information about outside of the fact that Robin Roberts played for the local team.

While, like many fields in New England, I honestly don't feel like there's a ton to discuss about the stadium, the field is probably most notable for its large grandstand. I’m pretty sure that of the grandstands that sit behind home plate, this or [Bristol's](2026-06-30_briblues) is the largest in the NECBL, but it's a bit hard to describe how it is inside, though, as it doesn't really feature any real seats - instead, it's like the stands in [Newport](2026-08-20_nptgulls) where you sit on what would simply be the "floors" of the row behind you.

Unfortunately, since my lone visit back in 2023...Montpelier has been the victim of multiple floods. My visit was prior to the FIRST flood, so I have no idea how this place is now, though the fact that the team is still around is a good sign (downtown Montpelier seemed "okay" during my last visit - though a lot different from how I remembered it in prior visits).

Of note: the team was rowdy the night I was there.

Not the fans; the players themselves.

Or at least, I felt that the team was being quite rowdy during the game (and noted it when I wrote my original notes). The umpires seemingly noticed it too, because I think the dugout got a warning from the home plate umpire (though part of it was the manager being super pissed off about balls and strikes).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

I’m not fully sure of which year it happened, but the NECBL has a deal with a company named Zephyr for all of its teams’ caps. From what I can recall, I believe 2022 or 2023 was the first year all teams wore Zephyr caps, but prior to that, some teams had other cap manufacturers, and Vermont was one of those teams. The reason I know this because in 2021, I ordered a hat from the team online, and it was a New Era flexfit hat.

This is (mildly) important, because when I went to the game in 2023...they didn’t have Zephyr player hats (at least not in the size I wanted). In addition, it seemed like most fans who were wearing the same style of hat as the player hat were _also_ wearing the older New Era hat, so I wonder if the team actually sells a lot of player hats nowadays (though they did have a "fan" hat with a different logo).

Anyway, merchandise is in a little by the left field entrance, and this is one of three NECBL stadiums I went to where official game balls were on sale. In addition, I bought a jersey here (and had thoughts about a second before ultimately deciding against it) - one of only four NECBL teams I bought a jersey from (the others being [Winnipesaukee](2026-04-11_wpsmuskrats), [Danbury](2026-07-24_dbywesterners), and a team that'll be talked about shortly).

Also, I know I mentioned ordering a hat from the team, but I'm not sure how their online merch site is nowadays, as it hasn't been updated in YEARS. I also don't recall ever receiving any emails about the hat - it just showed up in my mailbox one day.

---

[^1]: Also, I believe that the guy who wrote this song died somewhat recently.


A New England summer team with A SONG

Vermont Mountaineers (New England Collegiate Baseball League) @ Montpelier Recreation Field (Montpelier, VT)


Sure, the Mets haven’t exactly improved since [the last time I saw them](2026-05-01_nymets), they've gone and fired Carlos Mendoza (no clue what that does to the value of the signed baseball I got last time), and they're taking on one of the few teams worse than them, but that didn’t stop me from going back!

Why?

I’ll be honest: I liked Citi Field itself last time. I usually try not to give “hot takes” on this blog, but I felt that Citi Field > Yankee Stadium INDEPENDENT of my feelings about the teams that play in those stadiums. A large part of that is the highly corporate, business-like atmosphere of Yankee Stadium (even when the [Savannah Bananas](2026-04-25_bananaballny) are playing), but I should also mention that from what I've seen online, I'm not the only one who feels this way. Also, this game lines up conveniently with an event I went to in the evening (4 PM game, 7 PM event) PLUS it features a team I haven't seen before: the (also bad) San Francisco Giants (now featuring former top Red Sox prospects in Rafael Devers and Marcelo Mayer[^1]).

![An image of Citi Field](/images/2026/0905-wideview.jpeg)

There’s also a few things I didn’t talk about last time - some of which are things I did see, and others I didn’t.

First, the Mets Hall of Fame. Inside the Jackie Robinson Rotunda (i.e. the main entrance) are plaques dedicated to important figures in Mets history; my understanding is that it used to be in a different part of the ballpark, but was moved at some point in favor of the museum I saw last time. I feel like I should’ve talked about it a bit more last time, however, because I have a bit of a connection to two of the people honored: one was the father-in-law of one of my teachers in middle school, and the other I met completely randomly a few years ago because he lives in my town (I will let any internet sleuths out there try and figure out who each one is).

However, one of the BIG things I missed last time I was at Citi Field: what I thought was a Mr. and Mrs. Met store on the second concourse. It’s towards right field, but by the time I wanted to scope it out the game had ended and security was trying to get everyone out. I made sure to check it out this time...only to find that it was a candy concession stand. Coincidentally, this game featured giveaway and a pregame ceremony for Mrs. Met, as she was inducted into the <a href="https://mascothalloffame.com/" target="blank">Mascot Hall of Fame</a> as its first (canonically) female mascot[^2] - featuring a MASCOT GIVING AN ACTUAL SPEECH.

![A photo of a video of a mascot giving a speech at Citi Field](/images/2026/0905-mascotspeech.jpeg)

<figcaption>This was every bit as weird as you'd probably imagine it being</figcaption>

Also, I mentioned that there’s a store that sells memorabilia, which includes game used Mets jerseys. What I forgot to mention, however, is that many (if not all) of the game used jerseys that aren't pullovers (the Mets have a pullover jersey) feature something that I very much don’t like: VELCRO. While the velcro is there to keep the jersey closed (as it’s supposed to be closed when worn on the field), I like wearing jerseys open, and the patch can damage your clothing or even the jersey itself (which it often does). However, this store is the only place where I could find authentic ROAD jerseys (which, in a way, I kinda prefer over the home jersey[^3]), so I decided to look into it and found one with one of the most amazing names ever: Richard Lovelady (who actually pitched for the Nationals in the other game I saw at Citi Field this year).

I know I made a comment about the day-to-day nature of baseball [before](2026-03-29_rutgers_batandball), but that idea really rings true with this game (again, two of the not-as-good teams of the National League). Rafael Devers and the Giants' number NINE hitter both hit two home runs, and by the time the Mets offense got going, it was far too late. I wasn't able to see the end of the game, however, as I had to leave a bit early to make it to the evening event I mentioned at the top in time (not that it really would've mattered IMO...).[^4]

I have no idea when the next time I'll be seeing the Mets is with a potential lockout looming, but I will say that if/when they play again (after this season), the Mets are likely going to be one of the "centerpieces" of my next BIG goal...more on this in a few days.

(P.S.: I did have thoughts about going to ONE more thing at Citi this week, but the game is at **8 PM** - far too late for me to be journeying to/from Queens...)

---

[^1]: Whom I actually saw with the WooSox in [the Lehigh Valley](2025-08-11_lhvironpigs) before he made his MLB debut - though he wasn't in this game as I believe he's either injured or still rehabbing.

[^2]: I won't go TOO in depth on the Mascot Hall of Fame, but it's basically an online museum dedicated to, well...mascots. Mr. Met and the Phillie Phanatic were both inducted in the late 2000s, and the Giants mascot was actually inducted in 2024 (there was a ten-year gap in inductions in the 2010s).

[^3]: This is partially due to the Mets home jersey basically being unchanged from the one I got way back in 2005 - even if it does look cleaner without the unnecessary black shadows. Another reason - as outlined when I talked about jerseys at a [Phillies game](2026-06-08_phiphillies) - is jersey templates; while the Mets didn't lose a special script feature like the Phillies did, the Nike template splits the "Mets" script in an odd spot that's a bit awkward when worn open (which is how I typically wear my baseball jerseys).

[^4]: To add insult to injury, the Mets won the other two games of this series...

That's right - I WENT BACK.

New York Mets 2: Rhyming Subtitle Edition


### [SUMMER OF BASEBALL 2023: STOP 25](2026-08-16_summerofbaseball2023)

As the final former Minor League team in this series (at least until I get to visit the Lowell Spinners), the Vermont Lake Monsters obviously have a lot of history. They were founded in 1994 as the Vermont Expos (and were affiliated with the Montreal Expos), changed their name to the Lake Monsters in 2006 (two years after the Expos moved to Washington), and then became a Futures League member in 2021 after getting kicked out of Minor League Baseball by the realignment (along with Norwich - Lowell didn't join the league until 2026). They've been in the playoffs every year since joining the Futures League and have been in the championship series four times, but only have one title in that span which they won in 2021 (plus a championship from the NYPL era).

Centennial Field (which has been the team's home since their original inception) is the oldest field in New England summer ball...sorta (I'll explain this in the near future). It opened in 1906 (six years before Fenway Park), and has hosted a fair number of Minor League teams (none of which lasted that long unlike the Lake Monsters) as well as UVM teams that the university no longer has: besides baseball (which UVM discontinued in 2009), there's an adjacent field which hosted football (until 1974) and soccer (until [Virtue Field](2025-08-21_vgfc) opened in 2011).

I've only been able to come here once (largely due to the fact that I'm typically NOT in Vermont in the summer), and it was the day AFTER my intended visit (for more on that, I talked about it a LONG TIME AGO here when I discussed Vermont Green[^1]). Thankfully, due to the rain that cancelled the game on the day I in, the team had a doubleheader the next day[^2].

The grandstand itself is quite old (as noted by the low overhangs getting to the seats), and while some seats do feature cover, the ends of the grandstand don't (and guess where my seat was). There's a couple of "party areas" down the foul lines, including being able to stand in an old bullpen area (which is pretty cool).

One interesting note about the game I went to: it seemed like they had a lot more partners/concessions than most teams in the league do; for example, the most notable concession they offer was Neapolitan style pizza - something I don't know if I've ever seen at a sporting event! I didn’t get to try it because it was the middle of the afternoon and I had already had lunch elsewhere, but it seemed quite popular (which just means I'll have to try it if I'm able to go back[^3]).

If you're thinking of coming here (and if you're ever in Burlington in the summer, I think you should), there’s two tiers of parking for games: you can park near the stadium for a fee (which is one of few "paid" parking options for the summer leagues), or by Gutterson Fieldhouse (where UVM's hockey team plays) and Virtue Field (which a few miles from the stadium), but you get shuttled to the ballpark (the parking and shuttle are free).

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

I've said that the only Futures League stadiums with "fully enclosed team store" were the two former Double-A stadiums in Connecticut ([New Britain](2026-07-27_nbbees) and [Norwich](2026-08-19_doddstadium)), but I do have to update that a LITTLE BIT: Centennial Field does have a dedicated merchandise area/store, but I wouldn't consider it "enclosed" as it doesn't have doors (it's more like a garage). Of the 32 New England summer teams I visited, I must say that I feel like the Lake Monsters had the most extensive selection of things available (again, ex-MiLB).

Prior to my visit, I had ordered a bunch of hats from the team: one New Era flexfit (i.e. from the end of the NYPL days) and several Zephyr flexfits from the Futures League era for multiple identities (besides an Expos throwback, the team also had a "Maple Kings" uniform).

At the game I went to in 2023, I went a little “hog wild” here - getting THREE jerseys (Lake Monsters, Expos, and Maple Kings), which entitled me to a fourth (a plaid jersey) for free (as I passed a certain threshold - I forgot what it was)!

A few years later, I visited the team’s offices - also in Burlington, but in a different part of the city (near Lake Champlain). The team runs a store here, and I ended up getting an anniversary t shirt plus some baseballs from the 2023 Futures League All Star Game (which the team hosted).

If you can't make the trek to Burlington (either for a game or to visit the team's offices), they're probably the easiest team to order merchandise from in all of New England, as their online store is (seemingly) well-stocked and easy to navigate. Last I checked, their online store is still their MiLB store page, but I don't believe it's accessible from the "main" MiLB store website (as it only links to affiliated teams nowadays). Also, from what I saw checking EVERY team that got cut in 2020, the Lake Monsters are one of only three teams that aren't in the Appalachian or MLB Draft Leagues and still use their MiLB store page (most other teams that do sell merchandise online have moved to other sites).

---

[^1]: Who, it should be noted, won the USL2 National Title again this past summer!

[^2]: Unlike professional baseball where teams play three to six consecutive games against a single opponent, summer leagues are more "day to day" similar to the NBA and NHL (i.e. you play one team in one place one day, then a different team the next day). Vermont is a bit of an exception to this, as teams typically play two games back-to-back in Vermont when they visit (likely due to the distance from most of the rest of the league).

[^3]: Another reason this particular post is a bit "short": I was only here for like two hours before heading out - and most of that was before the game actually started.

A team I've been keen on for some time now

Vermont Lake Monsters (Futures League) @ Centennial Field (Burlington, VT)


I've been to Rutgers quite a few times for a HOST of sports: [lacrosse](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens), [basketball](2025-11-25_rubasketball_womens) ([twice](2025-12-21_rubasketball2)), and even [two different sports at the same time](2026-03-29_rutgers_batandball) - but now it's time to talk about their "main" sport.

I won't go over the ENTIRE history of the Rutgers football program, but for those unaware: Rutgers famously hosted the first college football game in 1869 and claims the national title from that year (i.e. the first national title EVER in college football). Since then...the program hasn't done much. Sure, there was that one time they upset Louisville back in 2006, but outside of that, I can't think of a singular notable thing Rutgers football is known for (save for maybe Eric LeGrand).

This lack of accomplishment has been amplified with the school moving to the Big Ten back when I was (kinda sorta) a student[^1], where every season seems to play out the same way: start by beat weaker out-of-conference foes, then have everything come crashing down against the conference's national powerhouses before petering out into MAYBE a bowl appearance (though football isn't the only sport where this seems to happen - I won't elaborate for now). This game - the team's first game and home opener for 2026 - falls VERY MUCH into that first category, as it's against one of the few D-I programs that could actually make Rutgers look like a powerhouse: the [University of Massachusetts (Amherst)](2025-10-05_umasshockey).

As an alum, you'd think I would have at least tried to go to a football game once or twice, but I haven't[^3]. One of the big reasons: parking. As you'd expect for power conference football, it's not cheap - and even though there's a local park and a church with decent parking nearby, THEY'RE not much "relief" either (and the park is now apparently "not an option"). In the end, however, I ended up opting to park at a nearby church despite it being WELL more than what I paid for the ticket (more on THAT in a sec BTW). I've been to the stadium before (hence the "NEW TEAM" badge), but it HAS been [quite a while](2025-08-26_rulacrosse_mens) since that last visit (and the stadium was only partially open then), so I think a "reintroduction" is in order.

Opened in 1994 as a replacement for another stadium built on the same site, what is now SHI stadium (obviously) hosts football and lacrosse as well as the annual commencement ceremony for Rutgers (New Brunswick)[^4]. Most of the seats here are in a singular bowl save for each sideline having a second deck, but outside of that, the stadium is a little...basic - though to be fair, when it was built Rutgers was in the Big East - a conference which is now basketball-only (and even back then had a WAY smaller profile in football). I did take a peek at the concourses for the upper sections, but it seems that they lack concession stands. Outside of that, it is worth mentioning that the south endzone used to be fairly smallish, but a 2009 renovation added seats and "completed" the concourse so that it wraps fully around the stadium (there's a "lower walkway" about ten rows up a la places like [nearby TD Bank Ballpark](2026-04-17_sompatriots), but it's cut off by the new seats).

One thing outside the stadium (literally) worth mentioning: the Boardwalk. The Boardwalk at Rutgers is a fan festival outside the stadium which, in essence, serves as the school's official "tailgate". In a way, it functions similarly to the [Winter Village](2025-12-21_rubasketball2), though it was MUCH bigger and featured several food trucks as well as a ferris wheel and a carnival game. I would say that while a lot of it, I think it definitely (and seemingly does not require a ticket - just a way to get to it on gameday).

![An image of the Rutgers Marching Band](/images/2026/0903-marchingband.jpeg)

Inside the stadium, one of the big things that separates college sports from the pros is atmosphere, and football is widely regarded as the biggest example of that college atmosphere. Before the game and at halftime, the school's marching band performs, and I must say: while [Princeton](2025-11-15_princetonfootball) does a lot of the same things, the impact the Rutgers band had on the pregame and halftime shows was WAY more impressive largely due to just how much bigger Rutgers' band is. In fact, there were multiple things going on during halftime: the band, dancers, cheerleaders, and which made the whole thing kinda hard to follow.

Oh right, the game. Like I mentioned earlier, I got lucky on SeatGeek and had this view for an INSANE percentage (read: WELL over 50%) of face value:

![An image of a play during a football game](/images/2026/0903-thegoodtimes.jpeg)

<figcaption>Pay no attention to the fact that I named this photo "thegoodtimes.jpeg"</figcaption>

It would've been the MOST Rutgers thing imaginable to see them lose to a team widely regarded as the worst in the country by a country mile (having gone completely winless last year AND being dead last in several statistical categories). Of course, Rutgers is a Power Conference school with a well known coach, so it's not like they're going to pull a _<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Pittsburgh_Steelers_season" target="blank">Days of our Steelers</a>_[^5] and play down to their competition-

_\*insert "Vine boom" sound_

![An image of a scoreboard at SHI Stadium showing Rutgers being down 24-7](/images/2026/0903-halftimescore.jpeg)

<figcaption>This was the score at the half - I wanted to show the final score, but they pulled it off the scoreboard before I could get a photo. Trust me, it isn't much better...</figcaption>

It is worth noting that the head coach for UMass was Rutgers' defensive coordinator before taking the UMass job last year, so in essence, Rutgers got "Bill Belichick against one of his former coordinators...'d"[^6].

<div id="merch" />

### MERCH

My last "non catch-up" post on this blog involved [football](2026-08-15_nyjets), but if you missed it: I'm not that into football items. Having said that, however, I do have a SUPER old Rutgers football jersey I got at a TJMaxx or Marshalls WAY back when (as in it's probably older than some of the kids attending Rutgers now), but the number on it...is a bit controversial (it's one of the school's biggest NFL stars, but he's partially remembered for that one night in Atlantic City).

That aside, there were a fair amount of merchandise areas inside the stadium...but not much of interest outside of mini helmets (though I don't really have a place for one). The "main" store had fitted hats that were labeled as "baseball hats", but I looked at the baseball team's Instagram and they looked just different enough to the point where I'm fairly sure they're NOT the same.

---

[^1]: I went to [Rutgers Newark](2026-06-05_morriselite), which is TECHNICALLY its own school with its own athletics department, but it's a D-III school without football.

[^2]: Though as a Rutgers Newark student, I don't know if we "count" (i.e. if Newark and Camden are eligible for student tickets).

[^3]: The lots nearest the stadium were SUPER expensive, so obviously I was never going to go for them (especially with how much my ticket cost). The least expensive lot is actually the one for Jersey Mike's Arena, and there is a shuttle to and from the stadium, but I've heard it's AWFUL, so in some ways, I don't really regret paying to park at the church (especially as it allowed me to be out fairly quickly).

[^4]: I don't like "aging" myself, but there was a famous controversy with Barack Obama giving the commencement speech in 2016 to commemorate the university's 250th anniversary (after I had already graduated). Newark and Camden students wanted to attend (and, IIRC, _were_ allowed to), but New Brunswick students argued that since they didn't go to the main campus, they shouldn't be allowed to walk (or something like that - it's been ten years man...).

[^5]: I know I linked a Wikipedia page, but look up "Days of our Steelers" on YouTube at your own discretion - it's by the same guy who did the Antonio Brown vid I liked when I first talked about [Indoor Football](2026-04-19_jerseybearcats), and he tends to be a bit loose with his language if that's a concern of yours.

[^6]: For those who don't know: Belichick assistants who became head coaches had a surprisingly good record against the Patriots in the Brady/Belichick era. While their overall record is TECHNICALLY "mostly okay" at 19-18, I recall the three most notorious "Why did we let Bill Belichick fool us into thinking this guy was good" guys (Eric Mangini, Josh McDaniels, and Matt Patricia) all being quite successful against Belichick. Also, this is probably not relevant to anything, but I lived in the same town as McDaniels (plus several other Patriots) during my time in Massachusetts (my cousin knew his daughter from a high school musical, which is more than I can say about the child of an NFL head coach who went to the same school I went to...).

Sportventures

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Green Mountaineers

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CHAMP IS REAL

R House