Rutgers Soccer
Yurcak Field is located on Rutgers University’s Piscataway campus in New Jersey. It is a 5,000-seat venue that houses the Scarlet Knights women’s and men’s soccer teams. It was opened in 1994, and is considered one of the best college soccer venues in America. The stadium was home to Rutgers’ soccer teams, as well as NJ/NY Gotham, the National Women’s Soccer League’s lacrosse team, and many early-round US Open Cup matches between the then-named New York/New Jersey MetroStars (now known as the New York Red Bulls).
Food & Beverage 3
Yurcak Field has one concession stand that offers a good selection of food options. Hot dogs and chicken tenders are the only options for meals (the latter comes with fries). There are bottled water and Coca-cola soft drinks, along with chips, candy and hot pretzels. The prices are reasonable with no more than $5 and credit cards accepted.
Atmosphere 5
You will feel the school cares about college soccer as soon as you walk into Yurcak Field. As you enter the stadium gates, you will see giant banners honoring Rutgers’ great players and teams. Depending on where you are seated, the bleachers will either be to your right or left. Concession stands and restrooms can also be found to your left. Additional lawn seating may be available in the area to the side for large crowds. The large scoreboard to the left of the goal shows statistics as well, but was not used during Stadium Journey’s visit. It was replaced by a portable scoreboard that was clearly not intended for soccer. It showed the “quarter” and remaining timeouts for each team.
Because there are few breaks between the action and no opportunity for the PA announcer to get the fans excited, soccer’s energy comes largely from the fans. It is a great atmosphere enhancer that the Scarlet Knights fans can create a wall made of red for visiting teams.
When driving to Rutgers keep in mind that there are five campuses within Piscataway, New Brunswick, College Avenue and Busch. This should not be confused the two Newark regional campuses and Camden, which are entirely separate institutions. You can get the wrong campus by setting your GPS to Rutgers University and then trying to find it.
Neighborhood 5
Piscataway, a small college town in northern New Jersey, is home to a number of great restaurants. There’s no reason to order pizza from Papa John’s or Pizza Hut here. It’s better to buy a Jersey slice.
A Fat Sandwich can also be purchased at R U Hungry on the corner of Hamilton Street, College Avenue and New Brunswick. These legendary sandwiches were once served by grease trucks on Rutgers College Avenue. However, they have since been closed down. The university has relocated them and eventually declined to renew their permits. R U Hungry was the original fat sandwich vendor. They now sell them in a traditional shopfront. Sub rolls are topped with seemingly random combinations. Fat sandwiches are sub rolls. The Fat Cat original has a double cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, French fries and mayo. And the combinations get more bizarre from there. The Fat Elvis, for example, comes with gyro, mozzarella sticks and lettuce, tomato, French fries, white sauce, and French fries. It is certainly an unusual combination. Many others have fun names, such as Fat Darrell and Fat Koko. There is also at least one name that violates this website’s editorial standards. These sandwiches, as you can see from the name, are full of calories and not for the faint-hearted (literally or metaphorically).
Fans 5
The Yurcak Field red wall, which is made up of Scarlet Knights supporters, creates an incredible, energetic atmosphere. A typical home game will see the stands packed with supporters wearing scarlet and silver cheering Rutgers to victory. It is loud and passionate, and can sometimes get very loud after Rutgers scores an important goal. While college soccer is not a popular sport at many schools, Rutgers has one of the most loyal and dedicated fan bases in the country.
Access 1
Yurcak Field is not a leader in this area. The stadium is located next to a large, unpaved lot. Fans can park anywhere they like, as there are no designated spaces or anyone to direct traffic. After the game, drivers often find themselves in a jam with several cars and must wait for other cars to move their cars. Unfortunately, the parking situation needs to be improved.
Although the stadium’s layout is simple with ample toilets and wide walkways, getting around it is difficult. However, just getting in and out of the stadium can be a major hassle, which reduces this rating.
Return on Investment 5
Free admission to Scarlet Knights soccer games on Yurcak field This is a fantastic value considering the atmosphere and the fact that it is one of the best college soccer venues in America. Concessions and parking are free even though it can be chaotic. There may be an admission fee for NCAA Tournament and Big Ten games. This is determined by the organizers, and not the school.
Extras 3
You should definitely add the giant banners at the entrance to the stadium.
Rutgers soccer is home to some of the most passionate fans in the NCAA, which is why it deserves to be a star.
The third and final star is for all the promotions and giveaways that the Scarlet Knights offer throughout the season. These include Disney Day, when fans can dress up as their favorite Disney characters and giveaways like mini soccer balls or headbands.
Last Thoughts
Yurcak Field, a top college soccer venue, is completely free to attend, except for the concessions. A Rutgers game at Yurcak field is great for an afternoon or evening. It has great crowds and great fan experiences.
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