The REAL Reviews Part 3: Schoellkopf Field

 

CORNELL

You can't start any conversation about Cornell's Schoellkopf Field without first mentioning the remote nature of the stadium and the school itself. 

While Dartmouth is also a remote and very rural location, it's still relatively close to Boston and some other relatively large population centers. Cornell's home of Ithaca, NY is simple the most remote and isolated Ivy locale. 

For those who crave that kind of atmosphere, then game day at Schoellkopf is likely to be a big plus. For those who don't, the place will have to grow on you. 

Ithaca's College Town is happily pretty well-stocked with good places to eat and stay; a nice byproduct of Cornell's hotel school. And you might want to stay overnight in Ithaca considering the long trip you're likely facing to get back home. 

Schoellkopf itself has undergone a major change in recent years with the complete removal of the away stands. The result is the stadium looks unfinished and the multi-leveled press box structure appears stranded on stilts in desert. 

What hasn't changed much is Schoellkopf's iconic crescent home stands, though they now feature aluminum bleachers top to bottom. 

One great feature are the colonnades at the top of the crescent which allow fans a place to stand and watch the game and stay dry in bad weather. (I do think some of the colonnade space is now being sold as premium seating, but probably not all). 

I always visit Schoellkopf very late in the season, and the weather is usually colder than any other game of the year at that point. During last visit in 2021, it was just about 2-3 degrees away from being uncomfortable to sit through the entire game. But I also remember a game I attended in 1991 where it was t-shirt and shorts weather in the 1st half, and brutally cold snowy weather by the end of the 3rd quarter.  

Cornell has plenty of outdoor parking on the crescent side of the stadium and a large parking garage structure on the other side. Tailgating opportunities are plentiful in that crescent-side cement parking lot, but I always prefer parking and having a tailgate on grass. (Of course, I'd give my eyeteeth for at least a lot as big as Schoellkopf's at Columbia!).

The media experience at Schoellkopf is one of the best in the Ivies. The press box is modern and the food is good. The only snag now is that it feels awkward to be in that box with no fans or stands on the same side of the field. 

Schoellkopf is an overall beautiful venue, and one can only imagine how much more it would come alive if the Big Red ever competed for the Ivy title again. A small percentage of Cornell's large student body alone could pack that place each week.