Best/Worst of the Valley 2017

[kiyoat]

So I was going to make a poll, but there are too many different topics I'd like to cover, so maybe you guys can just answer any of these questions you feel you have enough information to answer:

1. Best/worst football facilities (quality of field, stadium, parking etc.)
2. Best/worst gameday experience (tailgating, lodging, restaurants, etc.)
3. Most/least obnoxious fans (however you want to define it)

You can include experiences outside of just this year, too.  I won't comment too much myself because I generally only go to 1 or 2 football games a year, and just at the dome.  The tailgating we did on Saturday was a lot of fun, but I agree with those who have mentioned the possibility of combining the tailgate areas for a larger overall feel to it.  I'd also say that the congestion on the dome concourse always is annoying for the big games, so hopefully the pending remodel will alleviate some of that.

I'd be curious what non-Coyote fans think on this as well.  I don't post on any other sites, so maybe some of you that do can ask the same question on our opponent's sites.  Bunny fans on here feel free to contribute as well, but I don't want this thread to devolve into a disrespectful trash-talking session.  (I'm sure the mods don't want that either, so lets all keep the flaming and trolling to a minimum)

[obc]

Best Facilities: SDSU (The Big Dyke is well designed outdoor stadium, along with their indoor practice facility/track, weight room offices etc.)
Worst Facilities: Ind St - Are they even trying?

Best atmosphere around game: NDSU
Worst atmosphere around game: Ind St - the entire area is depressing.

Most annoying fans: SDSU (of course)
Least annoying fans: USD (of course) NDSUs fans are the most knowledgeable of any I have met. They definitely pay attention to the other conference teams and the FCS at large.

[kiyoat]

No opinions, guys/gals? Sheesh! Maybe I should have taken off the "if you feel qualified " part. Everyone is qualified to have an opinion!

[Yotes]

Between 2016 and 2017 I've been to USD, UND, SDSU, WIU, UNI, and NDSU. I know UND isn't here yet but I'm counting them anyways. Here are my thoughts between those schools:

Best Facilities: UND or NDSU. Indoors is the way to go, and these two have very nice indoor facilities. Each has their own perks over the other so I'm calling it a tie.
Worst Facilities: WIU. They don't even have a video board.

Best Gameday Atmosphere: NDSU. Everyone knows it. Their team has made it obscenely easy for fans to hop on the bandwagon and their location gives them a large population to draw on. I'm curious what it was like there 7 years ago, but the tailgate is worth the trip alone today. Then once you get inside their crowd is just loud as hell. First down? Time to yell!
Worst Gameday Atmosphere: UNI. Wasn't much of a tailgate and then once you got inside the fans were really apathetic. Only with a few minutes left in the game did anyone show interest. (note: I'm guessing this title would have gone to WIU if I went to any game other than their homecoming).

Most Annoying Fans: SDSU. The only fanbase I've ever had an issue with in person, and I've got a laundry list of atrocious behavior that I've witnessed from their fans the past few years. Marginal athletic success is all they've got to take pride in and it shows.
Least Annoying Fans: Everyone else. Met great people at UND, NDSU, WIU, and UNI. Not one annoying fan at any of those places.

[yoteforever]

BEST FACILITIES:
1.) SDSU ( from sept-20 oct ) 6th after October 20th
2.) NDSU/UND tie
4.) UNI showing it ages
5.) USD will be 4th after renovation
5.) Illinois State ( tied with usd )
7.) Southern Illinois
8.) Missouri State
9.) Western Illinois
10.) Indiana State
Have not been to Youngstown

TAILGATE ATMOSPHERE:
1.) NDSU ( they are pros )
2.) Illinois State ( it was homecoming there this year but the best tailgate of the year by far )
3.) USD ( trending upward )
4.) UND
5.) SDSU ( not as visitor friendly as other venues )
6.) UNI ( snoozer...boring )
7.) SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
8.) MO. STATE
9.) WESTERN ILLINOIS
10.) INDIANA STATE

GAME ATMOSPHERE:
1.) NDSU ( most passionate by far of any in the Valley )
2.) ILLINOIS STATE
3.) UND
4.) SDSU ( in my opinion didn't capitalize on new stadium...fair weather fans )
5.) UNI
6.) USD ( getting better but still a long ways to go in creating home field advantage...YouTube NDSU )
7.) SOUTHERN ILLINOIS. ( small crowds outside in so so stadium )
8.) MISSOURI STATE
9.) WESTERN ILLINOIS
10.) INDIANA STATE ( awful )

Most annoying fan base: All teams have their share of "beauties" for fans. No one I would call humble. There are some really good fans that wear blue but as a group I plug my nose around them. Naturally there are some exceptions.

I will say this. If we get the Dome renovated the right way, we will surpass UNI only from the standpoint of being a little bit more modernized. SDSU's stadium is very very nice, but I also think they errored building an outdoor stadium because of weather factors. A very large part of their fan base are fair weathered fans, and will stay home at the first sign of weather adversity such as cold, rain/snow, or wind. Honestly, I think our fans would be the same we didn't play on a Dome. NDSU fans have the absolute best mindset, and that is we are going no matter what. Bad weather? Bring it. Playing a bigger school? Bring it. They love football and love their Bison. If there's a fan base to emulate in this league, it's theirs in terms of support. Also, that FargoDome is loud every stinking play. The best home field advantage in the FCS landscape for my money. Sometimes they are a little rude and obnoxious saying stuff to opposing players that I feel is out of bounds, but remove that, and they are the best at backing their team. If USD fans can get there in mindset as well, then the DakotaDome will not be a place anyone wants to play in including NDSU.

The last thing I want to address is Vermillion, nd how many people take shots at it and why they do so. I have been to every campus in the league except Youngstown, so I will excluded them in this.

1.) Fargo: The Sioux Falls of North Dakota. Great city. Colder than hell but airport that is team accessible. Other than weather, great place to have a school.
2.) Brookings: Good college town. More hotels than Vermillion. Not airport accessible. Overall good college town.
3.) Cedar Falls: Airport accessible. More motels. Absolutely dumpy town combined with Waterloo. No loyalty. Their fans are more interested in the Hawkeyes or Cyclones
4.) Normal: Airport accessible. More motels. Town is dumpier than it should be. Facilities are good. Overall a so so college town
5.) Macomb: Not airport accessible for team planes. Dumpy town..lack of pride. Athletic facilities not impressive. Weak fan base
6.) Carbondale: Airport accessible. Bigger metro area than what we have. More hotels. Not a lot of school pride by students or alum
7.) Terra Haute: Sound of flushing toilet. Hell hole. Awful facilities. Small fan base. They think God everyday for Larry Bird
8.) Springfield: Airport accessible. More motel rooms. Should be like Fargo in being able to have it all but with better weather, but can't get it going
9.) Grand Forks: About like Brookings. Fantastic athletic facilities. Colder than holy hell. Middle of nowhere
10.) Vermillion: Not airport accessible. Limited motels in town. Great community that's proud of their school. Great people. Diamond in the rough. Once you play there it's always a special place in your heart.

Overall observation:
USD has a window of opportunity to take their programs and overall status of the university to a new level with new basketball arena, and updated and renovated DakotaDome, track and field, soccer, and so on and so on. We have great coaches in all sports right now that are just really good people. If the media would wake up and give USD their due, I think this school has a chance to become a multi sport powerhouse. The fan base needs to get more excited and willing to financially support the program at a much higher rate than they do now. You can't always lean on 5-10 boosters and hope for the best. Those 5-10 will lead, but there needs to be followers if you truly want to make USD formidable. I have bet heavy they can do it, now we need to step up.

[aldewitt]

"I'm curious what it was like there 7 years ago, but the tailgate is worth the trip alone today"

Read more: usdcoyotesports.proboards.com/thread/2144/best-worst-valley-2017#ixzz4zBRLQs2z

I have the unique perspective of having attended every game in the Fabulous Fargo Dome from its inception through the 2013 season.  I have had general admission, a suite and reserved seats.  The FFD was built on the tailgate lot for Dacotah Field.  Out there we would actually open the tailgate with the stadium off to the south, drink a few beers, party and head in.  It was so far out there there was no enforcement of any kind and it was good time.

The FFD opened while in D2.  It took a long time to catch on.  Half full a lot of the time and they couldn't give the tickets away.  I would say probably averaged 10-12,000 with a few sell-outs.  As D1 drew near more and more people started to come from further and further away.  RVs started showing up.  they were directed to the paved area west of the stadium.  It wasnt very big and had a shelter belt protecting it on the west.

Thats where Lakes and the rain forest set-up.  They were legendary.  We always set-up our lawn chairs with our coolers and picknick basket a few hundred yards north of them. From there the tailgate has grown each and every year to what it is now: a huge party before the game.

Eventually, for a couple seasons, we would stay downtown at the Radisson.  It was a great hotel at the time.  It was football central.  Visiting teams and fans stayed there, the bar was hopping on Friday nights with local celebrities and fans from both schools.  We would get up Sat morning, use our breakfast coupons, have a few mimosas and walk to the FFD.  It was fun, we would enter the tailgate from the south and mingle while visiting all our regular stops pre game.  Then on in.  The walk back was always fun, on foot, stopping wherever we wanted, Chubs included, with dinner waiting for us at some spot downtown.

I've been to all the domed stadiums in the MVFC.  South Dakota was of course the first and still a favorite.  Been to a ton of games there.  Some of them in their time were the biggest games ever played.

UNI dome is great and I will be back there next year I hope.  I havent been to SDSUs new stadium yet and may never go.  Last time I was there the visitors side wasn't built but construction was going on everywhere.    

[Coyote Fan]

Easy question.

Best in the Valley the Coyotes during the first 4 weeks. Worse in the Valley the Coyotes slide during the last 4 weeks.