Mariucci Arena rated 15th best "Stadium Experience" in all sports

[BleedGopher]

This site rates Mariucci Ahead of Phog Allen Fieldhouse, Rupp Arena, Target Field, Wrigley, etc.:

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/news/...journey's-top-100-stadium-experiences-of-2013

Mariucci Review Page:

Final Thoughts

When people think of "must-see" sports venues, Jerry Jones World out in Dallas and Yankee Stadium in the Bronx immediately come to mind. I'm biased, of course, but I feel that Gopher hockey should be mentioned alongside Cowboy football and Yankee baseball as a must see for every sports nut.

The thing I like about it is that you have to be there to understand it. There is no description that will instantly sell Mariucci Arena to someone from out of town: It's not that big (there are larger college hockey venues), it's not located in a quaint college town and there is no gimmick like a pirate ship like at Raymond James Stadium or giant slide like in Miller Park. It's not located in a large city. The Gophers aren't perennial champions (last National Championship: 2003). There is no religious affiliation like Notre Dame.

You can't use the old "Hockey is religion in Minnesota" cliché, because while there's some truth to that, the Xcel Energy Center serves as the unofficial place of worship for puckheads in Minnesota.

It's better described as a party. Everyone has their favorite bar, or in college maybe their favorite house party, that they know they can bring anyone to and ensure that they'll have a good time. That's Gopher hockey. Sure its appeal may look esoteric in nature-it's designed for hockey fans in Minnesota-but there's an undeniable truth about this place:

As soon as you set foot in there, you'll fall in love with the game of hockey.

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/mariucci-arena-s1465

Go Gophers!!

 

[UpnorthGo4]

Come'on Bleed. Why no mention of the UMD Bulldogs Amsoil Arena as the No.1 "Stadium Experience" in America? Are you that partisan and parochial that you can't give some love to another Minnesota team?

The folks over at StadiumJourney.com took in a sporting event at more than 1,700 venues last year and they recently unveiled their “Top 100 Sports Experiences of 2013″ for the United States and Canada, and Minnesota’s best stadiums, arenas and ballparks fared quite well.

Amsoil Arena - Near Perfect College Hockey Experience

Nestled between the expansive, picturesque and bone-chilling waters of Lake Superior, and the towering hills of Duluth, sits Amsoil Arena, home to the University of Minnesota Duluth’s (UMD) famed men’s and women’s Bulldog hockey teams. Hockey is woven throughout the fabric of Duluth and nowhere is that more prevalent than in Duluth’s sparkling new, $80 million palatial arena.

Extras

What really helps to set Amsoil Arena apart from the rest is the attention to detail throughout the arena - from all of the local touches, including wood benches made out of wood from a salvaged grain elevator across the bay, to the murals, and the quotations of prominent local public figures painted along the walls of the concourses. Amsoil Arena is part museum, part hockey arena. That museum mentality is carried through to the detailing of the school's fifty-plus years of hockey history. From display cases housing the jerseys of the five Bulldog hockey players to be graced with the honor of receiving the Hobey Baker award (college hockey's equivalent of the Heisman trophy), more than any other Division-I school, to displays that hold the NCAA National Championship trophies that both the men's and women's teams have won.

The history of the hockey program isn't confined to the concourses alone. Dangling from the rafters, high above the ice, sits numerous banners providing a visual historical timeline. All five Hobey Baker winners have a banner dedicated to their achievement, along with banners for the NCAA National Championships, and the only two numbers to ever be retired at UMD, Keith "Huffer" Christianson's number 9, and Brett Hull's number 29.

The attention to detail extends well beyond the school's history. It includes small things like a beautiful stone two-way fireplace that spans the gap between the private member's only Bulldog Club, and the public concourse. The fireplace serves as a nice heat source for those chilled by the harsh weather outside, or the often cool air that accompanies a hockey arena. It is that kind of attention to detail that really puts Amsoil Arena in the upper echelon of college hockey's arenas.

Final Thoughts

Amsoil Arena was designed to take the history of hockey in Duluth and capture it all in one place, and capture it, they did. With no expense spared, Amsoil Arena challenges the likes of Ralph Engelstad Arena, long considered to be the best arena in college hockey, for the title. While Amsoil may not surpass Ralph Engelstad in terms of atmosphere, it has the means to give it a run-for-its-money.

If you ever find yourself in Duluth, do yourself a favor and catch a game at Amsoil Arena. Whether the game you attend is a closely contested game or not, you will walk out of Amsoil Arena feeling like you got your money's worth for the experience alone.


Best Stadium Experience In All Of Sports

1. Amsoil Arena

Home of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Duluth, MN

2. Daytona International Speedway

Home of the Daytona 500

Daytona Beach, FL

3. Compton Family Ice Arena

Home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

South Bend, IN

4. Lucas Oil Stadium

Home of the Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis, IN

5. Fenway Park

Home of the Boston Red Sox

Boston, MA

6. Heinz Field

Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh, PA

7. Xcel Energy Center

Home of the Minnesota Wild

St Paul, MN

8. Notre Dame Stadium

Home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

South Bend, IN

9. AT&T Center

Home of the San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio, TX

10. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Home of the Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore, MD

11. Pensacola Bayfront Stadium

Home of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Pensacola, FL

12. Verizon Center

Home of the Washington Capitals

Washington, DC

13. Staples Center

Home of the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles, CA

14. Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Home of the BNP Paribas Open

Indian Wells, CA

15. Mariucci Arena

Home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minneapolis, MN

 

[GophersInIowa]

Come on Bleed. Why no mention of the UMD Bulldogs Amsoil arena as the No.1 "Stadium Experience" in America? Are you that partisan and parochial that you can't give some love to another Minnesota team?

The folks over at StadiumJourney.com took in a sporting event at more than 1,700 venues last year and they recently unveiled their “Top 100 Sports Experiences of 2013″ for the United States and Canada, and Minnesota’s best stadiums, arenas and ballparks fared quite well.

Amsoil Arena - Near Perfect College Hockey Experience

Nestled between the expansive, picturesque and bone-chilling waters of Lake Superior, and the towering hills of Duluth, sits Amsoil Arena, home to the University of Minnesota Duluth’s (UMD) famed men’s and women’s Bulldog hockey teams. Hockey is woven throughout the fabric of Duluth and nowhere is that more prevalent than in Duluth’s sparkling new, $80 million palatial arena.

Extras

What really helps to set Amsoil Arena apart from the rest is the attention to detail throughout the arena - from all of the local touches, including wood benches made out of wood from a salvaged grain elevator across the bay, to the murals, and the quotations of prominent local public figures painted along the walls of the concourses. Amsoil Arena is part museum, part hockey arena. That museum mentality is carried through to the detailing of the school's fifty-plus years of hockey history. From display cases housing the jerseys of the five Bulldog hockey players to be graced with the honor of receiving the Hobey Baker award (college hockey's equivalent of the Heisman trophy), more than any other Division-I school, to displays that hold the NCAA National Championship trophies that both the men's and women's teams have won.

The history of the hockey program isn't confined to the concourses alone. Dangling from the rafters, high above the ice, sits numerous banners providing a visual historical timeline. All five Hobey Baker winners have a banner dedicated to their achievement, along with banners for the NCAA National Championships, and the only two numbers to ever be retired at UMD, Keith "Huffer" Christianson's number 9, and Brett Hull's number 29.

The attention to detail extends well beyond the school's history. It includes small things like a beautiful stone two-way fireplace that spans the gap between the private member's only Bulldog Club, and the public concourse. The fireplace serves as a nice heat source for those chilled by the harsh weather outside, or the often cool air that accompanies a hockey arena. It is that kind of attention to detail that really puts Amsoil Arena in the upper echelon of college hockey's arenas.

Final Thoughts

Amsoil Arena was designed to take the history of hockey in Duluth and capture it all in one place, and capture it, they did. With no expense spared, Amsoil Arena challenges the likes of Ralph Engelstad Arena, long considered to be the best arena in college hockey, for the title. While Amsoil may not surpass Ralph Engelstad in terms of atmosphere, it has the means to give it a run-for-its-money.

If you ever find yourself in Duluth, do yourself a favor and catch a game at Amsoil Arena. Whether the game you attend is a closely contested game or not, you will walk out of Amsoil Arena feeling like you got your money's worth for the experience alone.


Best Stadium Experience In All Of Sports

1. Amsoil Arena

Home of the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs

Duluth, MN

2. Daytona International Speedway

Home of the Daytona 500

Daytona Beach, FL

3. Compton Family Ice Arena

Home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

South Bend, IN

4. Lucas Oil Stadium

Home of the Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis, IN

5. Fenway Park

Home of the Boston Red Sox

Boston, MA

6. Heinz Field

Home of the Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh, PA

7. Xcel Energy Center

Home of the Minnesota Wild

St Paul, MN

8. Notre Dame Stadium

Home of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish

South Bend, IN

9. AT&T Center

Home of the San Antonio Spurs

San Antonio, TX

10. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

Home of the Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore, MD

11. Pensacola Bayfront Stadium

Home of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos

Pensacola, FL

12. Verizon Center

Home of the Washington Capitals

Washington, DC

13. Staples Center

Home of the Los Angeles Lakers

Los Angeles, CA

14. Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Home of the BNP Paribas Open

Indian Wells, CA

15. Mariucci Arena

Home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers

Minneapolis, MN

Probably for the same reason you didn't mention anything about the Xcel Energy Center.

 

[UpnorthGo4]

Probably for the same reason you didn't mention anything about the Xcel Energy Center.

This is a college sports message board. As far as I am concerned, professional sports are a travesty and an abomination. Except for golf.

 

[MinneStoa]

This is a college sports message board.

Correction, this is a University of Minnesota Golden Gophers message board.

 

[GophersInIowa]

Correction, this is a University of Minnesota Golden Gophers message board.

The point I was hinting at. ^^^^^^