The space between Cleveland and Pittsburgh is awfully quiet, but there is some life in the otherwise sleepy town of Kent when gameday arrives. Kent State University is located ten miles outside of Akron, making the Zips their most heated rival. The Golden Flashes have their home in Dix Stadium. It very recently was renovated with an impressive press box, jumbotron, and training facilities.
However, the enthusiasm for the football team is still under construction. Kent State has had a few bright spots here and there, but the 25,000 seats that occupy Dix Stadium haven’t had a houseful of rumps in it for a long time. The stadium is set off of campus quite a bit and placed among trees and open space. It’s not an easy walk from campus, but there are shuttles that bring fans in. The students have an entire side of the stadium all to themselves, which makes passing the fifty yard line difficult for opponents. Dix Stadium is not a loud or intensely intimidating venue, but fans are colorful and the seating is great. Despite the renovations, Dix Stadium has managed to maintain the quaintness of Middle American Conference football. Prior to the game, fans enjoy tailgating, games, live music and many vendors outside the stadium. The pregame festivities signal gameday and make Dix Stadium a very nice place to spend a Saturday afternoon.
