Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.86
Day Field 2204 Henry St Ashland, VA 23005
Year Opened: 2012
Capacity: 2,500
The Buzz Around Randolph-Macon
The campus of Randolph-Macon College is located in Ashland, Virginia, about 20 miles north of Richmond. RMC's athletic programs, known as the Yellow Jackets, compete at the Division III level in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). Randolph Macon's football team has enjoyed great success, winning four straight ODAC championships from 2020 to 2023 and reaching the semifinals of the 2023 Division III Tournament.
The Yellow Jackets play their home games at Day Field, a 2,500-seat stadium that opened in 2012 to replace the previous venue of the same name. Both venues are named after RMBC faculty member Frank Day, who donated the property on the original stadium that was built in 1937.
Food & Beverage 3
Concessions from local vendor Jake's Place are sold out of a tent near the scoreboard. The menu is somewhat limited and includes pulled pork sandwiches ($7), hot dogs ($6), chips ($1), candy ($2), water ($2) and assorted sodas ($2). Be sure to bring cash, as that is the easiest payment method to use here. A wide assortment of sauces, some of them homemade by Jake's Place, is available for your pulled pork or hot dog, as are the classic ketchup, mustard, and relish. This stand may not open until close to game time, especially for the hot food options.
Atmosphere 5
Although Day Field is a Division III venue, the atmosphere here is quite good. There are two sets of bleachers, a larger one on the home sideline and a smaller one on the visiting sideline. Only the top row of seats has backs. A large scoreboard is located to the left of the home bleachers.
Before the Yellow Jackets take the field, a single drum player will play their drum faster and faster as the crowd claps along on the off-beats to get hyped up. As it reaches a frenetic pace, the team will take the field led by cheerleaders holding flags spelling out "Jackets" and their mascot, Buzz, who is appropriately a yellow jacket. Buzz will proceed to roam the stands during the game, interacting with fans.
Randolph-Macon does not have its marching band but partners with local ones to perform at halftime. There is no pregame performance and no band music played during the game itself other than halftime. The cheerleaders are active but generally stay in the same place on the sideline.
Day Field is surrounded by campus buildings, and it is not uncommon to see students and others watching the game from the balconies.
Neighborhood 3
Randolph-Macon College is located in Ashland, about 20 miles north of Richmond. Downtown Ashland includes many options, including the Iron Horse Restaurant, The Caboose Market & Cafe, and Trackside Grill. There are hotels available as well for visitors who are staying overnight. Richmond is a relatively short drive away and offers many more options than would be available here.
Fans 5
Day Field officially seats about 2,500, but it will be over capacity in most games, especially for the heated rivalry against Hampden-Sydney. Crowds of about 3,500 are typical, or twice that for the Hampden-Sydney game. This ranks towards the top of Division III in attendance. Before the game even starts, the tailgate lot will be packed with fans as the smell of freshly grilled food rises. You do not often see such a tailgating scene at this level.
The crowd here packs the bleachers and, when that fills up, stands along the fence surrounding the field. It can get quite loud here, especially when the Yellow Jackets make big plays or score a touchdown. On third downs, the PA announcer will dramatically announce, "It's third down," and encourage the crowd to get as loud as possible, and they will comply.
While nobody would mistake the crowd here for what you'd see at a Division I school, RMC has one of the top fan bases in Division III.
Access 3
The Randolph-Macon campus is a few miles off Interstate 95. Once you are on campus, keep in mind the lot closest to the stadium is reserved for tailgaters who have prepaid for their space. You can park in any other lot on campus, including the one directly across Center Street, where staff will helpfully direct you to an appropriate place to park. You may wind up parking on the grass or in other suboptimal places. Be sure to arrive at least an hour early if you want to park close, more for the Hampden-Sydney game.
Restrooms (real ones, not port-a-potties) are located at the south end of the stadium and are generally sufficient for the crowds. The bleachers are not too hard to get up and down, with wide walkways, although they can get a bit backed up at halftime and postgame.
One good thing about access is that the Ashland Amtrak station is located less than a 10-minute walk from Day Field, with access up and down the Northeast Corridor. This may not help most people, but for some, it will be extremely convenient. This easily accessible transit station brings what would be an otherwise low access score up a bit.
Return on Investment 5
Tickets to Randolph-Macon home games are just $10 each and can be purchased on the RMC athletics website or the hometown ticketing app. Children 12 and under and students, faculty, and staff of Randolph-Macon and their opponents get in for free. Tickets to the Hampden-Sydney game may be more expensive. Parking is free unless you reserve a space in the tailgating lot for the season, and concessions are reasonably affordable. Considering this is one of the top experiences in Division III football, a Randolph-Macon Yellow Jackets game is of great value.
Extras 4
A merchandise tent on the south end is worth an extra star here.
A second star for the way Day Field is integrated into the Randolph-Macon campus, surrounded by buildings with balconies that overlook the field.
A third star for the banners honoring Randolph Macon's postseason appearances.
The drumbeat to introduce the team before the game is worthy of a fourth and final star here.
Final Thoughts
Don't let the fact that Randolph-Macon is a Division III college fool you. A Yellow Jackets football game at Day Field is a great experience at a price the whole family can afford. College football fans in Virginia will want to make the trip to Day Field on a Saturday in the fall.
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