Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Drass Field at Scott D. Miller Stadium
401 Clara St
Dover, DE 19904
Year Opened: 1986
Capacity: 2,500
Wolverines of The First State
Wesley College is a private liberal arts college located in Dover, the capital of Delaware. The college was founded in 1873 as a preparatory school called Wilmington Conference Academy. It became a two-year college in 1918 and was renamed the Wesley Collegiate Institute and later just Wesley College.
Wesley competes in Division III sports as part of the Atlantic East Conference, except in football where it competes in the New Jersey Athletic Conference. Its teams are known as the Wolverines. Wesley has been very successful in football, achieving high rankings quite consistently.
Food & Beverage 3
The food operation at Miller Stadium is quite a simple affair. There is a regular food stand at the far end of the main grandstand, as well as a tented operation at the near side of those same stands.
The food is hot dogs, hamburgers and Italian sausages made straight from the grill. The offerings may be slim, but the price is cheap and the quality is quite high.
Atmosphere 4
Wesley is good at football and draws a large crowd to their simple football field. The field is no more than an average high school quality stadium, but it is maintained well and offers a great atmosphere.
There is one main grandstand, a small end zone seating stand, and a medium-sized visitor stand. Fans can also stand around the fencing that surrounds the field.
Wesley has a nice scoreboard and has cheerleaders that help with the atmosphere.
Neighborhood 4
The area is good if you need food and sustenance before or after the game. Legendary local chain Grotto Pizza has a sports bar located nearby at 1159 N DuPont Highway. They have never been a favorite of mine but fans of them will flock there.
Other great choices include Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop on Gateway S Blvd, Restaurant 55 at 2461 S State St, La Tolteca Restaurant at 859 N Dupont Hwy, and 33 West Ale House & Grill at 33 W Loockerman Street. The Fire and Ice Bar at Dover Downs Casino is another choice for a drink after the game.
Fans 4
The Wesley fans know the game well and support the team strongly. Wesley also plays relatively local teams, so expect to see the visitor stands full as well.
Access 4
Dover is about a one-and-a-half-hour trip from Philadelphia or Baltimore, and at least two hours from Washington DC. It seems close by on a map but is isolated at the center of the Delmarva Peninsula. If venturing to a shore destination such as Ocean City, Maryland, or Rehobeth, Delaware, then Dover may make a quick, enjoyable stop, but as a destination, it is not the easiest location to travel to. Watch out for NASCAR weekends when traveling in the area; those weekends are not recommended unless you have no other options, as traffic can pile up, so leave yourself additional time in those cases.
There may also be tolls unless you are already on the eastern shore or Delmarva region. If travelling from the DC and Annapolis area you will have to pay tolls across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. If going around the top of the bay from Baltimore you will have to pay very hefty tolls on either Route 40 or I-95. And coming from Norfolk you will need to pay for the Bay Bridge Tunnel.
There will be plenty of parking on the streets near the stadium.
Return on Investment 4
General Admission tickets are $8 and for Homecoming Weekend, special Tailgating and game package deals will be available.
Extras 2
There seems to be a pretty decent tailgating culture before games in a field to the south of the stadium.
An extra point is also given to the fact that the visiting team usually has their halftime meeting right along the fields surrounding the stadium. It is fun to watch the team’s plan for the next half of game play.
Final Thoughts
Drass Field at Scott D. Miller Stadium is a simple affair, but the high quality of play for Division III is quite evident and the fan support is very good.
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