Photos by David Hawkins, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00
Tucker Stadium 1 William L Jones Dr Cookeville, TN 38501
Year Opened: 1966
Capacity: 16,500
The Nest of the Golden Eagles
The Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles play their home football games on Overall Field at Tucker Stadium in Cookeville, Tennessee. The Golden Eagles are members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The stadium is located on the Tennessee Technological University campus and holds 16,500 fans on Saturdays in the Fall.
The Golden Eagles have played their home games at Tucker Stadium since 1966. The stadium underwent an extensive renovation in 2007. The stadium is named after former football coach Wilburn Tucker. Under the guidance of Tucker, who coached the team from 1954-1967, the Golden Eagles won five OVC titles including four straight from 1958-1961.
Tucker Stadium has hosted the Tennessee high school football state championships since 2009.
Food & Beverage 3
There are concession stands on both sides of the stadium with the visitor’s side offering more food and drink options than the home side.
The food selections are very typical. The menu includes hamburgers, hot dogs, nachos, pizza, popcorn and candy. One somewhat interesting option is the BBQ pork. A few other options like cinnamon stix, chili dogs, and cheese bread can be found on the visitor’s side concession area.
Drink options include Pepsi products, water, Gatorade, coffee, and hot chocolate.
The concession stands accept cash as well as credit/debit cards.
Atmosphere 3
Despite being over 50 years old, Tucker Stadium looks very well cared for and kept up. There is an older scoreboard at the south end of the stadium and a large sign at the north end of the stadium identifying the field.
The stadium is open on both end zones and has 41 rows of metal bleacher seating on both the home (east) side and visitors (west) side. The stadium also has two-level press boxes on either side. The west side hosts the working press and the east side hosts the school’s president and their guests.
Neighborhood 3
The stadium is located right on the Tennessee Technological University campus and is adjacent to a quiet neighborhood filled with single family homes, apartments, churches and other commercial type structures.
A few off campus dining options include Mamma Rosa’s Italian Restaurant located at 200 South Lowe Avenue and a student favorite Fuji Hibachi and Sushi located at 864 South Jefferson Avenue.
Cookeville offers several hotel and motel options within a short distance of the stadium. A few non-chain options include the Key West Inn located at 663 South Willow Avenue and the Fall Creek Inn located at 1814 Salem Road. Both hotels offer rooms for less than $60 per night.
If you have time before or after the game and want to see more of the area, the Burgess Falls State Park is approximately 12 miles away and offers a 136 foot waterfall. Another option is the Cookeville Railroad Depot which houses the Cookeville Depot Museum. The museum is less than 2 miles from Tucker Stadium.
Fans 3
The fans are very supportive of their team. During our review in 2017, the Golden Eagles were 1-9 entering the game and the weather was very dark, cold and rainy. These factors may have been responsible for the attendance being less than 1,000 spectators. Those who were in attendance showed their enthusiasm for the home team.
Access 4
Tucker Stadium is very easy to get to being just off of Route 40 at exit 286. After exiting, take 135 north to West 7th Street to either Stadium Drive or North Peachtree Avenue. There are several free parking lots and parking areas in and around the stadium.
Return on Investment 3
All tickets are general admission and cost $10 for a single game. Season tickets (five home games) are available for $36 for adults and $25 for youth and senior citizens. A family season ticket plan (two adults and three children) is offered for $75. Free parking is offered very close to the stadium, and concessions are reasonably priced for a college sporting event.
Extras 2
Tucker Stadium has an area where it displays awards and pictures of previous seasons, but it is not accessible during the games. There are small souvenir areas next to each concession stand selling several styles of hats, t-shirts, sweatshirts and hoodies.
Final Thoughts
Tennessee Technological University is a small school with a very limited football history. The school has produced a handful of former NFL players including Lonnie Warwick, Jim Youngblood, Frank Omiyale, Larry Schreiber and Elois Grooms.
If you’re in the area and looking for some college football, or you want to follow your team on the road, then Tucker Stadium is an affordable and accessible sports venue.
Comments