Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86
W. B. Adams Stadium 445 State Rte 602 Ferrum, VA 24088
Year Opened: 1960 Capacity: 5,500
Small Town Football
W. B. Adams Stadium opened in 1960 and seats 5,500 fans. The venue is used as the home field for Ferrum College’s football and lacrosse teams. The Ferrum Panthers football team currently competes in the NCAA’s Division III, where they are a member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference.
Food & Beverage 3
W. B. Adams Stadium has two concessions stands, one on each side of the field – the main location is under the home stands, while the concessions stand at the baseball stadium (behind the football field’s end zone) is open for fans sitting on the visiting side. The same items are sold at both locations, however, and the baseball stadium stand has shorter lines, so it is worth it to make the short walk to the other side.
On offer are burgers, hot dogs, nachos, popcorn, peanuts, candy, Gatorade, bottled Pepsi products, and bottled water. Prices are phenomenal with the most expensive item being only 3.75 (cheeseburger); nachos with chili are only $3, candy is only $1.25, and bottled water is only $1.50.
Atmosphere 3
W. B. Adams Stadium seats 5,500 fans, which is on par with other football facilities at the D3 level. There is a good bit of crowd noise from the fans, and the cheerleaders are on hand to keep the fans in the game, waving gold pom-poms which sparkle a little in the sunshine. I did not see a mascot roaming the sidelines, and the scoreboard is static (meaning there is no video to watch replays), but on the plus side you can get really close to the action here, and there is plenty of energy on the home side despite a losing record this season.
Ferrum’s baseball stadium is visible from the home stands (to the right of the visitor bleachers), and there are also plenty of trees around one end of the field. Most of the seats are metal bleachers (both on the home side and on the visiting side), but there is a small section of plastic chairback seats in the upper middle section of the home side.
Neighborhood 2
W. B. Adams Stadium is surrounded by Ferrum College’s other athletic facilities, including the football practice field, practice soccer field, baseball stadium, wrestling center, basketball arena, etc. Like many small colleges and universities, athletics drives enrollment at this 1000-student institution, and as such Ferrum boasts 11 men’s sports and 14 women’s sports.
Other than that there is very little near the stadium, or in town for that matter – there is of course a post office and gas station downtown, as well as a Dollar General and a few fast food joints, but to find much more in the way of shopping and dining you will have to drive about 10 miles west to Henry’s Fork, along Highway 220.
Fans 3
Despite a losing record on the field of late, there are still plenty of fans here cheering on their Ferrum Panthers. The stands aren’t full by any means, but there are a good number of fans sitting on the home side, with a few sitting on top of the hill watching from blankets and folding chairs. There is plenty of Ferrum gear to be seen, which is also sold at the stadium; all items are half price during the last home game of the season.
Access 3
Ferrum, Virginia is located about half an hour north of Martinsville and about half an hour south of Roanoke, in a rural part of eastern Virginia. Getting here will likely require you to drive along some winding roads through some hills, but once you arrive there is plenty of parking within a short walk of the venue, and there is plenty of room to move around the concourse. The restrooms are located in a separate building about 100 feet from the main concourse (home side), or if you are sitting on the visiting side you can use the restrooms in the baseball stadium (which is located behind the end zone).
The cost to park right behind the home grandstand (Black Helmet Club) is $250 for the season, but you can park for free on campus, which is just a short soccer-field’s-width walk away from the football field.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets to W. B. Adams Stadium for football games is only $10 per person, which is on the cheap side compared to other similarly-sized sports venues. This is a pretty good return on investment given the free parking, low-cost concessions, and how close you can get to the action on the field, not to mention the solid energy from the crowd, with lots of yelling, cheering, and the occasional cow bell in support of the Black and Gold.
Extras 2
The Panthers host some special events at some games, for example Black Hat Day, a nod to the school’s boosters (who are named the Black Helmet Club). The staff also plays some great music throughout the game.
Final Thoughts
Being a D3 football stadium, this is obviously a different experience than some of the Power 5 contests you may have been to, but if you are in the area, W. B. Adams is definitely worth a visit. Go, Panthers!