To the Editor:
As an engaged fan of Brown Athletics, I was excited to read The Herald’s Tuesday reporting on Bruno’s upcoming football game against Harvard. The article focused on the news of this year’s game being located at Centreville Bank Stadium instead of Brown Stadium. I found myself disappointed by this reporting, as it misleadingly implied that the game would be poorly attended and an inconvenience for students.
The phrasing “even though Brown should have home turf, the game will not be at Brown Stadium,” negatively implies the game will not reflect a “home” field advantage. Later in the piece, a student source says he finds the change of stadium “disheartening … knowing that it will discourage people from showing up.”
Here are some facts to consider. Centreville Bank Stadium is a state-of-the-art facility, with a capacity of 10,500. Brown Stadium, on the other hand, is a historic stadium, and it is the biggest in Rhode Island with a capacity of 20,000. In the last two meetings of Harvard and Brown football in Providence, attendance was 9,395 in 2022 and 10,753 in the legendary comeback win of 2024. These numbers show that recent battles against the Crimson at home don’t necessarily warrant the extra 9,500 seats that holding the game at Brown Stadium would provide.
On the contrary, this smaller stadium could result in an elevated experience for all. While the Tuesday reporting includes a buzzer-beater acknowledgement that the game is nearly sold out for student tickets, the game will more than likely fully sell out, given that less than 500 total tickets were available last Friday. Even if it is smaller, a sold-out stadium that can still accommodate expected turnout provides a brimming atmosphere. And conveying to players that Brunonians have packed the house may very well prove encouraging for their on-field performance.
Additionally, a student source in the reporting implied that advertisement of the free shuttle services was insufficient, but emails from the athletics department advertising the service were sent out on Sept. 7, 8, 16 and 17. Over the past few days, there have also been Instagram posts from Brown Athletics, Brown Football and the Bruno Bear Pack — a club dedicated to improving the fan experience at home athletic events, which I lead. I can’t think of much else Brown Athletics could have done to advertise the shuttle, other than force students to read their emails.
There is no reason to believe Friday’s game will not feel like a home game for Brown. Do not let this reporting lull you into being a quiet, passive spectator this Friday. Instead, come to the game loud, rowdy and ready to cheer for Bruno.
With a B-R-O-W-N,
Clay Edelson ’29
Clay Edelson ’29 can be reached at clayton_edelson@brown.edu. Please send responses to this letter to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com
Clay Edelson is an Opinions Columnist. He is from St. Louis, Missouri and plans on concentrating in Political Science. In his free time, Clay loves playing with his band, attending Brown Athletics events, and hiking.
