Union College

Messa Rink
Schenectady, NY

Tickets

• Tickets for RPI, Cornell and Clarkson games cost $12; all other games cost $10. Tickets are not available online. Call 518-388-6134 for information.
• Diagram of Messa Rink: The visitors sections are 5 and 6. The stairway to these sections is difficult to find — walk all the way past the sections and go around behind them.

Directions

• From Troy: Take NY-7 West. When the road forks (shortly after you pass Bellevue Hospital on the left), bear right to get on Union Street. Go approximately two miles and take a right onto Wendell Avenue (it's the next right after Brierwood). Go about five blocks to Nott Street (a major intersection) and take a left. In a block or two you'll see a parking lot with an attendant on your left. Messa Rink is still a fairly long walk through the campus from this point. Distance: 20 miles.

Arena

• Campus map: Messa Rink is number 1, at top center.
• Parking: Parking is free, but the lot is small and fills early. Street parking is available along Nott Street and adjacent side streets — be prepared for a long walk.
• Seating: Messa Rink seats 2,300, but not comfortably. Seats are bleacher-style without backs and each designated space is about 18" wide. There is very little leg room and no room to put anything under the seats. For RPI games the arena will be sold out, which means you will get to know your neighbors extremely well. Note that it's a very small step down from the steps to each row of seats — people frequently trip at this point. The visitors sections get HOT during games because of the height and number of bodies.
• Food: Concessions are located behind the stands on the opposite side of the rink from the visitors sections. Hot dogs, pizza and snacks are available at two stands — lines can get long but move quickly.

Hotels

• See http://www.union.edu/Visitor_Center/lodging.php.
• If you're coming to the area just for the Union game, these hotels are good choices. If you're attending a game at RPI too, you'll do better with the hotels in the Latham area or those in Troy. (See RPI listing.)

Restaurants

• See http://www.union.edu/Visitor_Center/dining.php.
• There are also many good restaurants along NY-2/NY-7 in Latham, about halfway between Schenectady and Troy, including Applebees's, Dakota, Pizzeria Uno, Ruby Tuesday and Carrabba's.

Other things to do

• Union has a great web site for visitors with all kinds of information about entertainment and attractions.
• Shopping: Crossgates Mall is the place to shop in the Capital District area, as long as you like crowds.
• Movies: Regal Cinemas has 10 screens in Latham and another 18 at Crossgates Mall.