In this series, DCist sports writers Brett Gellman and Andrew Wiseman tour the area’s college basketball arenas, taking in the sights and sounds of the home team, its fans, the stadium, as well as where to grab a drink and a bite to eat before the big game. In our first installment, we venture to the District’s only public college basketball program, the University of the District of Columbia Firebirds.
By Brett Gellman and Andrew Wiseman
Arena: UDC’s campus is mostly hidden off Connecticut Avenue NW, but once you go inside, it’s actually kind of impressive. Built in a similar modernist style starting in the late 1970s, the buildings are clean and well maintained, and the sports complex is no different. While the go-to insult on an arena is to call it a high school gym, UDC is a step up from that, though their claim that it seats 3,500 seems hard to believe. That said, it was a hopping place in their glory days in the early ’80s, when the Firebirds won an NCAA Division II championship and regularly filled the arena. There were even Sports Illustrated articles about the team, pretty rare for a school a step below big time college sports. Personally, we liked the yellow and red UDC chairs and various versions of the Firebird mascot on the walls. The bathrooms were also really nice.
Atmosphere: It’s a unique experience. Attendance for the game against Mercy College was paltry. We were able to count each of the 50 people in attendance, and a dozen of them were the two schools’ women’s basketball teams. Despite the small turnout, the five cheerleaders tried to keep the crowd entertained during timeouts while the house PA system would play some up-to-the-minute hip-hop before play resumed. The place was mostly quiet, but that also allowed some coaching from the stands, as one fan repeatedly yelled out for the Firebirds to keep their arms up, echoing over the squeaking shoes and thwaps of the ball on the court. Another time, a kid who looked to be about 10-years-old pointed out that Mercy had six men on the court. They seemed to hear him and one player ran off, avoiding a technical foul. But again, this is Division II athletics, with smaller schools and fewer scholarships than Division I. To further explain what Division II is, UDC’s other opponents this season are mainly small colleges in the Northeast: Alderson-Broaddus, LIU-Post, and my favorite, the Apprentice School, founded to train workers at Newport News shipbuilding.
Fans: You won’t find a student section at UDC games, and it was honestly hard to determine if any students were actually in attendance. The place got a little loud when the team went on a run, but mostly it seemed like a few basketball nuts, a couple dads with their kids, and some other random folks (like your DCist writers).
Concessions: The arena has a snack bar near the entrance of the arena with all items priced at two bucks or less — everything consisting of candy, soda, or a slice of Papa John’s straight from the box. Andrew went with the pepperoni while Brett chose cheese.
Pre- and post-game spots: Considering UDC is located in Van Ness, not exactly a nightlife hotspot, options are very limited. In fact, the closest bar/restaurant was Epicurean & Company, a deli/weigh-and-pay place that also had a bar. We were the only two people at the bar after the game, aside from a funny older lady who seemed to be a regular. It took a while to get our check because the bartender had to use the bathroom. There’s also a sushi place nearby that apparently has alcohol.
Location: UDC is located in Van Ness and is easily accessible via the Red Line. There’s also an hourly parking garage located on-campus as well as plenty of street parking. The sports complex is located up the hill toward the rear of campus. We didn’t see any signs, just sort of wandered our way up there.
Tickets: Some inexpensive family entertainment: tickets to all games cost $5, and children 8 and under are free. Senior citizens and military tickets are $2. UDC students, faculty, and staff are free.
Stay tuned for our next installment as Andrew heads over to Fairfax to take in the George Mason Patriots at the Patriot Center.
