Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Knott ARCC Pool 16300 Old Emmitsburg Rd Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Year Opened: 1987
Capacity: 200 (estimated)
Water Polo on the Mount
Located in Emmitsburg, Maryland, in the Catoctin Mountains, Mount St. Mary's University is the second-oldest Catholic college in the United States. The school's athletic teams, known as the Mountaineers or simply The Mount, compete at the PNC Sports Complex across Route 15 from the main campus. In addition to fields for the baseball, softball, lacrosse, and soccer teams, the Complex is home to to the Knott Athletic Recreation Convocation Complex, or ARCC for short. The ARCC contains Knott Arena, home to the Mount's basketball teams, as well as a swimming pool that is home to the water polo and swimming and diving teams. This review will focus on the experience at a Mountaineers water polo game.
Food & Beverage 1
There is no concession stand at the Knott ARCC pool. There is a concession stand upstairs that serves the basketball arena, but it is not in use during water polo matches. There are vending machines in the lower-level lobby where you come in that sell snacks and drinks, payable by cash or credit card. However, since the bleachers at a water polo match are on the pool deck, fans are discouraged from bringing food in, especially anything messy. Beverages are fine to bring in. You can stand outside the doors to the pool and watch through the glass window if you really need to eat something. However, since a typical water polo match is only 45 minutes to an hour in length, if you eat before the match, you should be able to last until the end without food.
Atmosphere 3
The Knott ARCC Pool is located on the lower level of the ARCC Complex. Once you enter the pool area, you will probably want to turn right and walk behind the rope and sit on the bleachers there. Some bleachers are located on the end of the pool, but these are generally used for team staff and equipment. There are only a couple rows of bleachers, and the back row allows fans to lean against the wall. The bleachers typically come close to filling up as they are quite small, and there is little room to stand. You should be able to find a seat somewhere, but it may be cramped.
A scoreboard is located on the right side of the pool, although it is unlabeled, so you have to figure out what everything means. The first line, the clock, shows the time left in the quarter. The next line, a single number in red, shows the Mountaineers' score, or if it is a neutral-site contest, which often happens in water polo, the score of the designated home team. This is followed by a line indicating the period and the time of the shot clock, and the score of the designated visiting team, with the latter in yellow. It is confusing, but fans can figure it out rather quickly.
Due to the low ceilings and tight walls, it can get incredibly loud in the pool. After Mount goals or big saves by their goalie, players and fans alike shout and the yells echo off the walls and ceilings, causing the decibel level to go way up.
The PA system is capable of playing music before the match, but no announcements were heard during the game when we went, including player introductions. Even when they played the national anthem, someone had to shout to tell fans to stand before it played.
Because the stands are right on the pool deck, your view will sometimes be obstructed by the referee as they walk along the sideline. You can try to look around them, but this is going to happen no matter where you sit, and there is not much you can do about it since the referee needs to be there to do their job.
Neighborhood 2
Emmitsburg is a small town in Maryland just south of the Pennsylvania border, and there is nothing within walking distance of campus. If you make the short drive into town, you will find a few places to eat and stay, as well as some interesting sites such as the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial and various Catholic shrines. Thurmont is a short drive away, about 10 minutes south on Route 15, and offers more options than Emmitsburg itself. However, this is a very rural area, and while it’s scenic, there isn’t a whole lot to do here.
Fans 4
Although the bleachers at the Knott ARCC Pool are quite small, Mount St. Mary's does typically fill them up, or close to it. The fans cheer loudly after goals or big saves by The Mount, and as mentioned above, it gets quite loud in here due to the acoustics. Many, though not all, of the people in attendance are friends and family of the players.
When the Mountaineers play a school from the Baltimore-Washington area, such as Johns Hopkins or George Washington, expect there to be some fans of the other team who make the trip up to Emmitsburg as well.
Access 3
The PNC Sports Complex, including the not Knott ARCC, is located right off US Route 15, and signs are directing you to gameday parking once you get there. Some lots are paved while others are gravel. From there, you will walk to the lower doors of Knott Arena to enter the lobby. These are the doors across from the baseball and softball fields and are not the upper doors used for basketball. There are a few spaces directly outside the entrance that are marked reserved, but they are actually only reserved on weekdays. If visiting on a weekend, you should be fine to park here, although there are only a few spaces and they do fill up. There is more than enough parking in the other lots, so you should easily be able to find a space there.
Once inside, it is not clearly signed where the pool is. You will need to turn left down a hallway, then the pool entrance will be up ahead on your left through a glass door. Navigating the bleachers can be a challenge, as you may need to climb over people to get to and from your seat. Additionally, there is not much room to get by between the bleachers and the rope separating them from the pool, and even then people in the front row may have to make room by taking their feet out of the aisle.
Restrooms are available in the lower lobby and are of a more than sufficient size for the crowd.
Return on Investment 4
Admission to Mount St. Mary's water polo matches is free, as is parking. However, there isn't enough here to earn the top score.
Extras 1
Look for the trophy cases in the lower lobby honoring Mount athletics.
Final Thoughts
If there is one defining aspect of a Mount St. Mary's water polo match at the Knott ARCC Pool, it is that it is very loud. With the fans packing the small bleachers and the acoustics trapping and echoing the sound, it is a much more rowdy atmosphere than you would expect at a college water polo match. However, other than the wild crowd noise, this is a pretty basic experience.
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