Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43
McCarthy Stadium
1900 W Olney Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19141
Year Opened: 1936
Capacity: 7,500
Home of the La Salle Explorers
La Salle University is a Roman Catholic university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named for St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. La Salle first admitted women students in 1970, becoming a fully co-educational institution.
Sports teams at La Salle are named the Explorers. The name derives from a 1931 mistake made by a local sportswriter. The writer thought the university was named after the French explorer Sieur de La Salle, when in fact it is named after St. Jean-Baptiste de La Salle. The students loved the mistake so much they adopted it in 1932.
La Salle's soccer teams play their home games at McCarthy Stadium, which opened way back in 1936 and was once home to the Explorers' football program as well until it was discontinued in 2007. The stadium seats 7,500 fans, although not all seats are available for soccer.
Food & Beverage 0
There are no concessions for sale at McCarthy Stadium, though fans are free to bring their own. Do not be fooled by the university food truck that may be parked at the stadium. McCarthy Stadium is located next to the Dining Services department, and this is where the truck is parked when not in use.
Atmosphere 2
McCarthy Stadium is a giant 7,500 seat behemoth, far bigger than most other college soccer stadiums, and features large sets of bleachers on each side of the field, although only one set is open for a typical game. Even so, this is still far too big for the crowds the Explorers draw. Fans will be spread out throughout the huge area, which really hurts the atmosphere here. A running track also surrounds the field, further increasing the distance that fans are from the action.
There is not much going on here other than the game itself. A scoreboard shows only the basic information, but other than pregame player introductions, the focus here is on the match. Some will like that, while others will find it boring.
Neighborhood 3
McCarthy Stadium is not located in the best part of Philadelphia. While safety is not an issue at the stadium itself, as there is enough security to ensure that, you may not want to wander too far away. The Treetops Cafe and La Salle Art Museum are located within the same campus complex as McCarthy Stadium, so you should encounter no issue going there, but your best bet is to head elsewhere in Philadelphia, like Center City, where you will find far more options.
Fans 3
La Salle will draw about one hundred to two hundred fans to a typical soccer game. This includes both friends and family of the players and the occasional local. If playing a fellow Big 5 school from Philadelphia like conference rival St. Joseph's, expect a lot of visiting fans to show up as well. Unfortunately, the fans are far too spread out through the giant bleachers to make much of an impact, and that does bring this ranking down.
The fans who do show up are passionate, with loud cheering and even flag-waving, but the cavernous size of the stadium means they don't have as much of an impact as the might in a more intimate setting.
Access 4
McCarthy Stadium is located a few miles from I-76 and I-95, and is not too difficult to access from there if you know where to go. You will need to enter the campus through the gate at 1825 Lindley Avenue. After stopping at the security gate, tell the guard you are there for the soccer game, then head all the way to the back of the lot to park there. McCarthy Stadium is a short walk away, up a flight of stairs and past the baseball stadium. Some GPS systems will have you try to enter off of 20th Street, but you can't park in that lot unless you are gameday personnel, so you will be asked to turn around and enter off of Lindley.
The Wister station on the Chestnut Hill SEPTA regional rail line is about a 10-15 minute walk from the stadium as well, although this will not take you through the best neighborhoods.
As mentioned above, one set of bleachers is closed on matchday. This is the set nearest the parking lot entrance, so you will have to walk around to the other side.
Return on Investment 4
La Salle soccer games are free to attend. Parking is also free, despite being in a large city. However, there isn't enough here to earn the top score.
Note that there may be a charge for admission to Atlantic 10 or NCAA tournament games, as those have different ticketing policies than the regular season.
Extras 1
Look for the plaque by the entrance honoring stadium namesake John A. McCarthy.
Final Thoughts
McCarthy Stadium is a college soccer stadium that is far bigger than it needs to be. If the giant bleachers were ever close to full, the atmosphere here could be amazing. Unfortunately, they are not, and having stands that are less than 10% full just isn't conducive to a good soccer game experience.
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