Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.00
Mustang Stadium 11005 Owings Mills Blvd Owings Mills, MD 21117
Year Opened: 2011
Capacity: 3,500
A History of Horses
There are times when something good can spring from something so bad. Stevenson University and its wonderful athletic facilities are "the good". The events of March 1984 were "the bad", at least for the residents of Maryland.
At 2 am on March 29th of that year, fifteen Mayflower moving trucks arrived at the Baltimore Colts training facility in Owings Mills, a northwest suburb of Baltimore. Workers loaded all of the team’s belongings and the trucks left for Indianapolis arriving later that day to a massive welcome. The move happened in the dark since the Colt’s owner Bob Irsay feared the Maryland legislature would pass an eminent domain bill that would have legally barred the team from moving. The bill passed later that day but it was too late, as the locally beloved franchise was already gone.
The former training facility had, in the early years after the Colts left, seen some of its lands sold off by then-property owners Baltimore City. The main building and field also were used as a training center for local police officers.
Football returned from 1994 to 1995 as the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) used the training center. The Stallions were quite a success, easily the most successful of the United States CFL expansion teams, with strong attendance numbers and appearances in the CFL Grey Cup Championship Game in both years they were in town. In 1995 they even won that championship, but when the Cleveland Browns agreed to move to Maryland, the Stallions realized that they needed to move on. Move they did, back to Canada and they are still known today as the Montreal Alouettes.
In 1996, the newly renamed Baltimore Ravens team took up residence in the Owings Mills facility. The team would move to a new center, also in the Owings Mills area, called the Under Armour Performance Center in 2004. That new facility is referred to as “The Castle” for its architectural style.
Villa Julie College has always been a bit of a quirky place. Originally located in the Greenspring Valley of Baltimore County and its Stevenson neighborhood, the college was an all-girls school until 1972 and did not even offer bachelor degrees until 1984. It also was entirely non-residential.
Eventually, the college desired to add housing and more of just about everything, so a new campus was added in Owings Mills. This expansion dramatically increased the college’s offerings and student population. In 2008, they decided they needed a new identity and changed their name to Stevenson University. The old campus is still in use.
The Owings Mills campus just happened to be right next door to the old Baltimore Colts training facility. Stevenson acquired the building and land and used it as the center of their athletic department. In 2006 it re-opened as the Caves Sports and Wellness Center. Some of the locker rooms and facilities are similar to the ones left behind by the Ravens, with necessary remodeling done. In addition, in 2010, the 38,000-square-foot Owings Mills Gymnasium was added.
Mustang Stadium is also home to the university’s soccer, football, and field hockey teams.
Food & Beverage 4
There is one permanent food stand at Mustang Stadium. The prices are extremely fair, even if the menu is pretty limited. The best bargains are the Family Meal Deals which include three hot dogs, three drinks, three chips or one hot dog, one pretzel, three bottled waters, and an order of nachos. If I were there with my family buying these deals would be a given.
There is plenty of room on the concourse level if they wish to have other temporary food stands. Credit cards are accepted at the official food stand.
Atmosphere 3
Only a couple hundred fans tend to attend Mustang games. We were there for a weeknight game so the attendance was even lower. Even with a small crowd, the stadium has a nice atmosphere to it.
The impressive stadium has general admission seating for 3,000 along the west side of the playing field. There is also a large press box and club level with 440 club seats, a patio, and a President’s Suite. A large student fitness center is also in the press box building and overlooks nearby Owings Mill Boulevard. With no track at the stadium, the fans are afforded a pretty close view of the game action.
The concourse level also has a fully stocked team store if you decide to become a big Mustangs fan or purchase a souvenir. The official campus store is located nearby, outside of the stadium, if you need additional options.
Neighborhood 4
Owings Mills is a suburb of Baltimore, so there are plenty of shopping centers and restaurants in the area. Many good options are within easy walking distance such as Subway, IHOP, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.
The Owings Mills station of the Baltimore Metro subway system is located about a mile away from campus.
Fans 3
There were not many fans at the game but this is Maryland so it tends to be a very knowledgeable lacrosse fanbase.
Being a largely commuter university there may not be too many students at the games. There are residence halls near to the stadium so some student attendance is always possible.
Access 4
Owings Mills Boulevard has an exit off of nearby Interstate 795. The stadium is a pretty quick one-mile trip from the highway. I worried about traffic in an area that is pretty busy even on normal days, but the traffic was no problem. The university has plenty of parking in the area and there are no issues here. Parking is free.
Return on Investment 4
General admission tickets are $10.
Concessions are reasonably priced, and parking is free, making a Stevenson lacrosse game a great value.
Extras 3
The former home of three professional football teams, the Caves Sports and Wellness Center is worth a quick trip around the corner from Mustang Stadium. Try to remember 1984 and the pain and struggle that local football fans went through for years.
Next to the stadium is a statue of a Mustang, the university’s mascot. This is a good meet-up spot and photo opportunity.
Check out the cool mural, as well as the history signs about the Baltimore Colts, Baltimore Stallions, Baltimore Ravens, and the birth of Stevenson football.
Final Thoughts
Besides being on historic ground, Stevenson University’s Mustang Stadium offers the fans great value, as well as a nice place to watch lacrosse.
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