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Mountain Hawk High

Official Review by Josh Verlin, Stadium Journey Special Correspondent

"Out in Bethlehem they're killing time, filling out forms, standing in line"¦" is a well-known line from a well-known song by a well-known artist, and anybody who's listened to Billy Joel's "Allentown" knows he doesn't exactly paint the best picture of the twin former factory cities. Stabler Arena, set off the main campus of Lehigh University just ten minutes from downtown Bethlehem, is one of the older arenas in the league, though no geriatric at 31 years. However, unless you're from the immediate region""it's not a convenient location""Bethlehem is a town that was best visited many decades ago (at least, for basketball).

Food & Beverage    3

I was pleasantly surprised with the food selection, considering there were more stands and choices than I've seen at bigger arenas, but it was still only average stadium food at best. Pizza slices are $3, the same price as most of the items""ice cream, churros, nachos, and popcorn. They do serve a $2.50 Hatfield hot dog, which is the same " dog they sell at major league stadiums""not a bad deal. It's an on-campus stadium, so no alcohol, and it is a Pepsi facility. The stands are all located on the second floor (which is the main concourse), at the main end of the stadium. Lines pregame were almost nonexistent, but there was the usual halftime rush.

Atmosphere    2

The Patriot League isn't really what one would call "historic," save for one major Bucknell victory over Kansas a few years ago, and so Stabler Arena isn't really dripping with history either. However, it's not an awful gym, with only the top few rows of the upper sections made of bleachers (to sit in seats in the upper level, sit in rows A-J). There are a few banners hanging, most notably the Patriot League title the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks won in 2010, but again the collection isn't exactly vast. The banners actually kind of get in the way if one were to sit in the very upper reaches of the stadium, though based on attendance at their biggest rivalry game I can't imagine that would ever be a problem.

Neighborhood    2

If the question is "neighborhood directly around the stadium," then this merits a 0""there are nothing but houses directly around the stadium, and any destination is at least a 10-minute drive away. However, the town of Bethlehem itself does have some redeeming qualities, most notably a new Sands Casino & Resort just outside of town, and one of the places that's only 10 minutes' drive from the stadium.

If you're looking for a cool place to grab a bite to eat, definitely check out Starters Riverport, also just ten minutes from the stadium. Like a local Dave & Busters, they combine an arcade downstairs and a pool table upstairs with a massive bar, 72 TVs, over 50 beers, and a menu with specials like PBW night (that's Pizza, Beer, and Wings)""what better for a pre-or-postgame meal?

Fans    2

Lehigh vs. Lafayette is the oldest continuous football rivalry in the country, with the teams having played over 140 times, so I figured their basketball game was probably a fairly big deal as well. Unfortunately, the one small section of Lafayette fans out-cheered the Lehigh fans nearly the entire game, with the Lehigh majority only waking up when their team took the lead""no supportive cheers or anything beforehand, with the entire crowd going dead for long stretches in the first half. The student section was small but mostly full, and though the students did a good job leading a few chants early (though mostly just "Let's Go, Lehigh"), they too fell silent along with the alumni as Lafayette outplayed their team. In addition, for their biggest rivalry game, there was still a good third of the stadium that was empty, even with tickets only $10/person.

Access    3

Long-range access to Lehigh is, at best, annoying. Starting in center city Philadelphia, it took me a good hour and a half to make it up to the campus, and that was via a highway that's mostly accessible from southeastern Pennsylvania. It's as much as a two-hour drive from New York City, so anybody flying in to New York has a bit of a drive on their hands. Short-range access is slightly better, with free parking right next to the stadium that easily held the crowd for the basketball game. Stabler Arena does host concerts, and I'm sure the parking lots are filled for those, but for basketball it was not a problem, even arriving 30 minutes pre-tip. The concourse was easy to navigate, and there were large bathrooms on both sides that were well-maintained and clean, so no problems on that front.

Return on Investment    4

On most days, tickets are only $5 advance and $8 at the door""so for under $20, you could order a ticket in advance, get a good seat with a slice of pizza, a hot dog, and a soda""and have money left over, so why not buy another slice of pizza? Throw in some D-1 basketball, and it's really not a bad way to spend an afternoon. The stadium attendants were all extremely helpful and friendly, and it's not like Lehigh doesn't compete in its own league""they've had .500-or-better records in their league 8 of the last 9 years, and have even put together a few 20-win seasons in there as well. The stadium, although not a jewel of an arena, is in good shape and like most small stadiums there really isn't a bad place to sit.

Extras    2

I'll give one point for the girl who sang the Star-Spangled Banner pregame""she was amazing. I think that's worth a point because even the biggest universities use either piped-in music or their band to play the national anthem, so having this girl sing gave the game a more authentic feel, and she was REALLY good. The other point is because everybody there was so helpful and friendly, including the cops that patrolled around the concourse.

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