Barbara Hodel Center - Virginia Valley Vipers

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43

Barbara Hodel Center 10 Patrick Henry Circle

Purcellville, VA 20132

Virginia Valley Vipers website Barbara Hodel Center website

Year Opened: 2009 Capacity: 1,200

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Basketball in the Viper Pit

The Basketball League, known as TBL for short, is a low-level minor league basketball league, a step below the G-League, with 40 teams competing across the United States. One such team, the Virginia Valley Vipers, calls Virginia's scenic Shenandoah Valley home.

From 2022 until 2024, the Valley Vipers were based in Winchester, Virginia, on the campus of Shenandoah University at the James R. Wilkins, Jr. Athletic Center. In 2025, they moved down Route 7 to Purcellville and the campus of Patrick Henry College. They now play in the gymnasium at PHC's Barbara Hodel Center, a building that also holds many other university facilities.

Although the quality of play on the court in the TBL isn't anywhere near the NBA, nor is it even on par with the G-League, the teams are independently owned and unaffiliated with NBA clubs (unlike the G-League clubs which are owned by their NBA affiliate) so the experience is often more similar to what you would see at the minor leagues in other sports. TBL teams often have zany uniforms, similar to what you saw in the NBA in the 90s, and family friendly entertainment.

Food & Beverage 3

There is a table in the lobby of the Barbara Hodel Center that sells concessions for Valley Vipers games. Options include hot dogs and pizza slices as well as assorted snacks such as popcorn, candy, and chips. Bottled water and cans of soda are available to drink. As Patrick Henry College is a very conservative Christian school, alcohol is not available here as it is prohibited on campus.

Prices are quite reasonable here, with nothing more than a few dollars. However, there is no posted menu so you will have to ask the price. Both cash and cards are accepted, but be warned that the line moves very slowly.

Atmosphere 4

Walking into the Barbara Hodel Center will put you in a small lobby with a ticket table in front of you. Doors to the gymnasium are to your right, while concession stands and restrooms are straight ahead. There are other entrances to the gymnasium as well, but when you first arrive, the one directly on the right is the one you will use unless you want to head to the concession stand or restroom first.

All the seats at the Barbara Hodel Center are on one side of the court, except for a few courtside seats behind the basket and some on an elevated stage on the other side that are also sold as "courtside" seats although they are higher than court level. The first few rows are reserved chair backs, while the remainder are general admission bleachers (although part of the bleachers may be blocked off and reserved for large groups.) All seats will have a great view of the action, so unless having a chair back or reserved seat is important to you, there is no reason to splurge on one.

Before a Valley Vipers game starts, the lights will go out in the arena and a pink spotlight will shine on the court as the Valley Vipers are introduced. A hype video plays on the two video boards on the far sideline, which are really more like the temporary screens you would use to watch a movie somewhere than permanent videoboards. This does not affect the quality, but it does give the arena a rather improvised feel.

The PA announcer is constantly talking during the action, getting the crowd hyped up and praising the Valley Vipers' play. Some will find this annoying, while others will find it unique, charming, and enjoyable. Like you would have at an NBA game (but unlike a typical college game), music is also played over the speakers during the action.

During timeouts, kids get to come on the court and participate in contests like shooting baskets and racing down to the other end of the court. These are the pretty standard contests with nothing too unique.

The Valley Vipers have a mascot named Venom, who rather appropriately is a Viper. He will interact with fans sometimes, like at halftime, but he was nowhere to be found for most of the game when we visited.

Neighborhood 3

Purcellville is located in western Loudoun County, which technically makes it a suburb of Washington, D.C., although it has a much more rural feel than does eastern Loudoun. The Purcellville Pub (usually known simply as "The Pub") is a team sponsor and popular local eatery and bar, and the team can often be seen there after the game hanging out with fans. Manhattan Pizza is located across the street from the Patrick Henry campus and serves New York-style pizza. There are several other nearby restaurants as well in the shopping centers.

Fans 4

Valley Vipers fans may not fill up the arena, but the ones who do show up are loud. They wave noisemakers throughout and stomp on the bleachers during the opposing team's foul shots. Between the loud crowd and low ceiling, it can get quite loud in here at times. A lot of their energy is simply because the PA announcer tells them to get loud, but they can make noise without his prompting too, if he ever decides to stop talking. This is the Valley Vipers' first year in Purcellville, but they already have an established fan base of all ages who goes to the games and passionately cheers on their team.

If the Valley Vipers are playing a nearby TBL team like the Frederick Flying Cows or the Capital Seahawks, expect a good number of visiting fans to show up as well. They will be treated with respect and should not run into any issues.

Access 3

Purcellville is located along State Route 7, a few miles west of Leesburg and the end of State Route 267 (the Dulles Greenway). You may be doing some driving along rural roads to get there, but you should still make good time. It is about an hour from Washington, D.C. depending on traffic.

Once you are on the PHC campus, parking is available in a large lot next to the Hodel Center by the tennis courts. A few spaces are marked as reserved for Patrick Henry staff. While fans seemed to be parking here without issue, we suggest parking in one of the many other spaces to be safe. Keep in mind the spaces on the sides of the tennis court have very narrow aisles, so backing out could be a problem. You may be better off parking behind the tennis court although this means a slightly longer walk.

Restrooms are available around the corner from the gymnasium and are clean and generally sufficient for the crowd size.

It is worth noting that Stadium Journey visited during Patrick Henry's summer break, and there will probably be more PHC students on campus and in the Hodel Center itself during the academic year, which could affect parking and other access issues.

Return on Investment 4

Admission to Valley Vipers games is $15 for general admission, $25 for reserved chairbacks in the first few rows, or $30 for court side seats. Concessions are reasonably priced and parking is free. Overall, a Valley Vipers game is an excellent value.

Extras 3

Although not directly related to the Valley Vipers, the Patrick Henry moot court college championship banners hanging in the rafters are unique enough to earn an extra star here.

Programs are available at the entrance for just $5. If you buy one, the players are available to sign it after the game.

A third and final star for all the polite, friendly staff here.

Final Thoughts

Basketball fans can find family-friendly fun at an affordable price in Purcellville by checking out a Virginia Valley Vipers game. A match day here is sure to be full of energy from before it even starts up until the very end. If you are in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, be sure to check out a Valley Vipers game at the Barbara Hodel Center.