Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.29
Burdick Pool 291 University Ave Towson, MD 21204
Year Opened: 1968
Capacity: 200
Tiger’s In The Pool
Towson University is the second-largest public university in the State of Maryland. Located just north of Baltimore, it is home to approximately 21,000 college students, of which 18,000 are undergraduates.
The Tigers swim and diving teams compete in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) as one of 6 men's teams and 9 women's teams. The pool is an eight-lane, 25-yard pool with depths ranging from four-and-half feet to 13 feet. There is one 3-meter diving stand as well as two one-meter stands. The venue did not yield a home loss from 2007-08 to 2010-11 for the five-time CAA champion Towson women's team.
The Burdick Pool is located within Burdick Hall which opened on November 2, 1968, in honor of Dr. William H. Burdick. Originally designed as a Health and Physical Education building, it was also used as a gathering venue for campus events, including concerts and rallies before the Towson Center arena opened in 1976. Today Burdick hosts classrooms, labs, and offices for the Department of Kinesiology, as well as the University's Campus Recreation Services. The overall building feels like a new building, not one over 50 years old.
Food & Beverage 1
There is no food for sale at Towson swim and diving meets. There is a decent selection of offerings at vending machines down the hall.
Atmosphere 3
It is a fun time at a Tigers meet. The atmosphere is fun and vibrant.
The sound system is not great as pools are just not the best at carrying sound. It is hard to keep up with the action as there is not great scoreboard usage for the fans, especially with the sound issues. This shouldn't dampen your enjoyment too much as the action is in the pool anyway.
Neighborhood 3
Towson is a semi-urban environment with a very large shopping mall and numerous restaurants in the area. Try the Charles Village Pub in the heart of downtown Towson for good food and drinks. Some other great options are Glory Days Grill, Sushi Hana, and Underground Pizza.
Baltimore is also a quick drive away and there are many options around that area.
Fans 4
Most of the audience is family or friends of the competitors as well as other team members. The diving team watches the swimmers and vice versa, so they fill the stands part of the way just by themselves.
Access 4
Towson is located right off the Baltimore Beltway/I-695. The only negative is that Towson is a maze of roads getting to the campus. Parking is free and plentiful on the weekends, with weekday meets harder to attend.
During most times, we recommend parking at the Union parking garage and walking the short walk to Burdick Hall. There should be paid visitor parking if coming on a weekday. Weeknights should also be free but could be limited if classes are in session.
Once inside Burdick Hall ask the recreation staff how to get to the pool. The pool is in an area that is normally open only for students when the rec area is open, but they will show you how to access the pool seating area.
Return on Investment 5
There is no cost to attend swim and diving meets.
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Extras 3
Burdick Hall has an impressive rock climbing wall at the entrance so you should take a look to see if any students are attempting climbs.
The nearby University Union has many cool places for both food and shopping and should be a stop on the way.
Check out the various tiger statues around the campus. There is one right by the nearby University Union.
Final Thoughts
Burdick Pool may be a simple venue but it offers a great spot to watch a sporting event you may not have seen on the collegiate level.