CCBC Essex Stadium Turf Field - CCBC Essex Knights
Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
CCBC Essex Stadium Turf Field
7201 Rossville Blvd
Baltimore, MD 21237
Year Opened: n/a Capacity: 3,000
A Knight At The Turf
One of the largest colleges in Maryland is largely unknown outside of the area. The Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) has an annual enrollment of greater than 72,000 students. Created in the 1990s by a merger of Essex Community College, Dundalk Community College, and Catonsville Community, the new college kept each of those three main campuses, along with a bevy of extension campuses around the suburban Baltimore area. The three colleges shared a common board of trustees for years but operated independently. Essex, Dundalk, and Catonsville have each kept their own distinct athletic identity.
CCBC Essex began in 1957, operating out of nearby Kenwood High School. CCBC Essex has one of the top-rated associate nursing programs in the region.
The school mascot is the Knights and they play nine sports. Essex has won nine NJCAA national championships including the 2004 Men’s Lacrosse Championship. They are a member of Region XX of the National Junior College Athletic Association and the Maryland Junior College Athletic Conference, CCBC Essex has had over 100 NJCAA All-Americans.
The soccer program runs out of the Stadium Turf Field. The Knights have been very successful program.
he 3,000 seat stadium hosts lacrosse, soccer, and track and field events, for the junior college, high school and recreation levels. In addition, the field is lined for and plays host to a variety of football contests as well. The field is home to CCBC Essex men’s and women’s soccer and men’s lacrosse.
Food & Beverage 1
There are no food options.
Atmosphere 1
Most matches like the one we attended are men's and women's doubleheaders. Expect the same atmosphere for either match.
The stadium is located a pleasant walk into the woods back of the baseball field. It is a fairly large stadium for such a small program so you will not have an issue getting a good seat for matches.
There is a simple scoreboard and a nice PA system but don't expect much else. It is a simple affair.
Neighborhood 3
CCBC Essex is a suburban community college with its main neighbor being the sprawling Franklin Square Hospital. You will have to venture a bit far from campus for any food or drinks.
One of my favorites local spot is Pizza John which is a bit further away in Middle River. This extremely popular pizza joint has some pretty good, albeit a bit greasy pizza. And greasy does not equate to being a bad thing. Just expect very large crowds on Friday and Saturday nights.
Closest to campus is the shops and restaurants near White Marsh Mall. We are very fond of the IKEA cafeteria for some Swedish meatballs. Red Brick Station Restaurant & Brew Pub is a very good restaurant on the Avenue at White Marsh. Also, look at Ledo’s Pizza near the Lowe’s store. Their square pizza is very good, and a pretty good value.
Fans 2
The attendees at most matches are family members or other athletes. There may be a few residents who attend the games.
Access 4
CCBC Essex is located just off of both the Baltimore Beltway (I-695) and I-95. The quickest and best way to access campus is to exit off I-695 at either the Philadelphia Road or US-40 exit and find your way east to Rossville Boulevard. Directions should be easy to follow but also follow signs for Franklin Square Hospital.
There is plenty of free parking on the campus. If classes are in session you may expect to park a bit further away from campus.
Return on Investment 5
The games are free to attend. That, along with the free parking, means that you can attend a good-level JUCO program at no cost.
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Extras 2
There are a few plaques around the little park-like setting of the athletic fields that honor student-athletes from Essex that has passed away.
Walk around campus and see the solar panels that have been added to many parking areas on campus. All of the CCBC campuses have added these and expect to get more than a quarter of their electricity from solar. This 5.1-megawatt project is expected to generate 6.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year and joins the 16.1-megawatt array at Mount St. Mary’s University in an effort by local colleges to expand solar usage.
Final Thoughts
The CCBC Essex Stadium Turf Field serve as a decent venue for sports and is located in a pleasant tree lined setting. It makes for a good spot for a visit.
