Photos by Lloyd Brown, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.14
College Park Center 600 South Center St Arlington, TX 76019
Year Opened: 2012 Capacity: 7,000
Winging It In Dallas
The College Park Center is a part of the University of Texas at Arlington. It was built in 2012. It is primarily used as the home for the University of Texas-Arlington Mavericks men’s and women’s basketball teams and the volleyball team. The building is LEED Gold Certified as it is environmentally friendly in all phases of its use. The Center holds 7,000 fans in its basketball configuration. The Center's average attendance for Wings games is 3,788. It has served as the home court for the Dallas Wings since 2016.
After stops in Detroit and Tulsa, the Dallas Wings arrived in 2016. The Wings play in the Western Conference of the WNBA. The team has had some of the top players in women’s pro basketball don the Wing’s colors. These players include Deanna Nolan, Glory Johnson, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Liz Cambridge, and Odyssey Sims. The team has gone to the playoffs four times since moving to Dallas.
Food & Beverage 3
The University of Texas-Arlington contracts with local caterer Ted E’s for its concession stand programs. There are four concession stands located around the seating bowl of the College Park Center. There are two Ted E’s Kitchens, along with one Ted E’s Grill and one Ted E’s BBQ. Ted E’s Kitchen features chicken fingers, fried fish sandwiches, 13 different types of burgers, as well as French fries. Ted E’s menu includes cheesesteaks, chicken fried steak sandwiches, and grilled Chicken Wraps. Ted E’s BBQ stand features brisket nachos, pulled pork nachos, brisket fries, and pulled pork fries.
Atmosphere 4
The College Park Center provides an excellent home court experience for the Wings and their fans. The seating bowl at the arena allows fans a close-up view of the game action no matter where they are seated. The seats are very comfortable and provide drink holders. The College Park Center also features an excellent electronics package with very a clear sound system and a center-hung videoboard.
Even though the College Park Center is primarily used by the University of Texas at Arlington, there is little evidence of that at Wings games. The court fully features the Wings color pallet and the team’s logo at midcourt. The team store also carries only Wings merchandise during WNBA contests.
The fans seem to love the antics of Lightning, the winged equine mascot for the Wings. They also enjoy the playlist of the team’s DJ during breaks in the action.
Neighborhood 3
The College Park Center is located on the University of Texas Arlington Campus. So, most of the neighborhoods surrounding the arena are college classroom buildings. One on-campus building worth a visit is the UTA Planetarium. It offers several special programs on Saturdays that are free and open to the public. We did find a few non-fast-food options that are unique to the area. The Twisted Root Burger Company offers a wide variety of burgers, with several special seasonings to choose from. Pie Five Pizza is just a block from the College Park Center and cooks up a delicious variety of pizzas to fill any Wings fans’ pie desires. Afterwards, head over to the La Tapatia Ice Cream and Fruteria for a cool treat to finish your day.
Fans 3
The Wings have one of the more enthusiastic fan bases in the WNBA. They show up early and cheer the team on even during the pregame warmups. Most of them are wearing the blue and neon green colors of the team. The pregame introductions give the fans another opportunity to energize the Wings players. The Wings have several 3-point sharpshooters, and there is a definite celebration when a basket goes in from long range.
The team markets itself heavily to families and children. This is very evident at games, as many of the promotions during breaks are aimed at children. The Wings frequently offer matinee games on weekdays at noon during the summer months of the WNBA season when school is out for the summer. They also hold a Summer Camp Day at a Wings game to give the camp counselors a break from outdoor activities in the hot Texas sun.
The Wings have an average attendance of 3,788, placing them near the middle of the WNBA in attendance.
Access 4
Getting to a Wings game is relatively easy, as it can be accessed by either I-20 or I-30.
Directions from I-20: Exit I-20 onto Cooper Street (FM157) and head north. Go 4 miles until you reach UTA Boulevard. Turn right onto UTA Boulevard. Turn right onto South Center Street. The parking deck is on the north side of the College Park Center.
Directions from I-30: Exit I-30 onto Center Street and head south. Go 2 miles. End at 600 South Center Street. The parking deck is on the north side of the College Park Center.
There are four entrance gates at the College Park Center. Doors open one hour prior to the tipoff. This allows you plenty of time to get something to eat or to find your seat location.
The concourse is located at the top of the lower level of the venue. Concession stands are at this level, with the concourse open to the action on the court.
Return on Investment 3
The College Park Center uses the AXS ticketing system. All tickets are electronic. There are five price points for Dallas Wings games. These are $45 (center court), $37 (side of the court), $28 (corners of the court), $25 (ends of the court), and $22 (seats in the 200 level if needed).
Parking at the College Park Center is $18 if repurchased or $20 for day of the event purchases.
The food at the College Park Center is reasonably priced.
Extras 2
The College Park Center holds a variety of events throughout the year. This includes concerts, wrestling matches, and graduation ceremonies for both the UT-Arlington and area high schools.
AT&T Stadium (Home of the Dallas Cowboys) and Globe Life Field (Home of the Texas Rangers) are also located in Arlington and are very close to the College Park Center. This makes it possible for you to get a two-sport doubleheader if there is an overlap in their home schedules.
Final Thoughts
The Wings home at the College Park Center is easy to get to from almost anywhere in the Dallas metroplex. It provides the team with an arena that is right-sized for the average WNBA crowd. There is little or no evidence that the arena primarily serves as a college sports venue, as the team’s blue and green color scheme is carried throughout the facility for their home games.