Converse Family Field House - Marymount Saints

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57

Converse Family Field House

2807 N Glebe Rd

Arlington, VA 22207

Marymount Saints website

Converse Family Field House website

Year Opened: 2018

Capacity: 1,000

D3 Hoops in Northern Virginia

Located in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., Marymount University is a Catholic college, whose sports teams, known as the Saints, compete at the Division III level of the NCAA in the Atlantic East Conference. The Saints basketball team plays on Marymount's main campus at Converse Family Field House.

The arena is located within the Rose Bente Lee Center, which also contains several other student recreational facilities. It is named not after the athletic shoe brand but after the Converse family, who donated a significant sum of money to the Marymount Athletic Department to build the facility.

Food & Beverage 3

Although there is no concession stand exclusively serving the Converse Family Field House, Bernie's Cafe is in the Rose Bente Lee Center lobby and is open during Marymount basketball games. Fans can go there and bring the food into the arena, about a 30-second walk away. Bernie's is also open on non-gamedays to serve the Marymount student community, and you will find many students there during the game as well.

Every food item on the menu costs $10.50 and comes with fries. You can choose between two hot dogs, six chicken tenders, six wings (BBQ, plain, or hot honey), or a double cheeseburger that comes with very thin patties that are quite seasoned. Fans can buy Coors beer for $5 or soft drinks for about $2.

Keep in mind that all food is made to order, so you're best off ordering before the game or at halftime so you don't miss much of the action. Although not many fans will be there, you may have to wait in line behind students as well.

Atmosphere 3

Walking into the Rose Bente Lee Center will put you in a spacious lobby. Bernie's will be on your right, and the arena entrance will be straight ahead, past displays for the Hall of Fame and Marymount All-Americans. You will walk through a set of double glass doors, after which you will find blue plastic bleachers on either side of the court. The court itself is a unique gray color reminiscent of blacktops that many grew up playing basketball on.

Marymount has cheerleaders, a dance team, and a small pep band that plays during breaks in the action. The band is situated in the corner of the arena and is hard to see, but they certainly make themselves heard. Marymount is a small school, so these groups are not going to be large in size, but they manage to keep the fans engaged and entertained.

Neighborhood 4

Marymount's main campus is located in a residential neighborhood in Arlington, although there are several lively neighborhoods close by. The Metro 29 Diner is a favorite place to get a bite to eat in North Arlington, as is Cowboy Cafe. You will find many other locations along Langston Boulevard (Route 29) as well, a short drive away via Glebe Road. The Ballston neighborhood (which also houses a separate Marymount campus) is a couple of miles away and has even more options - it is one of the liveliest parts of Arlington.

Fans 3

Marymount typically draws a couple of hundred fans a game, which is about average for Division III. This is your typical crowd - mostly friends and family, with a few students and locals thrown in. They are moderately engaged, but are usually pretty quiet. You may get one or two fans who just like to yell and complain about everything, but for the most part, the crowd is pretty respectful. This is Division III, so don't expect a loud and raucous crowd, but the Saints do have their regulars.

Access 4

Marymount's campus is located a couple of miles off I-66 via US 29 and Glebe Road. Locals can also take Route 50 or several other major arterials to get here, depending on where they are coming from. Many roads lead here, but you will likely hit traffic, especially for weeknight games that correspond with rush hour, so be sure to allot an appropriate amount of time.

When you get to campus, tell the guard at the security gate that you are there for the game, and they will direct you either to a nearby surface lot or a garage, depending on what else is happening on campus that day. Both of these are a short walk from the arena.

There is no Metro station near the campus. The Ballston-Marymount University station on the Orange and Silver Lines serves Marymount's campus in the Ballston neighborhood, not the main one where the Converse Family Field House is located. and is about two miles away.

Restrooms are available inside Bernie's as well as on the ground floor, one level down from the Field House. Stairs and an elevator can take you there, although there is no reason to use them as the ones in Bernie's are more convenient.

Return on Investment 5

Admission to Marymount basketball games is free. Concessions are affordable, too. Overall, a game at the Converse Family Field House is an excellent value.

Extras 3

Check out the championship banners above the bleachers and the Marymount Athletics Hall of Fame in the lobby. Each of these is worthy of a star on its own.

A third star for the unique gray color of the court, a throwback to the blacktops of players' youth.

Final Thoughts

The Converse Family Field House isn't the flashiest venue or the largest, but it still is a nice atmosphere to watch a basketball game in. The men's and women's teams often play doubleheaders, meaning you can spend an entire afternoon watching college basketball for no cost whatsoever. It's hard to complain about that.