Photos by Richard Smith Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71
Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena 1021 Dulaney Valley Rd. Towson, MD 21286
Year Opened: 1991
Capacity: 1,200
Home Of The Gophers
Goucher College is a former all-women’s college located in Towson, Maryland, a northern suburb of Baltimore. The college opened in 1885 as the Women’s College of Baltimore City changed its name to its current name in 1910 and went coed in 1986. Goucher moved to its present suburban location northeast of the county seat of Towson in Baltimore County in 1953. The college is named in honor of its founding member, John Goucher, and his wife, Mary Fisher Goucher. Goucher College is a private co-educational liberal arts college. It was originally affiliated with the Baltimore Conference of Methodist Episcopal Church but currently has no real church affiliation.
The college has approximately 1,480 undergraduate students studying in 33 majors and 1,200 students studying in graduate programs. Notable alumni include Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy, Chaplain of the United States Marine Corps Margaret G. Kibben, Maryland State Delegate John A. Olszewski, Jr., and frequent John Waters actress Mary Vivian Pearce. Goucher athletic teams are known as the Gophers. The college competes in NCAA Division III as part of the Landmark Conference. The Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena opened in 1991. The 1,200-seat arena was built in 1991 as part of the expansion of the original Lillian Welsh Hall. The arena has hosted events such as various concerts and the Pride of Maryland Tournament which features nine Division III men’s basketball teams in a three-day, 12-game tournament.
Food & Beverage 1
There is no permanent food stand at the Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena. At the women’s and men’s doubleheader, I attended, there was a Chick-fil-A booth selling chicken sandwiches, but they left as soon as they sold all of their products. Make sure to eat before or after the game as this arena is not a good place for food concessions.
Atmosphere 2
The arena is very nice, but it is basically a high school type of setup. As you enter the arena you will find wooden grandstands sitting along two sides of a basketball court. The only thing I found interesting is how far away the grandstands sit from the actual basketball floor. Maybe they are expecting a huge need for floor-side seats at some point.
Neighborhood 4
The Goucher College campus has been used for a few scenes in the Netflix series House of Cards, so expect to recognize the stone buildings from a few scenes there. 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 The Crease, Glory Days Grill, Sushi Hana, and Zia’s. Baltimore is also a quick drive away. Check out the Federal Hill neighborhood, south of the Inner Harbor. There are a few fun restaurants and bars here. Abbey Burger Bistro is one great choice. The beer selection is good, and they offer a dizzying array of burger choices, which are all likely to satisfy.
Fans 2
The only real fans who attend the games are friends and family of the players. A few scattered students attend, but it is not a big event on campus.
Access 4
Goucher is located right off the Baltimore Beltway/I-695. The only negative is that Towson is a busy area and traffic can be bad at some times. The college itself is pretty and quite suburban. You will find plenty of parking close to the arena, although a night game may mean that parking could get tight at times.
Return on Investment 5
The games are free to attend. So, although the level of play is quite low, the free parking and admission make this a great value for sports fans.
Extras 1
Goucher College has a nice little athletics hall of fame located in the Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena lobby.
Final Thoughts
The Decker Sports & Recreation Center Arena is a pretty basic, low-level arena located in a nice suburban setting of Baltimore. It is not worth making a trip going just for a Goucher Gophers game, but if you are in the area you will enjoy the game for its low level of investment.