Dedmon Center - Radford Highlanders

Photo by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00

Carilion Clinic Court at the Dedmon Center 101 University Dr Radford, VA 24141

Radford Highlanders website Dedmon Center website

Year Opened: 1981 Capacity: 3,200

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Under the Radford Tent

Radford University is located in the small town of Radford, Virginia, in the southwestern portion of the state. Originally a teacher's college, and later known as Virginia Polytechnic Institute (not to be confused with the nearby Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, better known as Virginia Tech), the school adopted the name Radford College in 1964 and Radford University in 1979. In the 1970s, Radford adopted the nickname "Highlanders" for its athletic programs, in homage to the Scottish heritage of this portion of the state.

The Highlanders compete in the Big South Conference of the NCAA. Their basketball team calls the Donald N. Dedmon Center home. Opened in 1981, this 3,200-seat arena sits in the heart of the Radford campus. It is known for its fabric roof that, until 2008, was air-supported like the one at the Metrodome in Minnesota. Nowadays, it is supported by steel trusses to prevent collapse, but it still gives the feeling of playing basketball in a great tent.

Food & Beverage 3

There are two concession stands at the Dedmon Center, one on either side of the lobby as you come in, although it is possible only one will be open depending on the crowds the Highlanders are drawing. Hot dogs, nachos, pizza, candy, chips, and popcorn are all available at the stands, as are healthy options such as Kind bars, hummus, trail mix, and yogurt. Bottled water and Pepsi products are available to drink. Prices are reasonable, with most items in the $3-$4 range.

A separate stand sells alcohol to fans of age, including beer and hard seltzer, for $6-$7 a can. You cannot buy alcohol at the main stand in order to avoid tying up the lines.

Atmosphere 3

Walking through the front doors of the Dedmon Center will put you in a sort of outer lobby where you will go through the metal detector and bag check, then head through another set of doors to enter the inner lobby and scan your tickets. Directly ahead of you will be a giant inflatable highlander, and we do mean giant - it goes up nearly to the ceiling of the gym. A large black curtain separates this area from the court, and you can walk around it to your left to get to the reserved section or to your right to get to the general admission section. You will also find concession stands and restrooms in this inner lobby area, plus occasional giveaways of merchandise.

The reserved section consists of blue plastic chairback seats, while the general admission section is wooden bleachers. There are also some bleachers behind the basket, which are reserved for students and the pep band, the latter of which consists of about half a dozen members and seems to be exclusively drums. A VIP area is located behind the other basket. Scoreboards are located at both ends of the court and show points and fouls for players currently on the floor in addition to more basic information. There are also videoboards above each sideline, and you should be able to see one of them no matter where you sit.

Before the game, the main lights in the arena go out, and red lights come on in reference to Radford's school colors. The Highlanders' starting lineup is then introduced as pillars of smoke shoot out from the court. With such an impressive start, you would expect the rest of the experience to be equally impressive. Unfortunately, it is not.

The pep band, such as it is, drums occasionally, and there is a small cheerleading squad, but other than the impressive introductions, this is a basic gameday experience. T-shirts are thrown into the crowd after Highlanders three-point baskets, and there are the usual contests at halftime and occasionally during media timeouts, but this is just not that impressive beyond the pregame intros.

The architectural uniqueness of the arena, with its tentlike feel, giant highlander, and black curtains on the baselines, is worth noting here. However, the atmosphere as a whole is just about average.

Neighborhood 2

Radford is a small town of about 16,000 people located in rural southwestern Virginia. Technically, it is a city, but unless you are deeply into regulations on Virginia municipalities, this will mean nothing to you. For all practical purposes, this is a small town with not much else around. The good news is that since it's so small, everything is close to campus. Most businesses are located along Main Street, so head over there for your best options.

There are some places worth checking out. Sharkey's Wing and Rib Joint serves up the two products in its name and is very popular locally. BT's Restaurant serves up American comfort food and is open late into the night. That being said, this isn't the most exciting town to spend time in.

Fans 2

Attendance is not great at Radford basketball games. The Highlanders average a little over a thousand fans in a 3,200-seat arena. Even that is generous, as many season ticket holders do not show up to every game but are still counted in the paid attendance. For a typical home game, the chairbacks will be pretty empty, and the wooden bleachers even more so.

The fans who do show up don't bring much energy. Many of them come decked out in Radford red, with a few wearing the plaid tartan colors of the Highlander mascot, though nobody seemed brave enough to wear a kilt. But despite being dressed for the occasion, they fail to bring much energy, unsurprisingly given their small numbers. There is a student section along the baseline and in the adjacent GA sections, but it is as empty and quiet as the rest of the stands.

Access 4

Due to Radford's rural location in Southwest Virginia, driving here is really your only option. The campus is located a few miles off I-81, with parking available in Lot Z behind the arena. From here, you simply need to walk up a short staircase to the front doors. Signs will direct you as you get close if you are unsure where to go. There are other lots nearby, but they are reserved for donors to the Radford athletic program.

Restrooms are available on the sides of the inner lobby, near where you would enter the seating area. They are large and clean, and the stall doors offer an unusually good amount of privacy, at least by American standards, though Europeans would likely disagree.

Getting into and out of the stands requires walking through a narrow area between the press area or scorers' table and the front of the stands. If the Highlanders drew larger crowds, this might be a problem, but they don't, so it isn't an issue.

Return on Investment 4

Reserved seating for Radford basketball games is about $16 for adults and $11 for youth 12 and under. General admission seating will run about $9 for adults and $6 for youth. If you buy a GA seat, you should have no problem sitting anywhere you want on that side, so unless having a chairback is important to you, there is little reason to splurge for reserved seats. Concessions are very affordable, and parking is free. The main cost will be the gas to get here, as due to Radford's remote location, you may have to drive quite a distance.

Overall, a Radford basketball game is a great value.

Extras 3

One bonus star for the giant inflatable highlander as you come in. Again, this guy is huge, and it is hard to fully appreciate the scale of it until you see it in person.

Be sure to check out the banners hanging from the rafters honoring Radford's greatest players and team accomplishments.

A third and final star for the impressive player introductions, with red lights and pillars of smoke.

Final Thoughts

The Dedmon Center is an architecturally unique arena. Attending a Radford basketball game feels like watching basketball in a giant tent, with a fabric roof overhead and giant curtains on the sides. The unusual setup ensures this doesn't just feel like some generic arena, as many other places do, and the pregame introductions try to set the stage, but there is so much more potential here if Radford would draw better crowds.