Mount Vernon Athletic Complex – District Elite FC

Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.71

Mount Vernon Athletic Complex 2100 Foxhall Rd NW Washington, DC 20007

District Elite FC website

Mount Vernon Athletic Complex website

Year Opened: 2001 Capacity: 500

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Elite Soccer in the District

District Elite FC is a semi-professional soccer team who joined the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) in 2025. Their home games are played at the Mount Vernon Athletic Complex in Washington, D.C., on the Mount Vernon campus of George Washington University (this should not be confused with GW's main campus in Foggy Bottom.) During the academic year, the Vern is used for GW soccer and lacrosse, but over the summer, District Elite calls it home.

The NPSL, together with the UPSL and the confusingly named USL League Two, comprise the fourth division of American soccer. They are the highest level that is not fully professional, and consist mostly of current college soccer players and recent graduates.

The pay is structured in a way that allows current athletes to retain their amateur eligibility if they are competing in the NPSL over the summer. However, occasionally some aging former professional who just wants to continue playing somewhere will show up in the NPSL as well.

Food & Beverage 2

There is no permanent concession stand at the Mount Vernon Athletic Complex, but District Elite FC partners with local food vendors to serve concessions at their home games. The exact selection may vary depending on when you visit. When Stadium Journey visited, a local vendor was serving wood-fired pizza. Only pizza. Nothing else, not even drinks. Other games may utilize different vendors, each of which has their own policy on accepting cash or credit cards, so bring both just to be safe.

Atmosphere 2

The Mount Vernon Athletic Complex has a rather unique seating layout. Assuming you are coming from the parking garage or walking in from off-campus, you will find some random chairs strewn about on a lawn across the street from the stadium. Some fans like to watch from here, or you can walk around to three rows of bleachers on the far side by West Hall. These bleachers can get cramped and there is really no aisle to speak of going across, so expect to have to walk across fans and get walked across yourself.

There is a scoreboard on one end of the field which shows only the most basic information. There is really not much going on here besides the game itself. The PA announcer announces starting lineups and reads off advertisements for gameday sponsors, but does not do much else. He does not even announce goalscorers and card recipients.

As the stadium has no lights, all District Elite FC games will finish during daytime hours. They will typically start at 5:30 or 6:00 PM and will be over by 7:30 or 8:00. This is great for families with small children, many of whom can be seen at a typical game.

Neighborhood 4

The Mount Vernon Athletic Complex is located in Northwest Washington off Foxhall Road. Although there are several scenic parks and trails in the vicinity, as well as the German Embassy, your best bet for dining is to head elsewhere in the District. A seafood place and an Italian restaurant are located west of the Mount Vernon campus near the Potomac River, and some other places up MacArthur Boulevard, but most of your options will be closer to Downtown, not further.

The Tenleytown and Georgetown neighborhoods are a short drive or Uber ride away and offer numerous dining and entertainment options. You can also head downtown and visit the many historic sites. monuments, and memorials along the National Mall. Just keep in mind if you want to tour the Capitol or White House, you will need to book in advance.

Fans 4

District Elite FC draws a couple hundred fans for a typical home game. They partner with local youth soccer programs, meaning many of those in attendance are youth soccer players themselves. Some come decked out in their very own District Elite gear.

It is these young children who provide most of the energy from the crowd. While the adults are mostly silent, the kids love chanting and cheering on their team throughout the game, Being kids, they only know a couple of chants, so it can get pretty repetitive. At least some of these chants are creative, like combining "D.C." and "defense" while defending corner kicks to form "D.C.-fense".

Access 3

Depending on how you are arriving, the Mount Vernon campus can either be significantly easier or significantly harder to get to than the main campus in Foggy Bottom. While it is not Metro-accessible, it is a lot easier to drive to this campus in outer Washington than it is to drive downtown to the main campus.

There is a parking garage on campus right next to the stadium. Parking is free all day on weekends or for up to three hours on weekdays. It can get very pricey if staying for more than three hours on a weekday, starting at $16 for up to four hours and going up from there, so try to go on a weekend or time your visit accordingly. Since soccer games typically take no more than two hours, it should be easy to avoid the charge, and most games are played on weekends anyway.

As noted above, the bleachers can be cramped and hard to get around. If this is a concern for you, you can sit in the chairs across the street and have a good view of the game, just arrive early so they aren’t all taken. Although there are no restrooms at the field itself, there are some in West Hall. Just take the stairs or elevator down a level and they are easy to get to. Unfortunately, this building is often locked and accessible only to GW students, and as District Elite plays during the summer, there will be very few of those around, if any.

Return on Investment 3

Admission to District Elite FC games is $20, with children 12 and under getting in for $15. This is on the high end for the NPSL, but it certainly won't break the bank. Parking will probably end up being free, and concession prices will vary depending on the vendor but are typically not too expensive. Overall, a District Elite FC game is an average value - not the greatest ticket prices but not too expensive either.

Extras 1

At halftime, District Elite FC invites all children 12 and under onto the field for a halftime scrimmage, something they greatly enjoy participating in. As is typical on youth soccer, a child's "age" is based on their year of birth rather than their birthday, so in 2025, all children born in 2013 or later can participate, while children born in 2012 cannot, even if they have not yet turned 13.

Final Thoughts

A trip to see a District Elite FC soccer match is a fun way for fans of all ages to spend a warm summer evening. Although the experience is not the fanciest one, District Elite has already built up a good following in their inaugural season, and we expect the matchday experience to continue to improve over the course of this season and beyond.