Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86
William H. Greene Stadium 2400 6th St NW Washington, DC 20059
Year Opened: 1926 Capacity: 10,000
Northwest D. C.
The Howard Bison are one of two FCS football teams that play in Washington, D. C., the other being the Georgetown Hoyas. Howard plays its home football games at Greene Stadium, which opened in 1926 and is also used for Bison lacrosse and soccer matches. The facility seats 10,000 for football in bleacher seating on three sides of the field – there is also field-level seating behind the north end zone, under a large white tent, for special guests.
Greene Stadium is named after a local physician and benefactor of Howard University. The staff does try to put on a good show for football games here, but there aren’t very many fans who show up.
Food & Beverage 2
Greene Stadium doesn’t have any fixed concession stands, but they do bring in food trucks on the west side of the field. The different food trucks offer such items as burgers, hibachi, funnel cake, fried Oreos, fried fish, fried shrimp, ribs, and wings, along with French fries and a few drink selections, such as lemonade, bottled water, and Gatorade.
The prices are on the high side, and unfortunately, the food trucks are located behind the visitor stands – the venue is not large by any means, so it is not a long walk, but your best bet is to get your food and drinks as you enter (all the entrances area on the west side), before walking around to the home side to find your seats (assuming you are not here to cheer on the opposing team, of course).
Atmosphere 3
Greene Stadium has a lively atmosphere, with lots of fun music piped in – the kind people like to dance to with heavy, loud beats. The band also does a great job entertaining fans, as do the cheerleaders; the performance at halftime is especially superb, accompanied by strutting drum majors, the dance team, and colorful banners lofted high. During my most recent visit, an October game included a tribute to cancer survivors.
There is a large video board behind the north end zone, which works fine for replays, as most of the seats are on the other three sides of the field. The home stands (east side) are next to the reservoir and do offer chairback seats in the middle section – all of the other seating in Greene Stadium are metal bleachers without backs.
The turf field boasts some very sharp Howard logos in dark blue with red trim, and the PA announcer is very passionate – when he announces first downs, his exuberance is accompanied by laser tag-esque electronic sounds. There is not a lot of shade, however, except in the last few rows on the home side, directly in front of the press box (although the sun sets facing the home side since the home seating is on the east, so you may have the sun in your eyes toward the end of the game.
Neighborhood 4
Howard itself is located in a run-down part of Washington, D. C., where you might not necessarily feel safe walking around at night. During the football game, there are plenty of police officers around, however, so there shouldn’t be any issues around game time. That said, there isn’t much to see and do in the immediate area, with no hotels to speak of and only a few quick-service restaurants.
However, there is, of course, plenty to see and do nearer the Capitol, about 2-3 miles away, with all the monuments, museums, and other attractions, including the Wizards, Capitals, and Nationals if you can swing a sports doubleheader while in town. There are also hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hotels and restaurants in and around Washington, D. C. – your choice there solely depends on how close you want to be to the action and how much money you want to spend, as the two are closely related.
Fans 3
Not many fans attend Howard football games at Greene Stadium, so the stands can look pretty empty, depending, of course, on how the Bison are playing at that point in the season. In fact, for many games, you might see more visiting fans on the west side than there are home fans on the east.
The band and student section sits on the south end of the field – the student section at times is practically non-existent over there, with only 2-3 dozen fans visible next to the band.
Access 3
There is no real parking at Greene Stadium – you can park along the nearby streets, although the signs are confusing. In certain places where you can park on a normal day, it is blocked off, and some of the signs say you can park for four hours, but the meter only allows you to pay for two. A pay lot would be welcome, but I wasn’t able to find any after twenty minutes of driving around.
The lack of parking also means a potentially long walk up to the stadium, and the entry once you get there is confusing as well. Tickets and will call are located in the gymnasium on 6th and Girard, but some of the streets are blocked off, so you may have to walk around if you are coming from the south. There are two entrances into the venue, one on the north and one on the south, which, as mentioned, are next to the visiting stands and food trucks.
Return on Investment 3
General admission tickets are $35 if you buy beforehand, but they add $10 to the price if you buy on the day of. That makes for a pretty pricey ticket to get into the game, not to mention the high food truck concession prices. On the plus side, you may be able to park for free, but that is a little risky, given the signage. All of that said, I am not sure it is worthwhile to come to see a game here – the stadium itself is decent and seems modern enough, and there are some fun elements, but they do come at a price.
Extras 2
Greene Stadium does have a small team gear stand next to the entrance on the southwest side. You also can get close to the action here, as you have to walk around right next to the field to get to your seats if you are sitting on the south or east (home) side. The Bison also boasts a fully-costumed mascot wearing a buffalo head, jersey, and camouflage pants.
Final Thoughts
Greene Stadium is perfectly fine as smaller football stadiums go, but it is a little challenging in terms of access and maybe also in terms of the concession options. If you really love football, this is an okay way to spend an afternoon – just mind the lack of shade if you are coming for a day game. Otherwise, this might be one you save for when your favorite team is coming to play in D.C.
Comments