Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.14
William H. Greene Stadium 2400 6th St NW Washington, DC 20059
Year Opened: 1926 Capacity: 10,000
Home of the Howard Bison
Located on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C., Greene Stadium is home to the Bison’s women's lacrosse, soccer, and football teams. The stadium opened in 1926 as the home of Bison football, although the lacrosse program was not founded until much later. Howard's women's lacrosse program is among the lowest-ranked of all teams in the country and has not defeated a Division I opponent in almost ten years. Howard does not have a men's lacrosse program.
In 1977, Howard Stadium was expanded to 9,000 seats and the Bison moved back on campus. In 1986, the stadium was renamed Greene Stadium in honor of William H. Greene, who was a doctor and donor to Howard. There have been several proposals for a new stadium to replace or renovate Greene Stadium, which is aging and of poor quality, but none have come to fruition.
Howard is one of the oldest and most prestigious Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the country and competes in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with many other HBCUs. However, the MEAC does not sponsor women's lacrosse, so the Bison compete in the Northeast Conference for that sport.
In addition to this review of women's lacrosse, Stadium Journey also has a review of the football experience at Greene Stadium.
Food & Beverage 0
There is no food or drink for sale in Greene Stadium. A food truck is available just outside the stadium for Howard football games, but is boarded up and not in use for lacrosse. There is a drink machine inside Burr Gymnasium next door, or you can bring in your food and drink.
Atmosphere 2
All seats at Greene Stadium are uncomfortable metal bleachers on both sides of the stadium. However, accessing the far side requires walking down to field level and around the track, so most fans choose to sit on the near side. There is not much going on here other than the game itself. The PA announces starting lineups before the game but does not even announce goal scorers or penalty cards. The scoreboard is designed for football and does not show the time remaining on penalties, so you just have to keep track of it yourself.
From the stands, you will be able to hear a good deal of the action on the field, although the running track that surrounds the field means you probably won't hear all of it despite there being almost no crowd noise or anything else going on.
Neighborhood 5
Howard University is located amidst several historically African American neighborhoods in Washington. Shaw, U Street, and Columbia Heights, each of which have their history in the African American community, surround the college. Ben’s Chili Bowl, located about a 20-minute walk away in the U Street neighborhood, is not just an outstanding restaurant but a historic landmark as well. The chili, hot dogs, half-smokes, and burgers are renowned throughout the area, but keep in mind there is often a long line to order due to their popularity.
And, of course, you’re in Washington, D.C., the nation’s capital, and there’s plenty to do throughout the city. The best part is that most of it is free. Whether it’s taking in the many monuments on the National Mall or visiting one of the numerous museums, there is so much you can do here. All government-run attractions are free to the public, but some of the privately-run ones are not. Just keep in mind if you want to tour the White House or Capitol, you will need to book that in advance.
Fans 2
The crowd at a Howard lacrosse game is mostly friendly and family of the players, and there will be as many cheering for the visiting team as the Bison At most, they'll get about 100 fans and often much less. In a 10,000-seat football stadium, this is quite noticeable. Even if the fans try to make noise, they're so spread out, that it has little to no effect on the atmosphere.
Access 3
Howard University is in a tricky spot to get to. It’s just far enough from the heart of downtown that it isn’t easily accessible via public transportation, and just close enough that it’s hard to drive there. The closest Metro stops are Shaw and Columbia Heights, but each is about a 20-minute walk away.
There is some street parking available relatively close to the stadium, but much of it has a two-hour limit, which is likely too short if you are attending a lacrosse game. There are some paid lots, but you may have to walk a bit to get to the stadium from there. Your best bet, if you are not coming from too far away, is to take an Uber or Lyft to the stadium, but even then, depending on traffic, it may be quicker to get out and walk the last block or two.
Once you are inside the stadium, it is still difficult to get around. There is a narrow pathway behind the bleachers on the near side, although this is less of a problem for across than football since the crowds are so small. To get to the other side, you have to walk down to field level and around the track.
There are a few port-a-potties located on the track, or you can walk next door to Burr Gymnasium and use the restrooms there.
Return on Investment 3
Admission to Howard lacrosse games is free, and you won't spend anything on concessions since there aren't any. However, the barebones experience and high cost to get here take this score down a couple of notches.
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Extras 0
There are no real extras at a Howard lacrosse game, although you may be able to walk around Burr Gymnasium before or after the game and see some of the basketball history there. However, as that is a different facility and a different sport, we are not counting it as an extra.
Final Thoughts
Howard women's lacrosse is as barebones as it gets. With extremely small crowds and Howard on a decade-long losing streak versus Division I opponents, a trip here for lacrosse is only for extremely dedicated fans of the sport or fans of one of the programs. Everyone else interested in checking out the stadium should consider doing so for football, where the experience is significantly better.