Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.43
Phoenix College North Gym 3150 N 11th Ave Phoenix, AZ 85013
Year Opened: n/a Capacity: n/a
Bears In Phoenix
Phoenix College is a community college in Phoenix, Arizona. It is the flagship of the Maricopa County Community College District and was founded in 1920, making it one of the oldest community colleges in the nation.
Famous alumni of Phoenix College include Nick Nolte, CeCe Peniston and A Christmas Story’s Peter Billingsley.
The Phoenix College Bears compete in the NJCAA as part of the Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Conference.. The basketball team plays in the North Gym which is informally called “The Bears Den”.
Food & Beverage 1
There is a very small snack bar in the Gym’s hallway. Don’t expect to have a full meal here. There are some small snacks and drinks that are about all you will get.
Atmosphere 2
The “Bears Den” is a simple gym that is equivalent to a small high school gym. Generally only one set of bleachers is open during games. The atmosphere is not very enthusiastic, but it will also depend if many students are on campus to enhance the crowd. Being a community college, student attendance is going to widely vary per day and time of the game.
Neighborhood 4
Phoenix College is located in the Encanto Village, near downtown Phoenix. Encanto is also home to the Arizona State Fair,which includes the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum, the original home of the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Art Museum is also nearby.
Encanto Village has a fairly eclectic restaurant scene with many good options nearby. Durant’s is a high end steakhouse with the look and feel of a dive bar. George & Dragon English Pub may be a more reasonable option for a post game bite.
Fans 2
Most of the fans are family members, with a few students and locals thrown into the mix. Although not large in number, the fans seem to appreciate the action and offer good support.
Access 4
Phoenix College is located northwest of downtown Phoenix. It not far from I-10, along a fairly major road, Thomas Road. The North Gym is located, shockingly, on the north part of the campus. It sits right next to Marich Field, the home of the Bears baseball team.
There is a large parking lot on this side of campus, so parking should not be an issue. One should check local parking regulations, especially for games that occur on regular college operating days.
Return on Investment 3
Tickets were $10 for the game we attended, but that was part of a weekend long tournament event, so it may be cheaper, or even free, on other days. The return on investment for attending a game at Phoenix College is fairly good.
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Extras 1
There are not a lot of extras at Phoenix College, but one should look out for the feral cat colony on campus. It is a Trap, Neuter, and Return program that is working with the Animal Defense League of Arizona to manage the cats. You will need to refrain from feeding the cats, as their care is under that program .
Final Thoughts
Phoenix College basketball doesn’t offer much for the sports fan besides a simple, but enjoyable, small college gameday.