4-21-2025 4:49am

INSIDE MUSTANG

Hunt Valley Life Staff

Mustang Beach – Stevenson Mustangs

Photos by Richard Smith, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.43

Mustang Beach
11005 Owings Mills Blvd
Owings Mills, MD 21117

Stevenson Mustangs website

Mustang Beach website

Year Opened: n/a

Capacity: n/a

A History of Horses

There are times when something good can spring from something so bad. Stevenson University and its wonderful athletic facilities are "the good". The events of March 1984 were "the bad", at least for the residents of Maryland.

At 2 am on March 29th of that year, fifteen Mayflower moving trucks arrived at the Baltimore Colts training facility in Owings Mills, a northwest suburb of Baltimore. Workers loaded all of the team’s belongings, and the trucks left for Indianapolis, arriving later that day to a massive welcome. The move happened in the dark since the Colts’ owner, Bob Irsay, feared the Maryland legislature would pass an eminent domain bill that would have legally barred the team from moving. The bill passed later that day, but it was too late, as the locally beloved franchise was already gone.

In the early years after the Colts left, the former training facility had seen some of its land sold off by the then-property owners, Baltimore City. The main building and field were also used as a training center for local police officers.

Football returned from 1994 to 1995 as the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) used the training center. The Stallions were quite a success, easily the most successful of the United States' CFL expansion teams, with strong attendance numbers and appearances in the CFL Grey Cup Championship Game in both years they were in town. 1995, they even won that championship, but when the Cleveland Browns agreed to move to Maryland, the Stallions realized that they needed to move on. Move they did, back to Canada, and they are still known today as the Montreal Alouettes.

In 1996, the newly renamed Baltimore Ravens team took up residence in the Owings Mills facility. The team would move to a new center, also in the Owings Mills area, called the Under Armour Performance Center in 2004. That new facility is referred to as “The Castle” for its architectural style.

Villa Julie College has always been a bit of a quirky place. Originally located in the Greenspring Valley of Baltimore County and its Stevenson neighborhood, the college was an all-girls school until 1972 and did not even offer bachelor's degrees until 1984. It was also entirely non-residential.

Eventually, the college desired to add housing and more of just about everything, so a new campus was added in Owings Mills. This expansion dramatically increased the college’s offerings and student population. In 2008, they decided they needed a new identity and changed their name to Stevenson University. The old campus is still in use.

The Owings Mills campus just happened to be right next door to the old Baltimore Colts training facility. Stevenson acquired the building and land and used it as the center of their athletic department. In 2006, it reopened as the Caves Sports and Wellness Center. Some of the locker rooms and facilities are similar to the ones left behind by the Ravens, with necessary remodeling done. In addition, in 2010, the 38,000-square-foot Owings Mills Gymnasium was added.

Mustang Stadium is located in front of Mustang Beach. Mustang Beach is also home to a men's beach volleyball team. This review is for the women's team, but it would likely be the same experience.

Food & Beverage 0

There is one permanent food stand at Mustang Beach.

Atmosphere 2

There is a wonderful atmosphere at Mustang Beach. There are no regular seats, but you may not mind. Sit along the beach courts, take your shoes off, and enjoy the action.

Neighborhood 4

Owings Mills is a suburb of Baltimore, so there are plenty of shopping centers and restaurants in the area. Many good options are within easy walking distance, such as Subway, IHOP, and Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

The Owings Mills station of the Baltimore Metro subway system is located about a mile away from campus.

Fans 3

There were not many fans at the game, but it was also cold and gloomy. Not a great day for beach volleyball.

Being a largely commuter university, there may not be too many students at the games. There are residence halls near the beach, so some students' attendance is always possible.

Access 4

Owings Mills Boulevard has an exit off nearby Interstate 795. The stadium is a pretty quick one-mile trip from the highway. I worried about traffic in an area that is pretty busy even on normal days, but the traffic was no problem. The university has plenty of parking in the area, and there are no issues here. Parking is free.

Return on Investment 5

Admission is free. With free parking, Stevenson University beach volleyball is a good value.

Extras 2

The former home of three professional football teams, the Caves Sports and Wellness Center is worth a quick trip. Try to remember 1984 and the pain and struggle that local football fans went through for years.

Next to Mustang Stadium is a statue of a Mustang, the university’s mascot. This is a good meet-up spot and photo opportunity.

Final Thoughts

Besides being on a historic football ground, Stevenson University’s Mustang Beach offers the fans great value, as well as a nice place to watch lacrosse.