Article courtesy of The Washington Post dated May 6, 2008
Leaving Patriot Center

Northern Region principals and athletic directors voted unanimously to move the region boys' and girls' basketball semifinals and championships to Robinson Secondary School after calling Patriot Center home for 14 of the past 15 years.

The cost to use Patriot Center, on the campus of George Mason University, has averaged about $37,000 each of the past four years. Running the tournament at Robinson, just down Sideburn Road from GMU, is likely to cost about a quarter of that, Robinson Athletic Director Mike McGurk said.

The region's net income from the 2008 tournament was $28,013, the lowest total by far this decade.

"The argument financially is that it makes a lot of sense to move it," McGurk said, adding that having the event at a high school gym will offer more schedule flexibility and perhaps a more exciting game environment. "We felt like we've done as much as we can do [to limit expenses], and it still seems to be a downward trend."

According to signage at Robinson, the Rams' gym holds 5,288 spectators, a little more than half the number of fans that Patriot Center can accommodate.

Attendance at the region games at Patriot Center topped out at 7,561 for the 2005 boys' semifinals. The girls' semifinals have drawn fewer than 2,000 fans in 10 of 14 years at Patriot Center. (Because of snow, the 2003 semifinals and championships were held at Robinson.)