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Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Coordinates: 38°59′06″N 76°30′25″W / 38.985°N 76.507°W / 38.985; -76.507
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Navy–Marine Corps
Memorial Stadium
Hosting Stanford in 2005
Map
Address550 Taylor Avenue
Annapolis, Maryland
Coordinates38°59′06″N 76°30′25″W / 38.985°N 76.507°W / 38.985; -76.507
OwnerNaval Academy Athletic Association (Private Enterprise)
OperatorU.S. Naval Academy
Capacity34,000
Record attendance38,803 (vs. Air Force,
October 21, 2023)
SurfaceFieldTurf (2005–present)
Natural grass (1959–2004)
Construction
Broke ground1958
OpenedSeptember 26, 1959
65 years ago
Renovated2004
Construction cost$3.1 million[1]
Architect360 Architecture (formerly CDFM2)
2004 renovations
Tenants
Navy Midshipmen (NCAA) 1959–present
Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) 2007
Chesapeake Bayhawks (MLL) 2009–2020
Military Bowl 2013–present
Annapolis Blues FC (USL2) 2023–present
Website
navysports.com/stadium

Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an open-air stadium located off the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Opened in 1959, it serves as the home stadium of the Navy Midshipmen college football and lacrosse teams, and was the home of the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse. The stadium is also the host of the Military Bowl.[2]

The stadium's opener was a 29–2 win over William & Mary on September 26, 1959,[3] and its current seating capacity is 34,000.[4] The attendance record is 38,803, set in 2023 during Navy's 17–6 loss against Air Force on October 21.[5] Prior to 1959, Navy played its home games at Thompson Stadium, which seated only 12,000. Its site on campus is now occupied by Lejeune Hall, the venue for USNA water sports.

The stadium hosted soccer games as part of the 1984 Summer Olympics.[6] In April 2018, D.C. United of Major League Soccer played a regular season game versus the Columbus Crew.[7] Annapolis Blues FC of USL League Two started playing home games at the venue in 2023 while the team was members of the National Premier Soccer League, including setting a league regular season attendance record in their first game.[8][9]

Memorial

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The stadium serves as a memorial to the Navy and Marine Corps; it is dedicated to those who have served (and will serve) as upholders of the traditions and renown of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. The thousands of memorial bench-back and wall plaques are a constant reminder, as well as the list of numerous battles involving the Naval and Marine Corps forces since the early 1900s.[citation needed]

Renovation

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Aerial view of the stadium in 1995

In 2004 the stadium underwent a partial renovation – expanded west side press box- by 360 Architecture with Jay Schwarz – ABS Architects (formerly Alt Breeding Schwarz) acting as the local/Associate Architect[citation needed].

From 2005 through the present, Jay Schwarz – ABS Architects as the lead Architect has continued to design and develop the expansion and ongoing renovations. These include a new processional entrance face lift through which the entire Brigade of Midshipmen marches on game days. Additionally, the Schwarz led team has lowered the playing field to increase stadium capacity, designed club seating and associated club lounges, private suites, additional stadium seating (north and south end zones), ADA enhancements, updated restrooms, concessions and stadium operation facilities, new banquet facilities, and renovated locker room facilities.

Playing surface

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For its first 46 years, the stadium's playing field was natural grass. Prior to the 2005 football season, the grass field was replaced with FieldTurf, a next-generation infilled synthetic turf. The field runs northwest to southeast, with the pressbox along the southwest sideline, and the elevation of the field is approximately 45 feet (14 m) above sea level.

Jack Stephens Field

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The field at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is named "Jack Stephens Field", for Jackson T. Stephens (Class of 1947), whose gift aided (1) the renovation of the stadium, (2) the Class of 1947 Legacy project to benefit the Academy's Museum, and (3) other Academy projects.[4]

1984 Summer Olympics

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Main article: Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics

Several first round matches in the association football (soccer) tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics were played at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Date Time
(EDT) 		Team #1 Result Team #2 Round Attendance
July 29, 1984 19.30  France 2–2  Qatar Group A 29,240
July 30, 1984 19:00  Yugoslavia 2–1  Cameroon Group B 15,010
July 31, 1984 19:00  Chile 1–0  Qatar Group A 14,508
August 1, 1984 19:00  Yugoslavia 1–0  Canada Group B 20,000
August 2, 1984 19:00  Chile 1–1  France Group A 28,114
August 3, 1984 19:00  Iraq 2–4  Yugoslavia Group B 24,430

Ice hockey

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On March 3, 2018, the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Stadium Series, an outdoor regular season hockey game on an ice surface constructed at the stadium.[10][11][12]

Date Away Team Score Home Team Attendance
March 3, 2018 Toronto Maple Leafs 2–5 Washington Capitals 29,516

Military Bowl

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Main article: Military Bowl

Since 2013, Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium has hosted the annual Military Bowl, a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game played annually in December, except in 2020 and 2021, when the game was cancelled.[13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Army gives $1107 to Navy stadium". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. November 19, 1957. p. 27.
  2. ^ Patterson, Chip (May 20, 2013). "Military Bowl moving to Annapolis, adds Conference USA for '13". CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  3. ^ "Navy is winner in new stadium". Sports. The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. September 27, 1959. p. 3.
  4. ^ a b "Facilities: Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium". Naval Academy Varsity Athletics official website. Archived from the original on December 16, 2008. Retrieved February 10, 2010.
  5. ^ "Zac Larrier throws a 94-yard touchdown and No. 22 Air Force shuts down Navy 17-6". ESPN. Associated Press. October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "Official Report of the Games of the XXIIIrd Olympiad Los Angeles, 1984, Volume 1, Part 1" (PDF). pp. 129–131.
  7. ^ Olsen, Emily (April 14, 2018). "10-man D.C. United holds off Columbus Crew in its first win of the season". Pro Soccer USA.
  8. ^ "New Annapolis Professional Soccer Team To Play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in 2023". Eye On Annapolis. August 9, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "8,368 watch 4-2 win over FC Frederick". The Capital. June 4, 2023. Retrieved June 24, 2023. (subscription required)
  10. ^ Khurshudyan, Isabelle (May 27, 2017). "Capitals expected to play in outdoor game at Naval Academy next season". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 28, 2017.
  11. ^ Gulitti, Tom (May 29, 2017). "Maple Leafs, Capitals to play in Stadium Series at U.S. Naval Academy". NHL.com. Retrieved May 30, 2017.
  12. ^ Wagner, Bill (May 28, 2017). "Capitals to play at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium". The Capital. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  13. ^ Patterson, Chip (May 20, 2013). "Military Bowl moving to Annapolis, adds Conference USA for '13". Eye on College Football. CBSSports.com. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  14. ^ "American Athletic Conference Partners With Military Bowl Presented by Northrop Grumman". theamerican.org. July 11, 2013.
  15. ^ "Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman announces continued partnership with the Atlantic Coast Conference". August 7, 2013.
  16. ^ "Bowl game in U.S. capital renamed Military Bowl". ESPN.com. October 26, 2010.
  17. ^ "PERSPECTA NAMED PRESENTING SPONSOR OF THE MILITARY BOWL". September 30, 2020.
  18. ^ "Virginia-based Peraton is the bowl's new presenting sponsor". militarybowl.org. May 27, 2021.
  19. ^ Schwartz, Tim (December 21, 2020). "Military Bowl in Annapolis canceled due to lack of available teams". The Capital. Annapolis, Maryland. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
  20. ^ Adelson, Andrea (December 26, 2021). "Military, Fenway Bowls Canceled Because of COVID-19 Issues". ESPN. Retrieved December 26, 2021.
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
Preceded by
various venues
Soviet Union
 Summer Olympics
Soccer venue
1984 		Succeeded by
various venues
South Korea
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