Foxboro Stadium
Former names | |
---|---|
Location | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
Coordinates | 42°5′34″N 71°16′3″W / 42.09278°N 71.26750°W |
Owner |
|
Capacity | 60,292 |
Surface | |
Construction | |
Broke ground | September 23, 1970 |
Opened | August 15, 1971[1][2] |
Closed | January 19, 2002 |
Demolished | Late January-June 2002 |
Construction cost | $7.1 million ($53.4 million in 2023 dollars)[3] |
Architect |
|
General contractor | J. F. White Contracting Co.[4] |
Tenants | |
|
Foxboro Stadium, originally Schaefer Stadium and later Sullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in the New England region of the United States, located in Foxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in 1971 and served as the home of the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) for 31 seasons (through January 2002) and also as the first home venue for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer (MLS) from 1996 to 2002. The stadium was the site of several games in both the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup. Foxboro Stadium was demolished in 2002 and replaced by Gillette Stadium and the Patriot Place shopping center.
History
The stadium opened in August
The then-Boston Patriots played the 1969 season at Alumni Stadium at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and the 1970 season, their first in the NFL, at Harvard Stadium in Boston's Allston neighborhood.[6]
The site was selected when the owners of Bay State Raceway donated the land, midway between Boston and Providence, Rhode Island. The general contractor who built the stadium was a Massachusetts-based company named J. F. White Contracting Co.[citation needed]
Ground was broken in September 1970,[7] and it cost $7.1 million,[7] only $200,000 over budget.[8] Even allowing for this modest cost overrun, it was still a bargain price for a major sports stadium even by 1970s standards. This was because the Patriots received no funding from the governments of either the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or the town of Foxborough; indeed, it was one of the few major league stadiums of that era that was entirely privately funded.[7]
Seating capacity
Years | Capacity |
---|---|
1971 | 61,114[9] |
1972 | 60,999[10] |
1973–1977 | 61,279[11] |
1978–1983 | 61,297[12] |
1984–1987 | 60,890[13] |
1988–1994 | 60,794[14] |
1995–2002 | 60,292[15] |
Playing surface
Like the majority of outdoor sports venues built in North America in the 1970s, Foxboro Stadium was designed for the use of an artificial turf playing surface. The original field was Poly-Turf,[16] succeeded by AstroTurf.[citation needed] A natural grass field was installed before the start of the 1991 season.[citation needed]
Naming rights
The original name in 1971 was Schaefer Stadium for the brewery of that name in an early example of the sale of naming rights to a company that did not own the stadium. When this agreement expired after the 1982 season, Anheuser-Busch took over the rights. Instead of putting the name of one of its brands of beer on the stadium, Anheuser-Busch agreed to name it in honor of the Sullivan family, then the majority owners of the Patriots. The name Sullivan Stadium took effect on May 23, 1983.[17] After Sullivan went bankrupt and Robert Kraft purchased the stadium, Kraft stripped Sullivan's name and renamed the venue "Foxboro Stadium".[18] Although the official spelling of the town's name is "Foxborough", the shorter spelling was used for the stadium.[19]
During the ownership of Victor Kiam, ESPN anchor Chris Berman humorously referred to the facility as "Shaver Stadium", a pun on Kiam's fame from Remington razor commercials and the stadium's original name.
Notable events
This section possibly contains original research. (August 2016) |
Soccer
The venue hosted numerous significant soccer matches, including six games in the 1994 FIFA World Cup.[8] Foxboro Stadium was the last stadium where Diego Maradona scored a World Cup goal in a game against Greece, and where he last played in an official FIFA World Cup match against Nigeria on June 25, 1994.
The stadium hosted five games in the
The stadium's final soccer match was the qualifying match between the United States and Jamaica, which the United States won 2-1.
- 1994 FIFA World Cup
Date | Time (EDT) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
21 June 1994 | 12:30 | Argentina | 4–0 | Greece | Group D | 54,456 |
23 June 1994 | 19:30 | South Korea | 0–0 | Bolivia | Group C | 54,453 |
25 June 1994 | 16:00 | Argentina | 2–1 | Nigeria | Group D | |
30 June 1994 | 19:30 | Greece | 0–2 | 53,001 | ||
5 July 1994 | 13:00 | Nigeria | 1–2 ( a.e.t. ) |
Italy | Round of 16 | 54,367 |
9 July 1994 | 12:00 | Italy | 2–1 | Spain | Quarter-finals | 53,400 |
- 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup
Date | Time (EDT) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20 June 1999 | 16:00 | Norway | 2–1 | Russia | Group C | 14,873 |
20 June 1999 | 19:30 | Australia | 1–1 | Ghana | Group D | 14,873 |
27 June 1999 | 16:30 | Mexico | 0–2 | Italy | Group B | 50,484 |
27 June 1999 | 19:00 | United States | 3–0 | North Korea | Group A | 50,484 |
4 July 1999 | 19:30 | Norway | 0–5 | China | Semi-finals | 28,986 |
- Major League Soccer finals
Event | Date | Champions | Res. | Runners-Up | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
MLS Cup '96 |
20 October 1996 | D.C. United | 3–2 ( a.e.t. ) |
Los Angeles Galaxy | 34,643 |
MLS Cup '99 |
21 November 1999 | 2–0 | 44,910 |
- Women's United Soccer Association finals
Event | Date | Time (EDT) | Champions | Res. | Runners-Up | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2001 WUSA Founders Cup | 25 August 2001 | 14:00 | Bay Area CyberRays | 3–3 ( a.e.t.) (4–2 p ) |
Atlanta Beat | 21,078 |
College Football
Holy Cross Crusaders
During the final week of the 1971 season, Holy Cross moved its home game against rival Boston College to the newly-constructed Schaefer Stadium, due to a heavy snowstorm that rendered Fitton Field in Worcester unplayable.[20]
Boston College Eagles
In the opening week of the 1975 season, Boston College hosted Notre Dame at Schaefer Stadium in their first ever meeting.[21] From 1983 through 1987, BC used Schaefer/Sullivan Stadium as an alternate home venue to host crowds larger than could be accommodated on campus at Alumni Stadium.
Date | Visiting Team | Result | Home Team | Attendance | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
November 27, 1971 | Boston College (rivalry) | 21-7 | Holy Cross | 22,205 | [22][23][24] |
September 15, 1975 | #9 Notre Dame (Holy War) | 17-3 | Boston College | 61,501 | [21][25][26] |
October 29, 1983 | Penn State | 17-27 | #19 Boston College | 56,605 | [27][28] |
November 19, 1983 | Holy Cross (rivalry) | 7-47 | #18 Boston College | 38,512 | [29][28] |
November 26, 1983 | #13 Alabama | 13-20 | #15 Boston College | 58,047 | [30][31][28] |
September 22, 1984 | North Carolina | 20-52 | #10 Boston College | 44,672 | [32][33] |
November 17, 1984 | Syracuse (rivalry) | 16-24 | #13 Boston College | 60,890 | [34][33] |
September 14, 1985 | #17 Maryland | 31-13 | Boston College | 30,210 | [35][36] |
September 28, 1985 | Miami (FL) | 45-10 | Boston College | 31,864 | [37][36] |
September 20, 1986 | #5 Penn State | 26-14 | Boston College | 42,329 | [38][39] |
September 26, 1987 | #15 Penn State | 27-17 | Boston College | 50,267 | [40][41] |
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |
Other events
The stadium hosted numerous other outdoor events, primarily concerts, along with music festivals, including The
. U2 played on The Joshua Tree Tour on September 22, 1987, and later performed three nights of their Zoo TV Tour on August 20, 22, and 23, 1992. Schaefer Stadium hostedSullivan Stadium hosted The Who's 25th anniversary tour on July 12 and 14, 1989.
Paul McCartney brought the Flowers In the Dirt Tour to the stadium on July 24 and 26, 1990.
Genesis brought the We Can't Dance Tour to the stadium on May 28, 1992.
Metallica and Guns N' Roses brought the Guns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour to the stadium on September 11, 1992, with Faith No More as their opening act.
Elton John performed at the venue in front of 62,000 on
Madonna performed her "Who's That Girl" tour there on July 9, 1987, to a sell-out crowd. Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead recorded a portion of their collaborative live album, entitled Dylan & the Dead, there on July 4, 1987. Pink Floyd played a two-night stand in May 1988 (on one of the nights their inflatable pig was torn to shreds). They also played a three-night sold-out stand in May 1994 on their The Division Bell Tour which was recorded and readily available on bootleg. (The second night was filmed by MTV for promotional purposes.) The Dave Matthews Band played seven shows at the stadium from 1998 to 2001.
The Rolling Stones played three nights on September 27 and 29 and October 1, 1989, then two more nights on September 4 and 5, 1994 and lastly October 20 and 21, 1997.
Additionally, in 1994, the Drum Corps International World Championships were held in the stadium.
Closing
By the late 1990s, Foxboro Stadium had become functionally obsolete by modern NFL standards. Despite excellent sight lines to view game action or concerts and having fewer of the issues that multi-sport
With a capacity of just over 60,000 (only 10,000 above the NFL's minimum seating capacity), it was one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL. It was also almost completely exposed to the elements, meaning that there was almost no protection for the fans in storms (outside of beneath the stands) or in extreme cold. Additionally, the Sullivan family had lost millions promoting the
The Sullivans' financial picture was so dire that even when the Patriots made Super Bowl XX, the team didn't bring in nearly enough money to service the debt from the Victory Tour. With most of their money tied up in the team, they sold controlling interest in the Patriots to Victor Kiam in 1989. The stadium, however, lapsed into bankruptcy and was bought by Boston paper magnate Robert Kraft in 1988.
When Kiam and Sullivan tried to sell the team to interests in
After 31 NFL seasons, Foxboro Stadium was scheduled to be demolished on December 23, 2001, the day after the Patriots' final home game. However, the stadium would instead play host to the first season of the
References
- ^ a b "New England opens park with victory". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. August 16, 1971. p. 6B.
- ^ a b "Traffic situation 'hard to forget'". The Telegraph. (Nashua, New Hampshire). Associated Press. August 16, 1971. p. 18.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ a b Foxboro Stadium
- ^ New England Is Their Third Name
- ^ a b They Played at Four Different Stadiums In Their First 11 Years
- ^ a b c FOXBORO STADIUM
- ^ ISBN 9781584654094.
- ^ Will McDonough (September 3, 1972). "Bell Hopes Patriots Knock 'Em Around". Boston Globe.
- ^ Al Harvin (October 16, 1972). "Riggins, Boozer Combine for 318 Yards; Jet Ground Game Crushes Patriots". New York Times. Retrieved November 27, 2011.
- ^ "Patriot Goal: Field Winner". Rome News-Tribune. April 11, 1976.
- ^ "Shoulder May Keep Griese From Returning This Year". Palm Beach Post. April 1, 1981.
- ^ "Hannah May Miss Jets". The Lewiston Journal. October 26, 1984.
- ^ "AFC East". USA Today. September 2, 1988.
- ^ Bill Plaschke (September 11, 1995). "Dolphins Have Few Problems in 20-3 Victory". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ Sports Illustrated – "Rug" – Scorecard – October 18, 1971
- ^ "History: 1980-1989". Official web site of the New England Patriots. New England Patriots. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ The League by David Harris
- ^ Ask PFW: Winning vs. whining Patriots.com
- ^ Concannon, Joe (November 27, 1971). "Phone call switches BC-HC site to Schaefer". Boston Globe. p. 17.
- ^ a b "17-3 for Devine, Assistants". Press and Sun-Bulletin. September 16, 1975. pp. 13–A. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ Nason, Jerry (November 28, 1971). "BC's Bombs Trip Up 'Soft Touch' HC, 21-7". Boston Sunday Globe. p. 85. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1971 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1971 Holy Cross Crusaders Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1975 Notre Dame Fighting Irish Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1975 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1983 Penn State Nittany Lions Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ a b c "1983 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ May, Peter (November 20, 1983). "BC Pounds Holy Cross, Expects New Bowl Foe". Hartford Courant. p. 102. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "Turnovers turn back Tide; BC finishes with 9–2 record". The Boston Globe. November 26, 1983. p. 28. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1983 Alabama Crimson Tide Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1984 North Carolina Tar Heels Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "1984 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1984 Syracuse Orange Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1985 Maryland Terrapins Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "1985 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1985 Miami (FL) Hurricanes Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1986 Penn State Nittany Lions Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1986 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1987 Penn State Nittany Lions Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ "1987 Boston College Eagles Schedule and Results". Sports Reference. November 6, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
- ^ Joseph, Dave (December 21, 2001). "FROZEN IN TIME". sun-sentinel.com. Retrieved February 19, 2020.
- ^ Mallison, Lloyd (August 25, 2015). "Before the Patriots played at Gillette Stadium". The Boston Globe. pp. slideshow image number 27. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
- ISBN 0-553-05167-9.
- Forbes.