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 ABOUT HARVARD STADIUM: The centerpiece of Harvard’s outstanding athletic facilities is Harvard Stadium, which has stood as a Boston landmark for more than a century. Harvard Stadium was constructed in 1903 and hosted its first game Nov. 14 of that year. Since then, the stadium has hosted more than 600 Harvard football games as well as hundreds of other athletic and non-athletic events, including Olympic soccer, NFL football, rock concerts and political rallies. The stadium is the home for the Harvard Crimson, the Boston Cannons, and the Boston Breakers women's soccer team. The stadium is a horseshoe containing architectural elements of a Greek stadium and Roman circus and is considered an engineering marvel. It was the world’s first massive reinforced concrete structure and the first large permanent arena for American college athletics. With a seating capacity of 30,898, Harvard Stadium is praised for its outstanding sightlines. The stadium was upgraded in 2006 with the addition of a FieldTurf playing surface, permanent lighting and a removable all-weather bubble which allows for use of the facility throughout the calendar year. HARVARD STADIUM HISTORY: The stadium was a 25th anniversary gift of the Class of 1879. However, before it became a reality, people had to be convinced of its feasibility and necessity. Some believed that concrete couldn't survive a New England winter, and others had a notion that football was a passing whim. The stadium was constructed in four and a half months at the cost of just $310,000. Prior to the stadium's opening, Harvard played its home football game at a number of sites. Jarvis Field, where the Littauer Center (home for the government and economic departments) now stands, was the setting for the Crimson's inaugural contest against McGill in 1874, and its first intercollegiate game vs. Tufts in 1875. After several seasons of playing home games at the South End Grounds, Harvard returned to Cambridge in 1881 and played at Holmes Field, now the sight of Langdell Hall. Football, and most of the school's outdoor teams, moved to Soldiers' Field in 1894. The close proximity of the stands to the field at the stadium led to one of the most successful innovations in football history. In 1906, debate raged about the sport's roughness and several colleges had dropped football in favor of rugby. When the football rules committee met to discuss changes, Walter Camp proposed widening the field by 40 feet. However, that idea could not be implemented without considerable alterations to the stadium. Ultimately, the committee adopted the forward pass. In its 99 years, Harvard Stadium has been the site of more than 600 Crimson football games. Track and field, rugby, lacrosse, professional football, and even ice hockey have been played there as well. For two years, the NFL's New England Patriots called Harvard Stadium home. The stadium also hosted Olympic soccer competition in the summer of 1984, and was the site for the University's 350th anniversary celebration in 1986.  HARVARD STADIUM FACTS: * Harvard Stadium was constructed in 1903, making it the world's first massive reinforced concrete structure and the first large permanent arena for American collegiate athletics. The Crimson's first contest at the stadium was held on November 14, 1903, against Dartmouth. * Harvard Stadium hosted the first Japanese collegiate football game ever played in the United States. The contest, played on June 21, 1991, saw Keio University defeat Waseda University, 21-19. * In 1984, Olympic soccer was played at Harvard Stadium. Cameroon, Canada, Chile, France, Iraq, Norway, and Qatar all competed. * Although its current seating capacity is 30,898, Harvard Stadium once accommodated as many as 57,166 spectators when steel stands were built in the north end zone. The stands were removed in 1951. * Harvard played its 600th game at the stadium in 1997. Entering 2010, the Crimson's all-time home record is 423-221-34 (.649). * Prior to the construction of McCurdy Track in 1984, Crimson track and field teams held their outdoor meets at Harvard Stadium. The 1916 and 1920 United States Track & Field Olympic Trials took place at the stadium. * The Crimson has posted several undefeated seasons at home. The 2001 team went 6-0 at home; so did the 1987 squad. Both of those Harvard teams won outright Ivy League Championships. * Harvard's famous 29-29 "win" over Yale was played at the stadium on November 23, 1968. The Crimson scored 16 points in the final 42 seconds of the game to preserve an undefeated (8-0-1) season. Yale finished with an identical 8-0-1 mark. * The Boston (now New England) Patriots played the first-ever American Football League game at Harvard Stadium. The Patriots were defeated in a pre-season contest by the Dallas Texans, 24-14, in front of 11,000 fans on August 14, 1960. * On September 6, 1986, the Stadium hosted the University's 350th celebration. The Boston Pops performed, and the evening show was emceed by TV journalist Walter Cronkite. * Recent renovations to Harvard Stadium took place in 1998, when the field was re-centered and moved 10 yards deeper into the bowl end of the complex. Both changes were made to accommodate the construction of the Murr Center, located in the North end zone. Another was completed in 2001, when the home halftime room was updated. * The Crimson played their first night game at Harvard Stadium on September 22, 2007, defeating Brown University 24-17. |
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