Harvard Stadium

Building Description

Home of the Harvard Crimson, Harvard Stadium is horseshoe shaped, containing architectural elements of a Greek stadium and Roman circus. Its current capacity is 30, 323, though it has held over 57,000 people in the past. It is the prototype for other horseshoe shaped stadiums such as Ohio Stadium, San Diego's Balboa Stadium and Palmer Stadium, Princeton's former home. It ranks among the nation’s finest football facilities.

History

Harvard Stadium is the nation’s oldest stadium and was the first permanent stadium for American intercollegiate athletics. It was also the first massive reinforced concrete structure in the world. The Stadium was a 25th anniversary gift of the Class of 1879. Completed in 1903, it has been home to the Harvard football team for over a century, and was home to track and field until 1984. In 2007, Harvard installed lights at Harvard Stadium, and on September 22, 2007, Harvard played its first night game, against Brown University, winning 24-17.