Harvard Stadium

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Lore & Background

Opened in 1903, it is the oldest original stadium structure still in use for college football and the nation's oldest permanent concrete structure dedicated to intercollegiate athletics. The stadium was a pioneering execution of reinforced concrete in the construction of large structures. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Harvard Stadium led to the creation of standard field dimensions and the forward pass in American football.

In Their Own Story

The stadium's permanent nature directly altered the course of American football history. In 1905, after 18 players died and 159 were seriously injured, President Theodore Roosevelt demanded rule reforms. A proposal to widen the field was rejected because Harvard Stadium could not accommodate a larger playing area due to its rigid concrete walls. This forced the committee to legalize the forward pass in April 1906 instead. The stadium's design also impacted professional football history; in 1970, it hosted the Boston Patriots for their first season as an NFL franchise following the AFL–NFL merger and their final year as the Boston Patriots before becoming the New England Patriots. They moved to Schaefer Stadium the next season because they were required to play in stadiums with at least 50,000 seats.

Reader's Guide

Harvard installed FieldTurf and lights in 2006. On September 22, 2007, Harvard played its first night game at the stadium, beating Brown University, 24–17.

Did You Know?

• Harvard Stadium hosted the Boston Patriots' entire 1970 season, their first in the NFL after the AFL–NFL merger and their last before becoming the New England Patriots.
• The stadium hosted the U.S. Olympic Trials for men's track and field in 1912, 1920, 1924, and 1928.
• Bob Marley performed a historic concert at the stadium in 1979 as part of the Amandla Festival.
• Janis Joplin performed her last show at the stadium in 1970, shortly before her death.