Schaefer Stadium

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Lore & Background

The stadium opened in August 1971 as Schaefer Stadium, primarily as the home venue for the renamed New England Patriots. The team was known as the Boston Patriots for its first eleven seasons (1960–70) and had played in various stadiums in the Boston area. For six seasons (1963–68), the Patriots played in Fenway Park. They played the 1969 season at Alumni Stadium at Boston College and the 1970 season at Harvard Stadium. The site was selected when the owners of Bay State Raceway donated the land. Ground was broken in September 1970, and it cost $7.1 million. The stadium was entirely privately funded. The original name was Schaefer Stadium; after the naming agreement expired, Anheuser-Busch named it Sullivan Stadium (effective May 23, 1983). After Sullivan went bankrupt and Robert Kraft purchased the stadium, Kraft renamed it Foxboro Stadium. During Victor Kiam's ownership, ESPN's Chris Berman called it 'Shaver Stadium'.

In Their Own Story

On July 4, 1976, Elton John performed before 62,000 fans during the US Bicentennial celebration, a moment that highlighted the stadium's capacity for massive events despite its utilitarian design. The atmosphere was often defined by the elements; with almost no protection from storms or extreme cold, fans endured freezing temperatures on backless aluminum benches, many bringing their own cushions to survive late-season games. The parking lots frequently turned to mud during heavy rains, causing hour-long delays on the undivided four-lane U.S. Route 1 after events. Yet, it hosted legendary concerts including Pink Floyd's Division Bell Tour in May 1994, where an inflatable pig was torn apart by wind, and a sold-out crowd for New Kids on The Block in July 1990. The stadium's raw nature remained constant even as it evolved from Schaefer to Sullivan to Foxboro Stadium.

Reader's Guide

The stadium was designed for artificial turf; the original field was Poly-Turf, succeeded by AstroTurf. A natural grass field was installed before the 1991 season. The stadium had no luxury boxes and most seats were backless aluminum benches. Plumbing issues led to the use of portable toilets throughout its existence. The stadium hosted six games in the 1994 FIFA World Cup, five games in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 1996 and 1999 MLS Cups, and the inaugural WUSA Founders Cup. Its final soccer match was a U.S. vs. Jamaica qualifier. Holy Cross moved a home game to the stadium in 1971 due to snow. Boston College hosted Notre Dame there in 1975 and used it as an alternate venue from 1983 to 1987. The stadium also hosted concerts by U2, Elton John, The Who, Paul McCartney, New Kids on the Block, Genesis, Metallica and Guns N' Roses, Madonna, Bob Dylan and the Grateful Dead, Pink Floyd, Dave Matthews Band, and the Rolling Stones, as well as the WWF King of the Ring (1985 and 1986), the Drum Corps International World Championships (1994), and music festivals.

Did You Know?

• The stadium cost $7.1 million, only $200,000 over budget, and was entirely privately funded.
• During its first game, a sewage issue overflowed restroom facilities, leading to portable toilets for the rest of its existence.
• Diego Maradona scored his last World Cup goal at Foxboro Stadium in a 1994 game against Greece.
• The stadium's official spelling was 'Foxboro' despite the town being spelled 'Foxborough'.