Known for many years as the Soccer/Track Complex, the original 2,000-seat facility was renamed First Market Stadium in 2001 following a sponsorship from First Market Bank (now
Atlantic Union Bank). In 2002, the stadium's track was completely rebuilt. In 2003, it was named the Fred Hardy Track in honor of the longtime Spiders coach. The playing surface was changed from natural grass to
FieldTurf, an
artificial turf, in 2004. Due to the age and off-campus location of
City Stadium, where the
Richmond Spiders football team played its home games, demand grew for an on-campus football facility. The university and donors committed more than $25 million to a renovation of First Market Stadium, including a $5 million grant from the Robins Foundation in early 2008. Renovations on the stadium began on December 20, 2008, coincidentally the day after the Spiders football team won the
2008 NCAA Division I Football Championship – the school's first national title in any sport. On September 16, 2009, the stadium was renamed E. Claiborne Robins Stadium to honor the legacy of
E. Claiborne Robins Sr and his historic philanthropy to the school. ==Attendance records==