First Stagg Field The first Stagg Field was a
stadium at the
University of Chicago in
Chicago. It was located on a block bounded by 57th Street to the south, University Avenue to the east, and Ellis Avenue to the west. The stadium was primarily used for
college football games, and was the home field of the
Maroons. Stagg Field originally opened in 1893 as
Marshall Field, named after
Marshall Field who donated land to the university to build the stadium. In 1913, the field was renamed Stagg Field after their famous coach
Amos Alonzo Stagg. The final capacity, after several stadium expansions, was 50,000. The University of Chicago discontinued its football program after 1939 and left the
Big Ten Conference in 1946. The stadium was demolished in 1957, and much of the stadium site was used as the site of
Regenstein Library. has not been erected at the time of this photo. In addition to Maroons football, the stadium hosted other events, including the
1893,
1898,
1913,
1923, and
1933 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships; a regional qualifying meet for the
US Olympic Trials for Track and Field held June 19–20, 1936; and the
NCAA Men's Track and Field Championships in
1921,
1922,
1923,
1929,
1930,
1931,
1932,
1933, and
1936.
Northwestern also played a number of home games at Stagg Field. At the turn of the 20th century, Northwestern was unable to handle large crowds, so they hosted then-powerhouse
Minnesota at Marshall Field for a 1901 game and a 1904 game. In 1925 (a year prior to the opening of Dyche Stadium, later known as
Ryan Field) Northwestern again was unable to accommodate large crowds, and as a result played two games at Stagg Field. The first was a notable win over
Michigan. The second was an October 24 game against
Tulane that had originally been scheduled to be played at
Soldier Field instead. Tulane won the game at Stagg Field 18–7. The University of Michigan fight song "
The Victors" was written by Michigan music student Louis Elbel in 1898, following a last minute 12–11 Michigan victory over the University of Chicago at Stagg Field for the
Western Conference championship.
New Stagg Field The current Stagg Field is an athletic field located several blocks to the northwest that preserves the Stagg Field name, as well as a relocated gate from the original facility. The football field and the rest of the athletic complex are on a block bounded by 55th Street to the north, 56th Street to the south, Cottage Grove Avenue to the west, and Ellis Avenue well to the east. The school's current
Division III football team uses the new field as their home. It is also home to the
Chicago Maroons soccer, softball and outdoor track teams. Stagg Field has a
seating capacity of 1,650, and the playing surface is made of
FieldTurf. ==See also==