New York stadium
The
James M. Shuart Stadium
is an 11,929-seat
[1]
multi-purpose stadium and sports facility, the facility serves as the home to Hofstra's lacrosse teams on the campus of
Hofstra University
in
Hempstead, New York
. First opened in 1963, and remodeled in 1996 and 2013, it was known as
Hofstra Stadium
until August 29, 2002, when it was renamed after the
former president of Hofstra University
, who played lacrosse and football during his undergraduate years at the school.
[2]
[3]
The stadium grounds include James C. Metzger Hall which houses the stadium's press box, luxury suites and the Fried Center for Student-Athlete Development.
[4]
[5]
Background
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]
Shuart Stadium has held numerous sports and events over the years, including football, lacrosse, and soccer. It has welcomed many teams from different leagues throughout several decades.
Lacrosse
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]
In 1971, the stadium hosted the inaugural
NCAA Division I Men's lacrosse championship
game. It has also served as the site for two quarterfinal games of the
2009
,
2014
,
2017
,
2018
,
2019
, and
2021
tournaments
[6]
as well as numerous conference championship contests for Women's Lacrosse.
The New York Lizards used the facility as their home field for part of the 2001 season and the full 2002 season. During their first year, they became the inaugural
Major League Lacrosse champions
. The team returned in 2009 and called the stadium their official home until 2020. After the 2020 season the
MLL
merged with the
Premier Lacrosse League
bringing an end to the New York Lizards franchise.
In 2021 the stadium hosted 5
Premier Lacrosse League
games over 4 July weekend. Making the stadium a tour site for future PLL events.
PLL
hosted a weekend of games in 2022 and is the 2023 Semifinals site on September 10.
Soccer
[
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]
The
original New York Cosmos
played at the stadium between 1972 and 1973. They won their first
NASL Championship
at the stadium in
1972
. The
new Cosmos
began playing there in
2013
. Shuart Stadium also played host to the most recent
United States men's
match in New York state, when the U.S. hosted
Ecuador
in a friendly match on November 30, 1984.
Shuart Stadium was also the venue for the
Long Island Rough Riders
of professional soccer's
A-League
.
For nearly five decades, the stadium was home to
Hofstra's football team
. The team played in the
Colonial Athletic Association
conference. They utilized the stadium from its opening until 2009 when the program was retired.
On November 4, 2009, the
New York Sentinels
of the
United Football League
played a home game at the stadium.
Both the Long Island All-Star Football Game and the Fun City Bowl, featuring the New York City Police and Fire Department teams, have been held at the site.
Other events
[
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]
The facility was used for three nights every October for the annual Newsday Marching Band Festival where selected Long Island high schools performed in an exhibition-style competition. Since 2014, the event has been held elsewhere.
Various Long Island high school and New York state championship games for different sports are also held at the site.
Design
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]
Originally built in 1962 and opened in 1963, the stadium has received a number of upgrades. In 1968 a new artificial playing surface was installed, making the stadium the third college facility in the nation to receive one. A major expansion was completed in the fall of 1996. The capacity had been raised from 7,000 to approximately 13,000, while the Howdy Myers Pavilion and new scoreboards in both end zones were constructed. In 2007, the artificial turf was replaced with
FieldTurf
which was again replaced in late 2012. Then in 2009 new scoreboards were installed in the north and south end zones. More recently, in 2013, the facility was renovated and reconfigured to its current capacity of 11,929. In late 2013, new lights designed by
Musco Lighting
replaced the original lights in the stadium that dated back to 1963.
[7]
References
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]
External links
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]
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