| Stadium Name: | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium |
| Logo Image: | Navy_Athletics_logo.svg |
| Address: | 550 Taylor Avenue |
| City: | Annapolis, Maryland |
| Broke Ground: | 1958 |
| Opened: | September 26, 1959 |
| Renovated: | 2004 |
| Owner: | Naval Academy Athletic Association (Private Enterprise) |
| Operator: | U.S. Naval Academy |
| Surface: | FieldTurf (2005–present) Natural grass (1959–2004) |
| Construction Cost: | $3.1 million[1] |
| Architect: | 360 Architecture (formerly CDFM2) 2004 renovations |
| Tenants: | Navy Midshipmen (NCAA) 1959–present Crystal Palace Baltimore (USL-2) 2007 Chesapeake Bayhawks (MLL) 2009–2020 Military Bowl 2013–present Annapolis Blues FC (NPSL) 2023–present |
| Seating Capacity: | 34,000 |
| Record Attendance: | 38,803 (vs. Air Force, October 21, 2023) |
Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an open-air stadium located off the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. Opened in 1959, it serves as the home stadium of the Navy Midshipmen college football and lacrosse teams, and was the home of the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse. The stadium is also the host of the Military Bowl.[2]
The stadium's opener was a 29–2 win over William & Mary on September 26, 1959,[3] and its current seating capacity is 34,000.[4] The attendance record is 38,803, set in 2023 during Navy's 17–6 loss against Air Force on Prior to 1959, Navy played its home games at Thompson Stadium, which seated only 12,000. Its site on campus is now occupied by Lejeune Hall, the venue for USNA water sports.
The stadium hosted soccer games as part of the 1984 Summer Olympics.[5] In April 2018, D.C. United of Major League Soccer played a regular season game versus the Columbus Crew.[6] Annapolis Blues FC of the National Premier Soccer League started playing home games at the venue in 2023, including setting a league regular season attendance record in their first game.[7] [8]
The stadium serves as a memorial to the Navy and Marine Corps; it is dedicated to those who have served (and will serve) as upholders of the traditions and renown of the Navy and Marine Corps of the United States. The thousands of memorial bench-back and wall plaques are a constant reminder, as well as the list of numerous battles involving the Naval and Marine Corps forces since the early 1900s.
In 2004 the stadium underwent a partial renovation – expanded west side press box- by 360 Architecture with Jay Schwarz – ABS Architects (formerly Alt Breeding Schwarz) acting as the local/Associate Architect.
From 2005 through the present, Jay Schwarz – ABS Architects as the lead Architect has continued to design and develop the expansion and ongoing renovations. These include a new processional entrance face lift through which the entire Brigade of Midshipmen marches on game days. Additionally, the Schwarz led team has lowered the playing field to increase stadium capacity, designed club seating and associated club lounges, private suites, additional stadium seating (north and south end zones), ADA enhancements, updated restrooms, concessions and stadium operation facilities, new banquet facilities, and renovated locker room facilities.
For its first 46 years, the stadium's playing field was natural grass. Prior to the 2005 football season, the grass field was replaced with FieldTurf, a next-generation infilled synthetic turf. The field runs northwest to southeast, with the pressbox along the southwest sideline, and the elevation of the field is approximately 45feet above sea level.
The field at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is named "Jack Stephens Field", for Jackson T. Stephens (Class of 1947), whose gift aided (1) the renovation of the stadium, (2) the Class of 1947 Legacy project to benefit the Academy's Museum, and (3) other Academy projects.[4]
See main article: Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Several first round matches in the association football (soccer) tournament at the 1984 Summer Olympics were played at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Time (EDT) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Attendance | |
| July 29, 1984 | 19.30 | 2–2 | Group A | 29,240 | |||
| July 30, 1984 | 19:00 | 2–1 | Group B | 15,010 | |||
| July 31, 1984 | 19:00 | 1–0 | Group A | 14,508 | |||
| August 1, 1984 | 19:00 | 1–0 | Group B | 20,000 | |||
| August 2, 1984 | 19:00 | 1–1 | Group A | 28,114 | |||
| August 3, 1984 | 19:00 | 2–4 | Group B | 24,430 |
On March 3, 2018, the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Stadium Series, an outdoor regular season hockey game on an ice surface constructed at the stadium.[9] [10] [11]
See main article: Military Bowl. Since 2013, Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium has hosted the annual Military Bowl, a post-season National Collegiate Athletic Association-sanctioned Division I college football bowl game played annually in December, except in 2020 and 2021, when the game was cancelled.[12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19]