Archbold Stadium

Archbold Stadium

Location	Irving Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244
Coordinates
Owner	Syracuse University
Operator	Syracuse University
Capacity	40,001 (maximum) 26,000 (final)
Construction
Broke ground	May 1, 1905
Opened	September 25, 1907
Closed	November 11, 1978
Demolished	1979
Tenants
Syracuse Orangemen (Football & Track)

Archbold Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Syracuse, New York. It opened in 1907 and was home to the Syracuse University Orangemen football team prior to the Carrier Dome opening in 1980. It was the third concrete football stadium built in the United States.

History

The stadium was named for John D. Archbold, who donated $600,000 for the project. He was also responsible for funding towards the building of Archbold Gymnasium, located just to the east overlooking the stadium.

Description

The 800' x 475' stadium was oval-shaped, with a track (originally dirt) and a natural grass football field. The west end zone, the stadium's main entrance, was marked by a grand castle-like façade with turrets framing the gateway arch. There was originally a wooden roof over the central section of the south grandstands for the reserved seating.

Grandstand expansion

In the 1950s, the stadium was expanded to the north and south, bringing the capacity up to 40,000. However, by the 1970s, stricter fire codes forced a reduction in capacity to 26,000.

This proved to be the stadium's undoing. By the mid-1970s, Syracuse faced the prospect of being demoted to Division I-AA unless it got a more modern stadium, and quickly. It was closed following the 1978 season, to be razed for the building of the Carrier Dome, which operates Archbold's former footprint.

Final game

In the final game at Archbold Stadium, on November 11, 1978, the Orangemen defeated nationally ranked Navy, 20-17.

During its history, Syracuse compiled a 265-112-20 record at Archbold.

External links

• Archbold Stadium - Syracuse University Archives
• Reid, Robert J. (2010, June 10). "A memorable season in college football: A look back at 1959".

Events and tenants
Preceded by The Oval	Home of Syracuse Orange football 1905 – 1978	Succeeded by Carrier Dome