Archbold Stadium
Encyclopedia
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 country.
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.
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.
In the 1950s, the building was expanded to the north and south, bringing the capacity up to 40,000. However, by the 1970s, the building's capacity was lowered to approximately 26,000 due to fire codes. This proved to be the stadium's undoing. It was closed following the 1978 season, to be razed for the building of the Carrier Dome.
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.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
. It opened in 1907 and was home to the Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
Orangemen
Syracuse Orange football
The Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
prior to the Carrier Dome
Carrier Dome
The Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...
opening in 1980. It was the third concrete football stadium built in the country.
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
Archbold Gymnasium
Archbold Gymnasium is a gymnasium located on the campus of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. It was built in 1908 with money donated by John D. Archbold, a major benefactor of the university, who also funded the building of Archbold Stadium, just to the west of the gymnasium...
, located just to the east overlooking the stadium.
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.
In the 1950s, the building was expanded to the north and south, bringing the capacity up to 40,000. However, by the 1970s, the building's capacity was lowered to approximately 26,000 due to fire codes. This proved to be the stadium's undoing. It was closed following the 1978 season, to be razed for the building of the Carrier Dome.
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.