Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is an open-air stadium located off the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It opened in 1959 and is the home field for the Navy Midshipmen college football and lacrosse teams. It has also hosted games for the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse and the Military Bowl.

The stadium’s first game was a win against William & Mary in 1959. Today, it can hold up to 34,000 people. Before this stadium was built, Navy’s teams played at Thompson Stadium. That old site now has Lejeune Hall, where the Naval Academy holds water sports events.

Besides football and lacrosse, the stadium has also been used for soccer games, including some matches during the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 2018, a professional soccer team from Washington, D.C., D.C. United, played there. Starting in 2023, a team called Annapolis Blues FC began playing its home games at the stadium while it was part of the National Premier Soccer League.

Memorial

The stadium honors the Navy and Marine Corps. It is dedicated to those who have served and will serve. It reminds us of the proud traditions of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. Plaques on benches and walls list important battles from the early 1900s.

Renovation

In 2004, the stadium got some updates. The west side area where reporters work was made bigger by 360 Architecture, with help from ABS Architects.

Since 2005, ABS Architects has helped make many changes. They made the entrance bigger for special events, lowered the field so more people could watch, added special seats and rooms, more seating areas, updated restrooms and food areas, added new spaces for events, and improved the locker rooms.

Playing surface

The stadium's field used natural grass for 46 years. In 2005, the grass was replaced with FieldTurf, a special artificial surface. The field runs from northwest to southeast, and the press box is on the southwest side. The field is about 45 feet above sea level.

Jack Stephens Field

The football field inside Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium is called "Jack Stephens Field." It is named after Jackson T. Stephens, who graduated in 1947. He gave money to help fix up the stadium and support other projects at the Academy, like its museum.

1984 Summer Olympics

Main article: Football at the 1984 Summer Olympics

Some early soccer games in the 1984 Summer Olympics were played at Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Date	Time (EDT)	Team #1	Result	Team #2	Round	Attendance
July 29, 1984	19.30	France	2–2	Qatar	Group A	29,240
July 30, 1984	19:00	Yugoslavia	2–1	Cameroon	Group B	15,010
July 31, 1984	19:00	Chile	1–0	Qatar	Group A	14,508
August 1, 1984	19:00	Yugoslavia	1–0	Canada	Group B	20,000
August 2, 1984	19:00	Chile	1–1	France	Group A	28,114
August 3, 1984	19:00	Iraq	2–4	Yugoslavia	Group B	24,430

Ice hockey

On March 3, 2018, the Washington Capitals played against the Toronto Maple Leafs in a special outdoor ice hockey game. This game was part of the National Hockey League’s 2018 NHL Stadium Series. They played on an ice surface built just for this event at the stadium.

Military Bowl

Main article: Military Bowl

Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium has hosted the Military Bowl since 2013. This is a special college football game for top teams, held each December. The game did not happen in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.