 Jerry Richardson Stadium | |
  Jerry Richardson Stadium Location in North Carolina Show map of North Carolina Jerry Richardson Stadium Location in the United States Show map of the United States | |
| Location | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°18′38″N80°44′25″W / 35.31056°N 80.74028°W /35.31056; -80.74028 |
| Public transit | Niner Transit |
| Owner | University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
| Capacity | 15,314 |
| Record attendance | 19,233 September 6, 2025Charlotte 49ers vs.North Carolina Tar Heels[1] |
| Field size | 360 by 160 feet (110 m × 49 m) |
| Acreage | 25 acres (10 ha)[2] |
| Surface | AstroTurf's RootZone 3D3 Blend[3] |
| Scoreboard | Panasonic 70 ft × 28 ft (21.3 m × 8.5 m)[4] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | April 28, 2011 (2011-04-28)[5] |
| Built | 2011–2012 |
| Opened | August 31, 2013 (2013-08-31) |
| Construction cost | $45 million ($60.7 million in 2024 dollars[6]) |
| Architect | DLR Group Jenkins·Peer Architects |
| Structural engineer | SKA Consulting Engineers[7] |
| General contractor | Rodgers/PCL/Russell |
| Tenants | |
| Charlotte 49ers football (2013–present) Charlotte 49ers Women’s Lacrosse (2025–present) | |
| Website | |
| www | |
McColl–Richardson Field at Jerry Richardson Stadium is acollege footballstadium inUniversity City,Charlotte, North Carolina,United States and the home field of theCharlotte 49ers football team representing theUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). The team became aFootball Bowl Subdivision member in 2015 and competes in theAmerican Athletic Conference.
Proposed by the university's chancellor Phillip Dubois in 2008, the stadium's construction was approved by the school'sBoard of Trustees, theUniversity of North Carolina Board of Governors, and GovernorBev Perdue before officially beginning construction in April 2011. BusinessmenHugh McColl andJerry Richardson purchased the naming rights to the facility's playing field in 2011, and construction finished in October 2012. The stadium was named for Richardson in 2013 after an additional $10 million donation. The stadium hosted its first major event on August 31, 2013, when the 49ers defeated theCampbell Fighting Camels.
Designed by Jenkins·Peer Architects and theDLR Group, the horseshoe-shaped stadium has a capacity of 15,314 people. Much of the current home side seating area is available with the purchase of apersonal seat license. The venue includes various amenities, such as the Judy W. Rose football center, which includes athletic and academic facilities. Located on the UNC Charlotte campus, parking is expected to be limited on game days, although public transportation routes to reach the stadium are available.
In February 2008, a university-appointed committee presented a report to UNC CharlotteChancellor Phil Dubois recommending the addition of a football program at the school, which would cost approximately $11.5 million per year and would be funded primarily through an annually increasing student athletic fee.[8] In June 2008, Dubois presented a report to the school'sBoard of Trustees addressing the potential impact of the addition of a football stadium on the university. In the report, Dubois suggested two possible locations for a new stadium: a renovatedIrwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field or a new facility at the site of recreational fields on the northwestern part of the campus. Dubois preferred the latter for cost reasons.[9] In November 2008, the board unanimously approved Dubois' proposal to add a football program.[10]
On December 11, 2009, the Board of Trustees approved a financing plan for football, which called for the university to borrow $40.5 million in state-issued bonds to construct a permanent football stadium andfield house, citing a favorable bidding environment and greater interest in ticket sales as their reasons for building a new facility rather than expandingAmerican Legion Memorial Stadium.[11] On February 12, 2010, theUniversity of North CarolinaBoard of Governors approved a student fee increase to fund the construction of the facility.[12] Students pay an annual fee of $120 to fund the stadium's construction debt. A separate fee, which will begin at $50 and increase annually until it reaches $200, will pay for regular operating costs.[13] On August 2, 2010, North Carolina GovernorBev Perdue signed the debt service fee bill into law to clear the way for stadium construction.[14] The final design of the new stadium was displayed at the Board of Trustees meeting on September 24, 2010.[13]
Rodgers PCL Russell, a joint venture of Rodgers Builders,PCL Construction, and H. J. Russell & Company, was the primary builder for the stadium and football center.[15] On April 28, 2011, UNC Charlotte held agroundbreaking ceremony for the new football stadium.[15][16] Construction finished in the fall of 2012, and ownership was turned over to university control on October 31, 2012. That month, the university announced its intent to make the stadium azero waste facility.[17]
On November 1, 2011, the stadium's playing field was named McColl–Richardson Field afterHugh McColl, formerchief executive officer ofBank of America, andJerry Richardson, then-owner of theNational Football League'sCarolina Panthers, purchased the naming rights for an undisclosed amount.[18] Although athletic directorJudy Rose stated that the school was asking for $5 million over 13 years for the naming rights to the stadium,[19] the school announced on June 11, 2013, that Richardson had donated an additional $10 million to the school's football program, and the facility would be named Jerry Richardson Stadium.[20] The donation attracted some controversy, due to the fact that Richardson had recently lobbied the City of Charlotte for $87.5 million in public funds to renovateBank of America Stadium.[21][22]
Four days after the venue passedinspection, the team hosted an informalscrimmage in front of approximately 1,500 spectators on November 3, 2012.[23][24] Two weeks later, 2,500 attendees watched the team's final scrimmage before its first season in 2013.[25] The inaugural Green and WhiteSpring Game was held on April 20, 2013; the announced attendance at the game was 13,950.[26] The stadium hosted its first major event when the2013 Charlotte 49ers football team defeated theCampbell Fighting Camels 52–7 on August 31, 2013. The announced official attendance for the game was 16,630, setting an initial standing-room record for the venue.[27][28] The first intercollegiate points scored at the facility came when linebacker Mark Hogan (who had previously been one of the first members of theGeorgia State Panthers football program) returned aninterception for atouchdown on the secondplay from scrimmage.[29] The team's third home game, a 13–40 loss to theNorth Carolina Central Eagles, also had an announced attendance of 16,630.[30]
Due to ongoing renovations atThomas Robinson Stadium inNassau, Bahamas, the ninth edition of theBahamas Bowl was played at Jerry Richardson Stadium on December 18, 2023.[31] Famous Toastery, a Charlotte-based restaurant chain, was the title sponsor of the relocated bowl.[32]
Lighting for night games was installed starting on March 17, 2015.[33] Eight light poles were erected by Qualite Sports Lighting for $1.5 million.[34] On August 28, 2015, the promenade containing the university box, media box, broadcast booths and coaches' boxes was named for alumni Hunter and Stephanie Edwards.[35]
During the summer of 2021, the field turf got its first full replacement. The previously installed Hellas Matrix Synthetic turf[36] was removed and replaced withAstroTurf's RootZone 3D3 Blend and the Brock YSR Shock Pad.[3] This coincided with the rebranding of stadium images with the new logo, first introduced in 2020.
During the summer of 2023 the video score board, video ribbons, and sound systems were all upgraded. The new score board video screen covers the entirety of the available surface area at 70' by 28' for a display surface area of 1960 square feet. The new video display surface is 165% larger than the original.[4][37] New endzone video ribbons were upgraded toLED and 110' in length, while the new sound system is designed to improve clarity and definition.[38] Additional amplifiers were installed during the summer of 2024 to maximize the abilities of the sound system.[39]
Designed by Jenkins·Peer Architects and theDLR Group, the 25-acre (10 ha) facility is covered with UNC Charlotte's unique brick style, called "Morrocroft Special", fromHanson Brick.[40] To better align with the rest of theCharlotte Research Institute Campus, which was laid out to matchTryon Street, the stadium is slightly off of the traditional north–south alignment of most American football stadiums.[40] The 46,150-square-foot (4,287 m2) Judy W. Rose Football Center, named for the school's long-time athletic director, is located on the southeastern end of the facility. The center includes various academic and athletic amenities.[41][42] The facility also includes 145,000 square feet (13,500 m2) of practice fields with aBermuda sod grass turf, which are connected by a 70-foot (21 m) pedestrian bridge.[2]
The stadium is an undergrade level horseshoe-shaped structure around a 97,712-square-foot (9,077.7 m2) playing surface,[2] which is covered withartificial turf. The facility initially did not includefloodlights, necessitating earlierkickoff times to avoid playing games at night until the 2015 season.[43] The stands currently seat 15,314 withbleacher seats taking up 13,586.[2] A 6,636-square-foot (616.5 m2)press box, named for donors Steve and Vicki Luquire,[44] sits above the home side stands.[45] A 70-by-30-foot (21.3 m × 9.1 m) scoreboard, which includes a 70-by-28-foot (21.3 m × 8.5 m) video screen, is located behind the southend zone.[46] Two separate field-level video boards are 37.8 by 3.1 feet (11.52 m × 0.94 m) tall.[47] Two identical statues by sculptor Jon Hair, titled "Go Long", are located in front of the Judy Rose Football Center in the south endzone and at the main entrance of the stadium along the north endzone. Both statues were made possible by Charlotte businessman and philanthropist Irwin "Ike" Belk, who has funded similar statues at the 49ers other sports venues, in addition to other works of art on campuses across the region. Brass plaques are mounted to the statues' brick pedestals with the names of the original FSL owners and others who contributed to the funding for construction of the facility.[48]
Home side seating is available with the purchase of apersonal seat license fee for premium seating at games, which financed part of the stadium's construction.[49] Fans can purchase up to four of approximately 5,500 licenses for seats between the 30-yard line and eachend zone with a minimum $250 annual donation to the athletic department or between the 30-yard lines on either side ofmidfield for $1,500 each year, plus the cost of season tickets. Approximately 200 premium "White Gold Tier" seats, intended primarily for purchase by corporations, are also available for an undisclosed amount.[49][50]
Jerry Richardson Stadium is located near the campus entrance atHighway 29 (Tryon Street) north ofHayes Stadium inCharlotte.[13] The school has announced various measures to control traffic on game days, including the closure of all entrances to the campus 5 hours prior tokickoff. Parking in designated lots around the campus on game days will be restricted to vehicles with an appropriate permit.[51] TheLynx Blue Line provides light rail service to the stadium viaJW Clay Blvd/UNC Charlotte station.[52]
UNC Charlotte’s bus system,Niner Transit, has scheduled stops along the Silver route. Roughly 2 hours before kickoff on days of a game, regular operations are reduced and the two football shuttles begin operations.
| Route | Station | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver | CRI Deck | ↔ | PORTAL |
| Football North† | Light Rail West | ↔ | Football Stadium/Gate 1 |
| Football South† | Student Union West | ↔ | Football Stadium/Gate 1 |
† Only operates on football gamedays.
The stadium was designed to accommodate future expansions without major demolition. This became more likely on May 4, 2012, when the school accepted an invitation to rejoinConference USA, aFootball Bowl Subdivision conference. Possible changes to the stadium's structure from the expansion would include the addition of up to 24luxury boxes, addition of a tallerpress box, and raising the stadium's capacity in several increments from 15,000 to 40,000 as demand warrants.[19]
On May 23, 2022, the Charlotte 49ers announced their "Evergreen" Athletics Facilities Master Vision plan.[53] The primary focus of Phase I and II of the plan would see the stadium expand to over 30,000 seats in capacity and include a new Press tower with additional luxury seating options.[54] On September 22, 2023, the university secured $50 million for the stadium expansion project through the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund, which provided $25 million to match a gift of the same size offered by Charlotte real estate mogul and philanthropistSmoky Bissell.[55][56] McMillan Pazdan Smith Architecture and SLAM were awarded the initial stadium expansion and renovation design contract.
On April 18, 2024, approval was granted for a stadium expansion project worth $60 million. The main focus of this project will be the construction of a new press and suite tower along the west side of the stadium.[57] The new building will include premium seating options such as luxury suites, club seats, and loge boxes. The facility will also provide a dedicated team dining facility with additional meeting space available year round. The press tower will also provide access to a new upper deck area that will increase stadium capacity to 18,170 attendees. Construction is slated to begin in August 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2027.[58][59]
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 19,233 | September 6, 2025 | Charlotte 3,North Carolina 20 |
| 2 | 19,151 | September 8, 2018 | Charlotte 9,Appalachian State 45 |
| 3 | 18,651 | September 16, 2017 | Charlotte 31,North Carolina A&T 35 |
| 4 | 17,444 | September 26, 2015 | Charlotte 7,Florida Atlantic 17 |
| 5 | 17,102 | October 5, 2024 | Charlotte 55, East Carolina 24 |
| 6 | 16,715 | September 14, 2024 | Charlotte 27, Gardner–Webb 26 |
| 7 | 16,631 | September 12, 2015 | Charlotte 34, Presbyterian 10 |
| 8 | 16,630 | August 31, 2013 | Charlotte 52, Campbell 7 |
| 9 | 16,630 | September 14, 2013 | Charlotte 13,North Carolina Central 40 |
| 10 | 16,630 | October 12, 2013 | Charlotte 22,UNC Pembroke 45 |
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