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 Stand of the complex during a match in 2014 | |
 Interactive map of Ridley Athletic Complex | |
| Address | 2221 W Cold Spring Ln Baltimore, MD United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 39°20′13″N76°39′09″W / 39.33694°N 76.65250°W /39.33694; -76.65250 |
| Owner | Loyola University |
| Operator | Loyola University Athletics |
| Type | Stadium |
| Capacity | 6,000[1] |
| Surface | Sportexe Momentumartificial turf |
| Current use | |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 2006 |
| Opened | March 13, 2010; 15 years ago (March 13, 2010) |
| Construction cost | $62 millionUSD |
| Tenants | |
| |
| Website | |
| loyolagreyhounds.com/ridley-complex | |
Ridley Athletic Complex is astadium owned and operated byLoyola University Maryland. It is located 1.5 mi (2.4 km) west of the main campus inBaltimore,Maryland, on a 71 acres (28.7 ha) parcel of land at the southwest corner of the intersection of theJones Falls Expressway andColdspring Lane in theWoodberryneighborhood.[2] At a total cost of US$62 million, it was the largest capital project in Loyola's history.[3]
Named afterRev. Harold Ridley, S.J. at the request of an anonymous donor whose $5 million contribution was the most from an individual to the university,[4][5] the complex consists of a 6,000-seat stadium forLoyola Greyhoundsmen's and women'ssoccer andlacrosse, an additional field for its men'srugby union club and eight courts for men's and women'stennis.
The idea for the athletic complex originated in a 1995 conversation between Ridley, Loyola's president at the time, andathletic director Joe Boylan. Land for thesmart-growth project was purchased in 1998, with 21 acres (8.5 ha) previously owned byLifeBridge Health and the other 50 acres (20.2 ha) by the city.[6]
The project was stalled for years as the university faced opposition from Woodberry residents, mainly over environmental concerns since the parcel was once alandfill. Eventually the land underwentenvironmental remediation with the installation ofgeomembranes to preventgroundwater contamination and a collection system that capturedgases from leaking into the atmosphere. Additionally 29 acres (12 ha) of the site were placed in forestconservation easements.[7]Construction of the complex finally began in the spring of 2006.[5]
The opening event at the Ridley was a friendly match on March 10, 2010, between theLoyola Greyhounds men's soccer team andCrystal Palace Baltimore in afundraiser to benefitCatholic Relief Services'Haitian earthquake recovery efforts.[8] The Greyhounds won 4–3.[9] Its first intercollegiate contest there, a 3–1 loss toWilliam & Mary, was played six months later on September 7.[10] Palace hosted a regular-season game that summer on August 18, a 2–0 defeat to theRochester Rhinos.[11]
The officialdedication ceremony for the whole complex was performed prior to theLoyola men's lacrosse home opener againstDuke University on March 13, 2010.MayorStephanie Rawlings-Blake,ArchbishopEdwin O'Brien and Loyola PresidentRev. Brian F. Linnane, S.J. led the celebration.[12] The Greyhounds lost to the Blue Devils 8–5 in front of a sellout crowd.[13] Women's sports premiered on March 16 with Loyola defeatingRutgers 18–6 in lacrosse.[14] The first contest at the facility for the Greyhounds' women's soccer squad resulted in a 3–2 victory overTowson on August 21.[15]
The Ridley was the site of the 2010Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Men's and Women's Soccer Championships.[6] Between the host school's two teams, only the men qualified.[16][17] They lost toSaint Peter's College 2–1 in two overtime periods in the semifinals on November 12.[18] Two days later, the Peacocks defeatedIona College 2–1 for the championship.[19]Siena College won the women's title one week earlier on November 7 with a 1–0 overtime victory overCanisius College.[20]
The Greyhounds men's lacrosse team had an 18–1 overall record en route to its first-ever national championship in 2012.[21] Its only defeat was a 10–9 overtime decision toJohns Hopkins at the Ridley onApril 28.[22]
TheBaltimore Bohemians played all of its home matches during the 2013 season at the Ridley.[23]
The centerpiece of the complex is J. Richard Awalt Field, named after thepresident of The Century Corporation who was a member of the Class of 1950 at Loyola College and a major factor in the facility's advancement.[24] A 6,000-seat double-deckedgrandstand running the length of the field is situated along one side. The two decks are separated by a promenade withconcession and merchandise stands,public restrooms and stairs that connect both levels. Overlooking the seating areas arepress boxes andluxury suites. Eight sets of light standards, four on each side spread evenly apart, illuminate the stadium for nighttime events.[2][25] A pair of videoscoreboards featuringlight-emitting diode technology were installed byDaktronics.[26] The playing surface is Sportexe Momentumartificial turf.[2]
The auxiliary practice field immediately to the south is named the Sean Lugano Memorial Field, in memory of the 1995 Loyola graduate and one-time captain of the university's men'srugby union team who died in theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks on theWorld Trade Center. Lugano's family and friends raised over $1 million to name the field in his honor. It is the home of the "Loyola Rugby Football Club". The playing surface is the same as the one at Awalt Field.[5] A seasonal Air Dome covering the field to provide indoor practice space during the winter was dedicated on January 17, 2018.[27]
The McClure Tennis Center, which consists of eight lighted courts, opened on April 11, 2015. Financed by a $3.2 million gift from an anonymous donor, it is named for Rick McClure, the university's men's and women's tennis coach since 1979 who had been inducted in Loyola's hall of fame in November 2003.[28][29]
