.jpg) Aerial view of the stadium in 2023 | |
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| Address | 81 Central Avenue |
|---|---|
| Location | New Haven, Connecticut |
| Coordinates | 41°18′47″N72°57′36″W / 41.313°N 72.960°W /41.313; -72.960 |
| Public transit |   255 |
| Owner | Yale University |
| Operator | Yale University |
| Capacity | 61,446 (2006–present) Former capacity: List
|
| Surface | Field Turf (2019–present) Natural grass (1914–2018) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | August 1913 |
| Opened | November 21, 1914; 110 years ago (1914-11-21) |
| Construction cost | US$750,000 ($23.5 million in 2024[1]) |
| Architect | Charles A. Ferry (Class of 1871) |
| Tenants | |
| Yale Bulldogs (NCAA) (1914–present) New York Giants (NFL) (1973–1974) Connecticut Bicentennials (NASL) (1976–1977) | |
| Website | |
| yalebulldogs.com/yale-bowl | |
Yale Bowl | |
   | |
| Coordinates | 41°18′47″N72°57′38″W / 41.31306°N 72.96056°W /41.31306; -72.96056 |
| Built | 1914 |
| Architect | Charles A. Ferry; Sperry Engineering Co. |
| NRHP reference No. | 87000756 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | February 27, 1987[2] |
| Designated NHL | February 27, 1987[3] |
TheYale Bowl Stadium is acollege footballstadium in the northeast United States, located inNew Haven, Connecticut, on the border ofWest Haven, about 1½ miles (2½ km) west of the main campus ofYale University. The home of theYale Bulldogs of theIvy League, it opened 111 years ago in 1914 with 70,896seats; renovations have reduced its current capacity to 61,446, still making it the second largestFCS stadium, behindTennessee State'sNissan Stadium.
The Yale Bowl inspired the design and naming of theRose Bowl, from which is derived the name of college football's post-season games (bowl games) and theNFL'sSuper Bowl.
In1973 and1974, the stadium hosted theNew York Giants of theNational Football League, asYankee Stadium was renovated into a baseball-only venue. The Giants sharedShea Stadium in1975 with theJets and baseballMets, then moved into newGiants Stadium in1976.
Ground was broken on the stadium in August 1913. Fill excavated from the field area was used to build up a berm around the perimeter to create an elliptical bowl. The facade was designed to partially echo the campus'sNeo-Gothic design, and, as with some central campus buildings, acid was applied to imitate the effects of aging.
It was the first bowl-shaped stadium in the country, and inspired the design of such stadiums as the Rose Bowl, theLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum, andMichigan Stadium. It was declared aNational Historic Landmark in 1987 for its role infootball history.[3][4]
The Yale Bowl's designer, Charles A. Ferry, for unknown reasons chose not to include locker rooms(or restrooms).[5] Players dress in the Smilow Field Center and walk 200 yards (185 m) to the field. When the NFL's Giants played at the stadium (1973, 1974), the pro players disliked the arrangement, but Yale players reportedly enjoy the walk. Fans cheer for the team as it marches to the stadium while theYale Band plays, a tradition known as the "Bulldog Walk."[6]
The Bowl's first game, on November 21,1914, drew more than 68,000 spectators,[7] who watched the Bulldogs lose 36–0 torivalHarvard.[5][8]
In 1958, a new scoreboard was installed; its distinctive clock was arranged vertically instead of horizontally.
During the 1970s, the Bowl hosted several concerts. In 1971,Yes performed on July 24 and theGrateful Dead on July 31, a recording of which was released asRoad Trips Volume 1 Number 3. But neighborhood opposition to the concerts brought them to an end after a June 14, 1980, show featuring theEagles,Heart, andThe Little River Band. A picture from the show was published with the vinyl edition of theEagles double live album, issued later that year, though no recordings from the event are included on the discs. APaul McCartney concert was scheduled for June 1990, but cancelled amid neighbors' opposition; the show was moved toChicago.
The stadium has hosted manysoccer matches over the years; it served as home field for theConnecticut Bicentennials of theNorth American Soccer League during the 1976 and 1977 seasons. Yale Bowl was mulled as a possible playing site when the United States hosted theWorld Cup in1994, but lost out toFoxboro Stadium inMassachusetts andGiants Stadium inNew Jersey.[9]
In 1991, the Bowl's vicinity saw the addition of theCullman-Heyman Tennis Center, home to the annualATP/WTA event (the Pilot Pen tournament), across Yale Avenue from the stadium.
On October 5, 2001, the closing ceremony of the Yale Tercentennial was held at the Yale Bowl. Guests includedTom Wolfe '57,William F. Buckley '50,Sesame Street'sBig Bird,Paul Simon '96 Hon, andGarry Trudeau '70.
By the 21st century, many of the outside retaining walls and portal entries were deteriorating. In the spring and summer of 2006, the bowl received a partial renovation, including a new scoreboard. The work was completed just in time for the first home game of the Yale football team's season on September 16.
The annual game betweenYale and its rivalHarvard, known locally asThe Game, is held at the Yale Bowl every other year. In 2023, its attendance was over 51,000.[10]
TheNew York Giants of theNational Football League (NFL) won just one of the dozen home games they played in New Haven in the 1973 and 1974 seasons. (With the exception of the games played with replacement teams during the1987 NFL strike and theCOVID-19-disrupted2020 season, the attendance at the final game at the Yale Bowl is the smallest at a Giants' home game since 1955.) The team also played preseason games in the stadium, including the first-ever game against futurerival and stadium share partner, the defendingSuper Bowl championNew York Jets, a Sunday afternoon sellout in mid-August1969.[11][12][13]
| Date | Home | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 7,1973 | New York Giants | Green Bay Packers | 14–16 | 70,050 |
| October 14, 1973 | New York Giants | Washington Redskins | 3–21 | 70,168 |
| November 11, 1973 | New York Giants | Dallas Cowboys | 10–23 | 70,128 |
| November 18, 1973 | New York Giants | St. Louis Cardinals | 24–13 | 65,795 |
| December 16, 1973 | New York Giants | Minnesota Vikings | 7–31 | 70,041 |
| September 15,1974 | New York Giants | Washington Redskins | 10–13 | 49,849 |
| September 22, 1974 | New York Giants | New England Patriots | 20–28 | 44,082 |
| October 6, 1974 | New York Giants | Atlanta Falcons | 7–14 | 42,379 |
| October 27, 1974 | New York Giants | Dallas Cowboys | 7–21 | 57,381 |
| November 10, 1974 | New York Giants | New York Jets | 20–26OT | 64,327 |
| November 24, 1974 | New York Giants | St. Louis Cardinals | 21–23 | 40,615 |
| December 8, 1974 | New York Giants | Philadelphia Eagles | 7–20 | 21,170 |
| Date | Teams | Attendance |
|---|---|---|
| May 31, 1976 | Brazil  4–1 Italy | 36,096 |
| May 31, 1992 | Italy 0–0 Portugal | 38,833 |
| June 6, 1993 | United States  0–2 Brazil | 44,579 |
| May 28, 1994 | United States 1–1 Greece | 21,317 |
| June 10, 1994 | Italy 1–0 Costa Rica | 23,547 |
| March 29, 1998 | Colombia  1–1 Paraguay | 25,236 |
TheConnecticut Bicentennials of the NASL played two seasons at the Yale Bowl, mostly in front of dismal crowds. Even their highest-ever home attendance, against theNew York Cosmos in 1977, drew only 17,302 fans, leaving the stadium more than three-quarters empty. However, the Bi's could only draw atotal of 57,438—less than the Bowl's capacity for a single game—in their other 21 home gamescombined, an average of only 2,735 per contest. After the 1977 season, the club relocated to become theOakland Stompers.
| Date | Home | Opponent | Score | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Rochester Lancers | 2–1 | 1,853 |
| June 12, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Miami Toros | 1–1(S/O) | 3,105 |
| June 20, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Chicago Sting | 2–1 | 3,289 |
| June 24, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | San Diego Jaws | 1–1 (S/O) | 1,642 |
| June 30, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | San Antonio Thunder | 1–1 (S/O) | 1,426 |
| July 7, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Washington Diplomats | 2–1 (S/O) | 2,100 |
| July 24, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials |  Toronto Metros-Croatia | 4–4 (S/O) | 4,122 |
| July 30, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 0–7 | 3,800 |
| Aug. 14, 1976 | Connecticut Bicentennials | St. Louis Stars | 2–1 | 3,376 |
| May 8, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | New York Cosmos | 2–3 | 17,302 |
| May 15, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Tampa Bay Rowdies | 1–4 | 1,520 |
| May 29, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | San Jose Earthquakes | 3–2 | 2,257 |
| June 12, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | 0–2 | 6,213 |
| June 15, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Team Hawaii | 1–2 | 1,295 |
| June 19, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | St. Louis Stars | 0–3 | 1,222 |
| June 26, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Rochester Lancers | 2–1 | 2,832 |
| June 29, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Los Angeles Aztecs | 2–3 | 2,915 |
| July 13, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Las Vegas Quicksilvers | 4–3 | 3,472 |
| July 17, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Toronto Metros-Croatia | 0–4 | 4,515 |
| July 27, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Seattle Sounders | 1–4 | 2,169 |
| August 3, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Washington Diplomats | 4–1 | 1,100 |
| August 7, 1977 | Connecticut Bicentennials | Chicago Sting | 1–1 (S/O) | 3,215 |
| Preceded by | Home of the New York Giants 1973–1974 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
