 An aerial view of Foxboro Stadium in 2002. Construction work onGillette Stadium is visible in the lower right. | |
 | |
| Former names | |
|---|---|
| Location | Foxborough, Massachusetts |
| Coordinates | 42°5′34″N71°16′3″W / 42.09278°N 71.26750°W /42.09278; -71.26750 |
| Owner |
|
| Capacity | 60,292 |
| Surface | |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 23, 1970 |
| Opened | August 15, 1971[1][2] |
| Closed | January 19, 2002 |
| Demolished | Late January–June 2002 |
| Construction cost | $7.1 million ($55.1 million in 2024 dollars)[3] |
| Architect |
|
| General contractor | J. F. White Contracting Co.[4] |
| Tenants | |
| |
Foxboro Stadium, originallySchaefer Stadium and laterSullivan Stadium, was an outdoor stadium in theNew England region of the United States, located inFoxborough, Massachusetts. It opened in1971 and served as the home of theNew England Patriots of theNational Football League (NFL) for 31 seasons (through January2002) and also as the first home venue for theNew England Revolution ofMajor League Soccer (MLS) from 1996 to 2002. The stadium was the site of several games in both the1994 FIFA World Cup and the1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, and hosted a wide variety of other events, particularly concerts. Foxboro Stadium was demolished in 2002 and replaced byGillette Stadium and thePatriot Place shopping center.
The stadium opened in August1971 asSchaeferStadium,[2] primarily as the home venue for the renamedNew England Patriots of theNational Football League.[1] The team was known as theBoston Patriots for its first eleven seasons1960–70,[5] and had played in various stadiums in theBoston area. For six seasons,1963–68, the Patriots played inFenway Park, home of baseball'sBoston Red Sox.[6] Like most baseball stadiums, Fenway was poorly suited as a football venue. Itsseating capacity was inadequate—only about 40,000 for football—and many seats had obstructed views. With the completion of theAFL–NFL merger in1970, the league required its teams to play in stadiums which seated more than 50,000, and no venue in Boston proper could accommodate a crowd this size with the NFL's then-new requirements. Indeed, before the Patriots arrived, numerous previous attempts at pro football in Boston had been stymied by the lack of a pro-caliber stadium. (TheRedskins left for Washington, D.C. after the1936 season, in which they hosted theNFL Championship Game, not in Boston but at thePolo Grounds inNew York City.)
The then-Boston Patriots played the1969 season atAlumni Stadium atBoston College inChestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and the1970 season, their first in the NFL, atHarvard Stadium in Boston's Allston neighborhood.[6]
The site was selected when the owners ofBay State Raceway donated the land, midway between Boston andProvidence, Rhode Island. The general contractor who built the stadium was a Massachusetts-based company namedJ. F. White Contracting Co.[citation needed]
Ground was broken in September 1970,[7] and it cost $7.1 million,[7] only $200,000 over budget.[8] Even allowing for this modest cost overrun, it was still a bargain price for amajor sports stadium even by 1970s standards. This was because the Patriots received no funding from the governments of either the Commonwealth ofMassachusetts or the town of Foxborough; indeed, it was one of the few major league stadiums of that era that was entirely privately funded.[7]
| Years | Capacity |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 61,114[9] |
| 1972 | 60,999[10] |
| 1973–1977 | 61,279[11] |
| 1978–1983 | 61,297[12] |
| 1984–1987 | 60,890[13] |
| 1988–1994 | 60,794[14] |
| 1995–2002 | 60,292[15] |
Like the majority of outdoor sports venues built in North America in the 1970s, Foxboro Stadium was designed for the use of anartificial turf playing surface. The original field wasPoly-Turf,[16] succeeded byAstroTurf.[citation needed] A natural grass field was installed before the start of the1991 season.[citation needed]
The original name in 1971 was Schaefer Stadium for thebrewery of that name in an early example of the sale ofnaming rights to a company that did not own the stadium. When this agreement expired after the 1982 season,Anheuser-Busch took over the rights. Instead of putting the name of one of its brands of beer on the stadium, Anheuser-Busch agreed to name it in honor of theSullivan family, then the majority owners of the Patriots. The name Sullivan Stadium took effect on May 23, 1983.[17] After Sullivan went bankrupt andRobert Kraft purchased the stadium, Kraft stripped Sullivan's name and renamed the venue "Foxboro Stadium".[18] Although the official spelling of the town's name is "Foxborough", the shorter spelling was used for the stadium.[19]
During the ownership ofVictor Kiam,ESPN anchorChris Berman humorously referred to the facility as "Shaver Stadium", a pun on Kiam's fame from Remington razor commercials and the stadium's original name.
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The venue hosted numerous significantsoccer matches, including six games in the1994 FIFA World Cup.[8] Foxboro Stadium was the last stadium whereDiego Maradona scored a World Cup goal in a game against Greece, and where he last played in an officialFIFA World Cup match against Nigeria on June 25, 1994.
The stadium hosted five games in the1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 1996 and 1999MLS Cups, and the inauguralWomen's United Soccer Association Founders Cup.
The stadium's final soccer match was the qualifying match between the United States and Jamaica, which the United States won 2-1.
| Date | Time (EDT) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 June 1994 | 12:30 |  Argentina | 4–0 |  Greece | Group D | 54,456 |
| 23 June 1994 | 19:30 |  South Korea | 0–0 |  Bolivia | Group C | 54,453 |
| 25 June 1994 | 16:00 | Argentina | 2–1 |  Nigeria | Group D | |
| 30 June 1994 | 19:30 | Greece | 0–2 | 53,001 | ||
| 5 July 1994 | 13:00 | Nigeria | 1–2 (a.e.t.) |  Italy | Round of 16 | 54,367 |
| 9 July 1994 | 12:00 | Italy | 2–1 |  Spain | Quarter-finals | 53,400 |
| Date | Time (EDT) | Team #1 | Res. | Team #2 | Round | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 June 1999 | 16:00 |  Norway | 2–1 |  Russia | Group C | 14,873 |
| 20 June 1999 | 19:30 |  Australia | 1–1 |  Ghana | Group D | 14,873 |
| 27 June 1999 | 16:30 |  Mexico | 0–2 | Italy | Group B | 50,484 |
| 27 June 1999 | 19:00 |  United States | 3–0 |  North Korea | Group A | 50,484 |
| 4 July 1999 | 19:30 | Norway | 0–5 |  China | Semi-finals | 28,986 |
| Event | Date | Champions | Res. | Runners-Up | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MLS Cup '96 | 20 October 1996 | D.C. United | 3–2 (a.e.t.) | Los Angeles Galaxy | 34,643 |
| MLS Cup '99 | 21 November 1999 | 2–0 | 44,910 |
| Event | Date | Time (EDT) | Champions | Res. | Runners-Up | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 WUSA Founders Cup | 25 August 2001 | 14:00 | Bay Area CyberRays | 3–3 (a.e.t.)(4–2p) | Atlanta Beat | 21,078 |
During the final week of the 1971 season, Holy Cross moved its home game against rival Boston College to the newly-constructed Schaefer Stadium, due to a heavy snowstorm that renderedFitton Field inWorcester unplayable.[20]
In the opening week of the 1975 season, Boston College hosted Notre Dame at Schaefer Stadium in their first ever meeting.[21] From 1983 through 1987, BC used Schaefer/Sullivan Stadium as an alternate home venue to host crowds larger than could be accommodated on campus atAlumni Stadium.
| Date | Visiting Team | Result | Home Team | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 27, 1971 | Boston College(rivalry) | 21-7 | Holy Cross | 22,205 | [22][23][24] |
| September 15, 1975 | #9Notre Dame(Holy War) | 17-3 | Boston College | 61,501 | [21][25][26] |
| October 29, 1983 | Penn State | 17-27 | #19Boston College | 56,605 | [27][28] |
| November 19, 1983 | Holy Cross(rivalry) | 7-47 | #18 Boston College | 38,512 | [29][28] |
| November 26, 1983 | #13Alabama | 13-20 | #15 Boston College | 58,047 | [30][31][28] |
| September 22, 1984 | North Carolina | 20-52 | #10Boston College | 44,672 | [32][33] |
| November 17, 1984 | Syracuse (rivalry) | 16-24 | #13 Boston College | 60,890 | [34][33] |
| September 14, 1985 | #17Maryland | 31-13 | Boston College | 30,210 | [35][36] |
| September 28, 1985 | Miami (FL) | 45-10 | Boston College | 31,864 | [37][36] |
| September 20, 1986 | #5Penn State | 26-14 | Boston College | 42,329 | [38][39] |
| September 26, 1987 | #15Penn State | 27-17 | Boston College | 50,267 | [40][41] |
| Rankings fromAP Poll released prior to the game | |||||
The stadium hosted numerous other outdoor events, primarily concerts, along with music festivals, including TheMonsters of Rock Festival Tour and TheVans Warped Tour, as well as theWWFKing of the Ring tournament on July 8,1985 and July 14,1986.U2 played onThe Joshua Tree Tour on September 22, 1987, and later performed three nights of theirZoo TV Tour on August 20, 22, and 23, 1992.Schaefer Stadium hostedElton John on July 4, 1976, as well asBoz Scaggs,The Eagles, andFleetwood Mac on July 25, 1976.
Sullivan Stadium hostedThe Who's 25th anniversary tour on July 12 and 14, 1989.
Paul McCartney brought theFlowers In the Dirt Tour to the stadium on July 24 and 26, 1990.
New Kids on The Block broughtThe Magic Summer Tour to the stadium on July 29 and July 31, 1990. An audience of 53,000 people attended one of two concert dates.
Genesis brought theWe Can't Dance Tour to the stadium on May 28, 1992.
Metallica andGuns N' Roses brought theGuns N' Roses/Metallica Stadium Tour to the stadium on September 11, 1992, withFaith No More as their opening act.
Elton John performed at the venue in front of 62,000 onUS Bicentennial on July 4, 1976. John again appeared in a Face to Face concert withBilly Joel on July 18, 1994.
Madonna performed her "Who's That Girl" tour there on July 9, 1987, to a sell-out crowd.Bob Dylan and theGrateful Dead recorded a portion of their collaborative live album, entitledDylan & the Dead, there on July 4, 1987.Pink Floyd played a two-night stand in May 1988 (on one of the nights their inflatable pig was torn to shreds). They also played a three-night sold-out stand in May 1994 on theirThe Division Bell Tour which was recorded and readily available on bootleg. (The second night was filmed by MTV for promotional purposes.) TheDave Matthews Band played seven shows at the stadium from 1998 to 2001.
The Rolling Stones played three nights on September 27 and 29 and October 1, 1989, then two more nights on September 4 and 5, 1994 and lastly October 20 and 21, 1997.
Additionally, in 1994, theDrum Corps International World Championships were held in the stadium.
By the late 1990s, Foxboro Stadium had become functionally obsolete by modern NFL standards. Despite excellent sight lines to view game action or concerts and having fewer of the issues that multi-sportmulti-purpose stadiums in other cities had, the stadium was otherwise outmoded. The facility was built in a low-cost "bare bones" manner with unexceptional architectural elements, and had very few modern amenities. The stadium's plumbing was not designed with NFL-sized crowds in mind, which became evident when a sewage issue overflowed the restroom facilities during its first game.[42] Stadium officials were forced to augment the permanent toilets with rentedportable toilets for the rest of the stadium's existence. It also lackedluxury boxes, an increasingly important source of revenue for other teams in the league. Only a small fraction of the seats had permanent chairbacks (painted blue, red and white near the 50-yard line). Most patrons had to sit on backless aluminum benches (or like still done in the lowerLambeau Field bowl today, rent or bring in their own stadium cushions and portable chairbacks) that often froze late in the season. During heavy rains, the numerous unpaved spots in the parking lot turned to mud. It frequently took an hour or more to leave after games, due to its location on a then-undivided four-lane portion ofU.S. Route 1.[8] In order to host theFIFA World Cup (and later, theNew England Revolution), several rows of seats were removed to accommodate asoccer pitch with acceptable dimensions toFIFA.[43]
With a capacity of just over 60,000 (only 10,000 above the NFL's minimum seating capacity), it was one of the smallest stadiums in the NFL. It was also almost completely exposed to the elements, meaning that there was almost no protection for the fans in storms (outside of beneath the stands) or in extreme cold. Additionally, the Sullivan family had lost millions promoting theJackson Victory Tour in 1984. Due to their relatively modest wealth compared to other NFL owners, they pledged the stadium as collateral for the tour. Knowing that the revenue from the Patriots would not be nearly enough to service the debt, the Sullivans quietly put the team and the stadium on the market.[44]
The Sullivans' financial picture was so dire that even when the Patriots madeSuper Bowl XX, the team failed to bring in nearly enough money to service the debt from the Victory Tour. With most of their money tied up in the team, they sold controlling interest in the Patriots toVictor Kiam in 1989. The stadium, however, lapsed into bankruptcy and was bought by Boston paper magnateRobert Kraft in 1988.[citation needed]
When Kiam and Sullivan tried to sell the team to interests inJacksonville, Kraft effectively stymied the deal by refusing to let the team out of their lease, which contained an ironclad commitment to play in the stadium until 2001. As a result, when Kiam himself was crippled by financial troubles, he sold the Patriots toJames Orthwein in 1992. After only two years, Orthweintried to move the Patriots to his hometown ofSt. Louis. However, as in 1992, Kraft refused to let the Patriots out of their lease. Orthwein then put the team on the market, but the wording of the operating covenant required any potential buyer to negotiate lease terms with Kraft. With this in mind, Kraft swooped in and bought the team himself.[45] Two years later, Kraft bought the parcel of land containing neighboringBay State Raceway, allowing him to build a new and privately-financed stadium on the raceway property after proposals to build a new stadium inHartford, Connecticut andSouth Boston failed.[citation needed]
After 31 NFL seasons, Foxboro Stadium was scheduled to be demolished on December 23, 2001, the day after the Patriots' final home game. However, the stadium would instead play host to the first season of theTom Brady and Bill Belichick era, with the team making a run to get into the playoffs and going on to wintheir first Super Bowl. As a result, the stadium was not demolished until late January 2002, after the conclusion of the2001 postseason. The last game played in the stadium, the "Tuck Rule Game", was played in asnow storm; it resulted in a Patriots win against theOakland Raiders, which famously featured an overturned fumble call based on the then-applicabletuck rule in the final minutes. The stadium's former site became parking lots for its successor,Gillette Stadium, before being developed into the open-air shopping centerPatriot Place.[citation needed]
| Preceded by | Home of the New England Patriots 1971–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by first stadium | Home of the New England Revolution 1996–2001 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by First Rose Bowl | Host of theMLS Cup 1996 1999 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host of the Drum Corps International World Championship 1994 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Host ofAFC Championship Game 1997 | Succeeded by |
Former stadiums of the National Football League | |
|---|---|
| Early era: 1920–1940 |
|
| Post-war and pre-merger era: 1941–1969 |
|
| Current era: 1970–present |
|
| Stadiums used by NFL teams temporarily |
|
†= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time | |
