 | |
 Night view of the stadium in 2009 | |
 Interactive map of Hodges Stadium | |
| Location | 1S U N F DriveJacksonville, Florida 32224  |
|---|---|
| Owner | University of North Florida |
| Operator | UNF Athletics |
| Capacity | 12,000 |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Current use | Soccer Track and field Rugby |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 2004; 21 years ago (2004) |
| Renovated | 2006; 2008 |
| Tenants | |
| |
| Website | |
| unfospreys.com/hodges-stadium | |
Hodges Stadium is astadium at theUniversity of North Florida (UNF), and the home field for theNorth Florida Ospreyssoccer,track and field, andcross country teams. It is located on the university's campus inJacksonville, Florida, U.S. It is named for George and Kernan Hodges, who donated $2 million to upgrade the facility in 2006.[2]
In addition to its use by UNF the stadium has become a center forrugby league football, serving as home field for theJacksonville Axemen of theUSA Rugby League (USARL), and hosting several international matches andtraining camps.[3]Sporting Club Jacksonville, aUSL Super League (USLS) expansion team, begins play at the stadium in the2025–26 season.[4]
The University of North Florida's field was first opened in 2004 in order to serve theNorth Florida Ospreys men's and women'ssoccer,cross country running, andtrack and field teams.[5] In 2006 Jacksonville philanthropists George and Kernan Hodges issued a $2 million donation to UNF to improve the facility. The donation funded the construction of seats for 10,000, an eight-lane400-meter track, apress box, lighting, and classrooms and offices. The nameless field was renamed Hodges Stadium after them.[2] Other additions included the Browning Athletic Training and Education Center and a strength and conditioning center.[6]
In 2008 the stadium underwent another renovation to install a new state-of-the artrunning track. The university spent another $3 million to complete the 9-laneOlympic-quality track. It was designed by the Italian company Mondo and was the third facility in the world to feature the company's Mondotrack SX rubber surface.[6] It was built to meetNational Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) andInternational Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards, and is one of only seven facilities in the U.S. to be certified by the IAAF.[5][6]
The 12,000-capacity stadium opened in 2004 with a capacity of 9,400 and underwent renovations in 2006 and 2008 that installed additional seating, apress box, and a 9-laneOlympic qualityrunning track. The facility additionally includes classrooms, offices, and the Browning Athletic Training and Education Center. Following the completion of the current track, it became one of seven facilities in the U.S. certified by theInternational Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), allowing it to host all NCAA and IAAF events within its grounds.
The stadium has held several internationalrugby league football matches and has hostedtraining camps for international teams. Academy Award-winning actorRussell Crowe visited UNF to organize for a club rugby league match to be played at Hodges Stadium. Crowe'sSouth Sydney Rabbitohs played against theLeeds Rhinos on January 26, 2008, with 12,500 people in attendance.[7] In 2009, the Leeds Rhinos returned to UNF to play theSalford City Reds in an exhibition game.[8]
| USA Tomahawks Record at the Hodges Stadium | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
| Americas Rugby League Championship | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Colonial Cup | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100% |
| RLWC Qualifying | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 66.67% |
| Total | 9 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 77.78% |
Updated 24 April 2021
30°16′30.97″N81°30′42.12″W / 30.2752694°N 81.5117000°W /30.2752694; -81.5117000
