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Fitton Field

Fitton FieldLocation within Massachusetts
Full name	Fitton Football Stadium
Location	Worcester, MA 01610
Coordinates	42°14′29.6″N 71°48′35.9″W / 42.241556°N 71.809972°W / 42.241556; -71.809972
Owner	College of the Holy Cross
Operator	College of the Holy Cross
Capacity	23,500
Record attendance	27,000
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	September 26, 1908 (1908-09-26)
Renovated	1912; 1924; 1986; 2016
Tenants
Holy Cross Crusaders (NCAA) 1908–present

Fitton Field is a football stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts primarily used for College of the Holy Cross sporting events. The stadium opened in 1908 as the official home for the Holy Cross Crusaders football team. Before that, most games were played on the adjoining baseball field. The stadium has a capacity of 23,500.

Named after Reverend James Fitton, who donated land to the Archdiocese of Boston to found the college, it is an irregularly shaped three-sided horseshoe on the edge of the college's campus. The northern football stands are shorter than the southern due to Interstate 290 being adjacent to the field.

History

Officially known as Fitton Football Stadium, the football facility is home to the Holy Cross Crusaders football team. The field itself was used as the football field, and termed Fitton Field, as early as 1908. A wooden structure was constructed at that time, but a more sturdy concrete structure did not appear until 1912. In 1924, the concrete was replaced with the steel structure that still stands today, increasing the stadium's capacity. It would remain identical until 1986, when the wooden seating was replaced with aluminum bleachers, further expanding its capacity to its current level. In 2016, the field was completely replaced for the first time since 1903. Among the upgrades was a new bluegrass blend sod planted as well as new irrigation systems and netting.

Fitton Field has hosted numerous speakers including commencement addresses by two sitting presidents. President Theodore Roosevelt delivered his address in 1905, while touring Massachusetts, this was his only public speech in Worcester. President Lyndon B. Johnson gave his address in 1964, replacing the initial guest, President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated just a few months prior.

Attendance

While historically having high attendance numbers, with many fans from the Worcester area and beyond filling the disproportionately large stadium; in the 1990's an over two decade slump of relatively low attendance began. However, with the resurgence of the Holy Cross Crusaders football team in recent years, attendance numbers have began to rebound. In 2022, in a game against the Fordham Rams football team, Fitton Field posted its highest attendance since the 1980's, with almost 18,000 fans as audience to a revived historical rivalry and Crusader victory.

The largest attendance at Fitton Field was 27,000 in 1938 which was the last home game for Holy Cross's All-American back, Bill Osmanski.

Facts and figures

In 1992, Fitton Field was to be the home of the New England Blitz of the Professional Spring Football League, but the PSFL folded before any games were played.

Fitton Field was used to film the movie The Game Plan in 2006.

As of 2022, Fitton Field is the fourth oldest Division I football stadium, surpassed only by Franklin Field, Harvard Stadium and Kyle Field. The field also holds the record of being the 15th largest Division I FCS stadium in terms of capacity and by far the largest in the Patriot League.

See also

• List of NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums

References

1. ^ "Fitton Field". GoHolyCross.com. College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved August 18, 2018.
2. "Newsroom | Photo Gallery: Fitton Field Gets Makeover with New Sod". Newsroom | College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
3. Porter Correspondent, Laura. "June 22, 1905: A bully day for Worcester". The Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Retrieved March 13, 2023. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help); line feed character in |last= at position 7 (help)
4. "Commencement Address at Holy Cross College. | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
5. "Road to 11-0: The Story So Far". Holy Cross Athletics. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
6. Duckett, Richard (October 19, 2006). "Fitton Field plays key role in new film". Telegram & Gazette. GateHouse Media.
7. "These are the 10 oldest stadiums in Division I college football". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.
8. "Patriot League Demographics". patriotleague.org. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
9. "The 25 biggest FCS football stadiums in the country". NCAA.com. Retrieved March 12, 2023.

External links

• "Athletic and Recreational Facilities". www.holycross.edu. College of the Holy Cross. 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
• "Holy Cross Facilities". GoHolyCross.com. College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
  • "Fitton Field". GoHolyCross.com. College of the Holy Cross. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

v t e College of the Holy Cross
Athletics	Teams Baseball Men's Basketball Women's Basketball Football Men's Ice Hockey Women's Ice Hockey Men's Lacrosse Softball Venues Fitton Field Hanover Insurance Park Hart Recreation Center Linda Johnson Smith Soccer Stadium Rivalries Boston University Boston College Fordham Leagues Patriot League Atlantic Hockey Hockey East
People	Alumni Faculty Presidents
Student life	Goodtime Marching Band WCHC

• 1908 establishments in Massachusetts
• American football venues in Massachusetts
• College football venues
• Holy Cross Crusaders football
• Sports venues completed in 1908
• Sports venues in Worcester, Massachusetts