FirstEnergy Stadium–Cub Cadet Field, formerly known as Lee R. Jackson Soccer Field, is a

soccer-specific stadium Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States and Canada to refer to a sports stadium either purpose-built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multi- ...

on the campus of the

University of Akron The University of Akron is a public research university in Akron, Ohio. It is part of the University System of Ohio. As a STEM-focused institution, it focuses on industries such as polymers, advanced materials, and engineering. It is classifie ...

Akron, Ohio Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city prop ...

, United States. It is the home field of the Akron Zips men's and

women's soccer Women's association football, more commonly known simply as women's football or women's soccer, is a team sport of association football when played by women only. It is played at the professional level in multiple countries and 176 national ...

teams. The facility is part of the Lee Jackson Field Complex, a multi-purpose facility which serves the University of Akron's various intercollegiate programs. Originally dedicated on October 22, 1936, as Lee R. Jackson Field, after the former chairman of the University of Akron Board of Directors and retired president of the

Firestone Tire and Rubber Company Firestone Tire and Rubber Company is a tire company founded by Harvey Firestone (1868–1938) in 1900 initially to supply solid rubber side-wire tires for fire apparatus, and later, pneumatic tires for wagons, buggies, and other forms of wheele ...

. Jackson was captain of the 1910 football Akron football team and a three-year letterman.

History

In 1988 a fence enclosure and fixture of lights were added to the soccer field, making it one of the first lit playing fields in the

Mid-American Conference The Mid-American Conference (MAC) is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCAA Division I, Division I collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region (North America), Great L ...

. The facility is also equipped with a

drainage Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of a surface's water and sub-surface water from an area with excess of water. The internal drainage of most agricultural soils is good enough to prevent severe waterlogging (anaerobic condition ...

system for the playing surface. In October 2000, a new scoreboard was added, and in the summer of 2005, new bleachers were added to the south end of the facility. Other improvements included a new field and

irrigation Irrigation (also referred to as watering) is the practice of applying controlled amounts of water to land to help grow crops, landscape plants, and lawns. Irrigation has been a key aspect of agriculture for over 5,000 years and has been devel ...

system, with new lights and fencing around the stadium which was completed in time for the 2010 soccer season. Fundraising took place for other features of the stadium, which include dugouts and a rest area for each team, a new grandstand, a new multipurpose press box/suite, concessions, public restrooms, and event plaza. On June 15, 2011, The University of Akron announced that the field was officially renamed FirstEnergy Stadium–Cub Cadet Field with naming rights paid by

First Energy FirstEnergy Corp is an electric utility headquartered in Akron, Ohio. It was established when Ohio Edison acquired Centerior Energy in 1997. Its subsidiaries and affiliates are involved in the distribution, transmission, and generation of electri ...

. Plans were announced to build more bleacher seats, restrooms, and a concession stand.News: FirstEnergy Stadium–Cub Cadet Field is new name for soccer venue
retrieved June 16, 2011

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:FirstEnergy Stadium-Cub Cadet Field Akron Zips Soccer venues in Ohio FirstEnergy 1936 establishments in Ohio