The James M. Shuart Stadium is an 11,929-seat multi-purpose stadium and sports facility, the facility serves as the home to Hofstra's lacrosse teams on the campus of Hofstra University in

Hempstead, New York The Town of Hempstead (also known historically as South Hempstead) is the largest of the three towns in Nassau County (alongside North Hempstead and Oyster Bay) in the U.S. state of New York. It occupies the southwestern part of the county, on ...

. First opened in 1963, and remodeled in 1996 and 2013, it was known as Hofstra Stadium until August 29, 2002, when it was renamed after the former president of Hofstra University, who played lacrosse and football during his undergraduate years at the school. The stadium grounds include James C. Metzger Hall which houses the stadium's press box, luxury suites and the Fried Center for Student-Athlete Development.

Background

Shuart Stadium has held numerous sports and events over the years, including football, lacrosse, and soccer. It has welcomed many teams from different leagues throughout several decades.

Lacrosse

In 1971, the stadium hosted the inaugural

NCAA Division I Men's lacrosse championship The NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament determines the annual top men's field lacrosse team in the NCAA Division I. This tournament has determined the national champion since the inaugural 1971 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse ...

game. It has also served as the site for two quarterfinal games of the 2009,

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, and

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tournaments as well as numerous conference championship contests for Women's Lacrosse. The New York Lizards used the facility as their home field for part of the 2001 season and the full 2002 season. During their first year, they became the inaugural Major League Lacrosse champions. The team returned in 2009 and called the stadium their official home until 2020. After the 2020 season the MLL merged with the

Premier Lacrosse League Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) is an American professional field lacrosse league, composed of 8 teams. The league's inaugural season debuted on June 1, 2019, and included a 14-week tour-based schedule taking place in 12 major-market cities. The le ...

bringing an end to the New York Lizards franchise. In 2021 the stadium hosted 5

games over the 4th of July weekend. Making the stadium a tour site for future PLL events.

Soccer

The original New York Cosmos played at the stadium between 1972 and 1973. They won their first

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at the stadium in

1972 Within the context of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) it was the longest year ever, as two leap seconds were added during this 366-day year, an event which has not since been repeated. (If its start and end are defined using mean solar tim ...

. The new Cosmos began playing there in

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. Shuart Stadium also played host to the most recent United States men's match in New York state, when the U.S. hosted

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ' ...

in a friendly match on November 30, 1984. Shuart Stadium was also the venue for the

Long Island Rough Riders The Long Island Rough Riders are an American association football, soccer team based in South Huntington, New York, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team plays i ...

of professional soccer's A-League.

Football

For nearly five decades, the stadium was home to Hofstra's football team. The team played in the Colonial Athletic Association conference. They utilized the stadium from its opening until 2009 when the program was retired. On November 4, 2009, the

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of the United Football League played a home game at the stadium. Both the Long Island All-Star Football Game and the Fun City Bowl, featuring the New York City Police and Fire Department teams, have been held at the site.

Other events

The facility was used for three nights every October for the annual Newsday Marching Band Festival where selected Long Island high schools performed in an exhibition-style competition. Since 2014, the event has been held elsewhere. Various Long Island high school and New York state championship games for different sports are also held at the site.

Design

Originally built in 1962 and opened in 1963, the stadium has received a number of upgrades. In 1968 a new artificial playing surface was installed, making the stadium the third college facility in the nation to receive one. A major expansion was completed in the fall of 1996. The capacity had been raised from 7,000 to approximately 13,000, while the Howdy Myers Pavilion and new scoreboards in both end zones were constructed. In 2007, the artificial turf was replaced with FieldTurf which was again replaced in late 2012. Then in 2009 new scoreboards were installed in the north and south end zones. More recently, in 2013, the facility was renovated and reconfigured to its current capacity of 11,929. In late 2013, new lights designed by Musco Lighting replaced the original lights in the stadium that dated back to 1963.

References

External links

James M. Shuart StadiumHofstra athletics facilities page
{{United Football League (2009) Hofstra Pride football New York Cosmos New York Sentinels stadiums College lacrosse venues in the United States College soccer venues in the United States Defunct college football venues Major League Lacrosse venues Premier Lacrosse League venues National Premier Soccer League stadiums NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse Championship venues North American Soccer League stadiums North American Soccer League (1968–1984) stadiums United Football League (2009–2012) venues American football venues in New York (state) Lacrosse venues in New York (state) Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States Soccer venues in the New York metropolitan area Sports venues in Hempstead, New York Buildings and structures in Nassau County, New York Sports venues completed in 1963 1963 establishments in New York (state)