QU Stadium is a

stadium A stadium (: stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely or partially surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit ...

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ) is a city in Adams County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Mississippi River, the population was 39,463 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 40,633 in 2010. The Quincy, Illinois, mic ...

originally known as Q Stadium. It is primarily used for

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...

, but also has a separate

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

field. The baseball side of QU Stadium holds 2,000 people and the football/lacrosse side of holds 1,600 people. The football side of the stadium (located beyond the right and right center field fence of the baseball field) only has bleachers on one side of the field. The stadium is surrounded by its original limestone wall built in 1938.

History

The stadium was built in 1938 as part of the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; from 1935 to 1939, then known as the Work Projects Administration from 1939 to 1943) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to car ...

(WPA) and originally owned by the City of Quincy. It is constructed of large limestone blocks and concrete. A "sister" facility of limestone and concrete was built near Quincy High School (which was then located at 13th & Maine). This sister facility was the practice field for Quincy High School athletic teams until a new high school was built at 30th & Maine. At that time, the building at 13th & Maine became Quincy Junior High School and the athletic fields continued to be used by QJHS athletic teams. In 1984, the city sold the stadium to Quincy College (later

Quincy University Quincy University (QU) is a Private college, private Franciscans, Franciscan college in Quincy, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1860, it has an enrollment of approximately 1,300 undergraduate and graduate students across five constituent sch ...

), a local liberal-arts 4-year Roman Catholic college affiliated with the Order of Friars Minor (Franciscans). The name of the stadium was changed to QC stadium and then to QU stadium, after Quincy College changed its name to Quincy University. In 2014 a major renovation to the facility began including new turf for the football field and for the baseball infield. In 2019 the university added Men's and Women's Lacrosse as its 18th and 19th varsity sports, both calling QU Stadium home. In 2021 it was announced that

sprint football Sprint football is a varsity sport played by United States colleges and universities, under standard American football rules. Since the 2022 season, the sport has been governed by the Collegiate Sprint Football League and the Midwest Sprint Footba ...

, a variant of American football played under standard college rules but with a player weight limit of 178 lb (80.7 kg), would be launched and played at QU Stadium. QU is one of six charter members of the Midwest Sprint Football League.

Baseball history

The stadium has been home to the Quincy Gems of the Three-I League from 1946 to 1956. From 1960 to 1961 the Quincy Giants of the

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...

(ML) played there. During the 1962 and 1963 seasons the

Quincy Jets The Quincy Jets were a former single-A minor league affiliate of the New York Mets from 1962 through 1963. The Jets played in the Midwest League at Quincy Stadium in Quincy, Illinois. The Quincy Jets ended the 1963 season with a record of 56 wi ...

of the

, a

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...

farm team, played their home games at the stadium and in 1964 another Quincy Gems team played at the stadium. From 1965 to 1973, the Quincy Cubs, a

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Division. Th ...

farm team, also of the

called Q Stadium home. The Quincy Rivermen of the Central Illinois Collegiate League (CICL) played at the stadium from 1974 to 1987. Since 1995, it has been the home of the Quincy University Hawks baseball team, while the Quincy Gems of both the CICL and Prospect League have played at the stadium since 1996. The Gems departed after the 2023 season for

Hendersonville, Tennessee Hendersonville is the most populous city in Sumner County, Tennessee, on Old Hickory Lake. As of the 2020 census the city's population was 61,753. Hendersonville is the fourth-most populous city in the Nashville metropolitan area after Nas ...

and will be replaced by a new expansion team that will start play in 2025

Football history

The stadium was originally used for football by Quincy Senior High School and

Quincy Notre Dame High School Quincy Notre Dame High School is a private, Roman Catholic co-educational high school in Quincy, Illinois, United States, founded in 1867, serving upper school students in Educational stages, grades ninth grade, 9-twelfth grade, 12. It is located ...

as their home football field until a new stadium was completed in 1980 (Flinn Stadium). Both schools, as well as Quincy College (later

), used the baseball side of the stadium for football. After both high schools quit using the stadium for football, the Quincy YMCA Tackle Football League began using the football side for the 7th & 8th grade league. The YMCA also used the field for two youth flag football leagues – a 2nd through 4th grade league, and a 5th & 6th grade league. The Quincy Family YMCA completed a field on its property, so the tackle football and flag football leagues moved to that field in 1984. In 1987, then

Quincy College Quincy College (QC) is a public community college in Quincy, Massachusetts. It is an open admission school that offers associate degrees, bachelor degrees, and certificate programs. It was founded in 1958 and enrolls approximately 3,500 studen ...

re-instated its football program after an over 30-year hiatus. The Hawks began using the football side of QC Stadium competing in NCAA Division III. The Hawks moved up to NCAA Division II during the 1990s. In 2010, the football team moved to Flinn Stadium, but moved back to QU Stadium in 2014 after a major renovation.

Gallery

Baseball 7518.jpg, QU Baseball Pitcher 2024 marching band qu.jpg, QU Marching Band

References

External links

QU Stadium Website

Quincy University Website

QU Hawks Athletics Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Qu Stadium Minor league baseball venues Quincy Hawks baseball Quincy Hawks football Buildings and structures in Quincy, Illinois Sports in Quincy, Illinois 1938 establishments in Illinois College football venues in Illinois Sports venues completed in 1938 Defunct Midwest League ballparks