Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium

Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium stands in Hadley, Massachusetts. It opened on September 25, 1965, when the University of Massachusetts began playing football at the collegiate level.

The ground has lived through two transitions since then. In 1984 it was renamed to honour Warren P. McGuirk, the university’s athletic director. A more physical transformation came in 2014, when a $34.5 million renovation replaced the old press box with the Martin Jacobson Press & Skybox Complex and rebuilt the seating to meet NCAA FBS standards. The playing surface changed that same year, switching from natural grass to artificial turf, and was updated again in 2022. Permanent lights were added in 2008, and an HD LED video board arrived in 2019.

The stadium has hosted the Minutemen football team since 1965, with a brief period when the team played at Gillette Stadium before returning in 2014. It also serves as the home ground for the UMass Minutewomen lacrosse team since 2007.

Attendance has always been modest by professional standards but steady for a college venue. The all-time record of 20,000 was set on November 25, 1972, during a game against Boston College. The stadium’s capacity is listed at 17,000, though it can be expanded to 21,430 for larger events. Nothing in the available records suggests it has hosted major non-college football matches or concerts.