| Johnny Unitas Stadium | |
|---|---|
| |
| Location | 7500 Osler Drive Towson, Maryland 21252 |
| Broke ground | 1976 |
| Opened | September 9, 1978[1] |
| Renovated | 2002 |
| Owner | Towson University |
| Operator | Towson University |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction cost | $32 million |
| Architect | Ellerbe Becket (renovation) |
| Former names | Minnegan Field (1978–1982) Towson Stadium (1983–2001) |
| Tenants | Towson Tigers (NCAA) (1978–present) Field hockey, Towson Tigers football, men's & women's lacrosse, track & field, cross country Baltimore Bayhawks (MLL) (2004–2006) |
| Capacity | 11,198 |
Johnny Unitas Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Towson, Maryland that serves as the home field of the Towson Tigers of the NCAA FCS Colonial Athletic Association. The stadium opened in 1978 as Towson Stadium when the Towson Tigers were in their 9th year of collegiate play and their final year of Division III. The new, lighted facility had 5,000 seats. The name of the stadium was changed to Minnegan Stadium in 1983 to honor former Towson coach and athletic director Donald "Doc" Minnegan.
The sports complex began a $32 million renovation beginning in 1999. The renovations, which were completed in 2002, added 6,000 seats, artificial turf, an entry-level plaza, concession stands, new restrooms, ticket booths, a four-tier press box, a field house, and a promenade that connects the northside and southside seating areas. [2]
The stadium is named for the Baltimore Colts' Hall of Fame quarterback Johnny Unitas, who had taken a job trying to find a corporate sponsor for the stadium with Towson University weeks before his death in 2002. In fact, Unitas threw his last public pass at the re-opening of the facility (as Towson Stadium) just a few days before his death.[3] His widow, Sandy, felt it appropriate to honor him by having the stadium named for him instead, with fund-raising in his name taking the place of the money that a corporate naming would have supplied.
In 2008, the Unitas Stadium scoreboard was replaced with a 16:9 full video scoreboard. The new scoreboard stands where the previous scoreboard was placed. The old incandescent light scoreboard was recycled and a new smaller LED scoreboard was installed in the opposite endzone.
In May 2012, new "Fieldturf Revolution" was installed in the Stadium.
References[]
- ↑ archives - baltimoresun.com - Terps, Tigers at home today in grid openers. Retrieved on 7 November 2017.