Michie Stadium /ˈmaɪki/ is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. The home field for the Army Black Knights, it opened 100 years ago in 1924 and has a current seating capacity of 42,765.[2]
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 Aerial view during an Army v Air Force, November 2008 | |
  Michie Stadium Location within the State of New York  Michie Stadium Location within the United States | |
| Full name | Blaik Field at Michie Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | 700 Mills Road West Point, New York, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 41°23′15″N 73°57′51″W / 41.38750°N 73.96417°W |
| Owner | U.S. Military Academy |
| Operator | U.S. Military Academy |
| Capacity | 42,765[1] |
| Surface | FieldTurf (2008–present) AstroPlay (2001–2007) AstroTurf (1977–2000) Grass (1924–1976) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1924 |
| Opened | 1924, 100 years ago |
| Renovated | 2026: east grandstand (Michie Stadium Preservation Project) |
| Expanded | 1962: east grandstand 1969: west upper deck 2003: press box |
| Construction cost | $300,000 |
| Tenants | |
| Army Black Knights (NCAA) (1924–present) | |
| Website | |
| michiestadium.com | |
The stadium sits at the upper portion of campus, directly west of Lusk Reservoir. The field is at an elevation of 335 feet (102 m) above sea level and runs in the traditional north–south configuration, with the press box above the west sideline. Due to the view offered by its location overlooking the Hudson River and the Neo-Gothic architecture of the campus below, it was rated as Sports Illustrated's #3 sports venue of the 20th century.[3]
Overview
editDennis Michie
edit
Michie Stadium is dedicated to the memory of Dennis Michie (1870–1898), who was instrumental in starting the football program while a cadet at the Academy. A member of the Class of 1892, Michie organized, managed, and coached the first football team at West Point in 1890. Six years after graduation, he was killed in Cuba during the Spanish–American War. There have been several renovations since the stadium's first game in October 1924, when Army defeated Saint Louis, 17–0.
Blaik Field
editIn 1999, the football field at Michie Stadium was named "Blaik Field" on September 25, in honor of Earl "Red" Blaik, West Point's all-time leader in wins during a 17-year tenure from 1941 to 1958. Blaik led Army to three consecutive national titles from 1944 to 1946.
Playing surface
editSince 2008, the playing surface has been FieldTurf. This replaced AstroPlay, which had been used since 2001. The stadium's playing field was natural grass until AstroTurf was installed in 1977.[2]
Army–Navy Game
editMichie Stadium first hosted the Army–Navy Game in 1943 during World War II, after it was played at Thompson Stadium at Annapolis the year before. Neither Army nor Navy had played at an on-campus facility since very early in the rivalry, since teams' home stadiums are not nearly large enough to accommodate the crowds and media that usually attend the rivalry games. Their rivalry game is normally played at a neutral site between the campuses on the East Coast, usually in Philadelphia in early December. In 2020, the Army–Navy Game was moved from Philadelphia to Michie Stadium due to state-imposed attendance limits on outdoor events as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
Attendance Records
edit| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42,765 | Oct. 2, 1971 | Army 22, Missouri 6 |
| 2 | 42,503 | Oct. 20, 1973 | Army 3, Notre Dame 62 |
| 3 | 42,399 | Oct. 14, 1972 | Army 0, Penn State 45 |
| 4 | 42,382 | Sept. 23, 1972 | Army 7, Nebraska 77 |
| 5 | 42,249 | Nov. 4, 1972 | Army 17, Air Force 14 |
| 6 | 42,139 | Nov. 9, 1974 | Army 17, Air Force 16 |
| 7 | 42,123 | Oct. 27, 1973 | Army 10, Holy Cross 17 |
| 8 | 42,085 | Nov. 1, 1969 | Army 6, Air Force 13 |
| 9 | 41,952 | Oct. 23, 1971 | Army 14, Virginia 9 |
| 10 | 41,903 | Oct. 28, 1972 | Army 7, Miami (FL) 28 |
Gallery
edit-
Press box, 2004 -
Football team entrance on game day, 2005 -
View looking south into the Hudson Valley, 2008 -
View looking north into the Hudson Valley, 2008 -
Michie Stadium from across the reservoir, 2011 -
Ceremonies before a men's lacrosse game, 2013 -
The USMA graduation ceremony, 2021 -
Plaque honoring Dennis Michie
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Blaik Field at Michie Stadium". Retrieved December 15, 2015.
- ^ a b "Blaik Field at Michie Stadium". GoArmySports.com. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
- ^ "Century's Best - SI's Top 20 Venues of the 20th Century". Sports Illustrated. 1999-06-07. Retrieved 2024-02-14.
- ^ "Army-Navy game in December moves from Philadelphia to West Point". Philadelphia, PA: WPVI-TV. Associated Press. October 23, 2020. Retrieved October 23, 2020.
- ^ "2021 Army Football Media Guide". Retrieved December 2, 2021.
External links
edit
- Official website
- World Stadiums.com - photos - Michie Stadium
