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 seating capacity of 30,000 for the 2024 and 2025 seasons.[4]
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 Aerial view during an Army football game in 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 | 30,000 (2024–present) 38,000 (2023) 39,929 (c. 1997)[1] 41,684 (1969–c. 1997)[2] 29,425 (1962–1968) 16,000 (1924–1961)[3] |
| 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.[5]
Overview
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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.
In 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.
Since 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.
Michie 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.[6]
Construction on the Michie Stadium Preservation Project began on April 15, 2024. The project aimed to replace the eastern stands and all amenities, including walkways, bathrooms, and concessions. The stadium's capacity is capped at 30,000 during construction. The new eastern stands were scheduled to be ready just before the 2026 football season, and were intended to increase the stadium's capacity to 36,000.[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
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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 -
View of a temporary construction barrier in place of the removed eastern stands, 2024 -
Plaque honoring Dennis Michie
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See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "At West Point, Football Like It Oughtta Be Army Opens Its Season With Punts, Pomp and Circumstance". New York Daily News. 5 September 1997. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "Blaik Field at Michie Stadium". Army Black Knights. Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ "A Brief History of Michie Stadium at West Point" (PDF). Retrieved 11 December 2024.
- ^ a b "Construction Set for April 15 on the Michie Stadium Preservation Project; Changes to the Fan Experience Expected in 2024 and 2025". goarmywestpoint.com. April 8, 2024. Retrieved November 30, 2024.
- ^ "Our Favorite Venues – Certain ground rules prevail when it comes to picking the best places in the world to watch sports: no domes, no condemned buildings, no Hooters". Sports Illustrated. June 7, 1999. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ "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
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- Official website
- World Stadiums.com - photos - Michie Stadium
