Morrone Stadium
A view of the outside of Morrone Stadium. Also visible in the corner is the visitor's bullpen at J.O. Christian Field
|
|
| Full name | Joseph J. Morrone Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location |
Storrs, Connecticut  United States
|
| Coordinates | 41°48′4″N 72°15′18″W / 41.80111°N 72.25500°WCoordinates: 41°48′4″N 72°15′18″W / 41.80111°N 72.25500°W |
| Owner | University of Connecticut |
| Operator | University of Connecticut department of athletics |
| Capacity | 5,100 |
| Record attendance | 5,495 on December 8, 2007 vs. Virginia Tech (post-2002 contraction), 9,200 on October 24, 1982 vs. Alabama A&M (all-time), 6,090 on September 26, 1999 vs. Syracuse (women's all-time), 2,308 vs. Notre Dame on October 13, 2006 (women's post-contraction) |
| Field size | 75 x 120 yards |
| Surface | natural grass |
| Scoreboard | one electronic scoreboard |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1969 |
| Opened | 1969 |
| Renovated | 1994, 2002, 2008, 2009 |
| Tenants | |
| Connecticut Huskies men's soccer, Connecticut Huskies women's soccer, Connecticut Huskies women's lacrosse (former, part-time) | |
Morrone Stadium, officially known as Joseph J. Morrone Stadium is the on-campus soccer stadium at University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.
The 4,500-seat stadium was built in 1969. and has undergone many renovations. since The stadium hosts the school's men's and women's soccer programs.
Morrone Stadium was built in 1969, and was at the time known as Connecticut Soccer Stadium. Before that, UConn soccer was largely unknown and unpopular. However, at the urging of newly hired soccer and lacrosse coach Joe Morrone (whose name the stadium now bears), a new stadium was built for the team. The stadium has had a capacity as high as 8,574 but it was restructured in 1994 and again in 2002 to seat 5,564. In 2008, it was again restructured to seat 4,407. In 2009, Morrone Stadium was expanded slightly to 4,500. As of the 2015 season the current capacity is 5,100. In 1997, the Board of Trustees voted to change the name of the stadium to honor Morrone, who had just retired after coaching soccer for 28 years at UConn. The stadium was officially renamed in 1999 to Joseph J. Morrone Stadium. In 2008, the Division of Athletics proposed to build a new basketball practice facility on the site of Morrone, but that was later changed and it will now be built where the vacant Memorial Stadium now is.
Morrone Stadium was the original home of the women's lacrosse team as well, when it was founded in 1997. However, the team began to play some, and eventually all, of its games at the Sherman Family-Sports Complex. The last lacrosse game at Morrone was in 2009 against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, which was the first time the team played there in three years.
The listed capacity of Morrone Stadium is 5,100. There is one electronic scoreboard behind the south goal, which is capability of displaying the time, score and shots for both teams, as well as limited messages. The natural grass surface measures 120 x 75 yards. Long metal bleachers line both sides of the field, and there is also a small set of bleachers behind the south goal. There is also unofficially standing room behind the north goal, although this is typically only used by students in the "Goal Patrol", UConn soccer's student fan club, the Goal Patrol. The Goal Patrol is known for being one of the nation's loudest and most passionate student sections, and, as of 2007, was also the largest with 540 members. Thanks in large part to these loyal fans, Soccer America Magazine voted Morrone Stadium the fifth-best atmosphere among all college soccer stadiums in the country in 2011. Large crowds continue to attend UConn men's and women's games there, making it one of the toughest places for visiting teams to play.
...
Wikipedia