Alumni Stadium sits on the lower campus of Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, about six miles west of downtown Boston. It has served as the home of Boston College Eagles football since opening in 1957, replacing the smaller, upper-campus Alumni Field that had hosted BC teams since 1915.
Built in roughly five months ahead of its 1957 debut at a cost of about $350,000, the stadium has been expanded twice since then, growing from an original 26,000 seats to its current capacity of 44,500. Its dedication game against the Naval Academy drew support from a young Massachusetts senator, John F. Kennedy, tying the venue to local political history as well as football tradition.
- New England Patriots played here 1969. See every Patriots stadium →
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Boston College Eagles (NCAA, ACC)
- Location: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
- Opened: September 21, 1957
- Capacity: 44,500
- Surface: AstroTurf GameDay Grass, resurfaced in 2023
- Notable fact: Hosted the AFL’s Boston Patriots for the 1969 season
From Alumni Field to a Modern Stadium
Boston College football outgrew its original on-campus home, Alumni Field, by the 1930s, pushing the Eagles to play many games at Fenway Park and Braves Field instead. When Fenway stopped hosting college football, BC announced a new on-campus stadium, and construction crews delivered Alumni Stadium in about five months, following an April 1957 groundbreaking, at a cost of roughly $350,000.
The stadium’s natural grass surface gave way to AstroTurf in 1970, then FieldTurf in 2004, before switching back to AstroTurf GameDay Grass in 2012. Boston College’s athletic department installed a fresh AstroTurf playing surface again in 2023 as part of a broader round of game-day upgrades, keeping the field in the same AstroTurf product line rather than changing brands.
Growth and a Pro Football Chapter
Two major renovations reshaped the venue: a 1971 expansion that added artificial turf and lights while pushing capacity to 32,000, and a 1988 project that added matching upper decks on each sideline along with a new press box built into the adjoining Conte Forum. A further renovation in 1995 brought the stadium to its present 44,500-seat capacity.
For one unusual season in 1969, Alumni Stadium doubled as the home field of the Boston Patriots of the AFL, a brief but notable detour from its usual role hosting Boston College football.
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Bleachers for three hours, but with back support. Folds flat and clips to the bench.
For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
Alumni Stadium FAQs
Who plays at Alumni Stadium?
Alumni Stadium is the home field of Boston College Eagles football, part of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
What is the capacity of Alumni Stadium?
The stadium currently seats 44,500, up from 26,000 when it opened in 1957 and 32,000 after a 1971 expansion.
When did Alumni Stadium open?
It opened on September 21, 1957, with a dedication game against the Naval Academy.
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Photo: Quintinsoloviev / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.