Franklin Field sits at 33rd and Spruce Streets on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus in Philadelphia, and it holds a claim no other college football venue can match: it’s the oldest stadium of its kind still in continuous use. The horseshoe-shaped stadium opened on April 20, 1895, originally built to host the first Penn Relays, the track and field carnival that still fills the stands every spring.
Beyond its age, Franklin Field has a surprisingly deep résumé in American sports and broadcast history. It hosted the Philadelphia Eagles from 1958 to 1970, including the 1960 NFL Championship Game, and it was where college football’s first radio broadcast aired in 1922, followed nearly two decades later by the first commercially televised college football game in 1940. A $44 million restoration completed in 2023 preserved the original 1895 concrete stands while keeping the stadium in active use for Penn Quakers football, track and field, and lacrosse.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Penn Quakers (current); Philadelphia Eagles (1958–1970)
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Opened: April 20, 1895
- Capacity: About 52,958
- Owner: University of Pennsylvania
- Notable Fact: Oldest operating college football stadium in the U.S.
A Stadium Built for the Penn Relays
Franklin Field was constructed for the inaugural Penn Relays in 1895, and that event remains one of its signature annual traditions more than a century later. Its capacity has shifted dramatically over the decades, from roughly 30,000 seats in its earliest years up to a peak of 78,000 between 1925 and 1958, before later renovations brought it down to today’s smaller, more modern footprint of just under 53,000.
From Eagles Football to Broadcast History
The Philadelphia Eagles called Franklin Field home for over a decade, capping that run by hosting the 1960 NFL Championship Game, a 17–13 win over the Green Bay Packers. The stadium’s broadcast legacy runs deep: on November 22, 1922, it hosted the first-ever radio broadcast of a football game (a Penn-Cornell matchup carried by Philadelphia station WIP), and on October 5, 1940, it was the site of the first regularly scheduled, commercially televised college football game, a 51-0 Penn win over Maryland broadcast by Philco’s experimental station W3XE.
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Franklin Field FAQs
Is Franklin Field still in use today?
Yes. After a $44 million restoration completed in 2023, Franklin Field remains the active home of Penn Quakers football, track and field, and lacrosse.
Why is Franklin Field historically significant?
It’s the oldest college football stadium still operating in the United States. It also hosted the first-ever radio broadcast of a football game in 1922 and the first commercially televised college football game in 1940.
Did an NFL team ever play at Franklin Field?
The Philadelphia Eagles played home games at Franklin Field from 1958 to 1970, including the 1960 NFL Championship Game.
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Photo: NASA World Wind / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.