Hornet Stadium sits on the campus of California State University, Sacramento, where it has served as the home field for Sacramento State Hornets football since it opened on September 20, 1969. Officially known as Fred Anderson Field at Hornet Stadium, the venue has grown from a simple grass-field college stadium into a multi-purpose facility that has hosted professional football, international track and field, and decades of campus tradition.
Beyond Saturdays in the fall, Hornet Stadium has had an unusually eventful history for a mid-major college venue. It briefly housed professional football tenants in the 1990s, upgraded its playing surface and seating over several renovations, and has twice welcomed U.S. Olympic Trials athletes to its track. With a new stadium already in the planning stages, the current Hornet Stadium remains a working piece of Sacramento sports history.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Sacramento State Hornets football (NCAA)
- Location: 6000 J Street, Sacramento, California
- Opened: September 20, 1969
- Capacity: 21,195
- Surface: SprinTurf Predator (installed August 2021; natural grass 1969-2009)
- Record Attendance: 23,073 (Nov. 19, 2022, vs. UC Davis)
The Game-Day Experience
On fall Saturdays, Hornet Stadium fills in for the Hornets’ Big Sky Conference schedule, with the rivalry Causeway Classic against UC Davis drawing the stadium’s biggest crowds, including a record 23,073 fans in 2022 when Sacramento State completed an 11-0 regular season. The stadium debuted a new SprinTurf Predator playing surface in August 2021, complete with a shock pad and cooling infill, giving the venue a modern feel inside its classic 1969 bowl structure.
The facility doubles as a track and field venue, with an Olympic-caliber track added in 2000 that has hosted elite national and international competition rather than just college meets.
A Stadium of Firsts
Hornet Stadium briefly hosted professional football in the early 1990s, first with the WLAF’s Sacramento Surge and then the CFL’s Sacramento Gold Miners. On July 17, 1993, it staged the first regular-season CFL game ever played on American soil. The venue later hosted U.S. Olympic Trials for track and field in 2000 and 2004, the 2014 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and the World Masters Athletics Championships in 2011.
In September 2024, Sacramento State announced plans for a new 25,000-seat stadium on the same site, designed by Populous, as part of the university’s push toward a higher-division athletic conference.
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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.
Hornet Stadium FAQs
Who plays home games at Hornet Stadium?
The Sacramento State Hornets football team has played its home games at Hornet Stadium since it opened in 1969.
How many people can Hornet Stadium hold?
Hornet Stadium has a listed capacity of 21,195, though its record attendance reached 23,073 for a 2022 Causeway Classic game against UC Davis.
Is Hornet Stadium being replaced?
Sacramento State announced plans in September 2024 for a new 25,000-seat stadium on the same campus site, but as of now Hornet Stadium remains the Hornets’ active home field.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.