Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium sits just off the campus of the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where it has served as the home field of Navy Midshipmen football since opening in 1959. The stadium replaced the much smaller Thompson Stadium, which held only about 12,000 fans, and was built as a living memorial to Navy and Marine Corps service members rather than just a sports venue.
Beyond football, the stadium has hosted an unusually varied slate of events for a mid-sized college venue, including Olympic soccer matches, a Major League Lacrosse franchise, and even an outdoor NHL game played on a rink built over the gridiron. That mix of military tradition and big-event moments gives it a identity distinct from most college football stadiums its size.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Navy Midshipmen football
- Location: Annapolis, Maryland
- Opened: September 26, 1959
- Capacity: About 34,000
- Surface: FieldTurf (since 2005); natural grass before that
- Notable fact: Hosted soccer matches for the 1984 Summer Olympics and a 2018 NHL Stadium Series outdoor game
A Memorial Built for the Game
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium opened for the 1959 season with a capacity of roughly 30,000, which has since grown to around 34,000 following renovations. Rather than naming the venue after a donor or location, the Naval Academy dedicated it as a memorial to Navy and Marine Corps personnel, with thousands of commemorative bench and wall plaques built into the structure honoring their service.
A major 2004-2005 renovation lowered the playing field and replaced natural grass with synthetic turf, improvements that also boosted seating capacity and modernized the sound and lighting systems for Midshipmen football Saturdays.
More Than a Football Field
The stadium’s résumé extends well past college football. It hosted several first-round soccer matches during the 1984 Summer Olympics, featuring national teams like France, Yugoslavia, Chile, and Canada. It later served as home turf for the Chesapeake Bayhawks of Major League Lacrosse from 2009 to 2020.
In one of its most unusual moments, the stadium was transformed into an outdoor hockey rink for the 2018 NHL Stadium Series, where the Washington Capitals beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 in front of a sellout crowd. Today it also hosts the annual Military Bowl each December.
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Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium FAQs
What is Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium’s seating capacity?
The stadium holds about 34,000 fans, up from its original capacity of roughly 30,000 when it opened in 1959.
What NHL game was played at the stadium?
On March 3, 2018, the Washington Capitals defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 at the stadium as part of the NHL Stadium Series, the league’s annual outdoor game.
Did the stadium host any Olympic events?
Yes, it hosted several first-round soccer matches during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which used venues across the country.
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Photo: Damon J. Moritz / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.