SHI Stadium – stadium description

Rutgers University is often referred to as the home of collegiate football. First game between two universities in this location took place back in 1869! Well, not exactly in this place, but some 1.4km (almost a mile) south-east, on the other side of Raritan River.  Current place for football was opened in 1938 as the first Rutgers Stadium.

Current venue is actually the second Rutgers Stadium already, built in 1994. It was shaped as a very compact horseshoe with one large tier of bleachers (app. 30,000 capacity) and two upper decks along the sides (10,000). Initial capacity was 41,500 and proved too low for high-profile games.

Expansion came as late as 2009, when new south stand was complete, fully enclosing the field. This added further 11,500 viewers, though would have been more if not for the financial crisis of 2008. Also, as phase one of these works, almost 1,000 business seats were installed between existing two tiers of the east stand.

Ever since the stadium opened its name was Rutgers Stadium. This remains the most commonly used name to date, though in 2011 the first naming rights deal was signed with High Point Solutions.