Archbold Stadium
- David Hegler
- May 15
- 3 min read
At the turn of the century, Syracuse University was practically without an identity. That all changed when Archbold Stadium opened in 1907. While critics were initially sceptical, the bowl shaped stadium eventually won over the hearts of all. It became one of the best home-field advantages in all of college football, at one point boasting an impressive 61-10-6 record over a 13 year span. Along the way, it hosted some of the sport's greatest stars, including the legendary running back Jim Brown. This is the story of Archbold Stadium.
The Conception
John D. Archbold had been extremely generous with Syracuse University ever since the vice president and one of the original nine trustees of Standard Oil joined the Syracuse Board of Trustees in 1886 and only increased his spending on his bubbling little institution when he became its president in 1892. By the time of his death in 1916, John Archbold had donated over $4 million to the school. With the generous sum of $600,000 in hand, Syracuse went to work on building a state-of-the-art stadium that would replace Harvard Stadium as America's largest concrete stadium.
Under the guidance of Frederick Revels and Earl Hallenback, ground broke on May 1, 1905 in a natural hollow in the south-west corner of campus. Much of the 200,000 cubic yards of dirt that was excavated from the site was used as fill for Carnegie Library. As crews worked around the clock, they could see the picturesque views of downtown Syracuse, Onondaga Lake and the greater Onondaga Valley.
The new stadium quickly took shape. Designed to resemble the Roman Coliseum, it featured an entrance with a 40 foot arch sandwiched between two tall pillars. Archbold Stadium was designed in such a way that fans could approach in horse-drawn carriages right up to the promenade. Once fans entered the stadium for the first time on September 25, 1907, they gawked at the 670 foot long sideline seats and the 475 foot long end zone area., providing ample room for 30,000 fans that had yet to be seen.
The Glory Years
At first the critics were right. After Syracuse demolished Hobart 28-0 in the first game, the university failed to attract large crowds to its new stadium for years. Still, the Orangemen trudged on. In 1911, Syracuse beat Pop Warner's and Jim Thorpe's Carlisle Indian School 12-11 at Archbold Stadium. Additionally, Babe Ruth played several exhibition games there as well.
It wasn't until Ben Schwartzwalder took over the football program in 1949 that Archbold Stadium began to see an increase in attendance. The wins came quickly and by 1955, he began a streak of 14 straight winning seasons. Along the way, the introduced America to the greatness of Jim Brown. It was at Archbold Stadium where Brown famously scored 43 points in a 61-7 thumping of Colgate in 1956.
Brown was far from the only future Hall of Famer to call Archbold Stadium "home". In the years to come, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little, John Mackey, Art Monk and Jim Ringo all graced Archbold Stadium's field.
By 1959, Schwatzwalder had build a powerhouse. With future Heisman Trophy winner Earnie Davis running behind one of the best offensive lines in America and a defense that shut out three of its five home opponents, Syracuse won their only national championship.
After that magical season, Syracuse continued to thrive on the gridiron and even beat Roger Staubach's Navy in 1962. Staubach was harassed all day as the Orangemen won handily 34-6. It was another shining moment in a glorious era. From 1958 through 1968, the Orangemen won 47 and lost six games at their home. But like all things that appear able to last forever, Archbold Stadium's days were numbered.
The End of an Era
Syracuse tried to stay with the times, it really did. In the 1950's, the middle of its greatest stretch, the school expanded its stadium to stretch capacity to 40,000. Unfortunately, due to stricter fire codes, it was forced to reduce capacity to 26,000, a smaller version of the original concept.
Under the threat of relegation to I-AA, Syracuse decided the time was right to bid adieu to its beloved stadium that had given the university its identity. Syracuse played its last game ever at old Archbold Stadium on November 11, 1978. Running back Joe Morris led the 20-17 upset over 18th ranked Navy by rushing for 203 yards. It was just one yard shy of Larry Csonka's school record.
Today, the Carrier Dome stands where Archbold Stadium once stood, forever a symbol of what its predecessor brought to Syracuse.
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