In February 2002 Hofstra's 13,000-seat stadium, home to the Pride lacrosse and football teams, was renamed James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University. On August 29, 2002, the Stadium was officially dedicated.
"During Dr. James M. Shuart's 25 remarkable years as president of Hofstra University
we grew from a fine regional institution to an internationally recognized university. Although every aspect of this University has benefited immeasurably from Jim Shuart's leadership, we believe that his roots as a student athlete and his support of our fine athletic program makes the naming of the stadium particularly appropriate. By doing this we convey our admiration and respect for James Shuart to the thousands of individuals who use the James M. Shuart Stadium at Hofstra University each year," said Hofstra President Stuart Rabinowitz.
In 2007 the artificial turf at Shuart Stadium was replaced with FieldTurf. The FieldTurf system, which was installed by Landtek of Amityville, New York, replicates a natural grass surface, but offers the durability and cost benefits of synthetic fields. FieldTurf is a safe alternative, resulting in a documented reduction of sports injuries. The sand and rubber infill system is the biggest technical development that the sport surfacing industry has seen in the last 25 years. This patented technology sets FieldTurf apart from all other sports surfaces.
Shuart Stadium, then known as Hofstra Stadium, was also the benefit of a major renovation and expansion plan that was completed in the fall of 1996, and made James M. Shuart Stadium into one of the premier facilities in the Northeast.
The multi-million dollar project included the expansion of the seating capacity from 7,000 to 13,000; the installation of a network-quality lighting system for television broadcasts; an Athletic Department office building, which houses the football coaching staff, and includes a press level and a club suite level; two entrance plazas on the south and west sides of the Stadium; a facade around the outside of the Stadium; additional parking and landscaping; a pavilion in the southeast corner of the Stadium; concession and souvenir areas; two locker rooms; the installation of a scoreboard in the south end zone; and the reinstallation of a scoreboard in the north end zone. James M. Shuart Stadium is the largest outdoor sports and entertainment complex on Long Island.
Opened in 1963, Shuart Stadium has served as the site for NCAA Championships, Nassau County and New York State High School Championships in football and lacrosse, world championships in men's and women's lacrosse, professional soccer, commencement exercises and cultural events. In 1968 Hofstra Stadium became the third college facility in the nation to install an artificial playing surface, following the University of Houston (The Astrodome) and Indiana State University (Memorial Stadium).
Shuart Stadium has become a focal point of the Long Island sports scene in recent years, serving as the home of the NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship Quarterfinals, a first round game in the NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship, numerous conference championships, the Outback Steakhouse Long Island All-Star Football Game, the Hero's Bowl, the Long Island Lizards of Major League Lacrosse, and various Long Island high school and New York state championship games. The Stadium also served as a home for the Long Island Rough Riders of professional soccer's A-League.
The two largest crowds in Hofstra Stadium history occurred during the hosting of the NCAA Lacrosse Quarterfinals. A crowd of 12,292, an NCAA men's lacrosse championship quarterfinal record and the largest-ever lacrosse crowd on Long Island, witnessed the 1999 NCAA quarterfinals featuring Hofstra versus Johns Hopkins and Duke versus Georgetown, and 10,510 fans attended the 2001 quarterfinals that featured Hofstra against Syracuse.
Source: Hofstra University
