Alumni Field had been in use long before the need for a modern field house. It provided a center for outdoor sports and opportunities for recreation within reach of student dwellings. Some major gifts for construction of the field and Schoellkopf Stadium came from prominent benefactors, but most of the cost was covered by relatively small alumni contributions. Alumni Field formally opened with a track meet in May 1915.
Schoellkopf Field received a $3.6 million restoration in the spring and summer of 1986. The crescent and west stands were refurbished, painted and adorned with new aluminum seating and the new press box was also built in 1986-87. The press box is considered one of the best press boxes in Division I-AA and won an award in 1990 from the Sports Writer's Association of America.
The original stadium was completed in 1915 with funds given by Jacob F. Schoellkopf, Jr., '05, Paul A. Schoellkopf '06, Walter H. Schoellkopf '08 and William G. Schoellkopf '19. The seating capacity is 26,000. The crescent, constructed in 1924 to enlarge the stadium on the east side of the field, seats 20,950. The permanent steel stands were added in 1947 on the west side to accommodate 4,647.
In the summer of 1988, a new surface, All-Pro Turf, was installed. This surface was the third artificial covering on the field since the natural turf at Schoellkopf was removed in 1971 and replaced with Poly-Turf, which was installed as a gift of Joseph P. Routh '17 of New York City, and replaced by AstroTurf in the summer of 1979.
The installation of the artificial turf has enabled the field to be used not only for varsity and junior varsity football games and practice but also for lightweight football games, and field hockey in the fall; and men's and women's varsity and JV lacrosse in the spring.
In the summer of 1986, new light fixtures were installed to make night games possible for television production.
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Top Football Attendance Figures At Schoellkopf Field
1951* vs. Michigan (35,300)
1940* vs. Ohio State (34,000)
1948* vs. Army (34,000)
1949* vs. Princeton (34,000)
1947* vs. Navy (33,737)
1938* vs. Dartmouth (30,486)
1948* vs. Dartmouth (30,000)
1951* vs. Syracuse (25,370)
1986 vs. Pennsylvania (22,000)
1962 vs. Princeton (21,000)
1987 vs. Harvard (21,000)
1989 vs. Harvard (21,000)
1971 vs. Columbia (20,020)
1979 vs. Yale (18,500)
1988 vs. Pennsylvania (18,000)
1972 vs. Yale (17,894)
*with bleachers in the end zones and beneath the Crescent and West Stands.
Directions to Schoellkopf Field
From Binghamton, follow Route 81 North and take Exit 8 at Whitney Point. Pick up Route 79 West in Whitney Point and follow into Ithaca city limits. At stop sign, turn right onto Route 366 (Ithaca Road); bear left at "Y" intersection which is Route 366. At second stoplight (flashing red), turn left onto Hoy Road. The parking garage is on your right.
From Syracuse, follow Route 81 South and take Exit 12 at Cortland. Turn left onto Route 281 and follow until Route 13 South. Take Route 13 South and follow until Route 366 (by the New York State Electric & Gas Plant). Turn left onto Route 366. At the first stop sign go straight onto Hoy Road. The parking garage is on your right.
From Buffalo, follow Interstate 90 East until Geneva and take Exit 42. Pick up Route 96 South and follow into Ithaca. At fourth stoplight, turn right onto Route 13 South and take next left-hand turn onto Route 79 East (Green Street). Follow Route 79 East (up Green Street and State Street Hill) and veer left onto Route 366 at intersection of Routes 366 and 79. Follow Route 366 (Ithaca Road) until second stoplight (flashing red). Turn left onto Hoy Road. The parking garage is on your right.
From Elmira, follow Route 13 North into Ithaca and turn right onto Route 79 East (Green Street). Follow Route 79 East (up Green Street and State Street Hill) and veer left onto Route 366 at the intersection of Routes 366 and 79. Follow Route 366 (Ithaca Road) until second stoplight (flashing red). Turn left onto Hoy Road. The parking garage is on your right.
Source: Cornell University Sports Information Office
