By 1960, the growth of the University and its burgeoning football program made the construction of a new sports facility a top priority. From the beginning, the stadium was conceived as a multi-purpose facility which could be used for other sports as well as for ceremonial occasions. A sweeping concrete structure whose bold curves and open space express and exploit the vocabulary of its material, McGuirk Stadium was the first major concrete stadium to be built in the Northeast since 1920. One unusual feature is its raised design: the lowest seats in the stands are more than twelve feet off the ground.
McGuirk Alumni Stadium has served as the home of Minuteman football since 1965. With a capacity of 17,000 fans, McGuirk Stadium has been a definite home field advantage for UMass over the years, as the Minutemen have claimed 16 Yankee Conference or Atlantic 10 Conference titles since its opening. The stadium hosted its first game on September 25, 1965, with UMass beating American International College, 41-0. The stadium was officially dedicated on October 16, 1965, when UMass defeated Rhode Island 30-7 in a Homecoming contest. Along with the football team, the UMass women's lacrosse team plays its home games in the facility. The Minutewomen won their first ever game to be played in McGuirk on March 10, 2007 when they defeated Albany 15-7. The stadium is also the site of UMass' graduation ceremonies, and hosted the 1987 NCAA women's soccer championship.
