Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium

The Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium is the main stadium for Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, United States. Construction began in 2000 at a cost of approximately $22 million.[6] With a capacity of 12,300 people (10,300 seating and 2,000 standing),[7] it is the largest outdoor facility in Suffolk County.[8] The stadium is home to the Division I Stony Brook Seawolves and their football, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse teams.[8]

Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium
Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in 2019
Former namesSeawolves Stadium (2002)
Location100 Nicolls Road
Stony Brook, NY 11794
Coordinates40°55′08″N 73°07′27″W
OwnerStony Brook University
OperatorStony Brook University
Capacity10,300 (2002–16)
12,300 (2017–present)
SurfaceFieldTurf
Construction
Broke groundOctober 25, 1999[1]
OpenedSeptember 14, 2002
Construction cost$22 million
($35.8 million in 2022 dollars[2])
ArchitectDattner Architects
Structural engineerSeverud Associates[3]
Services engineerHenderson Engineers, Inc.[4]
General contractorThe Tyree Organization[5]
Tenants
Stony Brook Seawolves (NCAA) (2002–present)

The stadium opened on September 14, 2002. It was named in honor of New York state senator Kenneth LaValle on October 19, 2002. LaValle played a key role in the development and creation of the stadium.[8] The stadium consists of a three-tier press box on the east side, as well as six luxury suites, a press box, television and radio booths, and a camera deck on the roof.[8] Its most recent expansion came in 2017, with the addition of 2,000 seats in the north end zone and a new concessions and restrooms facility.

LaValle Stadium has hosted the 2006 and 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinals, as well as the 2011, 2012 and 2018 NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship final fours and title games.[9][10]

LaValle Stadium was listed at No. 22 on a 2012 Yahoo! Sports list of "College Football's Top 25 Toughest Places to Play".[11]

History

As Stony Brook planned its transition to Division I from Division III, a new football stadium was immediately deemed necessary to replace Seawolves Field, a 1,000-seat bleacher stadium with muddy sinkholes that had existed since 1984. The first proposal in 1994 called for a $4 million multi-use stadium for football and lacrosse. However, 500 professors petitioned Governor Mario Cuomo to stop the stadium from being built along with Stony Brook's transition to Division I, because they worried a new stadium would add more traffic to the Three Villages, attract a rowdy crowd on weekends and take money from academic programs.[12]

Construction on a new stadium began in 2000. Originally slated to cost $12 million, the final structure cost $22 million and was fully supported by Stony Brook president Shirley Strum Kenny, who said she was "serious about the athletic program, serious about Division I", and expected Stony Brook to became "important" and "a contender."[13]

Seawolves Stadium opened on September 14, 2002, as the Stony Brook Seawolves football team faced the St. John's Red Storm in Stony Brook's first game as a Division I program.[14] Stony Brook won 34–9, and the opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown by the Seawolves.[15] At the time of its opening, the 8,136-seat stadium was the largest in Suffolk County, a record that is still held today.[16]

On October 19, 2002, the date of Stony Brook's Homecoming game against Sacred Heart, the stadium was renamed the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in honor of New York state senator Kenneth P. LaValle, a key figure in the development and creation of the $22 million facility.[17] Before its opening, the Stony Brook Director of Marketing and Promotions for Athletics had opened up the possibility of renaming the stadium for a corporate partnership or a former president of Stony Brook University.[18]

The stadium's name has been the subject of numerous controversies, including in 2009 after LaValle voted against the legalization of gay marriage in New York and in 2019 when LaValle voted against a ban on gay conversion therapy.[19][20]

Expansions

In October 2012, Stony Brook University allocated $5.7 million for the addition of at least 2,000 seats to LaValle Stadium, bringing the seating capacity from 8,300 to 10,300, with a standing capacity of 2,000 bringing the stadium's total capacity to 12,300.[21]

New York governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a $22 million upgrade to the stadium in 2015, money which was originally allocated for a "computational biomedicine visualization and drug development magnet facility." The Senate had attempted to change the usage of the funds in the state budget as the intended programs no longer existed.[22]

An expansion was completed in the summer of 2017 and added 2,000 seats in the north end zone, as well as a new concessions and restrooms facility.[23] Before the 2018 season, a new turf field was installed in LaValle Stadium, also adding red end zones and a new midfield logo.[24]

Events hosted
The front entrance of LaValle Stadium

In October 2005, LaValle Stadium was chosen to be the host site for the two North Region contests in the 2006 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament, with both of the games aired on ESPN2. It was the first time that Stony Brook had hosted any NCAA postseason championship even since the program's move to Division I in 1999.[25] A sold-out crowd of 8,335 attended the events. Stony Brook was again chosen to host the North Region games in the 2011 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship tournament quarterfinals.[26]

A sold-out crowd of 10,024 watched the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinals at LaValle Stadium, where No. 8-seeded Stony Brook fell 10–9 to No. 1-seeded Virginia, falling one goal short of the Final Four.[27]

LaValle Stadium first hosted the Final Four and championship game of the NCAA women's lacrosse tournament in 2011, after three consecutive seasons of being held at Towson University's Johnny Unitas Stadium.[28] A crowd of 8,011 witnessed Northwestern beat Maryland in the title game. The event resulted in 20,000 people visiting the Stony Brook region and $100,000 in hotel revenue. Stony Brook was chosen to host the 2012 Final Four as well.[29] The Final Four returned to Stony Brook in 2018.[9]

LaValle Stadium was set to host three games of the 2020 Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) season, including a nationally televised game on NBC in June, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league held its season in a bubble in Utah instead.[30][31]

Attendance records
LaValle Stadium in 2019
LaValle Stadium during its most-attended game

The most attended game in Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium history occurred on October 5, 2019, when 12,812 showed up for a Homecoming game against James Madison in which Stony Brook lost, 45–38, in overtime.[32]

Highest attendance at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium (football)
RankAttendanceDateGame result
1 12,812Oct. 5, 2019*24 Stony Brook 38, 2 James Madison 45 (OT)
2 12,701Oct. 20, 2018*18 Stony Brook 52, Rhode Island 14
3 12,311Oct. 14, 2017*Stony Brook 38, 12 New Hampshire 24
4 12,221Oct. 15, 2016*Stony Brook 14, Rhode Island 3
5 12,177Oct. 17, 2015*Stony Brook 14, Towson 21
6 11,301Sept. 27, 2014*Stony Brook 21, William & Mary 27 (OT)
7 11,224Oct. 5, 2013*Stony Brook 21, Bryant 13
8 10,278Sept. 22, 2012*Stony Brook 32, Colgate 31
9 10,252Aug. 28, 2014Stony Brook 7, Bryant 13
10 9,652August 29, 2019Stony Brook 35, Bryant 10
11 8,286November 26, 201122 Stony Brook 31, Albany 28
12 8,278September 24, 2011*Stony Brook 37, Lafayette 20
13 8,132September 14, 2002Stony Brook 34, St. John's 9
14 8,102September 16, 2017Stony Brook 45, Sacred Heart 7
15 7,896November 19, 2011Stony Brook 41, 16 Liberty 31
16 7,859September 28, 2013Stony Brook 21, 3 Towson 35
17 7,833September 24, 201620 Stony Brook 10, Sacred Heart 38
18 7,720September 29, 201818 Stony Brook 29, 13 Villanova 27
19 7,694October 7, 201723 Stony Brook 20, Delaware 24
20 7,432October 9, 2010*Stony Brook 27, VMI 9

Asterisks indicate Homecoming games.

See also

References
  1. "September 14, 2002: New Era for Stony Brook Football" (Press release). Stony Brook University Department of Athletics. January 15, 2002. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  2. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  3. "Projects". Severud Associates. Archived from the original on January 4, 2013. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  4. "Sports/Recreation". Henderson Engineers, Inc. Retrieved January 16, 2014.
  5. "Kenneth P. Lavelle Stadium". Prestressed Concrete Institute. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
  6. "Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium at Stony Brook University". Discover Long Island. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  7. "Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium". Stony Brook University Department of Athletics. August 25, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2017.
  8. "Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  9. "NCAA announces sites for 2017 and 2018 Division I women's lacrosse championships | NCAA.com". www.ncaa.com. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  10. "LaValle Stadium chosen to host 2013 and 2014 America East Championship". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-09-06.
  11. "LaValle Stadium Makes College Football's Top 25 Toughest Places to Play |". SBU News. 2012-08-16. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  12. Wasserman, Todd (1994-05-01). "Upgrade For Sports Under Fire At SUNY". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  13. Marcus, Steven. "LOCAL COLLEGES / Sam Better Field a Winner". Newsday. Retrieved 2022-03-03.
  14. "The Waiting Is Over. The Stage Is Set. The Curtain Opens On Seawolves Stadium Saturday Night". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  15. "Stony Brook Opens Seawolves Stadium With 34-9 Thrilling Victory Over St. John's". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  16. "Fans Say Stadium Is About 'Us'". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  17. "Homecoming Showdown: Sacred Heart vs. Stony Brook". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  18. Solnik, Claude (2002-08-02). "Seawolves Stadium nearly ready at Stony Brook". Long Island Business News. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  19. Kilb, Sam (2009-12-09). "Campaign To Rename Stadium Picking Up Steam". The Statesman. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  20. Staff, T. B. R. "Stony Brook University students petition to change LaValle Stadium's name | TBR News Media". Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  21. Sampson, Christine (October 15, 2012). "Officials: $5.7M Allocated for Future LaValle Stadium Expansion". Patch. Retrieved September 12, 2018.
  22. lovett, ken. "Gov. Cuomo set to veto $22.2M pork project for Sen. Kenneth LaValle Stadium - NY Daily News". nydailynews.com. Retrieved 2018-12-06.
  23. "Together We Transform Thursday: Jan. 5, 2017". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  24. Sleter, Greg. "Stony Brook Installs New Turf Field Ahead Of Fall Season". SleterFC.com. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
  25. "Stony Brook To Host NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse North Region Quarterfinals". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  26. "Stony Brook Selected to Host 2010 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Quarterfinals". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  27. "Stony Brook Extends Contract of Head Lacrosse Coach Rick Sowell". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  28. Dunn, Katherine (August 19, 2009). "2011 WOMEN'S LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP HEADS TO STONY BROOK AFTER 3 YEARS AT TOWSON". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  29. "Four teams set for NCAA Women's Lacrosse Championship at Stony Brook". Stony Brook University Athletics. Retrieved 2021-11-29.
  30. "SBU to host three Premier Lacrosse League games". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  31. Baker, Katie (2020-07-31). "How the Premier Lacrosse League Built Its Bubble Tournament". The Ringer. Retrieved 2020-09-09.
  32. "24th-Ranked Seawolves Force Overtime, but Fall in Battle with No. 2 James Madison". Retrieved 2019-10-05.
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