Franklin Field: A Collegiate Colossus of American Sport
Delving into the rich history and multifaceted legacy of the University of Pennsylvania's iconic stadium, a cornerstone of athletic and cultural heritage.
Explore Legacy 👇 View History 📜Dive in with Flashcard Learning!
🎮 Play the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge Game🎮
Stadium Overview
Location and Affiliation
Franklin Field is a prominent sports stadium situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, specifically at the eastern edge of the University of Pennsylvania's campus. Named in honor of Penn's esteemed founder, Benjamin Franklin, it serves as a central hub for the university's athletic and recreational activities.
A Venue of Firsts
This historic stadium holds several distinctions in American sports. It is recognized as the oldest continuously operating college football stadium in the nation. Furthermore, it was the first college stadium in the United States to feature a scoreboard and the second to incorporate an upper deck of seating. Its pioneering spirit extended to broadcasting, hosting the first radio broadcast of a football game in 1922 via WIP, and the first commercial television broadcast of a football game by Philco in 1939.
Multifaceted Utility
Beyond its historical milestones, Franklin Field is the primary venue for the renowned Penn Relays, the university's football team, track and field events, and lacrosse matches. It also caters to the broader Penn community, facilitating student recreation, intramural sports, club sports (including touch football and cricket), and, weather permitting, the university's commencement exercises.
Historical Evolution
19th Century Origins
Prior to its athletic transformation, the grounds of Franklin Field served as a potter's field until approximately 1860. The stadium itself was constructed at a cost of US$100,000 (equivalent to over $3.7 million in 2024) and officially dedicated on April 20, 1895, coinciding with the inaugural Penn Relays. This new facility augmented and eventually superseded the earlier "University Grounds" located a few blocks to the west.
Early 20th Century Development
Permanent construction of Franklin Field commenced after the turn of the century. Between 1903 and 1905, the Weightman Hall gymnasium, the stadium, and permanent grandstands were erected, designed by architect Frank Miles Day & Brother, at a cost of US$500,000 (over $17 million in 2024). The expansive site measured 714 feet long and 443 feet wide, accommodating a quarter-mile track, a football field, and a baseball diamond, complemented by indoor training facilities beneath the stands.
The 1922 Rebuilding & Expansion
The stadium's current concrete structure largely dates back to the 1920s, following the demolition of the original wooden bleachers. The lower tier was completed in 1922, expanding seating capacity to 50,000. By 1925, a second tier was added, making it the second and largest two-tiered stadium in the United States at the time. Designed by Day & Klauder, the stadium adopted a distinctive "U" shape of steel and concrete, uniquely built to support baseball, football, and track sports simultaneously.
21st Century Renovations
After 125 years of continuous use, the original 1895 concrete stands showed significant deterioration. An extensive $44 million renovation project commenced in 2015 to reinforce the concrete structure. This multi-phase project allowed the stadium to remain operational throughout the work, involving the removal of old coatings, replacement of failing sections, and reinforcement of rebar. The comprehensive rehabilitation was completed by September 2023 and subsequently received a historic preservation award.
Football Heritage
Penn Quakers' Home Field
The University of Pennsylvania's football team first played at Franklin Field in 1895. During the nascent years of college football, Penn was a national powerhouse, with many sources identifying them as national champions in multiple seasons, including 1894, 1895, 1897, 1904, and 1908. Notable players like John H. Outland graced the field, and in 1907, Jim Thorpe led the Carlisle Indian School to a decisive victory over Penn.
A unique moment in its history occurred on October 26, 1918, when the Penn football team played the Navy Yard's Marines football club at an empty Franklin Field, as the stadium was closed to fans to prevent the spread of the Spanish flu.
In 1925, Red Grange of the University of Illinois set an NCAA record by rushing for 331 yards against Penn before a crowd of 67,877 spectators. More recently, in 2002, ESPN's "College GameDay" broadcast from Franklin Field, marking its first visit to a Division I-AA college. The Penn Quakers celebrated their 800th game at the stadium on October 4, 2008.
Philadelphia Eagles' Era
Franklin Field served as the home stadium for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL) from 1958 to 1970. The Eagles relocated from Connie Mack Stadium to Franklin Field to take advantage of its larger capacity, which could accommodate over 60,000 fans compared to Connie Mack's 39,000. Under a unique arrangement, the Eagles did not pay rent to the non-profit University of Pennsylvania but instead contributed $75,000 to $100,000 annually for maintenance, while the university retained all concession and parking revenue.
The stadium hosted the 1960 NFL Championship Game on December 26, where the Eagles famously defeated the favored Green Bay Packers 17–13, marking Vince Lombardi's only career playoff loss. This game, played before 67,325 fans, started at noon due to the absence of stadium lights, allowing for potential overtime.
Infamous Incidents
Franklin Field is also remembered for two notable, albeit infamous, incidents:
- The Santa Claus Incident (1968): During a dismal 1968 season finale, frustrated Eagles fans, enduring bad weather and a poor team performance, booed a 19-year-old fan dressed as Santa Claus and pelted him with snowballs during halftime. This event became a lasting, often denigrating, anecdote about Philadelphia sports fans.
- Howard Cosell's Illness (1970): During the inaugural season of "Monday Night Football" in 1970, legendary announcer Howard Cosell reportedly became ill during an Eagles-Giants game, leaving the stadium at halftime. He later attributed his dizziness to running laps with track star Tommie Smith before the game, denying claims of intoxication.
Other Collegiate & Professional Teams
Beyond the Quakers and Eagles, Franklin Field has hosted a variety of other football events:
- Army-Navy Game: The storied Army-Navy Game was played 18 times at Franklin Field between 1899 and 1935 before moving to Municipal Stadium.
- Temple University: Temple University occasionally played its home games at Franklin Field when its own stadium or Veterans Stadium was unavailable, continuing until 2002.
- ECAC DIII Football Fest: The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) held its NCAA Division III post-season bowl games at Franklin Field in 2016, with plans for future returns.
- Professional Leagues: The NFL's Frankford Yellow Jackets played a game here in 1927. In 1958, it hosted a Canadian Football League (CFL) game between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and Ottawa Rough Riders, a unique instance of two Canada-based teams playing a regular season CFL game outside Canada. The Philadelphia Bell of the World Football League (WFL) played their 1975 home games here, and the United States Football League's (USFL) Philadelphia Stars used it for playoff games in 1984.
Track & Field Excellence
The Penn Relays
Franklin Field is globally renowned as the perennial host of the annual Penn Relays Carnival, the largest and oldest track-and-field meet in the United States, a tradition spanning over a century. The first Penn Relays, held in 1895, was conceived by Frank B. Ellis to celebrate the dedication of the new stadium. It featured 64 competitors from eight colleges, six prep schools, and two high schools, with Harvard winning the mile-relay feature.
The event gained national prominence, being featured on the premiere of ABC's "Wide World of Sports" in 1961. The Penn Relays faced unprecedented cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, marking the first interruptions since its inception.
International & Collegiate Meets
Beyond the Penn Relays, Franklin Field has been a significant venue for other high-profile track and field competitions:
- USSR-United States Dual Meet (1959): Hosted the second iteration of this Cold War-era athletic showdown, featuring stars like Parry O'Brien and a young Wilma Rudolph.
- NCAA Men's Outdoor Championship (1961): The first time this championship was held on the East Coast, where the University of Southern California claimed its 21st team title and seven new records were set.
- Bicentennial Meet of Champions (1976): Held in honor of the United States Bicentennial, this event featured Montreal Olympians and top runners, with Dwight Stones setting a high-jump record.
- Liberty Bell Track and Field Classic (1980): An alternative event for 26 countries boycotting the 1980 Moscow Summer Olympics, showcasing performances that, in some cases, surpassed those achieved in Moscow.
- Grand Slam Track (2025): Franklin Field is slated to host a leg of the inaugural Grand Slam Track season in 2025.
Unique Track Configuration
The track at Franklin Field features a distinctive and rarely seen configuration: its 400-meter circumference is achieved in lane 4, rather than the conventional lane 1. This requires special adaptations, including a movable curb on the backstretch, to properly stagger runners for a common break point in lane 4. Consequently, single-lap races in the inner lanes involve portions of an extra straightaway, while multi-lap races predominantly utilize lane 4 to ensure accurate distances.
The track has utilized a Rekortan surface since 1987, a high-performance synthetic material. It underwent renovation in 2015 with the installation of a Rekortan M99 surface and was resurfaced again in the summer of 2024, maintaining its world-class standards.
Diverse Sporting Events
Baseball & High School Football
Franklin Field also has a history with other sports. Penn's varsity baseball team called the stadium home from 1895 through 1939. Additionally, it was the long-standing host for Philadelphia's city title high school football championship game, holding the event in various years from 1938 to 1972. These games often drew massive crowds, including 40,000 fans in 1941 and 54,000 in 1945. A particularly memorable 1946 game, attended by 60,000, ended in a riot as fans stormed the field.
Soccer & Rugby
The stadium has also embraced soccer, serving as the home field for the NASL Philadelphia Atoms in 1976, offering better sight lines for soccer than Veterans Stadium. The Atoms drew a season high of 25,000 for a match against the New York Cosmos, featuring Pelé. The Philadelphia Fury also hosted a playoff game here in 1979. Franklin Field was even considered as a candidate to host games for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, though FIFA's requirement for natural grass would have necessitated a surface change. In 1989, the US national soccer team defeated Dnepr of the Soviet Top League 1-0. In 2004, it hosted a rugby league match between the United States and Australia, with the US leading for much of the game before a 36-24 loss.
Lacrosse & Ultimate
Lacrosse has also found a home at Franklin Field, which hosted the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship in 1973 and 1992, and the NCAA Division I Women's Lacrosse Championship in May 2007. More recently, the stadium became the home field for the Philadelphia Spinners of the American Ultimate Disc League (AUDL) in 2012 and later for Major League Ultimate (MLU). It hosted the inaugural MLU championship game in 2013 and again in 2016, where the Philadelphia Spinners secured a victory.
Beyond Athletics
Entertainment & Arts
Franklin Field has also served as a stage for various entertainment events. Drum Corps International held its annual Drum and Bugle Corps World Championships at the stadium in both 1975 and 1976. In a significant return to large-scale concerts, Franklin Field hosted the Irish rock band U2 during the first leg of their PopMart tour on June 8, 1997, marking its first major concert since the 1970s.
Cinematic Appearances
The stadium's distinctive architecture and historical gravitas have made it a backdrop for cinema:
- "Unbreakable" (2000): M. Night Shyamalan's film prominently features Franklin Field as one of its main locations, with the protagonist, played by Bruce Willis, working as a security guard at the stadium.
- "Invincible" (2006): In this movie, Franklin Field served as a stand-in for the demolished Veterans Stadium, with its images digitally superimposed onto some of the football action sequences.
Political Significance
Franklin Field has also played a role in American political history. It was the site where President Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered his acceptance speech for the Democratic Party's nomination for a second term in the 1936 United States presidential election. An estimated crowd of 100,000 people braved intermittent rain to hear FDR's address, underscoring the stadium's capacity to host major public gatherings beyond its athletic functions.
Teacher's Corner
Edit and Print this course in the Wiki2Web Teacher Studio
Click here to open the "Franklin Field" Wiki2Web Studio curriculum kit
Use the free Wiki2web Studio to generate printable flashcards, worksheets, exams, and export your materials as a web page or an interactive game.
True or False?
Test Your Knowledge!
Gamer's Corner
Are you ready for the Wiki2Web Clarity Challenge?
Unlock the mystery image and prove your knowledge by earning trophies. This simple game is addictively fun and is a great way to learn!
Play now
References
References
Feedback & Support
To report an issue with this page, or to find out ways to support the mission, please click here.
Disclaimer
Important Notice
This page was generated by an Artificial Intelligence and is intended for informational and educational purposes only. The content is based on a snapshot of publicly available data from Wikipedia and may not be entirely accurate, complete, or up-to-date.
This is not professional advice. The information provided on this website is not a substitute for professional historical research, sports management consultation, or architectural expertise. Always refer to official university records, historical archives, and consult with qualified professionals for specific research or project needs. Never disregard professional advice because of something you have read on this website.
The creators of this page are not responsible for any errors or omissions, or for any actions taken based on the information provided herein.