Meade Stadium
Meade Stadium is a 6,555-seat multi-purpose stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island. It is home to the University of Rhode Island's Rams football team. The facility opened in 1928 and was originally named Meade Field, in honor of John E. "Jack" Meade, an alumnus and local politician, said to have attended every home football and basketball game until his death in 1972. The facility adopted its current name in 1978, when an aluminum and steel grandstand was added.
| Former names | Meade Field (1928–1978) |
|---|---|
| Location | Keaney Ave Kingston, RI 02881 |
| Owner | University of Rhode Island |
| Operator | University of Rhode Island |
| Capacity | 2,500 (1928–1932) 4,000 (1933–1948) 4,500 (1949–1951) 6,000 (1952–1960) 8,500 (1961–1964) 10,000 (1965–1993) 8,000 (1994–1999) 6,470 (2000–2002) 5,180 (2003–2008) 6,555 (2009–present) |
| Surface | Grass (1928–2018) FieldTurf (2019–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1928 |
| Opened | September 22, 1928 |
| Tenants | |
| Rhode Island Rams football | |
The stadium has undergone many changes in its history. The old field house was built in 1933, and in 1934, the west stands and press box were opened, with a capacity of 1,500. In 1978, the 50-row steel grandstand was erected on the east side, bringing the total capacity up to 8,000. Various other projects, including a press box expansion and modernization of the turf and scoreboard, took place soon after. In 2000, the west stands and field house were razed to make way for the Ryan Center. During the 2006 football season, a new set of west stands opened abutting the Ryan Center, whose east luxury boxes also look down on Meade Stadium. In the spring and summer of 2019, the university undertook a $4.1 million project that brought lights and field turf to Meade Stadium.