View source for Fitton Field

{{Short description|Stadium in Worcester, Massachusetts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}}
{{About|the Holy Cross football stadium|the baseball stadium|Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field}}
{{Infobox venue
| name                   = Fitton Field
| nickname               = 
| native_name            = 
| native_name_lang       = 
| fullname               = Fitton Football Stadium
| former names           = 
| logo_image             = Holy Cross Athletics logo.svg
| logo_size              = 30
| image                  = Fitton Field, Holy Cross football stadium, Worcester MA west view.jpg
| image_size             = 250
| caption                = The venue photographed in 2024
| pushpin_map            = USA Massachusetts
| pushpin_mapsize        = 
| pushpin_map_caption    = Location within Massachusetts
| pushpin_label_position = top
| pushpin_relief         = 
| address                = 1 College St.
| city                   = [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester, MA]]
| country                = [[United States]]
| coordinates            = {{Coord|42|14|29.6|N|71|48|35.9|W|display=title,inline}}
| genre                  = 
| type                   = [[Stadium]]
| currentuse              = [[American football|Football]] 
| broke_ground           = 
| built                  = 
| opened                 = {{Start date and age|1908|9|26}}<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999">{{cite web |title=Fitton Field |url=http://www.goholycross.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=33100&ATCLID=210235732 |website=GoHolyCross.com |date=July 31, 1999 |publisher=College of the Holy Cross |access-date=August 18, 2018 |language=en}}</ref>
| renovated              = 1912; 1924; 1986; 2016<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />
| expanded               = 1912, 1924, 1986
| closed                 = 
| demolished             = 
| owner                  = [[College of the Holy Cross]]
| operator               = [[Holy Cross Crusaders|Holy Cross Athletics]]
| surface                = Kentucky bluegrass (2016–present)<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />
| scoreboard             = 
| production             = 
| cost                   = 
| architect              = 
| builder                = 
| project_manager        = 
| structural engineer    = 
| services engineer      = 
| general_contractor     = 
| main_contractors       = 
| seating_type           = 
| capacity               = 23,500 (1986–present)<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />
| suites                 = 
| record_attendance      = 27,000<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />
| dimensions             = 
| field_shape            = 
| acreage                = 
| tenants                = [[Holy Cross Crusaders football|Holy Cross Crusaders]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) 1908–present<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />
| embedded               = 
| website                = {{URL|https://goholycross.com/facilities/fitton-field/2|goholycross.com/fitton-field}}
| publictransit          = 
}}

'''Fitton Field''' is a [[American football|football]] [[stadium]] in [[Worcester, Massachusetts]], primarily used for [[College of the Holy Cross]] sporting events. The stadium opened in 1908 as the official home for the [[Holy Cross Crusaders football]] team. Before that, most games were played on the adjoining baseball field. The stadium has a capacity of 23,500.<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />

Named after [[James Fitton (priest)|Reverend James Fitton]], who donated land to the [[Archdiocese of Boston]] to found the college, it is an irregularly shaped three-sided [[horseshoe]] on the edge of the college's campus.<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" /> The northern football stands are shorter than the southern due to [[Interstate 290 (Massachusetts)|Interstate 290]] being adjacent to the field.

== History ==
Officially known as Fitton Football Stadium, the football facility is home to the [[Holy Cross Crusaders]] football team. The field itself was used as the football field, and termed Fitton Field, as early as 1908. A wooden structure was constructed at that time, but a more sturdy concrete structure did not appear until 1912. In 1924, the concrete was replaced with the steel structure that still stands today, increasing the stadium's capacity. It would remain identical until 1986, when the wooden seating was replaced with aluminum [[bleachers]], further expanding its capacity to its current level. In 2016, the field was completely replaced for the first time since 1903. Among the upgrades was a new bluegrass blend sod planted as well as new irrigation systems and netting.<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Newsroom {{!}} Photo Gallery: Fitton Field Gets Makeover with New Sod |url=https://news.holycross.edu/blog/2016/10/18/photo-gallery-fitton-field-gets-makeover-with-new-sod/ |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=Newsroom {{!}} College of the Holy Cross}}</ref>

Fitton Field has hosted numerous speakers including commencement addresses by two sitting presidents. President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] delivered his address in 1905, while touring Massachusetts, this was his only public speech in Worcester.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Porter |first=Laura |title=June 22, 1905: A bully day for Worcester |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/2016/07/19/june-22-1905-bully-day-for-worcester/25563775007/ |access-date=March 13, 2023 |date=July 19, 2016 |newspaper=[[Telegram & Gazette]] | location=Worcester, Massachusetts |language=en-US}}</ref> President [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] gave his address in 1964, replacing the initial guest, President [[John F. Kennedy]], who had been assassinated just a few months prior.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Commencement Address at Holy Cross College. |url=https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/commencement-address-holy-cross-college#:~:text=Note:%20The%20President%20spoke%20at,the%20Most%20Reverend%20Bernard%20J. |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=The American Presidency Project}}</ref>

=== Attendance ===
[[File:FittonField2.jpg|thumb|left|Home stands of the stadium]]
While historically having high attendance numbers, with many fans from the Worcester area and beyond filling the disproportionately large stadium; in the 1990s an over two-decade slump of relatively low attendance began. However, with the resurgence of the [[Holy Cross Crusaders football]] team in recent years, attendance numbers have begun to rebound. In 2022, in a game against the [[Fordham Rams football]] team, Fitton Field posted its highest attendance since the 1980's, with almost 18,000 fans as audience to a revived historical rivalry and Crusader victory.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Road to 11-0: The Story So Far |url=https://goholycross.com/news/2022/11/30/football-road-to-11-0-the-story-so-far.aspx |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=Holy Cross Athletics |language=en}}</ref>

The largest attendance at Fitton Field was 27,000 in 1938 which was the last home game for Holy Cross's [[All-American]] back, [[Bill Osmanski]].<ref name="GoHolyCross.com 1999" />

=== Panorama ===
{{Panorama
| image = Fitton Field, College of the Holy Cross.jpg
| height = 220
| caption = Fitton Field looking north; note scoreboard at left; skyline of [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]] at upper right
}}
{{clear}}

== Facts and figures ==
[[File:Fitton Field scoreboard.jpg|thumb|right|Scoreboard]]
In 1992, Fitton Field was to be the home of the New England Blitz of the [[Professional Spring Football League]], but the PSFL folded before any games were played.

Fitton Field was used to film the movie ''[[The Game Plan (film)|The Game Plan]]'' in 2006.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegram.com/story/news/local/south-west/2006/10/19/fitton-field-plays-key-role/53034735007/ |title=Fitton Field plays key role in new film |first=Richard |last=Duckett |work=[[Telegram & Gazette]] | location=Worcester, Massachusetts |date=October 19, 2006 |language=en}}</ref>

As of 2022, Fitton Field is the fourth oldest Division I football stadium, surpassed only by [[Franklin Field]], [[Harvard Stadium]] and [[Kyle Field]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=These are the 10 oldest stadiums in Division I college football |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2022-07-26/these-are-10-oldest-stadiums-division-i-college-football |access-date=March 12, 2023 |website=NCAA.com |language=en}}</ref> The field also holds the record of being the 15th largest Division I FCS stadium in terms of capacity and by far the largest in the [[Patriot League]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Patriot League Demographics |url=https://patriotleague.org/sports/2016/6/13/school-bio-patr-school-bio-corp-partners-demographics-html.aspx?id=1568&= |access-date=March 13, 2023 |website=patriotleague.org |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 25 biggest FCS football stadiums in the country |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2022-07-12/25-biggest-fcs-football-stadiums-country |access-date=March 12, 2023 |website=NCAA.com |language=en}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{oweb}}

{{Holy Cross Crusaders football navbox}}
{{College of the Holy Cross}}
{{Patriot League football venue navbox}}
{{Massachusetts college football venues}}
[[Category:1908 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:College football venues in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Holy Cross Crusaders football]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1908]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Worcester, Massachusetts]]