View source for James M. Shuart Stadium

{{Short description|New York stadium}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox venue
| name                = James M. Shuart Stadium
| nickname            =
| logo_image          = Hofstra_Pride_wordmark.svg
| logo_size           = 100
| image               =
| caption             = 
| fullname            = 
| former_names        = Hofstra Stadium (1963&ndash;2002)
| location            = [[Hempstead, New York]]
| coordinates         = {{coord|40|42|57|N|73|35|47|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| broke_ground        = 
| built               = 1962
| opened              = {{start date and age|1963}}
| renovated           = 1996, 2013
| expanded            = 
| closed              = 
| demolished          = 
| currentuse          = [[College lacrosse]]
| owner               = [[Hofstra University]]
| operator            = [[Hofstra Pride|Hofstra University Athletics]]
| surface             = [[FieldTurf]] (2007–present)<br>[[AstroTurf]] (1968–2006)<br>[[poaceae|Natural grass]] (1963–1967)
| scoreboard          = Daktronics FB-2028/MS-2012
| construction_cost   = 
| architect           = 
| project_manager     = 
| structural engineer = 
| services engineer   = 
| general_contractor  = 
| main_contractors    = 
| capacity            = 11,929
| record_attendance   = 
| dimensions          = 
| tenants             = {{collapsible list|
'''Current tenants:''' <br>[[Hofstra Pride]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) teams:<br>
[[Hofstra Pride men's lacrosse|men's]] and [[Hofstra Pride women's lacrosse|women's]] lacrosse (1963–present)<br> [[Premier Lacrosse League]] <br>(2021–present) <br>[[New York Atlas (lacrosse)|New York Atlas]] (PLL)<br> (2024–;future) <br> '''Former tenants:''' <br>Hofstra Pride [[Hofstra Pride football|football]] <br>(1963–2009) <br> [[Long Island Bulls]] ([[Atlantic Coast Football League|ACFL]])  [[American football|Football]] <br> (1969–1970) <br> [[New York Sentinels]] ([[United Football League (2009–2012)|UFL]]) [[American football|Football]]<br>(2009)<br>[[New York Lizards]] ([[Major League Lacrosse|MLL]]) [[Lacrosse]]<br>(2001–2002) (2009–2020)<br>[[New York Cosmos (1970–85)|New York Cosmos]] ([[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|NASL]]) [[Soccer]] <br>(1972–1973)<br>[[New York Cosmos (2010)|New York Cosmos]] ([[North American Soccer League (2011–2017)|NASL]]) [[Soccer]] <br> (2013–2016)<br>[[New York Cosmos B]] ([[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]]) [[Soccer]] <br>(2015, 2018) <br>[[Long Island Rough Riders]] ([[Premier Development League|PDL]]) [[Soccer]] <br>(1994–2008)
}}
| website    = {{URL|https://gohofstra.com/facilities/james-m-shuart-stadium/3|gohofstra.com/james-m-shuart-stadium}}
}}
The '''James M. Shuart Stadium''' is an 11,929-seat<ref>{{cite web|last=Big Apple Soccer|title= Hofstra's Capacity|url=http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/teams/cosmos2.php?article_id=34659|publisher=Big Apple Soccer}}</ref> multi-purpose stadium and sports facility, the facility serves as the home to Hofstra's lacrosse teams on the campus of [[Hofstra University]] in [[Town of Hempstead, New York|Hempstead, New York]]. First opened in 1963, and remodeled in 1996 and 2013, it was known as "Hofstra Stadium" until August 29, 2002, when it was renamed after the [[James M. Shuart|former president of Hofstra University]], who played lacrosse and football during his undergraduate years at the school.<ref>{{cite web|last=Hofstra University|title=Hofstra University names James M. Shuart Stadium|url=http://www.hofstra.edu/PDF/sports_mlax_ShuartStadium.pdf|publisher=Hofstra University|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120417122238/http://www.hofstra.edu/PDF/sports_mlax_ShuartStadium.pdf|archive-date=2012-04-17}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Hofstra Athletic Communications|title=James M. Shuart Stadium|url=http://www.gohofstra.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=22200&ATCLID=3713847|publisher=Hofstra University|access-date=2013-09-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130929221510/http://www.gohofstra.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=22200&ATCLID=3713847|archive-date=2013-09-29|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The stadium grounds include James C. Metzger Hall which houses the stadium's press box, luxury suites and the Fried Center for Student-Athlete Development.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gohofstra.com/news/2015/4/7/GEN_0407155255.aspx|title=Hofstra University Pride Athletics - ATH: James C. Metzger Hall Dedicated Prior To Tuesday's Game|work=Hofstra University|date=7 April 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://gohofstra.com/sports/2014/10/25/GEN_1025145815.aspx|title=Hofstra University Pride Athletics - The Fried Center for Student-Athlete Development|work=Hofstra University}}</ref>

==Background==
Shuart Stadium has held numerous sports and events over the years, including football, lacrosse, and soccer.  It has welcomed many teams from different leagues throughout several decades.

==Lacrosse==
In 1971, the stadium hosted the inaugural [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|NCAA Division I Men's lacrosse championship]] game.  It has also served as the site for two quarterfinal games of the [[2009 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship|2009]], [[2014 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship|2014]], [[2017 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship|2017]], [[2018 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship|2018]], [[2019 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship|2019]], [[2021 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship|2021]] and [[2024 NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament|2024]] tournaments <ref>[http://www.gohofstra.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=109696&SPID=13600&DB_OEM_ID=22200&ATCLID=3736449 Syracuse, Princeton, Cornell, and Maryland coming to Hofstra for NCAA lacrosse], Hofstra University, May 2009.</ref> as well as numerous conference championship contests for Women's Lacrosse.

The New York Lizards used the facility as their home field for part of the 2001 season and the full 2002 season.  During their first year, they became the inaugural [[Major League Lacrosse#MLL Championship Games|Major League Lacrosse champions]]. The team returned in 2009 and called the stadium their official home until 2020. After the 2020 season the [[Major League Lacrosse|MLL]] merged with the [[Premier Lacrosse League]] bringing an end to the New York Lizards franchise.

In 2021 the stadium hosted 5 [[Premier Lacrosse League]] games over 4 July weekend. Making the stadium a tour site for future PLL events. [[Premier Lacrosse League|PLL]] hosted a weekend of games in 2022 and is the 2023 Semifinals site on September 10.

==Soccer==
The [[New York Cosmos (1971–1985)|original New York Cosmos]] played at the stadium between 1972 and 1973.  They won their first [[Soccer Bowl|NASL Championship]] at the stadium in [[1972 North American Soccer League season#Final|1972]]. The [[New York Cosmos (2010)|new Cosmos]] began playing there in [[2013 New York Cosmos season|2013]].  Shuart Stadium also played host to the most recent [[United States men's national soccer team|United States men's]] match in New York state, when the U.S. hosted [[Ecuador national football team|Ecuador]] in a friendly match on November 30, 1984.

Shuart Stadium was also the venue for the [[Long Island Rough Riders]] of professional soccer's [[A-League (1995–2004)|A-League]].

==Football==
For nearly five decades, the stadium was home to [[Hofstra Pride football|Hofstra's football team]]. The team played in the [[Colonial Athletic Association]] conference and utilized the stadium from its opening until 2009 when the program was retired.

In 1969, the [[Westchester Bulls]] of the [[Atlantic Coast Football League]] relocated to Long Island and became the [[Long Island Bulls]], playing their home games at the stadium until 1970.<ref>{{cite news |last=Horn |first=Barry |date=25 February 1969 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/mount-vernon-argus-bulls-to-vacate-memor/167452618/ |title=Bulls To Vacate Memorial Stadium For Hofstra Univ. AstroTurf Field |work=Mount Vernon Argus |access-date=7 March 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Greenstein |first=Mike |date=29 July 1969 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-nassau-edition-not-all-of-thos/167454816/ |title=Not All of Those Bulls Roaming in Pasture |work=Newsday |access-date=7 March 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=22 February 1971 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-nassau-edition-boe-tossing-b/167455361/ |title=Boe 'Tossing' Bulls? |work=Newsday |access-date=7 March 2025 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

In 1983, during the construction of [[Robert K. Kraft Field at Lawrence A. Wien Stadium]], the [[1983 Columbia Lions football team|Columbia Lions]] used it as a home field for one game.

On November 4, 2009, the [[New York Sentinels]] of the [[United Football League (2009&ndash;2012)|United Football League]] played a home game at the stadium.

The site has hosted both the Long Island All-Star Football Game and the Fun City Bowl, which features the New York City Police and Fire Department teams.

==Other events==
The facility was used for three nights every October for the annual Newsday Marching Band Festival where selected Long Island high schools performed in an exhibition-style competition. Since 2014, the event has been held elsewhere.

Various Long Island high school and New York state championship games for different sports are also held at the site.

==Design==
Originally built in 1962 and opened in 1963, the stadium has received a number of upgrades.  In 1968 a new artificial playing surface was installed, making the stadium the third college facility in the nation to receive one.  A major expansion was completed in the fall of 1996.  The capacity had been raised from 7,000 to approximately 13,000, while the Howdy Myers Pavilion and new scoreboards in both end zones were constructed.  In 2007, the artificial turf was replaced with [[FieldTurf]] which was again replaced in late 2012.  Then in 2009 new scoreboards were installed in the north and south end zones.  More recently, in 2013, the facility was renovated and reconfigured to its current capacity of 11,929.    In late 2013, new lights designed by [[Musco Lighting]] replaced the original lights in the stadium that dated back to 1963.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.hofstra.edu/2013/10/29/new-lights-installed-at-james-m-shuart-stadium/comment-page-1/|title=New Lights Installed At James M. Shuart Stadium - News - Hofstra University, New York|date=29 October 2013 }}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website}}

{{Hofstra University}}
{{navboxes
|titlestyle = {{CollegePrimaryStyle|Hofstra Pride|color=white}}
|list =
{{Hofstra Pride football navbox}}
{{Columbia Lions football navbox}}
{{New York Cosmos}}
{{New York Cosmos (2010)}}
{{NY Sentinels}}
{{MLL Stadiums}}
{{North American Soccer League stadiums}}
{{NewYorksportsvenues}}
{{United Football League (2009)}}
}}

[[Category:Hofstra Pride football]]
[[Category:Columbia Lions football]]
[[Category:New York Cosmos]]
[[Category:College lacrosse venues in the United States]]
[[Category:College soccer venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Defunct college football venues]]
[[Category:Major League Lacrosse venues]]
[[Category:Premier Lacrosse League venues]]
[[Category:National Premier Soccer League stadiums]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) stadiums]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) stadiums]]
[[Category:United Football League (2009–2012) venues]]
[[Category:American football venues in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Lacrosse venues in New York (state)]]
[[Category:Multi-purpose stadiums in the United States]]
[[Category:Soccer venues in the New York metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Hempstead, New York]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Nassau County, New York]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1963]]
[[Category:1963 establishments in New York (state)]]