Beirne Stadium is a stadium in

Smithfield, Rhode Island Smithfield is a town that is located in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. It includes the historic villages of Esmond, Georgiaville, Mountaindale, Hanton City, Stillwater and Greenville. The population was 22,118 at the 2020 cen ...

. It is the home stadium for the

Bryant University Bryant University is a private university in Smithfield, Rhode Island. It has two colleges, the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Business, and is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. History Butler Exc ...

college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...

and men's and women's

lacrosse Lacrosse is a team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game was extensively ...

programs. Beirne Stadium will also host

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...

club Rhode Island FC during their inaugural 2024 season. The stadium holds 4,400 people and was built in 1999. It was renamed from Bulldog Stadium on September 24, 2016. It has also hosted numerous events for Rhode Island High School State Championships. The centerpiece of Bryant University's athletic facilities, Beirne Stadium opened in 1999 as Bulldog Stadium to coincide with the varsity debut of Bryant football. On September 24, 2016, it was renamed as part of the David M. '85 and Terry Beirne Stadium Complex. The facility received upgrades for the 2018 season that include a new FieldTurf playing surface and permanent lighting banks, making Beirne Stadium the first of the three

Football Championship Subdivision The NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), formerly known as Division I-AA, is the second-highest level of college football in the United States, after the Football Bowl Subdivision. Sponsored by the National Collegiate Athleti ...

stadiums in Rhode Island with permanent lights. The Bryant men's and women's lacrosse programs moved full-time from the Bryant Track & Turf Complex to Beirne Stadium for the 2019 season. With a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that ...

of 4,400, Beirne Stadium utilizes a design that is usually reserved for larger stadiums, ensuring excellent sight lines and maximum comfort for spectators. A 3,200-seat permanent bleacher comprises the backdrop for the home side of the field, while 1,200 additional seats are available on the visitor's side. Three hundred seats in the stadium are equipped with backs and arm rests. The stadium also has its own athletic training center, office space and public rest rooms. In 2007, the Bulldogs hosted their first ever appearance in the

NCAA Division II National Football Championship The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine a champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973, as a single-elimination tournament with eight teams. The tourna ...

versus West Chester. In the 2008-2009 school year Bryant University Athletics became a Division I sports program. They belong to the America East for most sports, as well as the Big South for football, and Southland Conference for golf and tennis as of the 2022-23 school year. In 2024, Rhode Island FC of the

will play their inaugural season at Beirne Stadium while completing construction of their stadium at Tidewater Landing.

Attendance records

References

External links

* {{Rhode Island college football venues College football venues Bryant Bulldogs football American football venues in Rhode Island Lacrosse venues in the United States Soccer venues in Rhode Island 1999 establishments in Rhode Island Sports venues completed in 1999 College lacrosse venues in the United States College soccer venues in the United States

Attendance records

See also

References

External links