Stevens Stadium

Stevens Stadium

Buck Shaw Field
Former names	Buck Shaw Stadium (1962-2015)
Location	500 El Camino Real Santa Clara, CA 95053-4345
Coordinates	37°21′2″N 121°56′12″W
Public transit	Santa Clara Station
Owner	Santa Clara University
Operator	Santa Clara University
Capacity	Soccer: 10,525 (2008-2015) 7,000 (2015-present)
Field size	74 x 115 yds
Surface	Grass
Construction
Broke ground	1961
Opened	September 22, 1962
Construction cost	$4 million US (2008 upgrades) ($5.66 million in 2024 dollars)
Tenants
Santa Clara University Soccer (NCAA Division I) West Coast Conference (1962–Present) Santa Clara University Football (NCAA-WFC) (1962–1992) Santa Clara University Baseball (NCAA Division I) West Coast Conference (1963–2005) San Jose Earthquakes (MLS) (2008–2014) FC Gold Pride (WPS) (2009) World Games 1981

Stevens Stadium is a 7,000-seat soccer stadium at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, California. The stadium is the current home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer teams and was the former home of the now defunct Santa Clara football team as well as the Santa Clara baseball team. The baseball team moved to their new home at Stephen Schott Stadium in 2005. The stadium is the former home of the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. The stadium's capacity was increased in the winter of 2007 from a capacity of 6,800 to 10,300. The stadium was named Buck Shaw Stadium before a renovation in 2015.

Stadium history

Stevens Stadium opened its gates for the first time on September 22, 1962 when it hosted a football game between UC Davis and Santa Clara. The stadium was originally named for Lawrence T. "Buck" Shaw, a former football coach of the SCU Broncos. The playing surface still retains his name to the present day being named the Buck Shaw Field. It was used for football games until 1992 and baseball games until 2005.

In 2005, Stevens Stadium was converted from a multipurpose facility to a soccer-only facility when the dugouts, baseball infield, and baseball backstop were permanently removed from the stadium.

Buck Shaw Stadium in 2003 from above.

Stevens Stadium is the current location of the commencement ceremonies for the university. It was first used for the undergraduate commencement on Saturday, June 9, 2001.

San Jose Earthquakes

On October 26, 2007, the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer announced that they will play a majority of their home games during the 2008 season at the stadium. Upgrades such as additional seating and bathrooms were added to the stadium in order for it to comply with MLS standards and funded by the Earthquakes organization over the last part 2008. The capacity was increased from 6,800 seats to 10,300 seats. In addition the field was moved closer to the existing grandstand with a small section removed from section 107 to accommodate the shift. Additionally the Santa Clara practice field between the Leavey Center and Stevens was replaced with an "Italgrass" artificial turf surface.

Drainage improvements were also be made to the stadium's field in concert with the field crown being removed to produce a flat pitch. A new video scoreboard was added along with additional concession and merchandising stands. General facilities were also modernized or improved including the addition of new lighting, a TV press box, new sound system, and an additional grandstand on the stadium's west side. The new grandstand included all of the seating additions made to the stadium. About half of the new grandstand included tip up seating. Overall the enhancements cost around $4 million.

After the Earthquakes departed for their new Avaya Stadium, the university undertook an improvement project that removed the original east side press box from the stadium as well as the Earthquakes temporary bleachers on the west side of the stadium. In their place a new smaller permanent west side grandstand, press box and entry plaza were installed. Capacity of the stadium was reduced back to 7,000 permanent seats as a result.

Other sports events: soccer and rugby

Buck Shaw prior to 2008 renovation during the 2007 NCAA tournament

In summer of 1981 the stadium was the main venue for the World Games 1981.

During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the stadium was the official practice field of the Brazil soccer team. The Brazilians won the World Cup that year. It also played host to the Romanian national team for their practice prior to that year's quarterfinal match.

Stevens Stadium holds the current record for highest attendance at a women's outdoor collegiate sporting event. In 1996 the NCAA Women's College Cup (Division I soccer finals) was played at Buck Shaw, which had its capacity temporarily expanded to 8,800 seats and sold out both days of the tournament.

In 2009, the stadium also hosted FC Gold Pride, one of the seven charter teams of Women's Professional Soccer. However, Gold Pride moved to Pioneer Stadium in Hayward for the 2010 season.

The stadium has also hosted several international rugby matches. In 2006, Buck Shaw hosted three pool matches in the Churchill Cup rugby union competition, becoming the first U.S. venue to host matches in that tournament (all matches in the 2003–2005 editions had been in Canada). In May 2009 the stadium again hosted an international rugby match, with 10,000 fans turning out to watch the game between the United States and Ireland.

Buck Shaw Stadium before an Earthquakes game in September 2008

External links

• Official Santa Clara University Site

Events and tenants
Preceded by first stadium	Home of the Santa Clara Broncos soccer 1962 – present	Succeeded by current stadium
Preceded by unknown	Home of the Santa Clara Broncos baseball 1962–2005	Succeeded by Stephen Schott Stadium
Preceded by unknown	Home of the Santa Clara Broncos football 1962–1992	Succeeded by final stadium
Preceded by Fetzer Field	Home of the Women's College Cup 1995	Succeeded by UNCG Soccer Stadium
Preceded by Spartan Stadium	Home of the San Jose Earthquakes 2008 – 2014	Succeeded by Avaya Stadium
Preceded by first stadium	Home of FC Gold Pride 2009	Succeeded by Pioneer Stadium