The sport of football has a long and storied history at Gustavus Adolphus College. Although the sport of football had been present on campus as early as 1905, with competitions occurring on an open grassy field adjacent to campus, the football program gained its first permanent stadium facility in 1929, with the construction of the original Gustavus Adolphus football stadium.
The “New Stadium” as it was informally called following its construction, was at the time one of the most advanced atheltic facilities in the nation, being constructed at a then staggering cost of $25,000. Being the first football stadium in the state of Minnesota to feature field lights, the original Gustavus Adolphus football stadium was the first stadium in the state to offer night game, both for the Golden Gusties, as well as the local St. Peter Saints high school team.
The early games played at the Gustavus Adolphus football stadium would prove symbolic of the great investment the field represented on behalf of the college for its football program. The years immediately following the stadiums construction would feature major success for the Golden Gusties football program, and combined with the high quality facilities would lead to national recognition for Gustavus Adolphus College.
The original Gustavus Adolphus football stadium would serve the college for many decades, and would see some of the football program’s greatest achievements, including multiple Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championships. Despite this, at the dawn of the new millenium there were increased calls for a new, modern football stadium to replace the aging original. Thus, in 2006, plans were officially announced for a new, modern stadium, under the name of Lloyd Hollingsworth Field.
Construction of Lloyd Hollingsworth Field, named after the famed Gustavus Adolphus football coach Lloyd Hollingsworth, was finished in mid 2007, with the first game being played at the stadium taking place during the 2007 season. The new Lloyd Hollingsworth Field was instantly recognized as one of the top small college football stadium in the nation, featuring advanced artificial turf with built in drainage systems, as well as a home seating capacity of 3000 plus spectators. In addition, Lloyd Hollingsworth Field was eqipped with a state of the art press box featuring a “presidential suite” for important guests. Combined with it’s proximity to the Lund Center, Lloyd Hollingsworth Field is set to host the home games of the Gustavus Golden Gustie football team for many years to come, serving both as an important tool in recruiting and as a symbol of pride for the college and all of its students.
Sources
Football Vertical Files, Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
Images: www.news.blog.gustavus.edu
www.athletics.blog.gustavus.edu
Football Veritcal Files, Gustavus Adolphus College Archives
