University Stadium (Waterloo, Ontario)

The center of University Stadium prior to 2007 renovations, featuring the Laurier Golden Hawk.

University Stadium, also known as Knight-Newbrough Field and formerly known as Seagram Stadium, is a football stadium in Waterloo, Ontario with a capacity of 6,000. It is home to the Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks football, rugby, and lacrosse teams. The track is closed to the public. The stadium has also been used by the nearby University of Waterloo Warriors for their home football games. The Warriors played their final season at University Stadium in 2008, after which time they moved to the new Warrior Field on the University of Waterloo north campus. It also serves as the home field of soccer side K-W United FC.

Seagram Stadium was built for the University of Waterloo in 1957 with a $250,000 donation from Joseph E. Seagram and Sons Ltd. and additional contributions from Ontario Hydro and the City of Waterloo. It formally opened on May 7, 1958. From 1968 to 1974, UW leased the stadium to the city, until August 12, 1974 when the university agreed to sell the stadium—which was in need of extensive repairs—to the city for $1 million. In July 1992, the city sold the facility to Wilfrid Laurier University, also for $1 million. Artificial turf was installed in 1994 at a cost of $1.7 million. The stadium was renamed University Stadium and Sports Centre in March 1995.

In 2007, the stadium underwent a major $5-million renovation, including replacing the field's playing surface with Fieldturf, overhauling the bleachers and renaming the football field to Knight-Newbrough Field (although the name of the field itself has changed, the stadium as a whole is currently retaining the name University Stadium.) The name honours two influential figures in Laurier athletics history, former football head coaches Dave "Tuffy" Knight and Rich Newbrough.

University Stadium is located near Waterloo Park on Seagram Drive.

External links

• Article from the Kitchener Record on the 2007 renovation