Fisher Field
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Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium is a 13,750-seat multi-purpose stadium in Easton, Pennsylvania. It opened in 1926 and it is home to the Lafayette College Leopards football team.
It is currently undergoing a well-deserved $23 million renovation. It was reopened in time for the 2006 college football season complete with new seating, JumboTron, a new press box, artificial turf, and field lighting. Construction of a Football Varsity House beyond the western endzone will commence in late 2006 and will be completed before the 2007 season. The renovations have made the stadium one of the best venues in all Division I FCS Football.
In on September 1, 2007, Lafayette will host the first ever night football game at Fisher Field versus Marist College of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at 6PM.
[edit] Hosting the Easton-Phillipsburg game
Fisher Field hosted the 142nd playing of the The Rivalry between Lehigh University and Lafayette College on November 18th, 2006. And, as always, Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium acted neutral site for the traditional high school football rivalry between Easton High School and Phillipsburg High School, which was televised on ESPN2 on Thanksgiving Day 2006. Easton won the 100th meeting of the two cross-state teams 21-7.
[edit] History
Erected in 1926, Fisher Field was named for Thomas Fisher, Lafayette College Class of 1888, who almost single-handedly raised the $445,000 needed for construction through fund raising efforts and a sizeable personal contribution.
The first football game played in the 18,000-seat structure came on September 25, 1926, with a 35-0 Leopard victory over Muhlenberg College.
Now entering its 72nd season, Fisher Field has been host to 343 Lafayette football games with the Leopards enjoying an overall record of 208 wins, 122 losses and 13 ties for a winning percentage of 62.5%. Of the previous 71 seasons, Lafayette has produced 12 undefeated home seasons with the most recent being the 1992 Patriot League champion Leopards that went a perfect 5-0 -- the first undefeated home season for Lafayette at Fisher Field since 1970. During the 1992 and 1993 seasons, Lafayette won 10 straight home games, tying the Fisher Field school record for consecutive wins first set by the 1926 and 1927 squads in the first 10 games ever played in the stadium.
In 1973, during the construction of Allan P. Kirby Field House, more than 4,500 seats were removed from the north stands to make room for the structure. Presently, Fisher Field has a permanent seating capacity of 13,750 (12,000 in the south stands and 1,750 in the north). Many times, when Lafayette College is host for The Rivalry with Lehigh University every other year, more than 3,500 temporary seats are erected to accommodate the sellout crowd of 17,000. The Rivalry has one of the best atmosphere's you find in a sporting event. For the past 3 years the winner of this game has won the Patriot League Championship, all times going to the Lafayette Leopards (2004 and 2006 with a Lehigh share, 2005 Lafayette getting share with Colgate).
[edit] Criticism
Unfortunately, the latest renovations failed to include permanent restrooms and concessions beneath the visitors bleachers. However, porta-potties and a mobile concession stand are usually placed on the side. This will most likely be fixed in the off-season since renovations will be finished this spring.
As Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium is an on-campus stadium, parking is traditionally a problem during games with high attendance, such as "The Rivalry".
| Current Football Stadiums in the Patriot League |
|---|
| Andy Kerr Stadium (Colgate) • Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium (Bucknell) • Coffey Field (Fordham) • Fisher Field (Lafayette) • Fitton Field (Holy Cross) • Goodman Stadium (Lehigh) • Multi-Sport Field (Georgetown) |
