Wildcat Stadium, home of the UNH Wildcats football, soccer, lacrosse and track-and-field programs, has been awarded the Engineering News-Record (ENR) New England Best Projects Merit commendation in the sports and entertainment category for 2017.
The venue was the subject of a recent expansion in 2015, and a panel of five industry judges – which reviewed almost 30 projects throughout New England, evaluating venues on the ability of the project team to overcome challenges, contribution to the industry and community, safety, and construction design quality – awarded the stadium top spot.
“In its first two years, the impact of Wildcat Stadium on our campus, in our community and throughout the state of New Hampshire, has outpaced even our ambitious expectations,” says UNH director of athletics, Marty Scarano. “This award validates Wildcat Stadium as a premier destination for college athletics and entertainment in New England and recognizes the many partners who put in so much time and effort to build it.”
Wildcat Stadium, which reopened in 2016, was honored for enhancing the game-day experience for fans and student-athletes. The project included the addition of new concessions and a broadcast-standard press box, as well as the Service Credit Union Victory Club and a high-definition video board. What’s more, the upgrades were completed without a need to stop use of Mooradian Field and the Reggie F Atkins Outdoor Track & Facility.
In its second season as home of the UNH football team, Wildcat Stadium saw a 13% regular-season attendance increase in 2017, including the all-time largest crowd for a home opener (15,854) and largest on-campus crowd (22,135) in the school’s history. The Wildcats averaged 12,751 fans per regular-season home game, up from 11,108 in 2016. The overall attendance of 63,756 for five regular-season home dates eclipsed the regular-season attendance of 55,542 in 2016.
December 20, 2017
