University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field
 UC Stadium at Laidley Field | |
| Full name | University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field |
|---|---|
| Former names | Laidley Field (1918–2003) |
| Location | 1549 Piedmont Road Charleston, West Virginia |
| Elevation | 597 ft (182 m) |
| Owner | University of Charleston Kanawha County Schools |
| Genre(s) | Football |
| Capacity | 18,500 |
| Surface | Artificial Turf |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1918[1] |
| Renovated | |
| Tenants | |
| Charleston Golden Eagles (NCAA) (2003–present) WVSSAC Football Championships (1979–1987, 1989–1993, 2024–present)[5] | |
| Website | |
| UC Stadium | |
The University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field is an 18,500-capacity stadium located in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, near the West Virginia State Capitol complex. It features a FieldTurf playing field for football and facilities for track and field competitions.
History
The stadium was finished in 1979, as a complete rebuild of a previous facility. Originally the home field of Capital High School football after the consolidation Stonewall Jackson High School and Charleston High School. Multiple middle school and community teams also play at the location. It hosts the state high school track and field championships.[6] The field has also played host to multiple high school playoff games as well as being host to the State Championships before their move to Wheeling in 1994. It also hosts the Gazette-Mail Kanawha County Majorette and Band Festival, an annual marching band festival held at the end of September.
Record attendance for this stadium was set at a local high school contest, Charleston High School vs. Stonewall Jackson High School in the latter part of the 1980s, later to be locally called "The Game" of the century. Record attendance was set at over 21,000. Later, when Capital High School and Riverside High School met when both were undefeated and ranked 1 and 2 in the state, there again were over 20,000 in attendance.
The WVSSAC announced on February 22, 2024 that Laidley Field would play host to the new 4 Class (Quad A) State Championship football games beginning in 2024, hosting these games for the first time since 1993.[7]
University of Charleston
UC Stadium at Laidley Field is the home stadium of the Charleston Golden Eagles football team. In 2003, due to limited funding for maintenance, the Kanawha County School Board entered into a joint partnership with the University of Charleston to operate and manage the facility. UC invested over $1.5 million to replace the turf, add locker rooms and a skybox, and make other improvements in exchange for access and naming rights. [8]
References
- ^ https://kcs.kana.k12.wv.us/page/laidley-field
- ^ https://wvswa.org/index468.htm
- ^ https://ucgoldeneagles.com/sports/2022/12/2/uc-stadium-at-laidley-field.aspx
- ^ https://wvmetronews.com/2024/05/17/improvements-made-to-laidley-field-in-charleston-expected-to-start-in-june/
- ^ https://wvswa.org/index468.htm
- ^ Martin, Mark (May 11, 2023). "WV High School Track and Field: Regionals underway for State Meet". WCHS. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Martin, Mark (February 22, 2024). "Charleston to begin hosting West Virginia high school football playoffs". WCHS. Retrieved August 17, 2025.
- ^ "UC to manage Laidley Field in $1.5 million deal". Charleston Gazette. Charleston, WV. 2003.
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