View source for SECU Stadium

{{short description|Stadium at the University of Maryland, College Park}}
{{Use American English|date = September 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = SECU Stadium
| nickname = The Shell, The Snake Pit
| logo_image = Secu stadium maryland logo.png
| logo_size = 200
| image = Pano of Maryland Stadium.jpg
| image_size = 250
| caption = Then-Maryland Stadium during a game on September 22, 2018
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=13|type=point|marker=stadium}}
| pushpin_map = USA Maryland#USA
| pushpin_relief = yes
| location = 90 Stadium Drive<br>[[College Park, Maryland]] 20742
| coordinates = {{coord|38|59|25|N|76|56|50|W|type:landmark|display=it}}
| broke_ground = January 1949
| opened = September 30, 1950<ref name="University of Maryland Athletics">{{Cite web|title=Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium|url=https://umterps.com/sports/2018/6/14/capital-one-field-at-maryland-stadium.aspx?path=athleticfacilities|publisher= University of Maryland Athletics|access-date= January 30, 2021}}</ref>
| expanded = 1995, 2002, 2008
| closed = 
| demolished = 
| owner = [[University of Maryland, College Park]]
| operator = [[University of Maryland, College Park]]
| surface = [[FieldTurf]] (2012–present)<br>Grass (1950–2012)
| construction_cost = US$1 million<br>(${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US|1000000|1950}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US}} dollars{{inflation-fn|US}})
| architect = James R. Edmunds Jr.<ref>{{cite news |title=Real Estate News |url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/542045452 |newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]] |date=January 8, 1950 |access-date=September 29, 2011 |id={{ProQuest|542045452}}  |quote=Edmunds... is working on plans for a field house for the university's new stadium...}}</ref><br>[[Populous (company)|Populous]] (renovations)
| general_contractor = Baltimore Contractors, Inc.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baltimorecontractors.com/history|title=History – Baltimore Contractors LLC|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724004432/http://baltimorecontractors.com/history|archive-date=July 24, 2013}}</ref>
| former_names = {{collapsible list|
* Byrd Stadium (1950–2006)
* Chevy Chase Bank Field at Byrd Stadium (2006–2009)
* Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium (2009–2015)
* Capital One Field at Maryland Stadium (2015–2022)
}}
| tenants = [[Maryland Terrapins]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) 1950–present<br>[[Baltimore Stars]] ([[USFL]]) 1985<br>[[Presidential Cup Bowl]] (NCAA) 1950
| seating_capacity = 46,185 (2025–present)<ref>{{cite web |title=SECU Stadium|url=https://umterps.com/facilities/secu-stadium/1|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|date=September 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250908033032/https://umterps.com/facilities/secu-stadium/1 |access-date=September 7, 2025 |archive-date=September 8, 2025 }}</ref>
'''Former capacity'''
{{collapsible list|
* 51,802 (2012–2024)<ref>{{cite web|title=Maryland Football 2012 Preseason Notes|url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/md/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/prospectus/prospectus.pdf?&DB_OEM_ID=29700|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|year=2012|access-date=September 10, 2013|archive-date=August 15, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815061412/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/md/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/prospectus/prospectus.pdf?&DB_OEM_ID=29700|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* 54,000 (2009–2011)<ref>{{cite web|title=2009 Maryland Football Spring Prospectus|url=http://www.umterps.com/fls/29700/old_site/pdf/m-footbl/2009springprospectus.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=29700|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|year=2009|access-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Maryland Football 2011 Preseason Notes|url=http://www.umterps.com/fls/29700/old_site/pdf/m-footbl/2011-12/prospectus/prospectus.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=29700|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|year=2011|access-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref>
* 51,500 (2002–2008)<ref>{{cite web |title=2008 Football Game Notes – Maryland vs. No. 23 California|url=http://www.umterps.com/fls/29700/old_site/pdf/m-footbl/Game03-Cal.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=29700|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|date=September 2008|access-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref>
* 48,055 (1995–2001)
* 45,000 (1976–1994)
* 34,680 (1950–1975)
}}
| record_attendance = 58,973 (1975 vs. Penn State)<ref name="University of Maryland Athletics" />
| website = {{URL|https://umterps.com/sports/2018/6/14/secu-stadium.aspx|umterps.com/secu-stadium}}
}}
'''SECU Stadium'''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Maryland Athletics Announces Sweeping Partnership with SECU Credit Union of Maryland |url=https://umterps.com/news/2022/9/16/terrapin-athletics-maryland-athletics-announces-sweeping-partnership-with-secu-credit-union-of-maryland.aspx |access-date=September 16, 2022 |website=University of Maryland Athletics |date=September 16, 2022 |language=en}}</ref> is an outdoor athletic [[stadium]] on the campus of the [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]] in [[College Park, Maryland]]. It is the home of [[Maryland Terrapins football]] and [[Maryland Terrapins men's lacrosse|men's lacrosse]] teams, which compete in the [[Big Ten Conference]]. The facility was formerly named '''Byrd Stadium''' after [[Curley Byrd|Harry "Curley" Byrd]], a multi-sport athlete, football coach, and university president in the first half of the 20th century, and temporarily '''Maryland Stadium''' after objections to Byrd's naming due to his history of supporting segregation.

==History==
[[File:1951 Maryland FB team.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Maryland team posing in front of the stadium in 1951]]
SECU Stadium opened on September 30, 1950, as Byrd Stadium after construction at a cost of $1 million, replacing the much smaller [[Old Byrd Stadium]] on the site currently used for the university's Fraternity Row east of [[U.S. Route 1 in Maryland|Baltimore Avenue]]. For 26 seasons, Maryland Stadium consisted of a horseshoe-shaped bowl with capacity of 34,680.

[[File:Byrd Stadium 1975.jpg|thumb|left|200px|An aerial 1975 photo of then-Byrd Stadium]]
Permanent lights were installed in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=Byrd Stadium to Get Permanent Lights |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1985/01/19/byrd-stadium-to-get-permanent-lights/4cad7d3e-5a64-496f-bc87-72ebf9f950ac/ |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=January 19, 1985}}</ref>

In 1991, the stadium added the five-story Tyser Tower on its south side, featuring luxury suites and an expanded press area. That same year, the university opened the Gossett Football Team House adjacent to the east endzone.

In 1995, the stadium's capacity increased to 48,055 through the addition of a 12,000-seat upper deck on the north side of the stadium. In 2001, during the Terrapins' ACC championship run, bleachers were installed to add an additional 3,000 seats.  In 2002, a full-color video scoreboard was added in the east endzone, and the Gossett Football Team House started an expansion project.

Between 2007 and 2009, the stadium underwent a $50.8 million expansion, increasing overall capacity, adding skyboxes and lowering the field to improve spectators' sightlines.<ref name="WaPo-April-25-2007">{{cite news |title=Maryland's Byrd Stadium to Add Some Luxury |first=Marc |last=Carig |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/24/AR2007042402240.html |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 24, 2007 |access-date=April 25, 2007}}</ref> The project rebuilt Tyser Tower, adding 63 suites and mezzanine seating. The expansion increased the stadium capacity to 54,000.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Tyser Tower Expansion Project Progressing On Schedule|url=http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=716325&SPID=120713&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=29700&ATCLID=207271666|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|date=May 15, 2009|access-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref> A second LED video board was installed on the west side of the stadium before the 2008 season.<ref name="WaPo-April-25-2007" /> The university had also announced plans to extend the upper deck around the west endzone, adding another 8,000 seats, but the expansion project was completed without this construction.

The university installed a new artificial playing surface field in 2012, replacing its natural grass field used since the stadium's opening.<ref>{{cite web|title=Terps Installing Unique FieldTurf Surface|url=http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062012aaa.html|publisher=University of Maryland|date=June 20, 2012|access-date=June 22, 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120924125012/http://www.umterps.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/062012aaa.html|archive-date=September 24, 2012}}</ref> The upgrade included a new technology known as "CoolPlay" that reportedly keeps the field cooler (up to 15&nbsp;°F cooler) than traditional turf fields with rubber infill.<ref>{{cite web |title=Byrd Stadium Synthetic Turf Project is Finished|url=https://twitter.com/UMDGroundsCrew/statuses/231490722182877185|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|date=August 3, 2012|access-date=September 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Terps Installing FieldTurf Surface at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium|url=http://www.fieldturf.com/artificial-turf-news/terps-installing-fieldturf-surface-at-capital-one-field-at-byrd-stadium/|publisher=FieldTurf|date=June 20, 2012|access-date=June 22, 2012}}</ref> It was the first installation of its kind in the United States.

In 2021, a larger videoboard was installed behind the west endzone. The screen was first used during a night game against [[Iowa Hawkeyes football|Iowa]] on October 1, 2021.

SECU Stadium's attendance record is 58,973, set on November 1, 1975. The record was achieved with temporary seating for a game featuring the #14 Terps and #9 [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]].<ref name="CSTV-about-Byrd">{{cite web |title=Athletic Facilities|url=http://www.umterps.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=208133544&DB_OEM_ID=29700|publisher=University of Maryland Athletics|access-date=November 6, 2013}}</ref>

The lone version of the [[Presidential Cup Bowl|Presidential Cup]] college football bowl game was held here in December 1950. The [[United States Football League|USFL]] [[Baltimore Stars]] called the stadium home in 1985. SECU Stadium has also hosted the Division I [[NCAA Division I men's lacrosse tournament|NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship]] ten times.<ref name="CSTV-about-Byrd" />

==Field naming rights==
On August 24, 2006, the University of Maryland announced that it had agreed to a $20 million deal with [[Chevy Chase Bank]] to name the field Chevy Chase Bank Field, leaving the Byrd Stadium name intact. The revenue from the deal was used to pay for renovations and upgrades to the stadium.<ref>{{cite web |title=Chevy Chase Bank Signs Naming Right Agreement for Byrd Stadium Field|url=http://www.umd.edu/umnews/chevy_chase_bank_field.html|publisher=University of Maryland|date=August 24, 2006|access-date=September 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060831232709/http://www.umd.edu/umnews/chevy_chase_bank_field.html|archive-date=August 31, 2006}}</ref>

After Chevy Chase Bank was acquired by [[Capital One]] in 2009, the field was renamed Capital One Field.

The bank branding is not displayed on the outside of the stadium, but since 2006 the full name including the branded field has been used in the university's marketing materials for the stadium.

On September 16, 2022, the university announced that the stadium would be renamed [[State Employees Credit Union of Maryland|SECU]] Stadium as part of a 10-year deal between the credit union and the university.<ref name="sun">{{Cite news |first=Edward |last=Lee |title=Maryland football stadium to be renamed SECU Stadium under terms of 10-year deal |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/terps/bs-sp-maryland-football-stadium-secu-naming-rights-20220916-grq4cdtibrgfbabnlxyovh6xkm-story.html |date=September 16, 2022 |access-date=September 16, 2022 |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun}}</ref> The deal is worth $11 million and includes $2.5 million that will go towards athletic facility improvements.

==Stadium name change==
The stadium's original namesake was [[Curley Byrd|Harry C. "Curley" Byrd]], a former Maryland football player who later taught English and History and served as athletic director before rising to university president, serving from 1935 until 1954. During his tenure, the campus grew significantly, and Byrd is credited with transforming UMD from "an undistinguished agricultural college to something resembling a modern university."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wood |first1=Pamela |title=University of Maryland president calls for renaming of Byrd Stadium |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/bs-md-byrd-stadium-20151207-story.html |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=December 7, 2015 |url-status=live |url-access=subscription |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207215710/http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-byrd-stadium-20151207-story.html/ |archive-date=December 7, 2015 }}</ref> However, in 2015, the Maryland Student Government Association passed resolution in support of removing Byrd's name from the stadium because of his prominent support of segregation during his tenure.<ref>{{cite news |first=Susan |last=Svrluga |title=U-Maryland student government endorses demand that Byrd stadium be renamed, citing racist legacy |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2015/04/08/u-md-students-demand-byrd-stadium-be-renamed-citing-racist-legacy |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=April 8, 2015 |access-date=April 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Joe |last=Burris |title=Student coalition seeks to get 'Byrd' off University of Maryland's stadium |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bs-md-byrd-stadium-name-20150409-story.html |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=April 9, 2015 |access-date=April 9, 2015}}</ref> That same year, then-university president [[Wallace Loh]] appointed a task force to consider the issue. Loh issued a recommendation to the [[University System of Maryland]] to change the name, and the Board of Regents voted 12–5 in December 2015 to rename the facility as "Maryland Stadium."<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-byrd-stadium-vote-20151211-story.html |title=Byrd Stadium to become Maryland Stadium after regents vote |newspaper=The Baltimore Sun |date=December 11, 2015 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |last=Wenger |first=Yvonne}}</ref>
On September 16, 2022, the university announced that the stadium would be renamed [[State Employees Credit Union of Maryland|SECU]] Stadium as part of a 10-year deal between the credit union and the university.<ref name="sun" />

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="100">
File:Chevy Chase Field at Byrd Stadium 4-20-2008.jpg|Interior view, 2008
File:Byrd Stadium home side 2005.jpg|Lateral view, 2005
File:UMD Byrd luxury.JPG|View of Tyser Tower
File:Tyser Tower.JPG|Tyser Tower contains 63 luxury suites (2010)
File:Byrd Stadium interior 2.jpg|Goal grandstand
File:View of the lower bowl of SECU stadium at night 2023.jpg |View of the lower bowl of SECU stadium at night (2023)
File:View from the upper deck of SECU stadium at night 2023.jpg|View from the upper deck of SECU stadium at night (2023)
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}

{{s-start-collapsible|header={{s-sta|et}}}}
{{succession box
 | title = Host of the<br>[[Drum Corps International]]<br>World Championship
 | years = 2000
 | before = [[Camp Randall Stadium]]
 | after = [[Ralph Wilson Stadium]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[College lacrosse|NCAA Lacrosse]] [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|Final Four]]
 | years = 1972
 | before = [[James M. Shuart Stadium|Hofstra Stadium]]
 | after = [[Franklin Field]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[College lacrosse|NCAA Lacrosse]] [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|Final Four]]
 | years = 1979
 | before = [[Rutgers Stadium (1938)|Rutgers Stadium I]]
 | after = [[Schoellkopf Field]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[College lacrosse|NCAA Lacrosse]] [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|Final Four]]
 | years = 1989
 | before = [[Carrier Dome]]
 | after = [[Rutgers Stadium (1938)|Rutgers Stadium I]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[College lacrosse|NCAA Lacrosse]] [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|Final Four]]
 | years = 1993 – 1997
 | before = [[Franklin Field]]
 | after = [[Rutgers Stadium]]
}}
{{succession box
 | title = Home of the<br>[[College lacrosse|NCAA Lacrosse]] [[NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship|Final Four]]
 | years = 1999 – 2000
 | before = [[Rutgers Stadium]]
 | after = [[Rutgers Stadium]]
}}
{{end}}

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{{Maryland Terrapins men's soccer navbox}}
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[[Category:Maryland Terrapins football venues]]
[[Category:Maryland Terrapins lacrosse]]
[[Category:Defunct NCAA bowl game venues]]
[[Category:American football venues in Maryland]]
[[Category:College lacrosse venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Lacrosse venues in Maryland]]
[[Category:United States Football League venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1950]]
[[Category:Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars stadiums]]
[[Category:1950 establishments in Maryland]]