Meade Stadium

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John E. "Jack" Meade Stadium
Meade Stadium, Summer 2006

Location Keaney Ave
Kingston, RI 02881
Opened September 22, 1928
Owner Univ. of Rhode Island
Operator Univ. of Rhode Island
Former names
URI Stadium (1928-1935)
Tenants
URI Rams
(Football)
Seats
5,180 (current)

Meade Stadium is a 5,180-seat multi-purpose stadium in Kingston, Rhode Island. It is home to the University of Rhode Island Rams football team. The facility opened in 1928. It was renamed in 1936 to honor John E. "Jack" Meade, class of 1915, longtime Rhode Island politician and booster, who was said to have never missed a game in the stadium until his death in 1972.

The stadium has undergone many changes in its history. The old field house was built in 1933, and in 1934 the west stands and press box were opened, with a capacity of 1,500. In 1978 the 50-row steel grandstand was erected on the east side of, bringing the total capacity up to 8,000. Various other projects, including a press box expansion and modernization of the turf and scoreboard, took place soon after. In 2000, the west stands and field house were razed to make way for the Ryan Center. Currently a new set of west stands are being built abutting the Ryan Center, whose east luxury boxes also look down on Meade Stadium.

In 2007, one of its bigger changes will take place off the field. After playing sixty-nine seasons in the same conference (the Atlantic 10 Conference, which was formed by the former members of the Yankee Conference), the team will make the switch to the Colonial Athletic Association.

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