Wien Stadium

Columbia University
218th Street & Broadway
New York, NY 10031

Lawrence A. Wien Stadium is a stadium located in Manhattan, New York. It is primarily used for American football, lacrosse, and track and field events, and is the home field of the Columbia University Lions. It opened in 1984 and holds 17,100 people. It is part of Columbia’s Baker Field Athletic Complex (not to be confused with the Baker Bowl, formerly located in Philadelphia).

Baker Field history

Baker Field is Columbia’s outdoor athletic complex. Previously, all outdoor teams had played on South Field, across 116th street from the Low Memorial Library, the field where Lou Gehrig played for the Lions. (It is now partially covered by the Butler Library.) The athletic complex is located just south of the Spuyten Duyvil, the confluence of the Harlem and Hudson rivers, at the northern tip of Manhattan Island. It was purchased for the university by financier George H. Baker for $700,000 in December of 1921. It was dedicated the following April, but it was not until 1923 that the team began playing there. A 32,000-seat wooden stadium was built on the site in 1928; this was in use until 1983, when it was demolished to make room for Wien Stadium.

The “New” Stadium

Wien was opened on September 22, 1984 with a loss to Harvard. The first home win at the stadium came on October 8, 1988, with a win against Princeton. The 10,500-seat southeast (home side) stands were built first; the 6,500-seat northwest stands were opened two years later. The stadium is named for Lawrence A. Wien, class of 1925, a former trustee, philanthropist, lawyer and entrepreneur.