Army West Point Athletics
Blaik Field at Michie Stadium
Michie Stadium, splendid in its scenic beauty and long recognized as one of the most popular stadiums in the nation, will celebrate its 101st season as the home of Army football during the 2024 campaign.
In 100 previous campaigns in Michie Stadium, the Black Knights have compiled a remarkable record of 367-173-7.
Over the years, the venerable stadium has received its share of plaudits as one of the most desired locations in which to watch a college football game. Recently in 2024, ESPN ranked the top 25 college football stadiums and Michie Stadium came in at No.12 nationally on the list. ESPN staff writer, Dave Wilson said “The atmosphere at Michie Stadium is unmatched in America, beginning with its setting at West Point on New York's Hudson River and the cadets' full-dress parade three hours before kickoff on game days.”
Noted football analyst Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN.com has also hailed the Academy's game day atmosphere as among the most inspirational in the country.
In addition, renowned sports periodicals Sports Illustrated and The Sporting News have heaped lofty praise upon the historic arena by listing it among their top all-time venues.
In April of 2024, groundbreaking construction on the Michie Stadium Preservation Project began. The completed project set for the start of the 2026 season will rebuild and modernize the East Stands.
The transformational Michie Stadium Preservation Project will preserve and protect Michie Stadium’s 100-year history and tradition while providing a world-class experience for cadets, graduates, families, and fans. The Corps of Cadets seating section will stretch from end zone to end zone ensuring that the cadets are a central focus as well as an amplifying source of game-day support for the cadet-athletes on the field. Featured amenities include premium seating and improved concessions. In addition, the surrounding landscape will be reconfigured to improve accessibility while capitalizing on the panoramic views of Lusk Reservoir, the Cadet Chapel, Fort Putnam, and the scenic Hudson Valley.
“We’re celebrating 100 years of Michie. It has a tremendous history—five national champions, Heisman trophy winners that have played here, and legendary coaches. It’s time to take this stadium to the next level for the next 100 years,” said Football Head Coach Jeff Monken. “But there is so much more to this project than just Army Football. It’s a representation of the excellence of this institution and the men and women who serve in the United States Army every single day. It’s the excellence that we demand, the excellence that’s expected from our cadets and our Army.”
Prior to the 2023 season, a new FieldTurf was installed. The surface is a 2.5’’ FieldTurf Vertex Core with a 10mm Amorim 400 Shock pad. Other teams with the same surface are the Carolina Panthers, Alabama, Oregon and the University of Pittsburgh.
In 2021, Army Athletics announced the initial plans for the Michie Stadium Preservation Project, a complete reconstruction of the East Stands.
A century ago, realizing the need for a permanent athletic field as Army's football program continued to assert itself nationally, West Point officials selected a patch of meadowland adjacent to Lusk Reservoir and within the shadow of historic Fort Putnam. Construction of Michie Stadium was completed in 1924, just in time for Army's 35th football campaign.
The Black Knights posted more home wins than any previous Army team while forging a perfect 6-0 mark at Michie in 1996, the 28th undefeated home campaign in Academy grid annals. In addition to 28 unblemished seasons, there have been two undefeated but tied campaigns at Michie. Following a 14-14 tie in the "Dedication Game" in the home finale of 1924, the Cadets won 39 straight contests in Michie Stadium, spanning more than six seasons.
Only 18 Division I stadiums are older than the fabled Michie Stadium. The original stadium structure was formally dedicated to the memory of Dennis Mahan Michie, who was instrumental in starting the game of football at the U.S. Military Academy in 1890. Michie organized, managed, and coached the first football team in history at West Point.
In honor of legendary mentor Earl "Red" Blaik, Army christened the Michie Stadium playing surface "Blaik Field" in 1999. Blaik, a gridiron innovator, compiled an 18-year Army record of 121-33-10 and brought Army its only three national championships (1944, 1945, 1946). The winningest coach in Army annals, Blaik is enshrined in the College Football Foundation Hall of Fame The Black Knights honored the dedication in grand style, trouncing Ball State 41-21.
There have been several facelifts since that first game in 1924 when Army defeated Saint Louis University 17-0.
Temporary East stands and upper stands were added before the construction of permanent East stands was completed in 1962. In the summer of 1969, an upper deck on the West side was added, boosting the seating capacity to 41,684. Capacity has since been adjusted to 38,000. Army's most prolific attendance came in 1972 when the Black Knights averaged a record 41,123 fans. Army ranked among the nation's attendance leaders in 2000, averaging 38,516 per game, or 96.5 percent of Michie Stadium's capacity.
A major change occurred on the playing field in 1977 when AstroTurf replaced the natural grass surface. The artificial turf greatly reduced maintenance costs and guaranteed the Army team an excellent practice facility for use all fall while providing for multiple uses. SuperTurf replaced the AstroTurf in 1984, which was in turn replaced by AstroTurf 8 in 1992.
In the summer of 2001, Michie Stadium received yet another renovation as the aging AstroTurf8 surface was replaced with AstroPlay, a cushy new artificial surface that gives players the look and feel of playing on natural grass.
Construction of the $7 million Hoffman Press Box was completed in the spring of 2003. The new press box houses a full-service media operations center with state-of-the-art radio and television broadcast booths.
Work on the $40 million Kimsey Athletic Center, just outside the south end zone, was also concluded in the spring of 2003. The facility houses state-of-the-art locker rooms, coaches' offices, athletic training facilities, equipment rooms, meeting rooms and the Kenna Hall of Army Sports, a large display area that will chronicle Army's vast athletics history. Construction of Randall Hall, the project's second phase, was completed this past summer.
A new FieldTurf playing surface was installed during the summer of 2008, along with plans to complete a state-of-the-art video board before the start of the 2008 campaign. These enhancements ensure that the venerable facility will maintain its lofty status for years to come.
The entire stadium annex is the jewel of an aggressive athletic facilities renovation plan that has seen recent major improvements to Gillis Field House, Shea Stadium, Johnson Stadium at Doubleday Field, Clinton Field and Malek Courts. The acclaimed Lichtenberg Tennis Center just completed its fifth full academic year. In the spring of 2002, Army dedicated the Gross Sports Center, which provides the Army gymnastics team with a state-of-the-art home while also lending extra indoor space for the Black Knights' basketball programs.