Franklin Field
Franklin Field is a historic stadium on the University of Pennsylvania campus, the oldest football stadium in the United States still in use for its original purpose. Opened in 1895, the stadium has hosted Penn football, professional football (including Philadelphia Eagles games from 1958-1970), the Penn Relays track meet, and countless other athletic and civic events. Its horseshoe configuration and historic character set it apart from modern facilities. The Penn Relays keep it central to American track and field.[1]
History
Franklin Field opened in 1895. The University of Pennsylvania needed a bigger stadium to handle growing crowds for college football. Earlier facilities just couldn't keep up. The building was expanded and renovated many times over the decades. Most of what you see today comes from 1922 renovations that created the familiar horseshoe shape. Like most stadiums, capacity changed throughout its history. It once held over 60,000, though later reductions prioritized comfort over sheer numbers.[2]
Professional football came to Franklin Field when the Philadelphia Eagles moved in from 1958 through 1970. This was before Veterans Stadium existed, so an NFL team calling a college facility home wasn't unusual. It worked out well enough. The Eagles made the place part of their story, and the stadium proved it could handle professional play just fine.
The 1960 NFL Championship game happened here. Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers. That's one of the stadium's biggest moments in football history.[1]
Penn Relays
The track circles the football field, and every April since 1895 it's hosted the Penn Relays. This isn't just any track meet. It's the nation's oldest and largest, with over 15,000 athletes competing and tens of thousands watching. The annual carnival atmosphere is legendary in track circles.
What makes Franklin Field special isn't that it hosts football or that it hosts track. It's that it does both. Most modern stadiums pick one purpose. This place has been serving two for more than a century. Spectators sit close to both the field and the track, creating an intimate experience you won't find in newer facilities.
The traditions run deep. The Championship of America 4x100 and 4x400 relays are sacred in track and field culture. World records have fallen here. Franklin Field's history is woven through most of American track and field's development.[1]
Architecture
Early twentieth-century stadium design shows in every inch of Franklin Field. Concrete and steel support the steep seating banks that bring fans right into the action. The horseshoe opens at one end, creating that distinctive shape. A covered stand on the west side offers weather protection for premium seating.
The building's worn appearance tells you it's been used. A lot. Still, structural integrity has held through constant renovation and care. It looks its age without looking neglected.
The stadium sits in University City, integrated with Penn's campus rather than isolated on its own. 33rd Street is the main entrance. You walk to the stadium through neighborhoods and past campus buildings, not through parking lots like you would at a modern facility. That's actually an advantage from the pedestrian perspective, though driving there presents its own challenges.[1]
Significance
Being the nation's oldest football stadium still used for its original purpose matters for reasons beyond sports. More than a century of football, track and field, and other events happened within these walls. That history shaped American sports culture in ways we take for granted today.
The decision to preserve Franklin Field rather than tear it down and build something new says something important about what we value. Modern stadiums look nicer. They're more comfortable. They've got better facilities. None of that changes the fact that history and character provide something new construction just can't replicate.[1]