Fawcett Stadium
Encyclopedia
Fawcett Stadium is a football
stadium in Canton, Ohio
. The stadium was officially dedicated in 1938. Fawcett Stadium is named for John A. Fawcett. Mr. Fawcett was a former member of the Canton Board of Education and a well-known athlete. He died of pneumonia at the age of 44, a few years before the stadium was built.
The stadium was built from 1937-1939 at an estimated cost of $500,000. The federal government in the form of man power, the WPA, paid for $400,000 while a school board bond issue paid for the materials. The stadium originally seated 15,000 and was the largest high school stadium in the country at that time. On the grounds of the facility was a park, aptly named "Stadium Park". This park still exists although presently is much more disjointed from the stadium as part of the park was used as the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also because what is left of the park is separated from Fawcett Stadium by Interstate 77. Fawcett Stadium was constructed as a replacement for League Field
, the city's previous stadium.
The stadium seats around 22,400. Five Canton high schools have played their football seasons on this field (McKinley High School - Bulldogs, Lincoln High School - Lions, Lehman High School - Polar Bears, GlenOak High School - Golden Eagles, and Timken High School - Trojans). Future Cleveland Browns
great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marion Motley
, who along with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Willis
broke the color barrier in modern professional football with the Cleveland Browns in 1946, scored the first touchdown in the stadium in 1938. It also hosts the annual NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
at the beginning of the exhibition season.
Presently it is the home field for the McKinley Senior High School Bulldog football team, and the Timken Senior High School Trojans football team, and two colleges: Walsh University
and Malone University. Three of the Ohio High School Athletic Association
football state championship games are held at Fawcett Stadium during the first weekend of December. The other three are held at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
in nearby Massillon
.
In 1997, Fawcett Stadium underwent a major renovation and a name change. Backed by the Canton community, $4.3 million worth of improvements were completed on the stadium. Some of the major improvements included state-of-the-art Astroturf with a player friendly rubber base, new locker room facilities, new scoreboard with graphics display screen, new lighting, new sound system, new electrical services, structural repairs, vinyl caps for all wooden seats, and a renovated press box. The newly renovated stadium was also renamed to include the words Pro Football Hall of Fame Field.
From 1997 to 2000, Fawcett Stadium was the home of the Victory Bowl
, the NCCAA
championship football game. In 2002, the Sporting News rated Fawcett Stadium the number one high school football venue in America.
From June 27 to July 5, 2009 Fawcett Stadium hosted the inaugural IFAF Junior World Championship of American Football
. The tournament gathered eight best national teams from around the world.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
stadium in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. The stadium was officially dedicated in 1938. Fawcett Stadium is named for John A. Fawcett. Mr. Fawcett was a former member of the Canton Board of Education and a well-known athlete. He died of pneumonia at the age of 44, a few years before the stadium was built.
The stadium was built from 1937-1939 at an estimated cost of $500,000. The federal government in the form of man power, the WPA, paid for $400,000 while a school board bond issue paid for the materials. The stadium originally seated 15,000 and was the largest high school stadium in the country at that time. On the grounds of the facility was a park, aptly named "Stadium Park". This park still exists although presently is much more disjointed from the stadium as part of the park was used as the site of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also because what is left of the park is separated from Fawcett Stadium by Interstate 77. Fawcett Stadium was constructed as a replacement for League Field
League Field
League Field is a former American football stadium located in Canton, Ohio. The stadium was home to the Canton Bulldogs of the National Football League from 1905 to 1926. It had a capacity of 8,000 spectators. The stadium was replaced in the late 1930s by the current Fawcett Stadium.-External...
, the city's previous stadium.
The stadium seats around 22,400. Five Canton high schools have played their football seasons on this field (McKinley High School - Bulldogs, Lincoln High School - Lions, Lehman High School - Polar Bears, GlenOak High School - Golden Eagles, and Timken High School - Trojans). Future Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Marion Motley
Marion Motley
Marion Motley was a professional football player, a fullback for the Cleveland Browns, and briefly for the Pittsburgh Steelers.-Early years:...
, who along with fellow Hall of Famer Bill Willis
Bill Willis
William Karnet Willis was one of the dominant American football players of the 1940s and 1950s, and is an inductee in the College and Professional Football Halls of Fame. Willis was one of the first African American football players to play professional football...
broke the color barrier in modern professional football with the Cleveland Browns in 1946, scored the first touchdown in the stadium in 1938. It also hosts the annual NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
Pro Football Hall of Fame Game
The Pro Football Hall of Game is an annual National Football League exhibition game that is held the weekend of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's induction ceremonies. The game is played at Fawcett Stadium, which is located next door to the Hall of Fame building in Canton, Ohio...
at the beginning of the exhibition season.
Presently it is the home field for the McKinley Senior High School Bulldog football team, and the Timken Senior High School Trojans football team, and two colleges: Walsh University
Walsh University
Walsh University is a private non-profit, 4-year, Roman Catholic university in North Canton, Ohio, USA. It was founded in 1960 by the Brothers of Christian Instruction, initially as a liberal arts college. Walsh College became Walsh University in 1993. The University offers more than 50 majors,...
and Malone University. Three of the Ohio High School Athletic Association
Ohio High School Athletic Association
The Ohio High School Athletic Association is the governing body of athletic programs for junior and senior high schools in the state of Ohio...
football state championship games are held at Fawcett Stadium during the first weekend of December. The other three are held at Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Paul Brown Tiger Stadium
Paul Brown Tiger Stadium is a stadium in Massillon, Ohio. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Massillon Washington High School. The stadium holds 19,000 people when extra seating is brought in. Without additional seating, the stadium holds 16,600. It is...
in nearby Massillon
Massillon, Ohio
Massillon is a city located in Stark County in the U.S. state of Ohio, approximately 8 miles to the west of Canton, Ohio, 20 miles south of Akron, Ohio, and 50 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. The population was 32,149 at the 2010 census....
.
In 1997, Fawcett Stadium underwent a major renovation and a name change. Backed by the Canton community, $4.3 million worth of improvements were completed on the stadium. Some of the major improvements included state-of-the-art Astroturf with a player friendly rubber base, new locker room facilities, new scoreboard with graphics display screen, new lighting, new sound system, new electrical services, structural repairs, vinyl caps for all wooden seats, and a renovated press box. The newly renovated stadium was also renamed to include the words Pro Football Hall of Fame Field.
From 1997 to 2000, Fawcett Stadium was the home of the Victory Bowl
Victory Bowl
The Victory Bowl is the championship football game between schools that sponsor football and are members of the NCCAA and did not qualify for either the NCAA or NAIA playoffs. It is one of the few post-season bowl games for smaller schools...
, the NCCAA
National Christian College Athletic Association
The National Christian College Athletic Association is an association of approximately 100 Christian universities, colleges, and Bible colleges in the United States and Canada which see collegiate sports primarily as an opportunity for Christian fellowship and ministry. The national headquarters...
championship football game. In 2002, the Sporting News rated Fawcett Stadium the number one high school football venue in America.
From June 27 to July 5, 2009 Fawcett Stadium hosted the inaugural IFAF Junior World Championship of American Football
2009 IFAF Junior World Cup
The IFAF Junior World Cup took place in 2009 at Canton, Ohio. JWC games between the world’s eight best high school-aged national teams from five continents were played at Canton’s historic Fawcett Stadium, home of the NFL’s annual Pro Football Hall of Fame Game, adjacent to the Hall...
. The tournament gathered eight best national teams from around the world.