Franklin & Marshall College's new multipurpose athletic facility, Shadek Stadium, will host its inaugural football game on Saturday when the Diplomats face Dickinson at 1:30 p.m. A ribbon cutting ceremony will take place at 12:15 p.m. in front of the stadium and the gates will open to the public at 12:30 p.m.

The stadium is named in honor of Larry Shadek '72, P'05, P'06 and the Shadek family, whose lead gift made the project possible. Shadek Stadium will be the home for Diplomat football and the men's and women's lacrosse programs, elevating the scholar-athlete experience and energizing the entire College community.

As F&M continues to enhance the game-day experience for student-athletes and fans, some additional rules will be in effect at Shadek Stadium. Most notably, outside beverages, pets and signs are prohibited inside the stadium. Also, field access is restricted to teams and credentialed staff. Please click here for complete stadium rules and tailgate information.

The stadium is the anchor project for F&M's North Campus—property acquired and redeveloped by the College and Lancaster General Health—and occupies former Armstrong World Industries and Norfolk Southern rail yard sites. The first of several new athletic facilities slated for North Campus, Shadek Stadium replaces the 122-year-old Sponaugle-Williamson Field. Originally constructed in 1894, the historic former football stadium lies in the heart of the F&M campus. In the near term, the College will continue using Sponaugle-Williamson Field's track, which will remain open to the public.

The Shadek Stadium project has secured silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification to ensure it is an environmentally sustainable facility. LEED-certified buildings are resource- efficient, use less water and energy and reduce greenhouse emissions. 

Tom Gilburg Field

The stadium's field features lights and a surface of AstroTurf with envirofill sports turf infill. Surrounded by seating for 2,500, the field is named for former head football coach Tom "Gibby" Gilburg. The field features a 13.6' x 24' Daktronics video board with high-definition LED video technology and a scoreboard with intelligent caption technology.

First Level

The ground floor of the 30,000 square foot building includes the Al Brooks Locker Room, a 2,800-square-foot, dividable locker room with 100 pro-style wooden lockers. It is named in honor of the Diplomats' former football defensive coordinator. The locker room will be used by the football team in the fall and then divided in two for the men's and women's lacrosse teams in the spring.

Also on this level are two small locker rooms for game officials and coaches, an equipment room servicing each of the three sports competing in the stadium, and a modern athletic training room.

Second Level

On the concourse level, fans will enter to sit on the stadium's home side, passing a trophy case and a multipurpose meeting room created in memory of former men's lacrosse coach Ross Sachs. This level includes a full-service concession stand, funded by F&M volunteer and donor Al Ingraham '72, public bathrooms, and the lobby, given in memory of former football coach George Storck.

Third Level

The stadium's top level features the Stadium Club, a reception and entertainment space on the 50-yard line that allows the College to welcome guests on game day and host other College events, as well as two open-air viewing decks. The third level also houses the Bob Curtis Press Box, named in memory of the Diplomats' former head coach, as well as space for game operations personnel, a separate broadcast booth, and other areas for athletic communications, public address announcers, and the media. Also located on this level are spotting booths for both the home and visiting coaching staff, scoreboard operators, and visiting radio personnel.

Founding Dates / Centennial Conference Football Stadiums

• Biddle Field, Dickinson College (1909)
• Shirk Field at Musselman Stadium, Gettysburg College (1965)
• Homewood Field, Johns Hopkins University (1906)
• Goodman Field at Knox Stadium, Juniata College (1923, renovated 2012)
• Kenneth R. Gill Stadium, McDaniel College (1922, renovated 2012)
• Rocco Calvo Field, Moravian College (1967, renovated 2005)
• Frank Marino Field at Scotty Wood Stadium, Muhlenberg College (1922, renovated 1999)
• Amos Alonzo Stagg Field, Susquehanna University (2000)
• Patterson Field, Ursinus College (1893)