Clemens Stadium

Clemens Stadium is built into a horseshoe-shaped hillside, surrounded on three sides by many trees, thus giving the stadium its natural beauty and nickname. The hills not built over with concrete or metal stands are almost always occupied with fans who bring blankets to sit on. Because of the hillsides and other space inside the stadium, the venue can accommodate more spectators than the official fire code-defined seating capacity allows, up to 2½ times the official listed number.

The unique, natural bowl configuration of Clemens Stadium is actually the result of artificial design. The bowl was shaped by Saint John's monks who were building brick structures in the 1860s and 1870s. Clay in the soil northeast of campus was dug out of a hill and fired in a nearby kiln to produce bricks for the new Abbey Church (now Great Hall) and Quadrangle. After the buildings were completed, the chasm was filled with water and used as a cranberry bog for the monastery, university and preparatory school.

As athletics gained popularity among colleges across the United States, Saint John's was in need of an adequate field for football. The cranberry bog was drained and in 1908 the new field was ready for football. The field however was not large enough for a regulation-size football field and in 1922 the field expanded to the north to alleviate the problem.

In 1933, the first concrete stands were completed. The black metal tube railing, located on the southwest hill, still remains from this original construction. Six years later, an arched stadium entrance, ticket booth, two stairways and circular field entrance were built using fieldstone. The circular field entrance was inspired by Syracuse's Archbold Stadium. The two stairways and the southwest half of the circular field entrance remain today.

A press box was added in 1943.

After John Gagliardi took over as head coach, crowds increased and in 1957 the concrete stands were expanded to accommodate 3,000. Aside from basic field, stand and press box upgrades, the stadium remained unchanged for forty years.

The fieldstone stadium entrance and ticket booth were demolished to make way for the Alcuin Library and road access to a parking lot in the 1960s.

With a large gift from Saint John's alumnus William E. and Virginia Clemens, Saint John's Stadium received a significant renovation in 1997.

The southeast and southwest hills were excavated for a regulation-sized eight-lane track. The wood bleachers on the east side were replaced with new metal bleachers. A new concrete grandstand was built with both bench seats and reserved chair seats. The press box, concession stands and restroom facilities were also reconstructed. The seating capacity grew to 5,500.

In addition to the renovations, the open north end of the horseshoe was closed off in 1997 with the addition of the McNeely Spectrum fieldhouse.

In honor of the Clemens gift, Saint John’s Stadium was renamed Clemens Stadium.

Starting in 2002, Clemens Stadium has gone through significant improvements.

Clemens Stadium is known for some of the largest crowds in NCAA Division III football. For 11 of the past 15 seasons, Saint John's has led Division III in either per-game average or total season attendance. The largest crowd ever for NCAA Division III football was recorded on Sep 26, 2015, when the Johnnies hosted 17,327 fans in a loss of 14-35 to the University of Saint Thomas. On November 8, 2003, Clemens Stadium hosted a then-NCAA Division III record 13,107 fans for a game against Bethel, for John Gagliardi's record-breaking 409th career victory.