Baker Athletic Complex

Baker Field is Columbia University's 26 acre athletics complex at the northern tip of Manhattan. Prior to the opening of Baker Field, South Lawn played host to Columbia's athletic teams.

History

The tract of land on which the Baker Field Complex stands was purchased for the University on December 30, 1921 by financier George F. Baker. Then a $700,000 gift, the 26-acre area was dedicated in April, 1922 and was coronated with spring football practice that same year. In the fall, Columbia's football team continued to practice at Baker Field, but played its games at South Field on the Morningside Heights Campus. The first stadium at Baker Field opened in the fall of 1923 with 15,000 seats in temporary stands. Five years later, the University built the 32,000 wooden-seat stadium that served Columbia fans for 55 years, until the spring of 1983.

The first game at Baker Field took place on September 29, 1923, with Columbia defeating Ursinus, 13-0. The opening game in the official stadium was played on Sept. 29, 1928 as Columbia defeated Vermont, 20-0.

On May 17, 1939, Baker field played host to the first live television broadcast of an athletics event. A Columbia-Princeton baseball game at Baker Field was carried by the National Broadcasting Company to the 400 or so sets then capable of receiving its broadcast signal. Satisfied with the result, NBC decided to try doing a major league game. Five months later it did, from Brooklyn's Ebbets Field.

Wien Stadium was opened on Sept. 22, 1984 as the Lions fell to Harvard, 35-21. Columbia won its first game in the Stadium on Oct.8, 1988 when it defeated Princeton, 16-13.

Wien Stadium is now home to the Lions' football, lacrosse and track & field teams. The track features an eight-lane Rekortan track.

Facilities

Lawrence A. Wien Stadium

Opened in 1984, Lawrence A. Wien Stadium is now in its third decade as the official Lion's Den. A 17,000-seat facility, it is home to Columbia's football, lacrosse, and track and field teams.

A new artificial playing surface was installed at Wien Stadium in 2005. The Lions now practice and compete on FieldTurf, the same infill system used by many NFL teams.

Beyond the west stands is a panoramic view of Spuyten Duyvil, the confluence of the Harlem and Hudson rivers, and the New Jersey Palisades. The view is one reason that Wien Stadium was featured in Sports Illustrated as one of the most beautiful places in the country to watch a football game.

Andy Coakley Field

Home of the baseball team

Columbia Field Hockey Stadium

Home of the field hockey team. Formerly the football practice field, but converted to a field hockey pitch with state-of-the art AquaTurf in 2006 after Wien Stadium was no longer an option with the installation of hockey-unfriendly FieldTurf in 2005.

Dick Savitt Tennis Center

Columbia University's Richard Savitt Tennis Center hosts the home courts for the men's and women's varsity teams. The center is also available for use by Columbia University alumni, faculty, staff, parents, students and anyone working in one of the hospitals affiliated with Columbia. Unaffiliated players may be sponsored by one of the members.

The center has six cushioned hard courts, all of which are covered by a state-of-the-art air dome. Each court has a blue surface that makes the tennis ball easy to see, and the lighting has been ranked among the best in the world by some tennis professionals.

Additional Reading

Baker Field: Birthplace of Sports Television