The Albany Great Danes will be trotting on a new field in 2024, according to a recent social media post from assistant coach Brendan Smith. Albany plays its home games on Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium.
Tom & Mary Casey Stadium opened in fall 2013 with a seating capacity of 8,500 and is used by the football, soccer, and lacrosse teams. The stadium cost approximately $19 million to build and the school went with FieldTurf for the playing surface. The replacement surface will also be artificial but include an updated logo and a different color scheme than the current field.
Albany is at least the seventh FCS team to replace its football field this offseason. Bucknell, Mercer, Mississippi Valley State, North Carolina Central, Tennessee State, and VMI announced the installation of a new playing surface this off-season. VMI is the only one that is opting for a grass playing surface.
Albany is coming off its best season as an FCS member in 2023 going undefeated at home and reaching the FCS Semifinals. Albany lost 59-0 in the semifinals to the eventual national champions South Dakota State. The Great Danes will be running on the new field in the season opener against Long Island on Saturday, August 31. They also have home games against Maine (9/28), Elon (10/26), New Hampshire (11/2), and Hampton (11/23).
Photo Credit to the University at Albany Athletics
