Johnson Hagood Stadium

Johnson Hagood Stadium, is a 21,000-seat football stadium, the home field of The Citadel Bulldogs, in Charleston, South Carolina, USA. The stadium is named in honor of Brigadier General Johnson Hagood, CSA, class of 1847, who commanded Confederate forces in Charleston during the Civil War and later served as Comptroller and Governor of South Carolina.

History
When the condition of the existing College Park Stadium (located in the northeast corner of Hampton Park) became so poor as to be unservicable, the city of Charleston chose to construct a new sports stadium. The new stadium was opened October 15, 1927, with a football game between The Citadel and Oglethorpe.



The current Johnson Hagood Stadium was designed by the architectural firm of Halsey & Cummings. It opened with seating for 22,343 on October 16, 1948, with a game between The Citadel and Davidson. The formal dedication of the new $600,000 stadium took place at The Citadel-Clemson football game held on December 4, 1948, before a then-record crowd of approximately 16,000. The Citadel suggested buying the stadium from the city in 1962; it wanted it for its sports program, and the city considered it a "white elephant." It was eventually purchased by The Citadel from the city of Charleston in 1963.

The venue hosted the 1983 and 1984 NCAA Division I-AA National Championship games (now known as the Football Championship Subdivision).

The historic facility gained national attention during summer 1999 when prior crewmen from the H. L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy battleship, were unearthed from underneath the stadium. The location of the stadium had once been a mariners' graveyard. In 1948, when the stadium was being built, a miscommunication led to the gravestones' being moved, but not the bodies. In 1993, the bodies of 13 sailors were discovered under the parking lot. After the discovery of the sunken H. L. Hunley (the confederate submarine) in 1995, there was renewed interest in the remains of its first crew (who had died in an unsuccessful 1863 run). Archaeologists were given permission to conduct more thorough searches as part of the renovations of the stadium, and four of the five sailors' bodies were located under the home stands. The remains were reinterred at Magnolia Cemetery.

In 2001, The Citadel opened the Altman Athletic Center located in the South end zone. The facility features home and visitor locker rooms, officials’ room and a spacious entertainment area for members of The Citadel Brigadier Foundation.



In 2005 stadium underwent a major renovation to update the facility by adding an improved media center, luxury skyboxes, and other features. In September 2004, the Board of Visitors (its governing body) approved plans to built a new stadium on nearby Stoney Field (on Fishburne Street, adjacent to the Riley Ballpark), but there were concerns about funding the $47 million project and also about engineering issues associated with building on marshy land. In February 2005, The Citadel opted to make changes to the existing facility instead.

In 2008 the West Side Tower opened. The Bulldogs celebrated the re-opening of the West Stands for the 2006 season. The completed project features luxury suites, club seats, a state-of-the-art press box and all the expected amenities of a modern-day facility.

The field was named Sansom Field in 2008, commemorating the loyalty and generosity of the distinguished and active alumnus, William B. Sansom, ‘64.