Morse Field

HOME OF THE BLACK BEARS

For 24 seasons, Morse Field at Alfond Stadium has served as one of the best CAA football facilities in New England. The facility has been made possible by the generous donation of Harold Alfond, and Phillip and Susan (Keene) Morse. The facility opened on Sept. 12, 1998, as a crowd of 9,244 fans watch the Black Bears defeat longtime rival, New Hampshire by a score of 52-28.

The grandstand has a capacity of 10,000, which was made possible by a $3.1 million donation from Mr. Alfond. The Morse family donated $2.15 million for the playing surface, lights and scoreboard. The University Development Office led a fundraising effort with key volunteer leaders to raise additional private funds for the project. The Morse family, again, aided in the enhancements to the facility as they donated money for a new state-of-the-art FieldTurf playing surface, which debuted during the 2008 season. The facility, constructed and designed mostly by in-state companies, was paid for entirely by private donations totaling $6.1 million. Funds were also raised through brick purchases which are displayed in the Southeast area of the stadium, with people’s names or other messages.

While most of the seating in the grandstand is bench style, there are also a number of chairback seats available. The chairs are blue and white and form an “M.” The aisles throughout the stadium are wider, allowing for increased traffic flow. All seats provide a clear unobstructed view of the field.

Under the grandstand are concrete structures that serve as men’s and women’s restrooms, concession stands and a ticket office for game day sales. The elevator is also located under the grandstand, which provides access to handicap seating, luxury boxes and the pressbox.

The pressbox at the top of the grandstand is very spacious. The top level is devoted to the media, who travel across the state to cover the Black Bears on home Saturdays. The lower level has eight luxury boxes, and a University Administration box. Each box is similar to the boxes in Alfond Arena, featuring theatre-style seating and cable TV access. The boxes also have sliding glass doors to allow air circulation and reduce noise. In 2016, Black Bear Nation set numerous attendance figures at Alfond Stadium. On Oct. 15, homecoming weekend 2016, a record-breaking crowd of 10,443 watched the Black Bears take down No. 17 UAlbany. During the 2016 season, a new season-high attendance of 39,686 came through the gates to watch the Black Bears while an average of 7,936 fans — a new Alfond Stadium record — watched the Black Bears play in five home games.

A crowd of 10,048 spectators were on hand to see Maine make its home debut against Northern Colorado on Sept. 11, 2004. The 2006 season was a special one for the stadium as the facility topped 250,000 fans in attendance since it opened in 1998. The 2007 campaign was also a special year as it marked the 10th anniversary since construction of the stadium was completed and varsity athletic events were held on it. UMaine saw its 400,000th patron come into the stadium during the 2011 season.

The 2013 season was one of the most memorable in Alfond Stadium history as the Black Bears went 5-1 at home, capping the season by hosting the first ever NCAA football playoff game when it welcomed New Hampshire to town for a second round showdown.

In 2018, the Black Bears put together a perfect 5-0 record at Alfond Stadium, capped by the team winning its first home playoff game after defeating Jacksonville State, 55-27, on Dec. 1.

More upgrades took place to Alfond Stadium in the spring of 2014 when a generous $800,000 donation from the Morse Family provided the University with the funds needed to install a new HD video scoreboard. The new scoreboard, approximately 30 feet wide and 20 feet high, included such features as HD video display and instant replay, furthering advancing the fan experience at all home games. The state-ofthe-art technology will also provide the opportunity for enhanced fan interaction, including live remote fan shots and video engagement.