Johnson Hagood Stadium


Johnson Hagood Stadium, is an 11,500-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.

Original stadium

When the condition of the existing College Park Stadium became so poor as to be unserviceable, the city of Charleston chose to construct a new sports stadium just south of the new campus of The Citadel, on Hagood Avenue. The new stadium was opened October 15, 1927, with a football game between The Citadel and Oglethorpe. The original stadium seated 10,000 fans and was oriented east-west, perpendicular to the current layout.

Current stadium

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 historic facility gained national attention during summer 1999 when remains of 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 Hunley 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.

Enhancements and west side renovation

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 approved plans to build a new stadium on nearby Stoney Field, 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 completed project features luxury suites, club seats, a press box. The field was named Sansom Field in 2008, commemorating alumnus William B. Sansom, a 1964 graduate.

Issues with east side stands

In 2016, The Citadel determined that lead paint needed remediation on the east side of the stadium. The work resulted in the entire east side being closed for the first game of the 2016 season and some sections being opened for subsequent games. The resulting capacity was 10,500 for the first game, and about 15,000 for later games. The Board of Visitors decided to fully renovate the east side of the stadium, announcing that decision on December 2, 2016. In May 2017, demolition began on the east side stands, which will be replaced by temporary seating for 1,000 people during the next two seasons; in August 2017, The Citadel Board of Visitors approved a plan to build new stands on the east side that will seat 3,800 and be ready for the 2019 season.

Stadium name and controversy

The stadium is named for General Hagood, who is most known for commanding Confederate forces during the attack on Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts Colored Troops. He is alleged to have made comments regarding the burial of the 54th's white commander Robert Gould Shaw, saying "we buried him with his niggers." After the war, he was active in South Carolina politics, serving as Comptroller and Governor. During his term as governor, he was instrumental in reopening The Citadel after its occupation by Federal troops, who used the facility as its Charleston headquarters during the Reconstruction era.
In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd and the protests that followed, a group of Citadel alumni began organizing to change the name of the stadium. This group was particularly concerned by the alleged statements made by General Hagood regarding the battle at Fort Wager and its aftermath. The Citadel has stated that the name of the stadium cannot be changed without the agreement of the South Carolina legislature.

Stadium uses

In addition to Citadel football games, the stadium hosts high school football games for Burke High School, as well as the Sertoma Football Classic, a series of football scrimmages which raises money for charity and also marks the beginning of the Charleston area high school football season. The venue hosted the 1983 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game and the 1984 NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship Game. The stadium has hosted three home Citadel playoff games; two in 1992 and one in 2016.

Top single-game attendance

This table shows the top 10 attendance figures for The Citadel at Johnson Hagood Stadium:
DateOpponentAttendanceResult
October 17, 1992Marshall23,025L 13–34
November 14, 199221,811W 50–0
November 23, 199121,623W 10–6
October 25, 1969Davidson21,573W 34–28
September 18, 1976Delaware21,570W 17–15
September 13, 197521,465W 21–0
October 11, 1969William & Mary21,460L 14–24
November 1, 2003Wofford20,863L 16–42
September 24, 1988Navy20,754W 42–35
September 12, 199220,710W 30–13