History
The Patriots got their first permanent home in 1971. Built quickly and cheaply in suburban Foxborough, it opened as Schaefer Stadium and later carried the Sullivan and Foxboro names.
Besides football, it hosted World Cup matches in 1994 and the Women's World Cup in 1999. It was also the first home of MLS's New England Revolution.
Robert Kraft bought the stadium in 1988 and later built Gillette Stadium next door. The old stadium's last game was the January 2002 'Tuck Rule' playoff win over Oakland in the snow. The stadium was torn down within weeks, and its land became parking and part of the Patriot Place development.
Why it matters: The Patriots' first permanent home for 31 seasons, and the venue of the Tuck Rule Game.
Timeline
- September 23, 1970
Construction began. Clio reports that the stadium went up in 327 days.
- August 15, 1971
The Patriots christened their first permanent home with a 20–14 preseason win over the New York Giants.
- 1983
The stadium took the name of the Patriots' founding Sullivan family.
- 1994World Cup matches[1]
Hosted six 1994 World Cup matches, including Maradona's last World Cup appearance.
- January 2002
Demolition, delayed by the Patriots' playoff run, started in late January 2002.
- January 19, 2002
The Patriots beat the Raiders in a snowstorm playoff game, the last game ever played there.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking for Gillette Stadium and part of the Patriot Place shopping center[1,3] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| New England Patriots | NFL · 1971–2001 |
|---|---|
| New England Tea Men | NASL · 1978–1980 |
| New England Revolution | MLS · 1996–2001 |
| Boston College Eagles | NCAA · 1975–1987 · secondary |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | Schaefer Stadium (1971–1983); Sullivan Stadium (1983–1989) |
|---|---|
| Location | Washington Street (U.S. Route 1), Foxborough, Massachusetts[3] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Soccer |
| Level | NFL, MLS, NASL, NCAA |
| Opened | August 15, 1971[1,2,3] |
| Last used for sports | January 19, 2002[1,3,4] |
| Demolished | 2002[1,3] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 60,292[1,2] |
| Capacity notes | 60,292 per Wikipedia. Patriots.com says about 60,000. |
| Architect | David M. Berg Associates Inc.; Finch/Heery[1] |
| Construction cost | $7.1 million |
| Surface | Poly-Turf (1971–76), AstroTurf (1977–90), grass (1991–2001) |
| Owner / operator | Stadium Realty Trust (1970–1981); Stadium Management Corp. (1981–1988); Robert Kraft (1988–2002) |
| Closure | Replaced by the privately built Gillette Stadium, constructed next to it. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- Foxboro Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Foxboro Stadium History: 1971, New England Patriots. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, opened
- Foxboro Stadium (Schaefer / Sullivan Stadium), Clio. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, closed, current land use, demolished, opened
- Tuck Rule Game, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Wikipedia gives demolition as 'late January–June 2002'. Clio says only late January 2002. Recorded at year precision.
- Wikipedia lists the Revolution through 2001, which matches the stadium's closing.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.