Cardinale Stadium
 | |
| Former names | Freeman Stadium |
|---|---|
| Address | 4441 2nd Avenue Seaside, California 93955 |
| Coordinates | 36°39′3″N 121°48′18″W / 36.65083°N 121.80500°W |
| Owner | Ray Beshoff |
| Operator | Monterey Bay FC |
| Capacity | 6,000 |
| Field size | 116 yd × 75 yd (106 m × 69 m) |
| Surface | AstroTurf[2] |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | September 16, 2021[1] |
| Opened | May 7, 2022 |
| Architect | HOK |
| General contractor | Otto Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Monterey Bay FC (USLC) (2022–present) CSUMB Otters Soccer (2022–present) Monterey Bay FC 2 (USL2) (2023–present) | |
Cardinale Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium on the campus of California State University, Monterey Bay in Seaside, California. It is the home of Monterey Bay F.C. of the USL Championship.
History
[edit]The venue opened in 1951 as Freeman Stadium. It hosted the Fort Ord Warriors, a semi-pro football team made up of servicemen from Fort Ord. In the 1950s they played such teams as the Los Angeles Rams and the San Francisco 49ers. Fort Ord was closed in 1994 and some of the land, including the stadium, became the home of California State University, Monterey Bay.
Ground breaking for the stadium renovations took place on September 16, 2021. The team entered into a multi-year partnership with the Cardinale Automotive Group for the stadium naming rights.[3][4]
The stadium opened on May 7, 2022, when Monterey Bay defeated Las Vegas Lights FC 1–0 on a goal by Walmer Martinez in the 56th minute.[5][6]
In November 2023 the stadium hosted the 2023 California Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Championship, the first time CSUMB hosted the tournament in their two decades in the conference dating back to 2004.[7]
In March 2025 Monterey Bay FC and CSUMB announced a proposal for upgrades to the facilities in and around the stadium to allow the stadium to host more events. This includes permanent men's and women's locker rooms, which would allow for Monterey Bay to potentially field a team in one or both of the professional USL Super League or pre-professional USL W League.[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Ferrante, Christina (September 16, 2021). "Monterey Bay F.C. Breaks Ground on Cardinale Stadium on the CSUMB Campus". Monterey Bay FC. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
- ^ "Monterey Bay F.C. Chooses FIFA-Approved AstroTurf® Field for Home Pitch at New Cardinale Stadium". astroturf.com. April 8, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
- ^ "Monterey Bay FC plan includes major stadium renovation". Kevin Reichard. Soccer Stadium Digest. February 1, 2021. Retrieved February 5, 2021.
- ^ "Monterey Bay FC Breaks Ground on Cardinale Stadium on the CSUMB Campus". montereybayfc.com. Monterey Bay Football Club. September 16, 2021. Archived from the original on January 25, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ Vargo, Steven (May 7, 2022). "Monterey Bay F.C. Shuts Out Las Vegas Lights FC in Club's Inaugural Home Opener at Cardinale Stadium". Monterey Bay FC. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "Home again, Walmer Martinez gave Monterey Bay the moment it needed". Nicolas Murray. USL Championship. May 9, 2022. Retrieved May 9, 2022.
- ^ "Cardinale Stadium to Host 2023 CCAA Women's Soccer Championship". goccaa.org. 2025-01-08. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
- ^ "Expansion at Cardinale Stadium seeks to diversify events and attract female soccer teams". Monterey County NOW. 2025-03-06. Retrieved 2025-04-17.