UWF To Play Football At Maritime Park

September 19, 2013

The University of West Florida has reached an agreement to play football home games at the Community Maritime Park beginning in 2016. Home of the Blue Wahoos, the Maritime Park Stadium seats 5,100.

“This further strengthens the community’s ties to UWF by bringing these exciting games downtown to the Maritime Park Stadium,” said CMPA Chairman Collier Merrill. “The CMPA promised and delivered an award winning facility that can host multiple types of  events. Our hope is that UWF football at the Maritime Park Stadium continues the excitement we see downtown during the baseball season into the late summer and fall.”

Earlier this month, UWF President Judy Bense announced that UWF football will host its inaugural season in the fall of  2016. The addition of a football program is one part of the University’s larger goal to enhance student life, attract more students from across the state  and region and increase student retention, provide a more vibrant campus experience for students and alumni, increase school spirit, and expand sponsorship and other fundraising opportunities.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to play college football in such a beautiful setting  as the Maritime Park Stadium,” said UWF President Judy Bense. “We sincerely appreciate the partnership with Quint and Rishy Studer, The Blue Wahoos, the CMPA and  the City of Pensacola. Together we are adding vibrancy to the university and community, and building affinities that will last a lifetime.”

UWF will hire a head football coach in Spring 2014, who will start recruiting the first football student-athletes that fall. The inaugural recruiting class will be enrolled in Fall 2015 and begin practices and scrimmages in preparation for the inaugural season in Fall 2016.

UWF’s  long-term plan is for the team to play in a stadium built on campus, as described in the athletics facilities master plan. The athletics facilities master plan also calls for additional on campus practice facilities for the football team.

Pictured: A conceptual rendering of UWF football at the Maritime Park Stadium.

Comments

4 Responses to “UWF To Play Football At Maritime Park”

  1. Darrell Hess on September 19th, 2013 9:18 pm

    Slippery Rock University played Central Florida, South Florida and Florida Atlantic when they first started football. Why not North Florida ??? Darrell J. Hess ‘54

  2. Sherry Major on September 19th, 2013 3:51 pm

    They should play their first home game against Slippery Rock University!!! The Blue Wahoos vs. The Rock…

  3. mike on September 19th, 2013 3:40 pm

    This is great for the school but I hope a long term solution will to build a stadium on campus.

  4. John Braun on September 19th, 2013 4:22 am

    As an alumni of UWF who lives locally, all I can say is, “Way to go, UWF!” This is awesome news and I can’t wait to get season tickets!

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News, Sports, TOP sports