page_title: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium / History
caption_attribution_description: English: LaValle Stadium following the renovations and expansion
context_page_description: The Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium is the main stadium for Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, United States. Construction began in 2000 at a cost of approximately $22 million. With a capacity of 12,300 people, it is the largest outdoor facility in Suffolk County. The stadium is home to the Division I Stony Brook Seawolves and their football, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's lacrosse, and women's lacrosse teams.
  The stadium opened on September 14, 2002. It was named in honor of New York state senator Kenneth LaValle on October 19, 2002. LaValle played a key role in the development and creation of the stadium. The stadium consists of a three-tier press box on the east side, as well as six luxury suites, a press box, television and radio booths, and a camera deck on the roof.
context_section_description: Seawolves Stadium opened on September 14, 2002 as the Stony Brook Seawolves football team faced the St. John's Red Storm in Stony Brook's first game as a Division I program. Stony Brook won 34–9, and the opening kickoff was returned for a touchdown by the Seawolves. At the time of its opening, the 8,136-seat stadium was the largest in Suffolk County, a record that is still held today.
  On October 19, 2002, the date of Stony Brook's Homecoming game against Sacred Heart, the stadium was renamed the Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium in honor of New York state senator Kenneth P. LaValle, a key figure in the development and creation of the $22 million facility. Before its opening, the Stony Brook Director of Marketing and Promotions for Athletics had opened up the possibility of renaming the stadium for a corporate partnership or a former president of Stony Brook University.
  The stadium's name has been the subject of numerous controversies, including in 2009 after LaValle voted against the legalization of gay marriage in New York and in 2019 when LaValle voted against a ban on gay conversion therapy.
  A sold-out crowd of 10,024 watched the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship quarterfinals at LaValle Stadium, where No. 8-seeded Stony Brook fell 10–9 to No. 1-seeded Virginia, falling one goal short of the Final Four.
  In October 2012, Stony Brook University allocated $5.7 million for the addition of at least 2,000 seats to LaValle Stadium, bringing the seating capacity from 8,300 to 10,300, with a standing capacity of 2,000 bringing the stadium's total capacity to 12,300. 
  New York governor Andrew Cuomo vetoed a $22 million upgrade to the stadium in 2015, money which was originally allocated for a "computational biomedicine visualization and drug development magnet facility." The Senate had attempted to change the usage of the funds in the state budget as the intended programs no longer existed. 
  An expansion was completed in the summer of 2017 and added 2,000 seats in the north end zone, as well as a new concessions and restrooms facility. Before the 2018 season, a new turf field was installed in LaValle Stadium, also adding red end zones and a new midfield logo.
caption: LaValle Stadium during a football game in 2018, following the expansion and updated field
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