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Beirne Stadium - Bryant Bulldogs Football

  • Writer: Paul Baker
    Paul Baker
  • Oct 11
  • 6 min read

Updated: 20 hours ago

Photos by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey


Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.00

Beirne Stadium 1150 Douglas Pike Smithfield, RI 02917



Year Opened: 1999

Capacity: 4,400

Feel the Beirne

 

Built in 1999 as Bulldog Stadium to coincide with the debut of the school’s football team, the David M. ’85 and Terry Beirne Stadium was dedicated in 2016 to honor the Bryant University trustee and his wife, who are among the largest benefactors of the University.  The facility serves as home to Bryant’s football and lacrosse teams. In 2024, Beirne Stadium served as home to Rhode Island FC of the USL Championship league as they awaited completion of their new home, Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket.

 

Football has been played at Bryant University since 1999. The school originally competed in Division II, making appearances in the D-II tournament in 2006 and 2007 before moving up to the FCS level of Division One for the 2008 season. Bryant has been nomadic during their time in D-1, playing in four conferences during their short stint in the FCS.


They are currently members of CAA Football, the league operated by the Colonial Athletic Association. The Bulldogs have yet to qualify for the FCS postseason tournament. Three Bryant alumni, Tom Kennedy, Kenny Dyson, and Joe Andreessen, have played in the National Football League.

 

Over the years, Bryant has built up their football facilities on what was once a large empty field used by the New England Patriots as their training camp site. New for the 2025 season is the Navigant Credit Union Fieldhouse, built on the west side of Beirne Stadium opposite the main grandstand. The Fieldhouse offers enhanced locker rooms, an innovative media strategy room, and facilities for training, recovery and wellness. It also includes improved fan amenities, including the Black and Gold Club Lounge and 1,000 new seats to replace the old bleachers, as well as a new professional-level press box.


Navigant Credit Union Fieldhouse at Beirne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey.
Navigant Credit Union Fieldhouse at Beirne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey.

 

Food & Beverage 3

 

There are a pair of concession stands on the second level of the new Navigant Credit Union Fieldhouse. A basic menu is served at these stands, featuring hot dogs and burgers, nachos and pretzels. For an extra charge, you can add chili and/or cheese to just about anything on the menu. A selection of snacks and candy rounds out the menu.

 

Coca-Cola products are featured at Beirne Stadium. Fans looking for an adult beverage can head to the Phantom Farms beer garden in the north end zone, where a selection of their excellent craft brews is sold.

 

Atmosphere 3

 

The folks at Bryant put on a pretty good show for such a little place. The parking lots open up four hours before kickoff, and Bulldog fans start showing up early. The tailgating scene is quite impressive, especially for a stadium that doesn’t even seat 5,000 fans.

 

Once inside Beirne Stadium you’ll experience your typical small-school football game day. The pep band plays, the cheerleaders and dance squad perform, and the fans do their thing, cheering on the home team. The PA announcer adds some energy to the proceedings, and the video board in the north end zone provides game info, graphics, and the occasional highlight. Tupper, the Bulldog mascot, roams the grounds interacting with fans. There’s a bouncy house in the north end zone if you’re visiting with some younger fans who need to burn some excess energy.

 

This is a laid-back, friendly place to take in some quality football. Visiting fans and those with children can feel comfortable here. There’s a good turnout by the student body, but there’s no rowdy student section to create a lot of noise.

 

The Bryant Band Performs outside Beirne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey.
The Bryant Band Performs outside Beirne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey.

Neighborhood 3

 

Suburban Smithfield is a very nice place to live, but it’s certainly not a destination location. However, the area around campus does have some solid dining and lodging options.

 

If you are looking for a place to eat before or after a Bulldogs game, Blackies and Laura’s Bar and Grill are a couple of the more popular options. Stadium Journey recommends J’s Deli for their impressive variety of grinders (that’s what we call sub sandwiches here in Rhode Island). Several national chain restaurants and shopping options are located about a 10-minute drive away on Route 44. Fans visiting from out of town may opt to take the 20-minute drive to Providence, which has no shortage of top-notch restaurants and lodging options.

 

If you are planning to stay near Bryant, you’ll find similar slim pickings in the immediate area. There is a Holiday Inn Express, a Hampton Inn and Suites, and a Home2Suites by Hilton near campus, but visitors may opt to stay in nearby Providence or even Boston, only an hour’s drive to the north. Twin Rivers Casino is in nearby Lincoln, just a few minutes from campus. If spending time in a casino is on your agenda, the twin resorts of Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun are located an hour away, just over the Connecticut state line.

 

Fans 3

 

Beirne Stadium is a smaller facility, but it feels like it’s the right size for this program. The team generally draws between 2,000-3,000 fans for most games. The exception every season appears to be the annual Parents Weekend game. If you’re visiting Smithfield that weekend, plan to get here early, as that game draws 5,000 fans or more every year. You may find yourself parking in a distant overflow lot if you arrive late.

 

There is a good turnout by the student section for Bulldog football games. Unfortunately, many of them do not stick around for the entire game, and there is no organized student section to speak of.

 

The crowd at Beirne Stadium is a good mix of students, locals, diehard football fanatics, and families. It’s also not usual to see several four-legged fans present at a Bulldog game. Overall, the crowd here is laid-back, enjoying a nice fall afternoon at the game rather than making spectacles of themselves.


Bryant Bulldog football game action at Bierne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker.
Bryant Bulldog football game action at Bierne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker.

 

Access 4

 

Bryant University is located in suburban Smithfield, Rhode Island, 13 miles from Providence. The campus is most easily accessed by car. Visitors to Bryant will simply take exit 15B off Interstate 295. The campus is just over a mile away from I-295 on Route 7. Fans using public transportation will find a Rhode Island Public Transportation (RIPTA) bus station on the Bryant campus, offering service every 40 minutes to downtown Providence.

 

For much of its early history, Bryant was a commuter school, so there is ample parking all around campus. Bulldog fans will arrive early to tailgate just steps from the stadium and enjoy a beautiful Rhode Island fall Saturday. Even though these lots are large, they can fill quickly, forcing latecomers to park in the more distant lots, which can be a good walk from the Stadium. The days of arriving 15 minutes before kickoff and getting a spot just steps from the front gate are long gone.

 

An interesting effect of the new fieldhouse is that the field has been flipped 180 degrees, so that it now faces west. The larger grandstand on the east side of the field is now the visitors' side, while the smaller, but fancier, fieldhouse side houses the home fans. Most seats at Beirne Stadium consist of metal bleachers, with bucket seats around the 50-yard line on both sides of the field.

 

There is plenty of standing room all around the facility, and fans are able to completely circumnavigate the field. Restrooms and concession stands are located in the new fieldhouse and the old grandstand. Be aware that lines do form at halftime, so plan your trips wisely. Bryant University practices a clear bag policy, which is posted on their website here.

 

Return on Investment 3

 

Seating in the main grandstand at Beirne Stadium is sold as general admission for $16.45. Should you wish to splurge for seats in the new Navigant Credit Union Fieldhouse, Bleacher Seating here will cost you $32.20, and Club Seating $42.70. Parking in the lots adjacent to Beirne Stadium costs an additional $20. Concessions are comparably priced with other venues in the area.

 

A bulldog statue guards the entrance to Beirne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey.
A bulldog statue guards the entrance to Beirne Stadium. Photo by Paul Baker, Stadium Journey.

Extras 2

                                                                                               

New construction at Beirne Stadium means new bulldog statues at the new entrances!!!

 

Another extra point for the many improvements being made to the facility, both obvious and subtle. From the construction of the Beirne training complex and the Navigant Credit Union Fieldhouse to the installation of permanent lighting, Beirne Stadium now looks like a complete football stadium and less like a set of bleachers plopped into an open space where the Patriots used to hold their training camp.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Bryant football is a small school with big ambitions when it comes to intercollegiate sports. They continue to grow and improve the game day experience for visiting fans, to the point where Beirne Stadium may now be the premier football experience in all of Rhode Island.

 

Follow Paul Baker’s stadium journeys on Twitter and Instagram @PuckmanRI.

 

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