Knight-Newbrough Field at University Stadium - Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks
Photos by Dave Cottenie, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.57
Knight-Newbrough Field @ University Stadium
81 Seagram Drive
Waterloo, ON N2L 3B7
Year Opened: 1958
Capacity: 3,000
Country Roads … Complete
The 2026 season of Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks football welcomed a construction free zone for the first time in years. The Seagram Project, which reimagined the football experience at Laurier has completed the first two phases. The old, wooden grandstand that was condemned back in the 2021 season, is gone and replaced with a new, permanent grandstand on each side of the field. The project was named after Seagram Stadium, the original name of University Stadium when it was built in 1958.
The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks began as Waterloo College before becoming Waterloo Lutheran University in 1960. With the provincial funding of only secular post-secondary institutions, the name Wilfrid Laurier University was adopted in 1973. The football team has been playing since 1924 and enjoyed a modicum of success for a small school, culminating in Vanier Cup victories as National Champions in 1991 and 2005.
Originally called Seagram Stadium and owned by the University of Waterloo, University Stadium was purchased by Wilfrid Laurier University from the City of Waterloo in 1992. In 2007, the field was renamed Knight-Newbrough Field after Laurier coaching legends Dave “Tuffy” Knight and Rich Newbrough.
Food & Beverage 3
Concessions at University Stadium are pretty good for an OUA football facility. The main concession stand under the grandstand offers regular stadium fare including popcorn, cotton candy, nachos, chips and Domino’s Pizza. Coffee and Coca-Cola beverages are also available. In the west endzone there is normally a BBQ going that offers sausage, hot dogs and burgers. Also, for those of age, alcoholic beverages are available in the east endzone from Sleeman Brewing.
Atmosphere 3
The 2026 season boasts the completion of two phases of the Seagram Project and essentially the stadium atmosphere is set. The final phase is the replacement of the attached building, including the gymnasium and locker rooms and it is debatable how much this phase will change the fan experience for football.
From the exterior, the entrance from Seagram Drive is dominated by the red brick of the gymnasium. Heading toward the west endzone will bring fans to the ticket booth, and main entry into the building, which is a nice, grey brick.
Inside the stadium, there are a few posters along the permanent building for each of the teams that play at University Stadium. On the opposite side, on the north grandstand, dark siding has enclosed the underside of the bleachers. There is a perfect opportunity for more Laurier markings, preferably some notation of the nine Yates Cups the team has won as conference champions.
The field is east-west oriented, with two separated grandstands on the north and south sides. The north side is the bigger of the two and offers plastic, molded seats with benches on each of the end sections. The north side offers a better picture of the 55 yard line logo on the brand new turf. The press box and coaches boxes are behind the north grandstand. The south grandstand is smaller, however is a steeper pitch and the highest rows offer a view more akin to the old, wooden grandstand. There is a significant standing room area on the south side also. A new videoboard and scoreboard stands beyond the west endzone. Underneath the scoreboard is a sign recognizing the 1991 and 2005 Vanier Cups.
The gameday atmosphere is about what one would expect from an OUA event. The requisite promotions are part of the fun, and the host finds fans in the stands to take part in short competitions or to be Wilf's Fan of the Game. The cheerleading team leads the fans in standard football cheers and performs many gymnastic stunts. The Laurier mascot, Midas, can be found around the stadium interacting with fans and posing for pictures. The Laurier anthem, “Country Roads,” can still be heard at each game. The Hawkline plays from the northeast corner. The 2026 season welcomed some brass instruments to the drumline for the first time.
Neighbourhood 4
Wilfrid Laurier is an urban university located just up the street from another urban university. As a result there are a ton of great options for pre and post game meals. University and King streets are where one would find most of the options. There are a ton of great spots to get something to eat before or after the game. Some places one might consider checking out include Crabby Joe’s, Smoke’s Poutinerie and Ethel’s Lounge. The on-campus pub is Wilf’s and offers a great atmosphere and food while being student run and managed. The place you probably should settle on, however, is Morty’s Pub. Home of arguably the best chicken wings in the city, Morty’s always satisfies your post game craving. Their chicken wings are legendary in the city.
As far as entertainment goes, there are a few options in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Fans planning on catching a Laurier game around Canadian Thanksgiving, could be able to catch Oktoberfest. This is the signature festival of Kitchener-Waterloo and the largest Bavarian festival outside of Germany. There are a number of great events that take place over the 10 day festival at a variety of locations including the numerous Fest Halls. Heading south on King Street toward Uptown Waterloo, fans will find a great spot for some evening entertainment in the Huether Hotel Jazz Room. One of the top jazz venues in the province, The Jazz Room offers weekend performances at a great price. There are also a number of pubs in Uptown Waterloo that feature live music.
If fans are interested in enhancing their sporting weekend then there are also a few other options. Wilfrid Laurier also fields other athletic teams, specifically basketball at the WLU Athletic Complex and hockey at the Sun Life Financial Arena. Just up the road, the University of Waterloo also fields USports athletic programs. Fans will find football at Warrior Field, basketball at the Physical Activities Complex and hockey at the Columbia IceField. If willing to drive across town, then fans can catch the phenomenal experience of the Kitchener Rangers at the legendary Aud.
For fans who are planning on staying the night, the Delta is just a short drive from the Laurier campus and is a pretty decent place to stay.
Fans 3
Assessing fans in USports can be a bit of a challenge as attendance figures are not always reported by the teams. At the time of writing, the 2026 season, the Laurier Golden Hawks averaged 2,400 fans per game. This is a decent showing and probably puts them in the top half of the OUA. This was also before the Homecoming game, which boasts a capacity crowd every year. The previous season the Hawks attracted an average of over 3,300 fans per game.
Attendance will fluctuate through the year. Often the first game of the season happens before students are even on campus. Homecoming is an annual sellout. A game against Guelph or Waterloo will bring plenty of travelling fans. A game where the weather is poor will often have fewer than 1,000 fans in attendance. The students are a bit of a wild card. There is no distinct student section and often it feels like there is little to no student presence.
Access 4
Getting to University Stadium and around is not very difficult. University Stadium is located on Seagram Drive which runs between University and Albert Streets. Fans who are coming from out of town will have a decent drive through the city as the university campus is a fair trek southwest of Highway 85. Traffic on University Ave moves fairly quickly, so getting to the stadium should not be too much of an issue.
There are a number of bus routes that travel along King St and University Ave. The Ion Light Rail also has a stop at Waterloo Park, a few steps from the stadium. Check the Grand River Transit website for fares, maps and schedules.
Parking can be for sale in the stadium lot, however most spaces are reserved for season ticket holders and media. There is some parking available west of the stadium in the Granite Club parking lot, but be mindful of the signs as ticketing often happens for violators. Parking can also be found on campus or in some of the University of Waterloo lots that are close to Seagram Drive.
The ticketing office is located in the permanent building under the grandstand. Other than that, there is no specific, grand entry gate. Security is present at 2 or 3 gates for entry which is more than ample for this facility and entry into the stadium is very quick.
Moving around University Stadium is much easier with the completion of the majority of the Seagram Project. A full path around the stadium is now available and all of the permanent stands are in place. Permanent washrooms are decent, however a large crowd necessitates the use of portable toilets which are also on site.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the Golden Hawks have come down in recent years. Regular adult tickets are $13 if purchased in advance. Staff, alumni, students and seniors are all $11 and Laurier students are $5 while kids are $7. Each ticket category is more expensive when walking up. The concession prices are decent and parking can be found for free. The product on the field is significantly under-rated and fans will no doubt enjoy their afternoon.
Extras 4
An extra mark for the continued nod back to West Virginia. The heart of the Laurier athletics program came north from West Virginia. Over the years, the Hawks have embraced John Denver’s “Take Me Home, Country Roads” as their anthem. When the Hawks won the Vanier Cup in 2005, it was John Denver that blasted over the PA. The Laurier anthem has found a home during each game, an improvement from previous seasons when it was only played at Homecoming.
An extra mark for Laurier announcer Chris Povey, who has done a fantastic job as the public address announcer for Laurier football and hockey for a number of years. Chris brings energy and enthusiasm to the game every time and does his best to entertain and inform the crowd, even if the game is not so interesting.
An extra mark for the interesting history of the Golden Hawks mascot.
An extra mark for the program that Tuffy Knight and Rich Newbrough put together and the honor of having the field named after these Laurier Legends
Final Thoughts
The completion of the first two phases of The Seagram Project is a welcome change for Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks football fans. The new Knight-Newbrough Field @ University Stadium offers fans a great spot for a fall afternoon of university football and a break from the construction is also a plus.
