35 College Stadiums That Are More Iconic Than the Teams That Play There

8. Harvard Stadium: Harvard University (Cambridge, MA)

Harvard football may no longer be the dominant force it once was, but Harvard Stadium is a piece of living sports history. Built in 1903, it is the oldest stadium in the United States still used for college football and was the first stadium in the world constructed with reinforced concrete, setting the blueprint for modern stadium design. But Harvard Stadium’s impact on football goes beyond architecture—it helped shape the rules of the game itself. In the early 1900s, when college football was notoriously violent and some schools wanted to ban the sport entirely, Harvard’s insistence on preserving their stadium led to rule changes, including the introduction of the forward pass, revolutionizing football forever. With its Greek-inspired horseshoe shape, deep historical significance, and its role in shaping football as we know it, Harvard Stadium is a true icon—even if Harvard football doesn’t make national headlines anymore.