EUGENE STONE SOCCER STADIUM
In September of 1995, over 3,500 fans joined with international soccer great Pelé in dedicating Furman University's new Eugene Stone III Soccer Stadium.
The facility, which features a brick and wrought iron fence, 3,000 permanent seats, fully-automated scoreboard, modern press box, and lighting for night games, serves as home of Furman's men's and women's ultra-successful soccer programs and has been the site of five Southern Conference Tournaments and a pair of NCAA Tournament first round matches. This fall Furman will play host to the 2006 SoCon men's tournament.
Named for the late Eugene Stone, longtime Furman benefactor, the $1 million dollar complex is one of several generous gifts made by Stone and the Stone Foundation to Furman University in support of the school's athletics program.
In 1981, Stone provided the grading work for Furman's Paladin Stadium football field, which is named in his honor. In 1983, he initiated significant annual scholarship support for Furman's men's soccer program, and in 1985 he provided additional seating for the football stadium, increasing its capacity to 16,000.
Due primarily to Stone's commitment, Furman's men's soccer program has responded by winning 17 Southern Conference championships and earning six NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the "Elite 8" in 1999 following first and second round wins over North Carolina and Wake Forest, respectively. Furman finished that season 21-2-1 and ranked third in the final Soccer America poll. In 2002, the Paladins posted a 19-3-1 mark, including a pair of NCAA Tournament wins over Loyola (Md.) and Virginia Commonwealth.
Furman players who have starred in Stone Stadium include Clint Dempsey, a standout performer with the New England Revolution, Fulham Cottagers of the EPL, and U.S. National and 2006 World Cup Teams, Ricardo Clark of the Houston Dynamo, and Sergei Raad of the Kansas City Wizards.
Furman women's soccer, meanwhile, has enjoyed similar success since the program's start in 1994. Over its first 12 seasons of play, the Lady Paladins have captured seven conference regular season titles and made four NCAA Tournament appearances.
