Finally at home: First regular-season football game at new Walsh University stadium

Edd Pritchard, The Repository
·3 min read
Alumni, students and local fans fill the stands Saturday afternoon as Walsh University plays its first regular-season football game on campus in the new Larry Staudt Field.
Alumni, students and local fans fill the stands Saturday afternoon as Walsh University plays its first regular-season football game on campus in the new Larry Staudt Field.

NORTH CANTON – Knowing their sons could be part of Walsh University sports history had the Bischof and Francz families fired up.

Linebackers Kyle Bischof and Connor Francz transferred to Walsh from the University of Akron and would be playing in the regular-season football game Saturday on the school's campus at Larry Staudt Field.

More:Dream of football field on Walsh campus becomes reality

Up until this season Walsh's football team — the program started in 1995 — played "home games" in North Canton Hoover's Memorial Stadium, Fawcett Stadium, Bob Commings Field at GlenOak High School, and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

Proud moms Kelly Bischof and Sharon Francz enjoy pregame fun before their sons Kyle Bischof and Connor Francz take the field Saturday in Walsh University's first regular-season football game at Larry Staudt Field.
Proud moms Kelly Bischof and Sharon Francz enjoy pregame fun before their sons Kyle Bischof and Connor Francz take the field Saturday in Walsh University's first regular-season football game at Larry Staudt Field.

"It's nice to see that they brought it home," Kelly Bischof said of the new field at the campus. The Bischofs and Franczes joined others to tailgate in a parking lot next to the stadium, which is on the north side of East Maple Street.

A crowd of alumni, students and local fans filled the home stands on the stadium's west side. Many fanned out and stood along the fence. Others found spots in the grassy slope off East Maple Street.

Adding the stadium is a positive move for the university, Sharon Francz said. Walsh has a great reputation for academics and sports, but the stadium is an amenity that will help attract students, she said.

At home, but a loss Walsh University football

Unfortunately the first game on campus didn't have a Hollywood finish.

The Cavaliers lost, 42-0, to Tiffin University, a rival in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.

The results weren't much better than when Walsh played Tiffin in its last home game at Bob Commings Field, down Easton Avenue NE less than a mile east of campus. Tiffin routed the Cavaliers in that game, 56-16.

Oddsmakers probably weren't anticipating a turnaround for Walsh in this year's opener with Tiffin.

Walsh University players walk on field for the coin flip before the football team's first game on campus at Larry Staudt Field.
Walsh University players walk on field for the coin flip before the football team's first game on campus at Larry Staudt Field.

The G-MAC preseason poll ranked Tiffin as the league's second-best team, right behind the University of Findlay and just ahead of Ashland University. Walsh tied for eighth in the nine-team league, garnering as many points as Lake Erie College in Painesville.

Already home for lacrosse, soccer and track teams

Saturday afternoon wasn't the first time Walsh's football team played at Larry Staudt Field. It was also the site of the team's spring game.

Walsh's lacrosse teams have used the field. The women's team played four games there in April, including the G-MAC Women's Lacrosse Championship. And the men's lacrosse team played its regular home finale at the field.

The men's soccer team played its first home game at the field Aug. 26, followed by a game the next day. The women's soccer team played at the new field Aug. 28.

Donors made the field possible

Support from alumni and friends have made construction of the field possible. So far Walsh has completed three steps in the facility's construction, with the final step yet to come.

In fall 2020 the facility was named Larry Staudt Field, and grass at the site was cleared and replaced with turf. The second step saw installation of a scoreboard offering spectators a playback video screen.

The west side of the stadium was built earlier this year. It has seating for approximately 1,000 spectators and features the William and Kathleen Brauchler Press Box.

The final phase of the project calls for additional seating for 2,500 people on the east side of the field. It will feature a promenade area and press box. That work will start once additional donations are secured.

The facility is name for Larry Staudt, a 1967 Walsh graduate who went on to work as a chemist for Republic Steel. A former Stark County resident, Staudt has retired to Florida.

Several years ago, Staudt approached the university offering to help with a donation, said Eric Belden, Walsh's vice president for advancement. School officials explained the need for a sports field. "He jumped all over it," Belden said.

The facility benefits hundreds of student-athletes and is helping to build a campus culture, Belden said.

Reach Edd at 330-580-8484 or edd.pritchard@cantonrep.com On Twitter: @epritchardREP

Duncan, the Francz family dog, hangs out during tailgating festivities Saturday at Larry Staudt Field on the Walsh University campus. It was the first time Walsh's football team played a game on campus since the program began in 1995.
Duncan, the Francz family dog, hangs out during tailgating festivities Saturday at Larry Staudt Field on the Walsh University campus. It was the first time Walsh's football team played a game on campus since the program began in 1995.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Walsh U. loses first regular-season football game at new stadium