Harder Stadium, Soccer stadium at University of California campus, Santa Barbara, United States
Harder Stadium is a 17,000-seat outdoor stadium on the University of California, Santa Barbara campus, with a grass field. It is home to the UCSB Gauchos men's and women's soccer teams and is the largest stadium on California's central coast. Club rugby and lacrosse teams also play select contests there.
The facility opened in 1966 and was named after Theodore 'Spud' Harder, a major supporter of the university. In 1967, it briefly served as a training ground for the Green Bay Packers before their first Super Bowl appearance.
Harder Stadium's name honours Theodore "Spud" Harder, a former coach of the Gauchos football team. Each year the Associated Students Program Board holds a free day-long party, EXTRAVAGANZA, on the field; past performers include Fleetwood Mac, the Grateful Dead, Sublime, No Doubt and Jack Johnson.
The stadium sits on the campus grounds and is easiest to reach via campus pathways. On game days, the surrounding area fills with soccer fans, so planning your timing around events makes for a better visit.
In September 2010, the stadium set an NCAA soccer attendance record with nearly 16,000 spectators during a match between the home team and UCLA. This event shows the deep support these teams receive from fans in the region.
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