Welcome to Yale Athletics Tour

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Payne Whitney Gymnasium

Tour stop audio transcript

Welcome to the Yale Athletics Tour. My name is Mason and I’m a sophomore on the Yale varsity football team. Yale varsity athletics span 35 men’s and women’s teams and more than 150 years of celebrated history. Much of that history has occurred in Payne Whitney Gymnasium, which was completed in 1932. The 14-story gothic building is one of the world’s largest indoor athletics facilities. In addition to the John J. Lee Amphitheater that is home to varsity basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics, the gym includes two pools, a 20,000 square foot fitness center, rowing tanks, a golf technology center, and 15 squash courts.

Yale Bowl

Tour stop audio transcript

The historic Yale Bowl, with its Class of 1954 Field, is one of the true treasures in American sports. When it opened in 1914, it was the largest stadium in the world and the first American football stadium with seating that completely surrounded the field. In the 1870’s and 1880’s a Yale undergraduate named Walter Camp codified many of the rules of American football that still exist today. Later as Yale’s coach, he led his teams to a 67 and 2 record while building national interest in the sport. The Yale-Harvard football game played each November is one of the oldest rivalries in college sports and draws tens of thousands of spectators to the bowl.

George H.W. Bush Field

Tour stop audio transcript

The George H.W. Bush Field is home to Yale baseball team, which has played at this spot for more than 100 years. Considered a collegiate baseball cathedral, the field has hosted thousands of college baseball games as well as decades of minor league and high school games. In 1948, Babe Ruth made one of his final public appearances at the Yale field, presenting a copy of his autobiography to then Yale captain and first baseman George H. W. Bush.

Coxe Cage

Tour stop audio transcript

Coxe Cage is the home of the Yale men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams. The building’s 6,000-square-foot skylight and massive windows bathe the space in sunlight even in the winter months. The facility’s track is considered one of the fastest in the east and all field events can be contested within the track oval. A comprehensive renovation recently replaced all the original glass windows with new energy-efficient panes.

Ingalls Rink

Tour stop audio transcript

Ingalls Rink, home to the men’s and women’s hockey teams is affectionately known as the Yale Whale because of its sweeping domed roof designed by Eero Saarinen. Rising 75 feet above the ice, the building’s roof is supported by a 290-foot spine made of reinforced concrete. A recent renovation added a new 14,000 square-foot addition that houses locker rooms for Yale’s celebrated varsity men’s and women’s hockey teams. With room for 3,500 spectators, Ingalls Rink is one of the most exciting places in America to watch a college hockey game.