Every April since 1895 the Penn Relays have filled Franklin Field, the oldest double-deck stadium in the United States and home to one of the oldest and largest track and field meets in the world. Franklin Field was built in 1895 and doubled-decked in 1922, its red brick and concrete stands holding more than 52,000 people. The Penn Relays, held here every April since 1895, is the oldest and largest track and field competition in the United States, drawing 15,000 athletes from high school through Olympic level over three days.
It was the first large-scale track meet in America and the model for relay races around the world. The Philadelphia Eagles played here from 1958 to 1970. The first Army-Navy football game in Philadelphia was held on this field.
Vince Lombardi coached at West Point and his teams played here. The field hosted parts of the 1952 and 1956 Olympic trials. A.J. Foyt won his first professional auto race here in 1960 when Franklin Field briefly hosted sports car racing on a street circuit around the campus.
The stadium is still used for Penn Quakers football games and, of course, the Penn Relays every spring.