They Played at Four Different Stadiums In Their First 11 Years
Though the Patriots now play in a mammoth, state-of-the-art stadium complex, their early nomadic beginnings were almost laughable. The team's first two seasons were played at Nickerson Field, owned by Boston University and former home of baseball's Boston Braves. In 1963 they moved to Fenway Park, complete with a peculiar field setup that positioned the Green Monster grandstand seating within spitting distance of the players' benches. Ongoing conflicts with the Red Sox's schedule led to the Patriots playing one-off home games in San Diego and Birmingham, AL. By the 1969 season they had jumped ship to Boston College's Alumni Stadium, and in 1970 they played at Harvard Stadium. In 1971 they finally moved to a permanent home in Foxboro, Mass., as the rechristened New England Patriots. In 2002, the new Gillette Stadium was opened adjacent to the old Foxboro.