Long Beach City College is inviting the community to celebrate the legacy of Veterans Memorial Stadium with two free special events ahead of the stadium’s upcoming transformation. 

Beginning this fall, a new Stadium and Athletic Sports Complex will be constructed on LBCC’s Liberal Arts Campus, supported by local Measure LB. The project will be a state-of-the-art facility that includes a new stadium that pays homage to the original, an arena, and centralizes athletic fields to provide exceptional competition spaces for student-athletes and the wider community. It is scheduled to be completed in 2029. 

LBCC will commemorate this historic facility with two free events:

• The community is invited to cheer on the Vikings one last time at the original stadium on Saturday, August 29, at 4 p.m. as part of a Farewell Football Game. Entry is free, and the game will feature community activities, giveaways, and a half-time ceremony. Reserve your free ticket.
• LBCC is also hosting a Veterans Memorial Stadium Legacy Ceremony and Groundbreaking on Wednesday, September 9, at 3 p.m., to honor the history of the stadium and mark the start of construction on its upcoming transformation. The groundbreaking ceremony will feature college speakers, a video presentation, stadium signing walls, refreshments, and giveaways. RSVP for the groundbreaking. 

Veterans Memorial Stadium originally opened in 1950 and was operated by the City of Long Beach before being sold to Long Beach City College for $1 in 1987. It has been the home stadium for the LBCC Vikings and Long Beach Poly football teams, served as the backdrop for commercials and films, and hosted a wide variety of community events over its seven decades, including graduations, motorcycle races, roller derby, rugby matches, swap meets, and antique markets.