A century of sport, pride and Brunonian traditions: Brown Stadium turns 100

"There's really no other place like Brown Stadium on game day," Perry said. "There is something very special about playing in front of our alumni, students and fans at home on Saturday afternoons and getting to feel the support there more than anywhere else."

Perry knows the magic of the stadium and the power of Bears fans' support firsthand. A Brown Class of 2000 graduate, he is one of the most decorated players in program history. As quarterback, he was named Ivy League Player of the Year and a three-time First Team All-Ivy selection.

"To have been able to play in the stadium as a player for four years, to clinching the 1999 Ivy League title at home, to now getting to be the head coach at Brown - so many of my greatest football memories have occurred in Brown Stadium, and I know so many other guys who have similar sentiments about the stadium," Perry said.

Originally constructed under the working name Brown Amphitheatre, the stadium opened on Sept. 26, 1925, with a 33-0 win over the University of Rhode Island, then known as Rhode Island State College. With a capacity of nearly 28,000, including temporary wooden bleachers, it was among the most state-of-the-art athletic facilities in New England at the time and elevated Brown football's standing in the Ivy League.

Over the past century, the stadium has undergone several transformations, including a major project in 2021 to transition from grass to a turf playing surface. At the time, the field was rededicated in honor of Class of 1968 alumnus Richard Gouse and renamed Richard Gouse Field at Brown Stadium. With a current capacity of 20,000, Brown Stadium is the largest stadium in Rhode Island.