Silver Season

Old Baker Field in the 1950's

This will be the 25th season at Columbia's Wien Stadium, which opened in 1984 after the wooden Baker Field stands started to become an eyesore.

By the time the 1982 season rolled around, a huge part of the stadium was actually roped off for safety. The trouble was that the 32,000 seat stadium, (that figure is often disputed, it's possible it was closer to 35,000 or even 37,000), was never meant to be permanent. The wooden bleachers were supposed to be replaced with something more durable a few times, but the money or the will were never there. So, by 1982 you had a 60-year facility that was falling apart and was too big a venue anyway.


Columbia football savior Lawrence Wien


Enter Lawrence Wien. Like Baker Field patron George Baker, Wien was a Manhattan-based business success. Unlike Baker, he was a Columbia grad, (College Class of 1925, Law School Class of 1928), and instead of helping a team on the rise in the early 1920's, Wien was playing the hero to a program in trouble in the early 1980's.

He gave an initial gift of $3 million, (which is something like $15 trillion in today's terms), and then another $2 million for the visitors stands and $1 for the new soccer stadium.

The new stadium opened in 1984 on live TV as PBS's Ivy League football package kicked off with New York Mayor Ed Koch dedicating the facility along with Columbia President Michael Sovern. Koch made the event fun by predicting the Lions would "Beat the Hell out of 'em" when referring to the day's opponent, Harvard.

Unfortunately, most of the audio feed from the game conked out on PBS, so not many people heard that prediction. The good news was that the 10,500 seat stadium was completely sold out for the opener. (The additional 6,500 visitor seats were opened in 1986).

As much as I would like to have seen the old Baker Field in all its glory, I have nothing but good things to say about Wien Stadium... or the new Robert K. Kraft Field AT Wien Stadium, which it is now called. It's a beautiful location, and the smaller stands now allow for a great view of the Hudson-Harlem River convergence beyond the visitor stands on the west side.

In honor of the 25 years of Wien Stadium here, in chronological order, are the top 25 moments in Wien history:


1. Opening Day! September 23, 1984

Columbia ended up losing to Harvard that day, 35-21. But the sold-out stands and the fact that it was clear the program would continue were worth celebrating. Harvard ended up finishing second in the Ivies at 5-2 that season, so the fact that Columbia was within 27-21 with just a few minutes to go meant something.


2. Matt's Last Stand. November 8, 1987

Columbia's best chance to end its record losing streak failed by just a yard as Kurt Dasbach's field goal attempt missed by just a yard wide left. Star defensive leader Matt Sodl has 19 tackles and played the game of his life. It was a true profile in determination in courage that ended sadly. No one who was at that game will ever forget it.



3. WE WIN!!!! October 8, 1988

This was the #1 moment as far as excitement goes in Wien Stadium history. Columbia beat preseason Ivy favorite Princeton 16-13 in front of an ever-growing number of fans who wanted to be there to witness history. The goalposts came down, the fans were in ecstasy, the campus exploded.


4. Beautiful Win. October 27, 1990

Columbia's second win at Wien Stadium came two years after the first, and it was also against Princeton. But even more memorable than the 17-15 win was the incredibly beautiful weather that drew even non-football fans to the stadium that day. The crowd of 10,750 was a record that stood at Wien for four years.


5. & 6. Des' Incredible Days. November 16 and 23, 1992

Des Werthman goes both ways twice with dominant defensive and offensive performances as Columbia closes out the 1992 season with thrilling wins over Cornell and Brown. Cornell had the inside track to the Ivy title before the loss.


7. Homecoming Fluke Busters. October 29. 1994

Another beautiful weather day, another Homecoming win over Princeton. This 17-10 win proved that Columbia's early season wins were no fluke.


8. A Winning Season! November 12, 1994

A wild 38-33 Columbia win clinched the first winning season for the Lions since 1971. QB Jamie Schwalbe went 17 of 25 for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns.


9. Swimming to Victory. October 21, 1995

Columbia beats Yale 21-10 to go to 3-0 in the Ivies despite very heavy rains. Everyone who came and stayed at that game deserves some kind of medal.


10. Wiley Returns. September 21, 1996

Columbia wins the first overtime game in Ivy history with a strong comeback against Harvard. Marcellus Wiley makes a triumphant return after sitting out the 1995 season and blocks a chip shot Harvard field goal to preserve the tie at the end of regulation.


11. Monsoon on the Hudson. October 19, 1996

And you thought the Yale game was bad. An even more powerful storm slammed the Homecoming crowd in 1996 as Columbia beat Lafayette 3-0 to go to 5-0 on the season. Some parts of my body are still soaking from that game. But it was memorable in a good way.


12. No Let Up. November 23, 1996

Columbia outlasts Brown in a thriller for a 31-27 win and finishes off an 8-2 season.


13. Shutout! November 1, 1997

Another bad weather day, but who cares? Columbia shuts out Princeton 17-0 to earn some measure of revenge for crushing losses to the Tigers in 1995 and 1996.


14. Shutout Again! September 19, 1998

The Lions shutout defending Ivy champ Harvard 24-0 in a combined home opener/Homecoming game. Excellent weather makes it all even better.


15. Reese Scares the Bears. November 21, 1998

Columbia shuts down the high-powered Brown offense and almost pulls out a miracle victory, but loses 10-3. Freshman Johnathan Reese makes his presence felt as he drives Columbia down the field on a final drive until the coaches switch to the pass and it fizzles on 4th and goal.


16. Reese Under the Lights. September 16, 2000

Now a junior, Reese runs for 172 yards and two touchdowns in the first night game at Wien Stadium. Columbia defeats Fordham 43-26.


17. Reese, Baby, Reese! October 21, 2000

A month later, Reese breaks Columbia's single game rushing record with 236 yards AND the season rushing mark with 966 yards after just six games. Reese had four TD's, including a 72-yarder. Columbia beats Dartmouth 49-21.


18. In the Shadow of 9/11. September 22, 2001.

Because of the attacks on the World Trade Center, Columbia's road opener at Fordham was postponed and the season began at home against Bucknell. Despite the 23-20 overtime loss, emotions ran high as fans came out to remember the fallen.


19. Liberty Cup I. September 21, 2002

A year later, Columbia and Fordham decided to begin the Liberty Cup series and devote the annual game to the victims of 9/11. The first game broadcast on the YES network ends in a thriller as Columbia shocks the eventual Patriot League champs with a last minute field goal and a 13-11 win.


20. Shoestring Catch. September 27, 2003

Travis Chmelka makes a stunning catch of a Jeff Otis TD pass to make a 19-16 win over Bucknell. It's Coach Bob Shoop's first win at Columbia.


21. Retro Day. October 18, 2003

Despite the loss to a powerful eventual league champion Penn, the best-ever crowd comes out to Wien Stadium to see the team dress up in 1933 retro uniforms. It's all part of Columbia's 250th anniversary celebration.


22. Prosper in the Wind. November 8, 2003

Sophomore Prosper Nwokocha makes two late interceptions to clinch a 16-13 huge upset win over Harvard on a blustery day at Wien.


23. Getting it Started. September 16, 2006

Columbia starts the strong 2006 season with a convincing 37-7 win over Fordham. Austin Knowlin catches his first TD pass, a 62-yarder.


24. Streak is Over. November 11, 2006

Another beautiful weather day brings Columbia its first Ivy win in 17 tries. Drew Quinn makes a huge interception to ice the game.


25. New Name, Crazy Game. October 13, 2007

Robert Kraft himself is present to dedicate Kraft Field after a huge gift to football and Columbia Athletics. The Lions lose the game, but not before QB Craig Hormann shatters a few passing records.


Game of the Day (Day 43)

November 20, 1982

Brown 35 Columbia 21


As I honor Wien Stadium today, I thought I would dedicate the game of the day to the old Baker Field. The final game at Baker featured some record-breaking performances from the Lions as their second half rally faded.

The game started poorly for Columbia Brown scored its first touchdown on the last play of the first quarter and then the Lions fumbled the ensuing kickoff. 49 seconds into the second period it was 14-0 Bears.

Less than three minutes later, Brown QB Joe Potter finished off a 76-yard drive with a 20-yard run that gave Brown a 21-0 lead.

Then Columbia QB John Witkowski got things going. He marched the Lions downfield with time running out in the half and capped it off with a 22-yard TD pass to Bill Reggio.

Brown went up 35-7 in the third, but Witkowski rallied the Lions with two more TD passes in the 4th before time ran out.

Witkowski went 24 of 45 for 292 yards and three touchdowns to set three Columbia records and five Ivy League marks.

He also set several Columbia career records. At game's end, he had 379 completions in 747 attempts for 4,697 yards, beating all three Columbia records set by Marty Domres from 1966-1968.

Reggio and Don Lewis broke a lot of records that day too.

Reggio set Ivy League records of 10 TD catches and 753 receiving yards in a season. Don Lewis caught 10 passes to set an Ivy record of 56 receptions in one season.

But a lot of the fans will remember the game for how Brown called two timeouts in the final minute as it tried to get a rushing record for fullback Bill Barrett. They'll also remember how hundreds of people were allowed to saw off sections of the stadium to take home, (don't even try to do that at Shea or Yankee Stadium this fall).

Win, lose, or saw... everyone had a pretty good time.