Ahearn Field

Ahearn Field
Location39°11′12″N 96°35′04″W / 39.186770°N 96.584331°W / 39.186770; -96.584331
OwnerKansas State
OperatorKansas State
CapacityApproximately 1,500
SurfaceGrass
Construction
OpenedApril 15, 1911
Closed1922
Construction cost$10,000
Tenants
Kansas State Wildcats

Ahearn Field was the first on-campus athletic field for Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kansas. It was utilized from 1911 to 1922 by the football team, baseball team, and track team. The field was named in honor of former coach Mike Ahearn.

The field was inaugurated with a high school track competition on April 15, 1911.

Prior to the establishment of Ahearn Field, Kansas State's athletic teams played in an open public square in Manhattan at Bluemont Avenue and 8th Street, informally known as Athletic Park. In 1906, a covered wooden grandstand and a small locker room were constructed at Athletic Park. These structures were relocated to Ahearn Field in 1911. The grandstand was situated at the south end of the field, facing north, approximately where the K-State Alumni Center currently stands.

In 1922, Memorial Stadium was opened at the same location, prompting a reorientation of the football field from east–west to north–south and the removal of the old grandstand. As late as 1938, Memorial Stadium was still referred to as Ahearn Field at Memorial Stadium.

The pronunciation of "Ahearn" as "a-HEARN" is based on the family's preference for a short "a" sound.