52 Lafayette Street, Salem, MA 01970

NEWS RELEASE
February 18, 2015
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact information:
Lauren Acquaviva, Communications Director
Office (978) 555-5555
E-mail: l_acquaviva@salemstate.edu

SALEM STATE COLLEGE TO HAVE FIRST EVER FOOTBALL TEAM

SALEM, Mass Salem State College will begin recruiting a football team in the summer of 2015. The first
conference game will be in 2017 at the colleges proposed new stadium in Salem, Mass.
A $180 million fundraising program has been launched to cover costs of land purchase, the
stadium and parking lot construction. $45 million has already been donated by a single contributor. The
land is 75 acres purchased from the City of Salem and private mall owners between Jefferson Avenue
and Route 129.
Salem State will begin construction of the football stadium in the spring of 2015 and it will be
completed by the summer of 2017. The U- shaped stadium will include 42,000 seats with chair backs.
There will be no bleachers. The stadium can later be expanded into a bowl for extra seating. Additional
highlights of the stadium include athletic offices, press boxes, concessions, locker rooms, alumni function
space and meeting rooms. Football practices will be held at the Salem High School football field until the
stadium is completed. There will be an additional 900-space parking facility that can also be used by
students during the school week.
The football Head Coach will be Tom Kelley. Kelley is the current head coach and athletic
director at Framingham State University. Kelley said, Its hard to leave Framingham State. It is my alma
mater and where I have worked for almost 40 years. But the opportunity to create an entire football

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program at Salem State and oversee the construction of a new stadium complex is the opportunity of a
lifetime. I look forward to the challenge.
Salem State will play in the NCAA Division III conference with Bridgewater State, Coast Guard,
Fitchburg State, Framingham State, Maine Maritime, Mass Maritime, Westfield State and Worcester
State.
About Salem State College
Established in 1854, originally called Salem Normal School, Salem State College is a four-year college
located 15 miles north of Boston in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State provides a diverse community of
learners, a high quality and student-centered education that prepares students to contribute responsibly
and creatively to a global society. Salem State College is one of the largest state universities in the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college is an important partner in the economic, cultural and
intellectual vitality of the greater north-of-Boston region. There are a total of 9,301 students enrolled at the
College. For more information about Salem State College, visit www.salemstate.edu.

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