Patriots to Play Two NFL Teams At Harvard Stadium this Summer

The Boston Patriots will play two exhibition football games in Harvard Stadium this August.

The Patriots will clash with the Baltimore Colts. Aug. 13, for the Ecumenical Charities of Richard Cardinal Cushing. On Aug. 26 the Patriots tackle the Washington Redskins for former Harvard Overseer Ralph Lowell's Order of the Shriners.

In a letter to Cardinal Cushing, President Pusey repeated Harvard's reluctance to have the Stadium used for professional athletics, but said that "we give our permission in the present instance out of respect for your position in the community and for your leadership of social and religious causes. We recognize the larger issue here of attempting in some measure to serve the community and to help the charities in which you and Mr. Lowell are interested."

Fenway Problems

Two problems all but preclude Patriots' exhibition play from Fenway Park, their season home. Temporary seating would have to be provided for 11,000 extra football spectators in less than twenty-four hours (due to the Red Sox baseball schedule). Also, football play would leave the Fenway grass in poor condition for baseball, in the midst of the Sox season.

Even with the temporary seats, Fenway doesn't hold as much as Harvard Stadium. Harvard holds 37,283 spectators.

Although the charities involved will pay Harvard nothing for the actual use of the stadium, they will pay all of the stadium's operating costs for the two exhibition games.

The Patriots have played in Harvard Stadium only twice before.