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Williamson Stadium

Williamson Stadium at Burch/Nau Field
Home of the Bulldogs

Photos: Virtual Tour of Williamson Stadium

Williamson Stadium at Burch/Nau Field has been the home of Union football since the program was reinstated as a school-sponsored sport in 1984. It is also the primary home of the Union men's and women's soccer programs, and has been since 2007.
 

The facility has remained relatively the same over the years, but that all changed during the summer of 2007 when synthetic sports grass was installed.

An orange U logo with white and black trim sits at center field. The endzone is black with "Union" written in orange with white trim. The football yard lines are in white. The markings for soccer are in gray.

In 2014, the facility was improved with the installation of lights. Thanks to a generous gift from Board of Trustee member Martin Williamson, the stadium features full lightning. The now Williamson Stadium at Burch/Nau Field was rededicated on Sept. 20, 2014, as the Bulldogs knocked off rival Cumberlands (Ky.), 28-27, in the first night football game at Union in over 80 years.

The field is named in honor of two of Union's alums and football heroes - Mr. Ossie Burch and Mr. Bill Nau. Although the two never played on the gridiron together, Burch and Nau teamed up with many others to help revive the Bulldog football program in the early 1980s. The football program was suspended following the 1941 season as the United States entered into World War II. Not only were they instrumental in breathing life into the once dormant Union football program, but Burch and Nau were gridiron greats in their own right.

Burch, a 1937 graduate, played on the 1932-35 Bulldog teams, guiding Union to a 14-4-7 record during that time. In 1934, Burch helped Union to a 5-0-2 mark, giving Union its only undefeated season. Union outscored its opponents 79-21 that year with the final four games resulting in shutouts of the Bulldog defense.

Nau was a 1941 graduate and was a four-year member of the Bulldog football team. From 1937-40, Nau helped Union to a 15-11-2 record. His greatest season of success came during senior year as the Bulldogs went 5-1-1 in 1940.

Both Burch and Nau were inducted into the Union's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. The field was named in Mr. Burch and Mr. Nau's honor during the 1991 Homecoming ceremonies.

Williamson Stadium at Burch/Nau Field is nestled in the heart of the Union's campus, and is surrounded by the beautiful mountains of Southeastern Kentucky. In the south end zone sits the Bulldogs' large scoreboard. The grandstand areas on the home and visiting sides can hold 2,500 fans; however, with all the open spaces around the field, it would be possible for nearly 5,000 people to be in attendance to cheer on the Bulldogs.

Atop the home-side grandstand is a press box. It's a two-story press box that houses the coaching boxes and videotaping room upstairs with the press and game-day staff on the lower level.