Short answer
Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (Bagwell Field) is ECU’s on-campus stadium at 100 Ficklen Drive, Greenville, NC 27858. It seats 51,000 and opened on September 21, 1963. The record crowd is 51,711, for NC State on September 3, 2022 (Wikipedia). Bring only a clear bag, expect cashless concessions, and plan on beer and wine sales from two hours before kickoff to the end of the third quarter.
2026 home games
Themes from the ECU game day guide
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff | Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat Sep 12 | App State | L 24-27 | Paint It Purple, Pirate Club Weekend |
| Sat Sep 26 | NC Central | W 42-9 | Family Weekend, Junior Pirate Club Day |
| Sat Oct 10 | Rice | W 28-12 | Homecoming, Letterwinners Weekend |
| Sat Oct 31 | Temple | 3:00 PM ET | Fan Appreciation Day, Halloween |
| Fri Nov 6 | South Florida | 7:30 PM ET | Paint It Black, Military Appreciation Day, Night of the Boneyard |
| TBA Nov 27/28 | Florida Atlantic | Time TBA | Senior Day |
Getting in
- Bags: one clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches or a one-gallon clear zip bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Details: clear bag policy.
- Gates: ECU did not post a 2026 gate time in its game day guide. For the 2024 opener, gates opened two hours before kickoff (ECU 2024 reminder); plan on that and check ECU’s posts the week of the game.
- Water: in 2024 ECU allowed one sealed 20-ounce water bottle per fan and ran a heat plan with cooling stations above an 85 degree heat index (ECU 2024 reminder).
Food, beer and payment
- All concessions are cashless: cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Aramark runs more than 400 points of sale (ECU).
- Beer and wine at 24 stand-alone locations, including five Walk Through Bru markets. Limit two beer or wine drinks per person per purchase and one liquor drink per purchase. Sales start two hours before kickoff and stop at the end of the third quarter. Carry a photo ID.
- Food highlights for 2026: family-style nachos at the Williams-Clark Club stands, “Tenders for Two” at The Buccaneer behind Section 128, and a dessert stand behind Section 115.
Families and fans who need a quiet space
- Charley’s Kids Zone: free inflatables and games near Gate 4, open through the third quarter; an adult must stay with children.
- PeeDee’s Sensory Space: a quiet trailer near Sections 10 and 11 with free sensory bags (headphones, fidgets, communication boards). Open 30 minutes before kickoff until five minutes are left in the game.
Pregame timeline
The Pirate Walk starts 2 hours 15 minutes before kickoff on the Howard and Lyn Swain Pirate Promenade in front of TowneBank Tower and runs through Tailgate Plaza. PeeDee’s entrance comes about 17 minutes before kickoff (ECU). Build your own day with the gameday planner.
Stadium history
- Opened in 1963 as Ficklen Memorial Stadium, named for booster James Skinner Ficklen; ECU beat Wake Forest in the first game.
- Renamed Dowdy-Ficklen in 1994 after a $1 million gift from Ronald and Mary Ellen Dowdy; the field became Bagwell Field in 1997.
- Expanded to 20,000 seats (1968), 35,000 (1978), 43,000 (1998) and 50,000 (2010, when 7,000 east end zone seats closed the horseshoe).
- The $60 million Southside project opened TowneBank Tower in August 2019: 19 skyboxes, 4 founder suites, 22 loge boxes and 530 club seats, bringing capacity to 51,000 (Wikipedia; ECU on the TowneBank gift).
- The playing surface is Tifton 419 hybrid Bermuda grass.
Questions fans ask
How many people does Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium hold?
51,000. The record crowd is 51,711 for the NC State game on September 3, 2022.
Is Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium cashless?
Yes. Concessions take credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay, and the public pay-to-park lots are card only in 2026.
Can you buy beer at ECU football games?
Yes. Beer and wine are sold at 24 locations from two hours before kickoff until the end of the third quarter, two drinks per person per purchase.
Sources
Last checked October 29, 2026. Kickoff times, TV and stadium rules can change; ECU Athletics posts the final word each game week.