Concordia’s first look at the new Stingers field-and-logo combo

If you’ve happened by the Concordia Stadium on the Loyola Campus of late, you may have noticed big changes afoot.

Following major, pro-calibre upgrades to the university’s De Maisonneuve field last spring, it was time to revitalize the field at Concordia Stadium, too. The old turf was stripped away, and the freshly installed FIFA-certified playing field — with a redesigned, embedded Stingers logo — is almost ready for action. The vast playing area is also sporting a whole new look.

On Saturday, August 8, at 10 a.m., the Department of Recreation and Athletics is hosting an informal community day, during which the revamped field will be unveiled.

The event is free and open to everyone — athletes, coaches, staff, faculty, students and members of the public.

“We can’t hide the massive logo in the middle of the field anymore, so we’re taking the opportunity to invite the community to come and check it out while offering some fun activities and a pizza lunch,” says Patrick Boivin, director of Recreation and Athletics.

From 10 a.m. until noon, attendees will be able to take part in a soccer skills clinic, a touch football game, relay races and tag games run by Concordia athletes. There’ll also be a face painter in attendance, and a chance to meet Buzz the Bee.

The Stingers are in the midst of an extensive rebranding exercise, and Boivin says the event is a chance for fans to enjoy a sneak peek at one part of what’s in store for the upcoming sports season.

But as he points out, the rebranding is much more than just a new logo.

“It was the right time and the right occasion to look at everything holistically, to try to define what it means to be a Stinger, and to have a proper canvas on which to tell our story and engage a larger community,” he says.

To see the next generation of Stingers in action, fans will have to attend Concordia’s football home-opener on Friday, September 4 at 7 p.m.

“We’re using the football game as the main event when we reveal our brand, because it's the first time that our new uniforms will be used on a field of play,” Boivin says.

Find out more about the Concordia Stingers rebranding exercise.