Concordia College Alabama played a football game Monday on the school’s on-campus field for the first time. 

The Hornets hosted a junior varsity football game against Point University, which became the first football game played on the field, which was opened in 2013 and has been primarily used for soccer. Since the field was first opened, the college has discussed one day playing Concordia’s home football games there instead of at Memorial Stadium, which is off-campus.

Monday’s game was not announced to students, but word of the game clearly spread. Many Concordia students walked from their dorms or out of class and took in the game.

“It just makes me feel really good because coach and I sat down and we talked about this. We talked about what it would be like to play a game on campus and this gives us a framework from which to work from in the future as far as our varsity games,” said Concordia athletic director Don Jefferson.

The facility still needs goalposts, a scoreboard, a press box and probably more seating in order to adequately host football games. During Monday’s junior varsity game, both teams were required to try for two-point conversions after touchdowns because there were no goalposts.

Jefferson acknowledged there’s a lot of work to be done to get the facility ready, and he said there’s no timetable for it to happen, especially given a limited athletics’ budget. Monday did show it was possible though.

“It’s something that could be very doable,” Jefferson said. “This is exciting.”

The game itself gave some of the Hornets’ younger players and coaches a chance to show what they could do. Concordia head coach Stanley Conner stood on the Hornets’ sideline, but let the younger members of his staff coach the team.

He was also impressed with the crowd at Monday’s game, especially considering the Hornets didn’t announce the game due to it being exam week.

“I think it adds to the campus atmosphere,” Conner said. “Bloch Park is a great facility, but it’s nothing like playing on campus, so your students can come out of the dorm rooms and actually see it.”

Concordia’s varsity team has played only one home game all season, but has two home contests remaining on its schedule. The Hornets will host Tiffin at 1 p.m. Saturday for homecoming.