Introducing ABM Field at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium

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Introducing ABM Field at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium

Members of ABM and Utica University stand on the football field by a sign that says "ABM Field."

New Name, New Look

Members of ABM and Utica University stand on the football field near a sign that says ABM Field.

During this year’s Homecoming, Alumni, and Family weekend, Utica University and ABM Industries, the University’s new facility services provider, formally announced the rebranding of the playing field at Charles A. Gaetano Stadium.

Utica University and ABM Industries have agreed to a multi-year naming rights partnership for what’s now called ABM Field at Gaetano Stadium.

“We are grateful for ABM’s partnership and appreciate their commitment to working with the University to support our students,” Utica University President Todd Pfannestiel says. “ABM identified our athletics complex as an area in which they were interested in investing and associating their brand.”

ABM’s investment in the naming rights funded the installation of a new, next-generation field turf in July 2024. The Vertex Core product, used by several NFL teams and college football Power Four programs, delivers advanced safety, performance, durability, and aesthetics. The state-of-the-art system features renowned Classic HD slit-film fiber and is teamed up with CORE monofilament super fiber.

“The impact of ABM’s investment is multifold,” Dr. Pfannestiel says. “First and foremost, this upgrade will significantly improve safety while helping our student-athletes maximize their athletic performance. Second, this innovative agreement alleviates the University’s need to secure either a private donation or funding from the capital budget to pay for its replacement.”

In addition to the new branding, the design of ABM Field, which is used for field hockey, football, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s soccer, has minor adjustments. The now filled-in blue end zones say “Utica” in white block text outlined in orange on the west-facing end zone and “Pioneers” on the east-facing end zone.

In May 2024, Utica selected ABM Industries as its integrated facility services and infrastructure solutions provider. The partnership includes ABM, maintenance management and repair, janitorial cleaning, landscaping, snow removal, and other services across the University's nearly 900,000 square feet of space.

Hugs on the football field during the dedication of ABM Field.

“We’re excited to begin this decade-long partnership with Utica University as we expand ABM’s reach into higher education institutions in the Northeast,” says Scott Camp, ABM’s President of Education. “Through our integrated facility services, ABM has delivered innovation and efficiency to educational facilities since we became America’s first janitorial contractor to clean a major college campus over a century ago. We look forward to continuing that tradition of excellence and experience with Utica University.”

As one of the largest higher education facility solutions providers in the United States, ABM will bring its industry-leading expertise across the Utica campus through its ABM Performance Solutions™ model, providing a holistic “one team” approach. ABM’s Performance Solutions model is the next evolution of consolidated facility services. A single-source operating model across an entire built environment, ABM Performance Solutions provides a cohesive, streamlined team that delivers end-to-end services and generates cost and operating efficiencies through one contract, one invoice, and one source of accountability. To ensure that performance standards are met, ABM will leverage its award-winning data and technology to measure its success and enhance all operations.

“We’re thrilled to partner with an integrated and future-focused organization like ABM to join our university community,” says Shad Crowe, vice president for facilities and emergency management at Utica University. “With an unmatched experience in providing solutions to higher education institutions, ABM also focuses on innovation, with tech and data-enabled solutions emerging on the horizon aligning with our vision for our campus growth."