Rugby Road - Madison Bowl

Madison Bowl

Madison Bowl, or "Mad Bowl", as it has come to be known, is located behind Madison Hall between Rugby Road and Madison Lane. Originally owned by the YMCA in 1895, Mad Bowl initially hosted five tennis courts; in 1914 a track with banked corners was added. The field has traditionally been used for many different recreational events, including many club and intramural sports, in particular rugby; the Fall Autumns Carnival; Springfest; fraternity and sorority events, fundraisers, and other special events, including the annual Easters party.

As early as 1898, University students celebrated Easter Week, or "Easters", a week-long celebration that included elaborate dances and athletic games which helped the students shake the winter doldrums. It was also an occasion to celebrate Thomas Jefferson’s birthday, since the celebration often occurred right around April 13th. Traditionally Easters had been celebrated with a ball, but by the 1960s, the fraternities took a more active role in running the weekend, and Easters became a large party held in the fraternity houses along Rugby Road and in Mad Bowl. The event became something like a public street party, attracting attendees from all over the East Coast as well as internationally. Easters may be responsible for the University's reputation as a party school, reportedly earning the University a reputation as a "professional" party location in Playboy in 1964. The last Easters celebration took place in 1982. During that year's celebration, a gas main ruptured on Grady Street and, while no one was seriously hurt, the rising likelihood of a serious public disaster forced the cancellation of the event from that time forward.

In 2006, the University and the city of Charlottesville teamed up to dig up Mad Bowl and replace utility lines, install drainage and add new surfacing. For years, runoff from Fayerweather and Madison Halls collected on the field, giving it the nickname “Mud Bowl.” Bad field conditions led to practice cancellations and higher safety risks to students using the field in muddy conditions, and difficulties in planning other field events. Irrigation and drainage systems were added for the field, as well as six inches of fresh soil and a layer of sod. No stadium lights were installed, so the field is exclusively for daytime use.