Thanks to the generous donation from a 1959 graduate of the school, the Salesianum School in Wilmington, Delaware, is home to a state-of-the-art facility that was completed in November 2020. Replacing the almost 100-year-old Baynard Stadium, Abessinio Stadium became reality thanks to a $16 million gift from Rocco Abessinio and the Rocco A. & Mary Abessinio Foundation.

The gift from Abessinio was the largest gift ever to a private school in Delaware and the third largest gift to a Catholic secondary school in U.S. history.

The facility includes two grandstands, office space for the Delaware State Parks officials, a modern press box, a suite that overlooks the field, and two terraces. A building at the south end of the property houses a concession stand and team store, a physical therapy business, and visiting team locker rooms.

The stadium is also equipped with an artificial turf field, a state-of-the-art eight-lane track, team locker rooms, VIP suite, video scoreboard, concessions, and other resources to meet athletic and special event needs. With a seated capacity of 4,000, and space to host more than 5,000 with standing room, Abessinio Stadium is an excellent venue for a variety of important events.

Abessinio Stadium’s 400-meter track is constructed with Beynon Sports’ IAAF Certified BSS 300 track surfacing. Known across the track industry for its resilience and speed, the BSS 300 is the same surface installed at high-profile track and field venues such as Texas A&M University and more than 200 other NCAA and high school facilities around the world.

The track also includes an advanced FinishLynx track timing system, providing the capability to host and officiate championship- caliber meets. In 2021, it was awarded the ASBA Outstanding Track & Field Facility of the Year.

Located within the track, the stadium’s synthetic turf field is permanently lined for football, soccer, and boys lacrosse, and it can be seasonally lined for field hockey and girls lacrosse. The Delaware Orthopaedic Specialists Suite sits atop the stadium overlooking the track and field on one side, and Brandywine Park, the City of Wilmington and I-95 on the other. It is perfect for special guests at major athletic events or as a unique meeting location.

Abessinio Stadium is home to one of the state’s – and nation’s – most successful high school athletic programs in the all-boys Salesianum School. While the facility is home to the residents of Wilmington for city-wide gatherings, the highly successful athletic teams at Salesianum are its most successful and well-known tenants.

Continuing its success garnered for decades at the old Baynard Stadium, Salesianum has continued its winning ways at Abessinio. Easily the most successful team in Delaware high school history, the Wilmington all-boys catholic school has won an unimaginable 196 Delaware state high school championships.

Included in the school’s trophy case are 47 cross country state titles, 39 swimming and diving championships, 22 soccer state titles and 22 outdoor track and field state championships.