The stadium is named in honor of Brigadier General Johnson Hagood, CSA, class of 1847, who commanded Confederate forces in Charleston during the Civil War and later served as Comptroller and Governor of South Carolina.

The formal dedication of the new $600,000 stadium took place at The Citadel-Clemson football game held on December 4, 1948, before a then-record crowd of approximately 16,000.

The historic facility gained national attention during summer 1999 when remains of crewmen from the H. L. Hunley, the first submarine to sink an enemy battleship, were unearthed from underneath the stadium.

Archaeologists were given permission to conduct more thorough searches as part of the renovations of the stadium, and four of the five sailors' bodies were located under the home stands.

[1] In 2005, stadium underwent a major renovation to update the facility by adding an improved media center, luxury skyboxes, and other features.

[17] The stadium is named for General Hagood, who is most known for commanding Confederate forces during the attack on Fort Wagner by the 54th Massachusetts Colored Troops.

During his term as governor, he was instrumental in reopening The Citadel after its occupation by Federal troops, who used the facility as its Charleston headquarters during the Reconstruction era.

In the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd and the protests that followed, a group of Citadel alumni began organizing to change the name of the stadium.