Cardinal Stadium
Encyclopedia
Cardinal Stadium is the name of a former college and minor league baseball
and college football
stadium
in Louisville, Kentucky
. It is on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center
, and was called Fairgrounds Stadium when it first opened its doors to baseball in 1957.
The lone Bluegrass Bowl
was held here in 1958. Cardinal Stadium was home to the Louisville Raiders
football team from 1960 through 1962. It was the home to two minor league baseball teams in Louisville: the Louisville Colonels
in 1968-1972 and the Louisville Redbirds in 1982-1999. It was to be the home of the American League
Kansas City Athletics when their owner Charles O. Finley
signed a contract to move the team to Louisville in 1964, but the American League owners voted against the move. The Kentucky Trackers of the AFA played at Cardinal Stadium 1979-1980. It also served as the home of the University of Louisville
football team from 1957-1997 and their baseball team 1998-2004. It was also used heavily as a high school
football stadium, hosting state championship games from in 1964-2002, including hosting all four state championship games played annually 1979-2002. Several local schools also played some games in Cardinal Stadium prior to 1998, including the annual St. Xavier
-Trinity
rivalry featuring the two major boys Catholic
high schools in the city.
The stadium was renamed Cardinal Stadium in 1982 when the Louisville Redbirds of the American Association
, the AAA team of the St. Louis Cardinals
, became co-tenants of the stadium.
The stadium is now largely vacant, with its primary use as a venue for events at the Kentucky State Fair
. This is due to the University's football team moving into Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
in 1998, the minor league baseball team, now named the Louisville Bats
and playing in the International League
, moving into Louisville Slugger Field
in 2000, and finally the University's baseball team moving into Jim Patterson Stadium
in 2005.
There was talk about tearing down Cardinal Stadium in order to build a new indoor arena, as part of the long term push to build a new indoor-facility to replace the aging Freedom Hall
which is also at the Exposition Center. However, this is likely moot with the 2010 opening of the downtown KFC Yum! Center
and continued use of Freedom Hall as a venue for concerts and smaller sporting events. The most recent plans from the Kentucky State Fair Board seek to demolish this facility to build an outdoor amphitheater with permanent seating for 12,000.
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
and college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
stadium
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. It is on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center
Kentucky Exposition Center
The Kentucky Exposition Center , formerly Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center , is a large multi-use facility in Louisville, Kentucky, United States...
, and was called Fairgrounds Stadium when it first opened its doors to baseball in 1957.
The lone Bluegrass Bowl
Bluegrass Bowl
Bluegrass Bowl was played only once, on 13 December 1958 in Louisville, Kentucky. Oklahoma State University defeated Florida State University 15-6.-Background of the Bluegrass Bowl:...
was held here in 1958. Cardinal Stadium was home to the Louisville Raiders
Louisville Raiders
Louisville Raiders were a team in the United Football League from 1960 through 1962.The Raiders played their home games at Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky.The Raiders went 4-6-0 in 1961 and 4-7-1 in 1962....
football team from 1960 through 1962. It was the home to two minor league baseball teams in Louisville: the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels (minor league baseball team)
The Louisville Colonels was the name of several minor league baseball teams that played in Louisville, Kentucky, in the 20th century. The name is derived from the historic Kentucky colonels.-Twentieth century minor league teams:...
in 1968-1972 and the Louisville Redbirds in 1982-1999. It was to be the home of the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
Kansas City Athletics when their owner Charles O. Finley
Charles O. Finley
Charles Oscar Finley , nicknamed Charlie O or Charley O, was an American businessman who is best remembered for his tenure as the owner of the Oakland Athletics Major League Baseball team. Finley purchased the franchise while it was located in Kansas City, moving it to Oakland in 1968...
signed a contract to move the team to Louisville in 1964, but the American League owners voted against the move. The Kentucky Trackers of the AFA played at Cardinal Stadium 1979-1980. It also served as the home of the University of Louisville
University of Louisville
The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...
football team from 1957-1997 and their baseball team 1998-2004. It was also used heavily as a high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
football stadium, hosting state championship games from in 1964-2002, including hosting all four state championship games played annually 1979-2002. Several local schools also played some games in Cardinal Stadium prior to 1998, including the annual St. Xavier
St. Xavier High School, Louisville, Kentucky
St. Xavier High School is an all-male, Xaverian Brothers-sponsored school in Louisville, Kentucky. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville. St. Xavier, also known as St. X, was founded in 1864 by Br. Paul Van Gerwen, C.F.X. The school currently resides on Poplar Level Road...
-Trinity
Trinity High School (Louisville, Kentucky)
Trinity High School is a Catholic, all-boys, college preparatory high school located in St. Matthews, Kentucky, a city within the Louisville Metro governmental area. Trinity first opened its doors in 1953, when Archbishop John Floersh anticipated the growth of Louisville's eastern suburbs by...
rivalry featuring the two major boys Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
high schools in the city.
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, the AAA team of the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
, became co-tenants of the stadium.
The stadium is now largely vacant, with its primary use as a venue for events at the Kentucky State Fair
Kentucky State Fair
The Kentucky State Fair is the official state fair of Kentucky which takes place at the Kentucky Exposition Center in Louisville. More than 600,000 fairgoers fill the of indoor and outdoor exhibits, eat a smorgasbord of food and ride hair-raising, adrenaline-pumping coasters during the 11-day event...
. This is due to the University's football team moving into Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium
Papa John's Cardinal Stadium is a football stadium located in Louisville, Kentucky, USA and serves as the home of the University of Louisville football program. It opened in 1998, making it the second-to-last football stadium in NCAA Division I-A to open in the 20th century, with SMU's Gerald J....
in 1998, the minor league baseball team, now named the Louisville Bats
Louisville Bats
The Louisville Bats, which play in Louisville, Kentucky, are the AAA minor league baseball affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The team, formerly known as the Louisville RiverBats, plays in the International League...
and playing in the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
, moving into Louisville Slugger Field
Louisville Slugger Field
Louisville Slugger Field is a baseball stadium in Louisville, Kentucky and is home to the Louisville Bats, the AAA affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. It opened in 2000 with seats for over 13,000 fans. The Ohio River and state of Indiana are visible from the park...
in 2000, and finally the University's baseball team moving into Jim Patterson Stadium
Jim Patterson Stadium
Jim Patterson Stadium is a baseball stadium in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the home field of the University of Louisville Cardinals college baseball team. It hosted the 2007 NCAA Super Regionals, where the Cardinals defeated Oklahoma State two games to one to advance to the College World Series in...
in 2005.
There was talk about tearing down Cardinal Stadium in order to build a new indoor arena, as part of the long term push to build a new indoor-facility to replace the aging Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall
Freedom Hall is a multipurpose arena in Louisville, Kentucky, on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center, which is owned by the Commonwealth of Kentucky...
which is also at the Exposition Center. However, this is likely moot with the 2010 opening of the downtown KFC Yum! Center
KFC Yum! Center
The KFC Yum! Center is a US $238 million, 22,000-seat basketball and multipurpose arena that opened on October 10, 2010, on the Ohio River waterfront in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, on Main Street between Second and Third Streets. The project is part of a $450 million project that includes...
and continued use of Freedom Hall as a venue for concerts and smaller sporting events. The most recent plans from the Kentucky State Fair Board seek to demolish this facility to build an outdoor amphitheater with permanent seating for 12,000.