Cliff Hagan Stadium
Encyclopedia
Cliff Hagan Stadium is a baseball
stadium
in Lexington, Kentucky
. It is the home field of the University of Kentucky
Wildcats college baseball
team. The stadium, which currently holds 3,000, opened in 1969 as part of the Bernie A. Shively Sports Center, which also includes the school's track and field
facilities in an adjacent stadium. The stadium was renamed in 1993 in honor of Cliff Hagan
, the Basketball Hall of Fame
r who had played at Kentucky during the 1950s under Adolph Rupp
and returned to Kentucky as athletic director
after his professional basketball playing days. It was extensively renovated in 2002.
As of 2006, the stadium's future is now uncertain. In the wake of the Wildcats' surprising success in the 2006 season, which saw them win a regular-season Southeastern Conference
title for the first time in over 30 years, coach John Cohen was signed to a five-year contract extension. A clause in the contract commits the university to either renovating or replacing the stadium. If construction on a new or renovated stadium does not start in 2008 or sooner, Cohen is free to walk away from the contract without a financial penalty. However, Cohen left the program at the end of the 2008 season for his alma mater
Mississippi State
. His assistant Gary Henderson was then given the head coaching job.
In 2010, the Wildcats ranked 35th in Division I college baseball
in attendance, averaging 1,860 per home game.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
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 Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
. It is the home field of the University of Kentucky
University of Kentucky
The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
Wildcats college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
team. The stadium, which currently holds 3,000, opened in 1969 as part of the Bernie A. Shively Sports Center, which also includes the school's track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
facilities in an adjacent stadium. The stadium was renamed in 1993 in honor of Cliff Hagan
Cliff Hagan
Clifford Oldham Hagan is an American former professional basketball player. A 6-4 forward who excelled with the hook shot, Hagan, nicknamed "Li'l Abner," played his entire 10-year NBA career with the St. Louis Hawks...
, the Basketball Hall of Fame
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
r who had played at Kentucky during the 1950s under Adolph Rupp
Adolph Rupp
Adolph Frederick Rupp was one of the most successful coaches in the history of American college basketball. Rupp is fourth in total victories by a men's NCAA Division I college coach, winning 876 games in 41 years of coaching...
and returned to Kentucky as athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
after his professional basketball playing days. It was extensively renovated in 2002.
As of 2006, the stadium's future is now uncertain. In the wake of the Wildcats' surprising success in the 2006 season, which saw them win a regular-season Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
title for the first time in over 30 years, coach John Cohen was signed to a five-year contract extension. A clause in the contract commits the university to either renovating or replacing the stadium. If construction on a new or renovated stadium does not start in 2008 or sooner, Cohen is free to walk away from the contract without a financial penalty. However, Cohen left the program at the end of the 2008 season for his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. His assistant Gary Henderson was then given the head coaching job.
In 2010, the Wildcats ranked 35th in Division I college baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
in attendance, averaging 1,860 per home game.