FIU Stadium
Encyclopedia
FIU Stadium, popularly known as "The Cage", is the on-campus American football
stadium
of Florida International University
in Miami, Florida
, United States
. It is the home field of the FIU Golden Panthers football
team. The stadium opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for many years as a university recreation field and by local high school football
teams. When FIU began its football program in 2002, FIU Stadium became the home venue for the team.
FIU Stadium is nicknamed "The Cage" by FIU students and alumni. FIU Stadium was designed by Rossetti Architects
and boasts a seating capacity of 23,500. FIU Stadium is the southernmost NCAA
Division I football stadium on the American mainland. Only the Hawaii Warriors
's Aloha Stadium
is further south. The largest attended game was on October 1, 2011 versus Duke University
with an attendance of 22,682; FIU lost 27–31.
, Miami-Dade Parks, and the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair. The stadium was inaugurated by the Miami Palmetto High School
marching band.
In 2001, FIU Stadium had its first expansion. In anticipation of the inaugural FIU Golden Panthers football
season in Fall 2002, additional bleacher
s were added around the periphery of the track field. This expansion increased the stadium's capacity to 18,000 seats. The bleachers, however, could be moved or removed altogether depending on the use of the stadium.
. Upon completion, seating capacity
was increased to 23,500, including 1,400 club seats.http://www.collegegridirons.com/sunbelt/FIUStadium.htm In addition, the stadium has a 6500 square feet (603.9 m²) Panther Club on the ground level, an upper concourse for additional fan seating and concessions, a new press box
, new lighting, a jumbotron
scoreboard, new coaches' offices, locker rooms, expansion of the weight room, and 19 suites. Seating includes chairback seats and bench seating, all with backrests for fan convenience. The new stadium was designed by Rossetti Architects
and was designed to be built in phases to a final seating capacity of 45,00 seats.
The new stadium opened for FIU’s 2008 football season
against the South Florida Bulls
on September 20, which they lost by a close 17–9 before a crowd of 16,717. Their first home win in the new stadium came on October 11, 2008, at the following home game, against Sun Belt rival Middle Tennessee
, 31–21. FIU went 3–2 at home in the first year at the rebuilt stadium.
During construction of the new stadium during the 2007
season, the Golden Panthers played in the Miami Orange Bowl
, with the final college game of the Orange Bowl's history being won by FIU 38–19 on December 1, 2007 against North Texas
. It was their only win that year, going 1–11 overall. With the removal of the track in 2007, the artificial turf field now meets the dimensions prescribed by FIFA
for a full soccer field. Since then, the stadium has been used by Miami FC
and the CONCACAF Gold Cup
in 2009 and 2011.
Since the 2008 season
, FIU Stadium is now solely used by the football team as the FIU track and field
teams no longer use the facility. In April of 2011, the field was named Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium after alumnus David F. Alfonso. In September 2011, plans were announced to expand the stadium for the 2012 season, by removing the last remnants of the original 1995 stadium on the north side, and complete the bowl around the field.
serves FIU Stadium with Metrobus lines 8, 11, 24, and 71. Bus lines 8, 11 and the 24 connect FIU Stadium directly with Downtown Miami
. For visitors arriving by car, parking at the stadium is free for everyone. Tailgate
parking areas around the stadium open to fans 6 hours before game kickoff.
In 2007, the university announced a major expansion and redesign for FIU Stadium. The redesign of FIU Stadium would increase the stadium's capacity to 45,000 fans, to be built in phases. In September 2008, the first phase was opened, demolishing a large portion of the original 1995 stadium. Phase one increased the stadium's capacity to 23,500 fans from 18,000. The following are completed and planned expansions to be completed through four separate construction phases starting in 2007.
FIU named the new two-story, 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) headquarters of its football program after trustee R. Kirk Landon, in appreciation of his $1 million donation to Golden Panthers football.
The hub of the fieldhouse is a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) weight room that all FIU student-athletes will use for strength and conditioning. The facility also includes 8500 square feet (789.7 m²) of locker rooms, an equipment room, full-service athletic training facility, ticket office, merchandise area and an FIU Athletics Hall of Fame.
and aluminum, which makes the stadium very loud when fans stomp, jump and cheer. Panther fans shout "Rattle the Cage!" and fans will stomp and jump in unison on the bleacher
s creating a very loud reverberation
throughout the stadium. The Rattling of the Cage is done throughout the game, notably while the team is on defense, and during the famous "F-F, I-I, U-U, FIU!" cheer.
for the 2011 FIU Homecoming. Additionally, the Goodyear Blimp
made its first appearance at FIU Stadium, flying over the stadium throughout the game. The iconic Miami Tower in Downtown Miami
was also lit in blue and gold throughout the week of September 26 to October 1, 2011 in honor of FIU's homecoming game.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
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...
of Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the home field of the FIU Golden Panthers football
FIU Golden Panthers football
The FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
team. The stadium opened in 1995, replacing nearby Tamiami Field, which was used for many years as a university recreation field and by local high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
teams. When FIU began its football program in 2002, FIU Stadium became the home venue for the team.
FIU Stadium is nicknamed "The Cage" by FIU students and alumni. FIU Stadium was designed by Rossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects is an architectural firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan The firm is involved in the design of professional sports stadiums, institutions and commercial buildings.- Current projects :...
and boasts a seating capacity of 23,500. FIU Stadium is the southernmost NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I football stadium on the American mainland. Only the Hawaii Warriors
Hawaii Warriors football
The Hawaii Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaii at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. The team, which is currently coached by Greg McMackin, is part of the Western Athletic Conference until 2012, when the team joins the Mountain West Conference.The Hawaii Warriors...
's Aloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium
Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in the Halawa CDP, City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States. Currently Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaii Warriors football team...
is further south. The largest attended game was on October 1, 2011 versus Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
with an attendance of 22,682; FIU lost 27–31.
Old FIU Stadium: 1995 to 2007
FIU Stadium broke ground on July 24, 1994 and opened on September 24, 1995 as FIU Community Stadium. The stadium opened as a 7,000-seat football and track stadium. It was built as a joint venture between FIU, Miami-Dade County Public SchoolsMiami-Dade County Public Schools
Miami-Dade County Public Schools is a public school district serving Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1885, it is the largest school district in Florida and the Southeastern United States, and the fourth largest in the United States, with a student enrollment of 380,006 as of July 5, 2010...
, Miami-Dade Parks, and the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair. The stadium was inaugurated by the Miami Palmetto High School
Miami Palmetto High School
Miami Palmetto Senior High School is a secondary school located at 7460 S.W. 118th Street in Pinecrest, Florida, USA, a Miami suburb; its principal is Allison Harley. The school is on 23 acres in southwest Miami-Dade County, Florida, and is part of the Miami-Dade County Public Schools district....
marching band.
In 2001, FIU Stadium had its first expansion. In anticipation of the inaugural FIU Golden Panthers football
FIU Golden Panthers football
The FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
season in Fall 2002, additional bleacher
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
s were added around the periphery of the track field. This expansion increased the stadium's capacity to 18,000 seats. The bleachers, however, could be moved or removed altogether depending on the use of the stadium.
New FIU Stadium
Beginning in March 2007, FIU Stadium underwent a major change. The west, south and east sides of FIU Stadium were taken down and construction began on the new, permanent stadium. The expansion was completed in September 2008, for the 2008 football season2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team
The 2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team represents Florida International University in their 4th season of NCAA Division I FBS football and their 7th season overall. The team is coached by Mario Cristobal and play their homes games at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-Regular season:The 2008 season...
. Upon completion, seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
was increased to 23,500, including 1,400 club seats.http://www.collegegridirons.com/sunbelt/FIUStadium.htm In addition, the stadium has a 6500 square feet (603.9 m²) Panther Club on the ground level, an upper concourse for additional fan seating and concessions, a new press box
Press box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
, new lighting, a jumbotron
Jumbotron
A JumboTron is a large-screen television using technology developed by Sony, typically used in sports stadiums and concert venues to show close-up shots of the event. Although JumboTron is a registered trademark owned by the Sony Corporation, the word jumbotron is often used by the public as a...
scoreboard, new coaches' offices, locker rooms, expansion of the weight room, and 19 suites. Seating includes chairback seats and bench seating, all with backrests for fan convenience. The new stadium was designed by Rossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects
Rossetti Architects is an architectural firm headquartered in Southfield, Michigan The firm is involved in the design of professional sports stadiums, institutions and commercial buildings.- Current projects :...
and was designed to be built in phases to a final seating capacity of 45,00 seats.
The new stadium opened for FIU’s 2008 football season
2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team
The 2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team represents Florida International University in their 4th season of NCAA Division I FBS football and their 7th season overall. The team is coached by Mario Cristobal and play their homes games at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-Regular season:The 2008 season...
against the South Florida Bulls
South Florida Bulls football
The South Florida Bulls are a Division I FBS college football program that plays its home games in Tampa, Florida. The team began playing in 1997, holding its first team meeting under a shade tree as the school had no proper football facilities on campus...
on September 20, which they lost by a close 17–9 before a crowd of 16,717. Their first home win in the new stadium came on October 11, 2008, at the following home game, against Sun Belt rival Middle Tennessee
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders
The Blue Raiders are the men's and women's athletic teams at Middle Tennessee State University. MTSU athletic teams participate in NCAA Division I in the Sun Belt Conference...
, 31–21. FIU went 3–2 at home in the first year at the rebuilt stadium.
During construction of the new stadium during the 2007
2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season
The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top...
season, the Golden Panthers played in the Miami Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
, with the final college game of the Orange Bowl's history being won by FIU 38–19 on December 1, 2007 against North Texas
North Texas Mean Green football
The North Texas Mean Green football team represents the University of North Texas in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I-FBS college football and competes as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. The Mean Green have attained several conference championships, including four...
. It was their only win that year, going 1–11 overall. With the removal of the track in 2007, the artificial turf field now meets the dimensions prescribed by FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
for a full soccer field. Since then, the stadium has been used by Miami FC
Miami FC
Fort Lauderdale Strikers is an American professional association football team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
and the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
in 2009 and 2011.
Since the 2008 season
2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team
The 2008 FIU Golden Panthers football team represents Florida International University in their 4th season of NCAA Division I FBS football and their 7th season overall. The team is coached by Mario Cristobal and play their homes games at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-Regular season:The 2008 season...
, FIU Stadium is now solely used by the football team as the FIU 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...
teams no longer use the facility. In April of 2011, the field was named Alfonso Field at FIU Stadium after alumnus David F. Alfonso. In September 2011, plans were announced to expand the stadium for the 2012 season, by removing the last remnants of the original 1995 stadium on the north side, and complete the bowl around the field.
Seating capacity
| Years | Stadium capacity |
|---|---|
| 1995-2001 | 7,000 |
| 2002-2008 | 18,000 |
| 2008-present | 23,500 |
Transportation
Miami-Dade TransitMiami-Dade Transit
Miami-Dade Transit is the primary public transit authority of Miami, Florida, United States and the greater Miami-Dade County area. It is the largest transit system in Florida and the 12th-largest transit system in the United States....
serves FIU Stadium with Metrobus lines 8, 11, 24, and 71. Bus lines 8, 11 and the 24 connect FIU Stadium directly with Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
. For visitors arriving by car, parking at the stadium is free for everyone. Tailgate
Tailgate party
In the United States, a tailgate party is a social event held on and around the open tailgate of a vehicle. Tailgating often involves consuming alcoholic beverages and grilling food. Tailgate parties usually occur in the parking lots at stadiums and arenas, before and occasionally after games and...
parking areas around the stadium open to fans 6 hours before game kickoff.
Stadium expansion
Phase one: September 2008 (complete)
- Seating capacity to 23,500
- 1,400 club seats
- 6,500 square-foot Stadium Club
- Upper concourse
- New lighting
- New coaches offices
- Expanded locker rooms
- Expanded weight room
- 19 suites
Phase two: July 2009 (complete)
- 2-story R. Kirk Landon Football Fieldhouse overlooking stadium
FIU named the new two-story, 50000 square feet (4,645.2 m²) headquarters of its football program after trustee R. Kirk Landon, in appreciation of his $1 million donation to Golden Panthers football.
The hub of the fieldhouse is a 14000 square feet (1,300.6 m²) weight room that all FIU student-athletes will use for strength and conditioning. The facility also includes 8500 square feet (789.7 m²) of locker rooms, an equipment room, full-service athletic training facility, ticket office, merchandise area and an FIU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Phase three: September 2012 (planned)
Phase three includes a seating capacity increase and expansion of the northern side of stadium including additional suites, press boxes, and a second stadium club. Currently, the north side of the stadium is bleachers that are remaining from the original 1995 stadium. Phase three would demolish the bleachers and complete the ring around the field of the stadium. Construction is due to begin in January 2012, and is expected to be finished by September 2012 for the 2012 football season.Phase four: TBD (planned)
Phase four of construction to FIU Stadium is contingent upon fanbase growth and demand. Projections call for construction in the future, but could be depending on the continued growth of FIU Football.- Seating capacity will increase to 45,000.
- Expanded upper concourse
- Construction of additional luxury suites and club seats
- Restaurant overlooking the field
- Main Street FIU
- 2-story expansion of fieldhouse
Traditions
Resting on a concrete foundation, the stadium seating areas are made of steelSteel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and aluminum, which makes the stadium very loud when fans stomp, jump and cheer. Panther fans shout "Rattle the Cage!" and fans will stomp and jump in unison on the bleacher
Bleacher
Bleachers is an American term used to describe the raised, tiered rows of seats found at sports fields or at other spectator events...
s creating a very loud reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
throughout the stadium. The Rattling of the Cage is done throughout the game, notably while the team is on defense, and during the famous "F-F, I-I, U-U, FIU!" cheer.
Attendance records
On October 1, 2011 FIU Stadium drew its largest attendance in school history. A crowd of 22,268 came to watch the Panthers play Duke UniversityDuke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
for the 2011 FIU Homecoming. Additionally, the Goodyear Blimp
Goodyear Blimp
The Goodyear Blimp is the collective name for a fleet of blimps operated by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company for advertising purposes and for use as a television camera platform for aerial views of sporting events...
made its first appearance at FIU Stadium, flying over the stadium throughout the game. The iconic Miami Tower in Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami
Downtown Miami is an urban residential neighborhood, and the central business district of Miami, Miami-Dade County, and South Florida in the United States...
was also lit in blue and gold throughout the week of September 26 to October 1, 2011 in honor of FIU's homecoming game.
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 22,682 | Oct. 1, 2011 | FIU 27, Duke 31 (2011 Homecoming) |
| 2 | 20,205 | Sept. 17, 2011 | FIU 17, UCF 10 |
| 3 | 19,872 | Sept. 11, 2010 | FIU 14, Rutgers 19 |
| 4 | 17,568 | Sept. 1, 2011 | FIU 41, North Texas 16 |
| 5 | 17,378 | Nov. 12, 2011 | FIU 41, Florida Atlantic 7 (Shula Bowl X Shula Bowl The Shula Bowl is an annual college football rivalry game between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Golden Panthers. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, the "Don Shula Award" for one year. The current winner is FIU, winning 41-7 on 12 November... ) |
| 6 | 17,314 | Aug. 9, 2002 | FIU 27, Saint Peter's 3 (Team's inaugural game) |
| 7 | 17,301 | Nov. 6, 2010 | FIU 42, Louisiana-Monroe 35 (2010 Homecoming) |
| 8 | 16,780 | Sept. 24, 2011 | FIU 31, Louisiana-Lafayette 36 |
| 9 | 16,730 | Dec. 3, 2005 | FIU 35, Middle Tennessee 31 |
| 10 | 16,717 | Sept. 20, 2008 | FIU 9, South Florida 17 (New stadium inaugural game) |
See also
- Golden Panthers
- Golden Panthers FootballFIU Golden Panthers footballThe FIU Golden Panthers football team represent Florida International University in Miami, Florida in the sport of college football. The FIU Panthers are a mid-major NCAA FBS college football team in the Sun Belt Conference led by Mario Cristobal and play at the on-campus FIU Stadium.-History:On...
- Shula BowlShula BowlThe Shula Bowl is an annual college football rivalry game between the Florida Atlantic University Owls and the Florida International University Golden Panthers. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, the "Don Shula Award" for one year. The current winner is FIU, winning 41-7 on 12 November...
(FIU vs Florida Atlantic annual rivalry game) - University Park StadiumUniversity Park StadiumUniversity Park Stadium is a baseball stadium located on the campus of Florida International University in Miami, Florida, USA. It is the home venue of the FIU Panthers college baseball team of the List of NCAA Division I Baseball programs Sun Belt Conference. The facility opened on January 26,...
(FIU Baseball) - U.S. Century Bank Arena (FIU Basketball)