Hillsboro Stadium
Encyclopedia
Hillsboro Stadium in Hillsboro
, Oregon
, United States
is a multi-sport stadium
owned by the city of Hillsboro. Opened in 1999, the award winning stadium is part of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex located in the northeast part of the city adjacent to the Sunset Highway
. The facility hosts home football games for Century High School and state playoff games for the Oregon School Activities Association
's smaller school divisions. Hillsboro Stadium is also used for baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse and has hosted college and professional teams.
. The first football game at Hillsboro Stadium was on September 17, 1999, when Century High School played Oregon City High School
. Previously, Century had used Hare Field
after the school opened in 1997, sharing that stadium with Hillsboro High School and Glencoe High School.
In 2000, the facility was expanded to increase seating capacity
from 4,000 to the current 7,000 plus. An additional 3,000 temporary seats were added at that time as well to accommodate the Portland State
football team. The team used Hillsboro Stadium in 2000 when then Civic Stadium (now Jeld-Wen Field) was being renovated. Portland's Central Catholic High School
also played their home games at the stadium that season as well. In May 2001, the University of Oregon
Ducks football
team held their annual spring game at the stadium. This scrimmage event included future NFL
quarterbacks Joey Harrington
and Jason Fife
.
In October 2005, Hillsboro Stadium hosted a college football game between Southern Oregon University
(SOU) and Pacific Lutheran University
(PLU) in a neutral site contest between the NCAA Division III PLU and NAIA
SOU. During the 2007 season, Pacific University
’s baseball and softball teams used the stadium while their new facility was being built in Forest Grove
. In June 2008, the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics
Oregon Summer Games were held at the facility.
On August 9, 2008, the stadium hosted a regular season game between the Philadelphia Barrage
and the New Jersey Pride
of Major League Lacrosse
(MLL). New Jersey won the game with attendance totaling 3,687 people. Hillsboro Stadium is mentioned as the likely home of any MLL team that may be awarded to or relocate to Portland. The annual Les Schwab Bowl
for high school football all stars was played at the stadium in June 2009.
In February 2010, the facilities artificial turf was replaced for the first time, with FieldTurf
replacing the original AstroTurf
. The renovation cost $988,000, of which the school district covered $250,000 of those costs. Hillsboro Stadium is scheduled to host the Amateur Softball Association
(ASA) Girls 16B Western National Championship in August 2010. The stadium will be used for opening ceremonies and some games will be played on-site, while another ASA tournament in scheduled for the stadium in 2012.
Portland State again used the stadium in May 2010 for its spring football game, and will hold its home football games during the 2010 season at Hillsboro Stadium. The home games begin in October, and will be held at the stadium while PGE Park undergoes a remodel to prepare for Major League Soccer
. Also due to those renovations, Central Catholic High School
will play its home football games at Hillsboro Stadium.
Designed by GBD Architects and built by Hoffman Construction Company, the stadium was named one of 1999's Best Public Project Award recipients by AIA Western International. The facility also won the 2000 Design Award of Merit from International Illumination Design Award. Hillsboro Stadium has a 170000 ft2 FieldTurf
field. This field is large enough to accommodate two games at the same time. The main grandstand is on the south side of the field and contains locker rooms, concession stands, and team training facilities. Seating capacity is around 7,600 people. The main, covered grandstand seats 4,000.
The FieldTurf field is used for a variety of sports. These include lacrosse
, football
, soccer, baseball
, and softball
. The main use is for high school athletics for Hillsboro’s four high schools, primarily Century High School. The stadium also hosts other events such as foot races, Oregon School Activities Association
state football playoffs, Cyclocross (Cross Crusade
), expositions for rally cars, and high school band competitions.
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
is a multi-sport 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...
owned by the city of Hillsboro. Opened in 1999, the award winning stadium is part of the Gordon Faber Recreation Complex located in the northeast part of the city adjacent to the Sunset Highway
Sunset Highway (Oregon)
The Sunset Highway No. 47 , in the state of Oregon, is an official designation for the portion of U.S. Route 26 between its western terminus, south of Seaside, and the interchange with Interstate 405 in downtown Portland...
. The facility hosts home football games for Century High School and state playoff games for the Oregon School Activities Association
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition among its members, both public and private...
's smaller school divisions. Hillsboro Stadium is also used for baseball, softball, soccer, and lacrosse and has hosted college and professional teams.
History
Built in 1999, the stadium cost $7.5 million to build, opening in August of that year. Overall, the entire sports complex cost $10 million to build, with funding from the city and the Ronler Acres urban renewal districtUrban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
. The first football game at Hillsboro Stadium was on September 17, 1999, when Century High School played Oregon City High School
Oregon City High School
Oregon City High School is a public high school located in Oregon City, Oregon. It is the third-most populated high school in Oregon.-History:...
. Previously, Century had used Hare Field
Hare Field
Hare Field is a multi-sport facility located in Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. The facility opened in 1965 and is owned by the Hillsboro School District. Hare Field includes a baseball stadium, a football stadium, practice fields, and track and field equipment. The venue hosts high school...
after the school opened in 1997, sharing that stadium with Hillsboro High School and Glencoe High School.
In 2000, the facility was expanded to increase 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...
from 4,000 to the current 7,000 plus. An additional 3,000 temporary seats were added at that time as well to accommodate the Portland State
Portland State Vikings
Portland State Vikings is the nickname of the NCAA-affiliated, intercollegiate athletic teams representing Portland State University of Portland, Oregon...
football team. The team used Hillsboro Stadium in 2000 when then Civic Stadium (now Jeld-Wen Field) was being renovated. Portland's Central Catholic High School
Central Catholic High School (Portland, Oregon)
Central Catholic High School is a co-educational, private high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Central Catholic is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, and is the only archdiocesan high school in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland....
also played their home games at the stadium that season as well. In May 2001, the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
Ducks football
Oregon Ducks football
The Oregon Ducks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the University of Oregon located in the U.S. state of Oregon. The team competes at the NCAA Division I level in the Football Bowl Subdivision and is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. Known as the Ducks, the...
team held their annual spring game at the stadium. This scrimmage event included future NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
quarterbacks Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
and Jason Fife
Jason Fife
Jason Fife is an American football quarterback with the Dallas Desperados in the Arena Football League. He was originally signed as a free agent by the Detroit Lions in 2004...
.
In October 2005, Hillsboro Stadium hosted a college football game between Southern Oregon University
Southern Oregon University
is a public liberal arts college located in Ashland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1926, it was formerly known as Southern Oregon College and Southern Oregon State College . SOU offers criminology, natural sciences, including environmental science, Shakespearean studies and theatre arts programs...
(SOU) and Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University
Pacific Lutheran University is located in Parkland, a suburb of Tacoma, Washington. In September 2009, PLU had a student population of 3,582 and approximately 280 full-time faculty...
(PLU) in a neutral site contest between the NCAA Division III PLU and NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
SOU. During the 2007 season, Pacific University
Pacific University
Pacific University is a private university located in Oregon, United States. The first campus began more than 160 years ago and is located about 38 km west of Portland in Forest Grove...
’s baseball and softball teams used the stadium while their new facility was being built in Forest Grove
Forest Grove, Oregon
Forest Grove is a city in Washington County, Oregon, United States, west of Portland. Originally a small farm town, it is now primarily a bedroom suburb of Portland. Settled in the 1840s, the town was platted in 1850 and then incorporated in 1872 and was the first city in Washington County...
. In June 2008, the opening ceremonies of the Special Olympics
Special Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
Oregon Summer Games were held at the facility.
On August 9, 2008, the stadium hosted a regular season game between the Philadelphia Barrage
Philadelphia Barrage
The Philadelphia Barrage were a Men's Field Lacrosse team that was based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from the 2004 season until the 2008 season when they became a traveling team. Since the 2001 season, they have played in Major League Lacrosse. They started playing in the American Division, but...
and the New Jersey Pride
New Jersey Pride
The New Jersey Pride were a men's field lacrosse team formerly based in Piscataway, New Jersey, United States. They played in Major League Lacrosse from 2001-2008.-Franchise history:...
of Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse
Major League Lacrosse, or MLL, is a professional men's field lacrosse league that is made up of five teams in the United States and one team in Canada.- History :...
(MLL). New Jersey won the game with attendance totaling 3,687 people. Hillsboro Stadium is mentioned as the likely home of any MLL team that may be awarded to or relocate to Portland. The annual Les Schwab Bowl
Les Schwab Tire Centers
Les Schwab Tire Centers is a tire retail chain operating in the western United States. Founded in 1952, The company is named for founder Les Schwab and is headquartered in the Central Oregon city of Bend. The private company employs over 7,000 people in eight western states...
for high school football all stars was played at the stadium in June 2009.
In February 2010, the facilities artificial turf was replaced for the first time, with FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
replacing the original AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
. The renovation cost $988,000, of which the school district covered $250,000 of those costs. Hillsboro Stadium is scheduled to host the Amateur Softball Association
Amateur Softball Association
The Amateur Softball Association is a volunteer, non-profit organization based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It was founded in 1933 with a tournament held in Chicago that was organized by Leo Fischer and Michael J. Pauley. The following year the 1934 National Recreation Congress recognized the ASA. ...
(ASA) Girls 16B Western National Championship in August 2010. The stadium will be used for opening ceremonies and some games will be played on-site, while another ASA tournament in scheduled for the stadium in 2012.
Portland State again used the stadium in May 2010 for its spring football game, and will hold its home football games during the 2010 season at Hillsboro Stadium. The home games begin in October, and will be held at the stadium while PGE Park undergoes a remodel to prepare for Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
. Also due to those renovations, Central Catholic High School
Central Catholic High School (Portland, Oregon)
Central Catholic High School is a co-educational, private high school in Portland, Oregon, United States. Central Catholic is affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church, and is the only archdiocesan high school in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Portland....
will play its home football games at Hillsboro Stadium.
Facility
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
field. This field is large enough to accommodate two games at the same time. The main grandstand is on the south side of the field and contains locker rooms, concession stands, and team training facilities. Seating capacity is around 7,600 people. The main, covered grandstand seats 4,000.
The FieldTurf field is used for a variety of sports. These include lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
, football
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...
, soccer, baseball
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...
, and softball
Softball
Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...
. The main use is for high school athletics for Hillsboro’s four high schools, primarily Century High School. The stadium also hosts other events such as foot races, Oregon School Activities Association
Oregon School Activities Association
The Oregon School Activities Association is a non-profit, board-governed organization that regulates high school athletics and competitive activities via athletic conferences in the U.S. state of Oregon, providing equitable competition among its members, both public and private...
state football playoffs, Cyclocross (Cross Crusade
Cross Crusade
The Cross Crusade is cyclo-cross race series based in Portland, Oregon held over an eight week period during the months of October and November. As of 2005, the series was the largest cyclo-cross series in the US. Currently in its 14th season, the 2006 series consists of six races plus the U.S....
), expositions for rally cars, and high school band competitions.