McAndrew Stadium
Encyclopedia
McAndrew Stadium was a 17,000-seat multi-purpose stadium
in Carbondale, Illinois
, USA. It opened in 1938 and is home to the Southern Illinois University
Salukis football
team
. It was replaced by Saluki Stadium in 2010.
Originally built by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression of the mid-1930s, it had a construction cost of $150,000, only seated 5,000 and was hailed as one of the most attractive stadiums in the Midwest.
The first game at the stadium took place on Oct. 1, 1938, a 27-0 loss to Southeast Missouri State. Two weeks later, Southern Illinois University defeated Arkansas State, 6-0, for its first home win in its new stadium.
When William McAndrew, the school's first head coach, died in 1943, the University named the stadium McAndrew Stadium in his honor.
The most comprehensive renovation to the stadium took place after the 1973 season, when additional seating was erected on both sides.
Southern Illinois has played 328 games at the stadium since it first opened and has a record of 168-154-6.
Among the more memorable games include a 16-13 win over nationally ranked Tulsa on Oct. 28, 1967. In 1983, SIU beat Nevada, 23-7, to advance to the Division I-AA National Championship game.
After the 1996 Atlanta Olympics SIU competed to have the track surface and won, which meant that the Olympic track was dismantled and brought from Atlanta to McAndrew Stadium.
After a 29-year absence, night football returned to McAndrew Stadium in 2002. The Salukis opened the season with a 78-0 win over Kentucky Wesleyan on August 29, followed by a fireworks show.
Prior to 2002, the last night game at McAndrew was Oct. 20, 1973, when the Salukis hosted Tampa. The lighting system became inoperable the following year.
In 2001, a new AstroPlay turf was installed at a cost of $550,000. With its taller surface, the turf resembles natural grass. It also has a soft rubber base to provide added cushioning.
In 2003, the University's Board of Trustees approved a land use plan that will create a new "gateway" to SIU that includes a new football stadium.
The stadium closed at the end of the 2009 football season and on December 15, 2010 McAndrew began demolition and was completed in February 2011. The track, however, will remain until a new one is constructed by Abe Martin Field.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale, Illinois
Carbondale is a city in Jackson County, in the state of Illinois, within the Southern Illinois region. It is located at the junction of Illinois Route 13 and U.S. Route 51, southeast of St. Louis, Missouri, on the northern edge of the Shawnee National Forest...
, USA. It opened in 1938 and is home to the Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
Salukis 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...
team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
. It was replaced by Saluki Stadium in 2010.
Originally built by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression of the mid-1930s, it had a construction cost of $150,000, only seated 5,000 and was hailed as one of the most attractive stadiums in the Midwest.
The first game at the stadium took place on Oct. 1, 1938, a 27-0 loss to Southeast Missouri State. Two weeks later, Southern Illinois University defeated Arkansas State, 6-0, for its first home win in its new stadium.
When William McAndrew, the school's first head coach, died in 1943, the University named the stadium McAndrew Stadium in his honor.
The most comprehensive renovation to the stadium took place after the 1973 season, when additional seating was erected on both sides.
Southern Illinois has played 328 games at the stadium since it first opened and has a record of 168-154-6.
Among the more memorable games include a 16-13 win over nationally ranked Tulsa on Oct. 28, 1967. In 1983, SIU beat Nevada, 23-7, to advance to the Division I-AA National Championship game.
After the 1996 Atlanta Olympics SIU competed to have the track surface and won, which meant that the Olympic track was dismantled and brought from Atlanta to McAndrew Stadium.
After a 29-year absence, night football returned to McAndrew Stadium in 2002. The Salukis opened the season with a 78-0 win over Kentucky Wesleyan on August 29, followed by a fireworks show.
Prior to 2002, the last night game at McAndrew was Oct. 20, 1973, when the Salukis hosted Tampa. The lighting system became inoperable the following year.
In 2001, a new AstroPlay turf was installed at a cost of $550,000. With its taller surface, the turf resembles natural grass. It also has a soft rubber base to provide added cushioning.
In 2003, the University's Board of Trustees approved a land use plan that will create a new "gateway" to SIU that includes a new football stadium.
The stadium closed at the end of the 2009 football season and on December 15, 2010 McAndrew began demolition and was completed in February 2011. The track, however, will remain until a new one is constructed by Abe Martin Field.