Memorial Stadium, Bloomington
Encyclopedia
Memorial Stadium is a stadium
in Bloomington, Indiana
. It is primarily used for football
, and is the home field of the Indiana Hoosiers
. The stadium opened in 1960 as part of a new athletics area at the university and currently has a capacity of 52,929. The stadium is similar in structure to venues at Wake Forest
(BB&T Field
) and Virginia Tech
(Lane Stadium
). It replaced the original Memorial Stadium
, built in 1925, a 20,000-seat stadium located on 10th Street where the arboretum now stands.
On June 1, 2003 a $3.5 million renovation of the Memorial Stadium press box was completed, which also added 300 indoor club seats and 9 suites. In the summer of 2003 the Hoosier locker room in Memorial Stadium underwent a $250,000 renovation. The facelift to the original 1986 facility included renovating and modernizing the existing space with new carpeting, lighting and a new bulkhead ceiling along with the installation of custom-built oak wood lockers for 105 football players. The renovation was funded in large part by former Hoosier quarterback Trent Green
and his wife Julie.
A 36 x 91 feet (27.7 m) HD scoreboard was added to the South End Zone for the 2010 season (which is the 10th largest collegiate scoreboard in the country), along with a state-of-the-art sound system.
in 1986. The AstroTurf was replaced with grass in 1998, but the field soon reverted back to an artificial surface (AstroPlay) in 2003. Heavy rains in June 2008
severely damaged the field, washing away the gravel substrate and creating a large sinkhole in the south endzone, which led to the installation of the stadium's current FieldTurf
surface.
had a southern Indiana limestone boulder nicknamed "The Rock" installed in the north end zone as a new campus tradition. This limestone boulder was found prior to Hoeppner's first season at IU in the practice field. It was removed, put on a granite slab and moved to the stadium. The Hoosiers and coach Hoeppner walked out and touched the Rock before running onto the field at every home game during Hoeppner's time as head coach (a tradition that continues today). Terry Hoeppner died of brain cancer on June 19, 2007 and The Rock (re-named "Hep's Rock" during a ceremony with the Hoeppner family on November 6, 2010) now serves as motivation for the team as well as a tribute to Hoeppner's influence on the football program.
The expansion provides additional space for classrooms, a 25000 sq ft (2,322.6 m²). weight/training room, a Hall of Fame, and expanded seating for football, raising the stadium's seating capacity
to 52,692. The expansion is part of an overall $55 million expansion of several Indiana University athletic facilities. The project was completed as scheduled in August 2009, and was ready for the Hoosiers when they opened against Eastern Kentucky
on September 3, 2009.
Indiana Athletic Director Fred Glass announced in July 2009 $3 million of additional renovations to the stadium for the 2009 season, including a new "retro" North End Zone scoreboard, a "Knothole Park" kids area in the south end zone, upgrades to the press box, repainting walkways, renovated concession stands, additional ticket booths, and new fencing around the 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 Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. It is primarily used for 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...
, and is the home field of the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers football
The Indiana Hoosiers football program represents Indiana University Bloomington in NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football and in the Big Ten Conference.-Bowl games:...
. The stadium opened in 1960 as part of a new athletics area at the university and currently has a capacity of 52,929. The stadium is similar in structure to venues at Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
(BB&T Field
BB&T Field
This article is about the football stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. For the baseball stadium also in Winston-Salem, see BB&T Ballpark. For the baseball stadium in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, see BB&T Coastal Field....
) and Virginia Tech
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, popularly known as Virginia Tech , is a public land-grant university with the main campus in Blacksburg, Virginia with other research and educational centers throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and internationally.Founded in...
(Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium
Lane Stadium/Worsham Field is a stadium located in Blacksburg, Virginia. It is the home field of the Virginia Tech Hokies. It was rated the number one home field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com...
). It replaced the original Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Indiana University old)
Memorial Stadium was a stadium in Bloomington, Indiana. It was primarily used for college football, and was the home field of the Indiana University football team between 1925 and 1959, prior to the opening of the new Memorial Stadium. The stadium held 20,000 people and was built in 1925. The...
, built in 1925, a 20,000-seat stadium located on 10th Street where the arboretum now stands.
History
The stadium has been renovated or updated multiple times since the original construction, including the replacement of the original wooden seats with aluminum bleachers, installation of sound and lighting systems, and major structural overhauls.On June 1, 2003 a $3.5 million renovation of the Memorial Stadium press box was completed, which also added 300 indoor club seats and 9 suites. In the summer of 2003 the Hoosier locker room in Memorial Stadium underwent a $250,000 renovation. The facelift to the original 1986 facility included renovating and modernizing the existing space with new carpeting, lighting and a new bulkhead ceiling along with the installation of custom-built oak wood lockers for 105 football players. The renovation was funded in large part by former Hoosier quarterback Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
and his wife Julie.
A 36 x 91 feet (27.7 m) HD scoreboard was added to the South End Zone for the 2010 season (which is the 10th largest collegiate scoreboard in the country), along with a state-of-the-art sound system.
Playing Surface
The field at the stadium was originally natural grass, but this was replaced in 1970 with artificial turf, which was updated to AstroTurfAstroTurf
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...
in 1986. The AstroTurf was replaced with grass in 1998, but the field soon reverted back to an artificial surface (AstroPlay) in 2003. Heavy rains in June 2008
June 2008 Midwest floods
The June 2008 Midwestern United States floods were flooding events which affected portions of the Midwest United States. After months of heavy precipitation, a number of rivers overflowed their banks for several weeks at a time and broke through levees at numerous locations. Flooding continued...
severely damaged the field, washing away the gravel substrate and creating a large sinkhole in the south endzone, which led to the installation of the stadium's current 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...
surface.
"Hep's Rock"
In 2005, head football coach Terry HoeppnerTerry Hoeppner
Terry Hoeppner was an American college football coach who served as head coach of the Miami RedHawks from 1999 to 2004 and the Indiana Hoosiers from 2005 to 2006...
had a southern Indiana limestone boulder nicknamed "The Rock" installed in the north end zone as a new campus tradition. This limestone boulder was found prior to Hoeppner's first season at IU in the practice field. It was removed, put on a granite slab and moved to the stadium. The Hoosiers and coach Hoeppner walked out and touched the Rock before running onto the field at every home game during Hoeppner's time as head coach (a tradition that continues today). Terry Hoeppner died of brain cancer on June 19, 2007 and The Rock (re-named "Hep's Rock" during a ceremony with the Hoeppner family on November 6, 2010) now serves as motivation for the team as well as a tribute to Hoeppner's influence on the football program.
North End Zone Complex
In September 2006, Indiana University announced plans to expand Memorial Stadium and enclose the north endzone. Demolition of the North End Zone bleachers took place in January 2007. This left capacity for the 2007 and 2008 seasons at 49,225 .The expansion provides additional space for classrooms, a 25000 sq ft (2,322.6 m²). weight/training room, a Hall of Fame, and expanded seating for football, raising the stadium's 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...
to 52,692. The expansion is part of an overall $55 million expansion of several Indiana University athletic facilities. The project was completed as scheduled in August 2009, and was ready for the Hoosiers when they opened against Eastern Kentucky
2009 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team
The 2009 Eastern Kentucky Colonels football team represented Eastern Kentucky University in the college football season of 2009–2010. The team was led by Dean Hood, the 2008 Ohio Valley Conference Roy Kidd Coach of the Year. Hood was in his 2nd season as head coach. Also, the football season...
on September 3, 2009.
Indiana Athletic Director Fred Glass announced in July 2009 $3 million of additional renovations to the stadium for the 2009 season, including a new "retro" North End Zone scoreboard, a "Knothole Park" kids area in the south end zone, upgrades to the press box, repainting walkways, renovated concession stands, additional ticket booths, and new fencing around the stadium.