Romney Stadium
Encyclopedia
Merlin Olsen Field at Romney Stadium is an outdoor football
stadium
in Logan
, Utah
, USA, on the campus of Utah State University
(USU). It is the home field of the Utah State Aggies
of the Western Athletic Conference
. It opened in 1968
and currently has a seating capacity
of 25,513. Its SprinTurf playing field runs in the traditional north-south configuration, and sits at an elevation
of 4710 feet (1435 m) above sea level.
Named for Dick Romney
, Utah State’s all-time winningest football coach and former athletics director, Romney Stadium was officially dedicated on September 27, 1969. The first game in the stadium came a season earlier in 1968, when USU defeated New Mexico State
28–12 on September 14.
. At that time, the stadium has a capacity of 15,000. Previously, the Aggies had played at another, smaller venue also called "Romney Stadium", which was situated on the site where the Health, Physical Education, & Recreation (HPER) building now stands.
There has been one major stadium addition since its opening. Thanks to a massive volunteer effort in 1980, 10,000 seats were added to the southern bowl which brought the capacity to its present figure. Prior to the 1997
season, approximately 4,000 chairback seats replaced wooden bleachers on the west side of the stadium.
Ahead of the 1999
season, new scoreboards were added at each end of the stadium and additional bleacher seats were installed as well. New aluminum bleachers replaced wooden bleachers on the lower sections of the east side of the stadium in 2001
. In 2003, that project expanded to the upper sections.
In summer 2004
, after 36 seasons, the bent bluegrass field was replaced with a state-of-the-art synthetic turf by SprinTurf, similar to FieldTurf
. A new press box with luxury suites were planned for the future. In addition, the Jim & Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex was completed in 2008 and serves to meet the athletic and academic needs of all its 300-plus student athletes. The first floor is home to the 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine Complex and the Dr. John Worley Sports Medicine Research Center, along with a 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) equipment room. The Steve Mothersell Hall of Fame is also located on the first floor, along with locker rooms for football, women's track and field, softball and women's soccer. Coaches' offices and conference rooms for football are located on the second floor, and the academic center is on the third floor with classrooms, computer labs and tutoring rooms.
The stadium was designed specifically for American football
with all seats, until the 1980 expansion, located between the 15-yard lines and all directed toward the 50-yard line. The first row of seats on the east, west and south sides are elevated eight-feet above the playing field and within 30 feet (9.1 m) of the sidelines.
The glass-enclosed press box, located on the stadium’s west side, was renovated in 1997
and features closed-circuit television monitors for replays. The press box can comfortably accommodate 40 writers with facilities for radio and TV broadcasters.
On December 5, 2009, USU announced that the field at Romney Stadium would be named Merlin Olsen Field in honor of Pro and
College Football Hall of Fame
member and former Aggie Merlin Olsen
. A sculpture of Olsen will also be unveiled in a plaza south of the stadium during an official dedication ceremony in Fall 2010.
The stadium was financed by a student body which believed in athletics to the extent of underwriting a special bonding assessment for both Romney Stadium and the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, which serves as home for Utah State’s basketball, gymnastics and volleyball teams. The continuing growth of Utah State’s campus prompted University planners to relocate the original Romney Stadium, which was built in 1927 on the grounds where the HPER building now stands. That facility was dedicated on October 8, 1927, in recognition of Coach Romney’s lasting contributions to Utah State football. That structure served as Utah State’s home for 41 seasons (1927–67). Utah State played its final game in the old complex on November 11, 1967
, as the Aggies defeated Montana
, 20-14.
guided the Aggies to four conference championships, compiling a 128-91-16 record (.579) in 29 seasons (1919–48). Over the past 33 seasons, Utah State has compiled a 94-69 mark (.577) winning percentage) in "new" Romney Stadium. Only nine times in the 33-year history of the stadium has Utah State experienced a losing record at home.
Utah State’s largest crowd to witness a game in Romney Stadium was 33,119 (including standing room) in a 45-17 loss to BYU
on October 4, 1996.
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...
in Logan
Logan, Utah
-Layout of the City:Logan's city grid originates from its Main and Center Street block, with Main Street running north and south, and Center east and west. Each block north, east, south, or west of the origin accumulates in additions of 100 , though some streets have non-numeric names...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, USA, on the campus of Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
(USU). It is the home field of the Utah State Aggies
Utah State Aggies football
The Utah State Aggies are a college football team that competes in the Western Athletic Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I, representing Utah State University. The Utah State college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Romney Stadium since 1968...
of the Western Athletic Conference
Western Athletic Conference
The Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. It opened in 1968
1968 in sports
1968 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup:** Men's overall champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France** Women's overall champion: Nancy Greene, Canada-American football:...
and currently has a 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...
of 25,513. Its SprinTurf playing field runs in the traditional north-south configuration, and sits at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 4710 feet (1435 m) above sea level.
Named for Dick Romney
Dick Romney
Ernest Lowell "Dick" Romney was an American football and basketball player and coach, track athlete, and college athletics administrator...
, Utah State’s all-time winningest football coach and former athletics director, Romney Stadium was officially dedicated on September 27, 1969. The first game in the stadium came a season earlier in 1968, when USU defeated New Mexico State
New Mexico State Aggies football
The New Mexico State Aggies football team represents New Mexico State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Western Athletic Conference ....
28–12 on September 14.
Renovation history
Romney Stadium opened on September 14, 1968 with a 28–23 victory over New Mexico StateNew Mexico State Aggies football
The New Mexico State Aggies football team represents New Mexico State University in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision college football competition as a member of the Western Athletic Conference ....
. At that time, the stadium has a capacity of 15,000. Previously, the Aggies had played at another, smaller venue also called "Romney Stadium", which was situated on the site where the Health, Physical Education, & Recreation (HPER) building now stands.
There has been one major stadium addition since its opening. Thanks to a massive volunteer effort in 1980, 10,000 seats were added to the southern bowl which brought the capacity to its present figure. Prior to the 1997
1997 in sports
1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden-American football:...
season, approximately 4,000 chairback seats replaced wooden bleachers on the west side of the stadium.
Ahead of the 1999
1999 in sports
1999 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Lasse Kjus, Norway** Women's overall season champion: Alexandra Meissnitzer, Austria-American football:...
season, new scoreboards were added at each end of the stadium and additional bleacher seats were installed as well. New aluminum bleachers replaced wooden bleachers on the lower sections of the east side of the stadium in 2001
2001 in sports
2001 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Hermann Maier, Austria** Women's overall season champion: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...
. In 2003, that project expanded to the upper sections.
In summer 2004
2004 in sports
2004 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-American football:* College football Bowl Championship Series :**January 1 – Rose Bowl – USC 28, Michigan 14...
, after 36 seasons, the bent bluegrass field was replaced with a state-of-the-art synthetic turf by SprinTurf, similar to 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...
. A new press box with luxury suites were planned for the future. In addition, the Jim & Carol Laub Athletics-Academics Complex was completed in 2008 and serves to meet the athletic and academic needs of all its 300-plus student athletes. The first floor is home to the 11000 square feet (1,021.9 m²) Dale Mildenberger Sports Medicine Complex and the Dr. John Worley Sports Medicine Research Center, along with a 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) equipment room. The Steve Mothersell Hall of Fame is also located on the first floor, along with locker rooms for football, women's track and field, softball and women's soccer. Coaches' offices and conference rooms for football are located on the second floor, and the academic center is on the third floor with classrooms, computer labs and tutoring rooms.
The stadium was designed specifically for American 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...
with all seats, until the 1980 expansion, located between the 15-yard lines and all directed toward the 50-yard line. The first row of seats on the east, west and south sides are elevated eight-feet above the playing field and within 30 feet (9.1 m) of the sidelines.
1997 in sports
1997 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion: Luc Alphand, France** Women's overall season champion: Pernilla Wiberg, Sweden-American football:...
and features closed-circuit television monitors for replays. The press box can comfortably accommodate 40 writers with facilities for radio and TV broadcasters.
On December 5, 2009, USU announced that the field at Romney Stadium would be named Merlin Olsen Field in honor of Pro and
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
member and former Aggie Merlin Olsen
Merlin Olsen
Merlin Jay Olsen was an American football player in the National Football League, NFL commentator, and actor. He played his entire 15-year career with the Los Angeles Rams and was elected to the Pro Bowl in 14 of those seasons, a current record shared with Bruce Matthews...
. A sculpture of Olsen will also be unveiled in a plaza south of the stadium during an official dedication ceremony in Fall 2010.
The stadium was financed by a student body which believed in athletics to the extent of underwriting a special bonding assessment for both Romney Stadium and the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum, which serves as home for Utah State’s basketball, gymnastics and volleyball teams. The continuing growth of Utah State’s campus prompted University planners to relocate the original Romney Stadium, which was built in 1927 on the grounds where the HPER building now stands. That facility was dedicated on October 8, 1927, in recognition of Coach Romney’s lasting contributions to Utah State football. That structure served as Utah State’s home for 41 seasons (1927–67). Utah State played its final game in the old complex on November 11, 1967
1967 in sports
1967 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* The first Alpine Skiing World Cup is organised for the three ski events: Downhill, Slalom and Giant Slalom:** Men's overall champion: Jean-Claude Killy, France...
, as the Aggies defeated Montana
Montana Grizzlies football
The Montana Grizzlies football program represents the University of Montana in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision of college football. The Grizzlies have competed in the Big Sky Conference, where it is a founding member, since 1963...
, 20-14.
Team history at Romney Stadium
Dick RomneyDick Romney
Ernest Lowell "Dick" Romney was an American football and basketball player and coach, track athlete, and college athletics administrator...
guided the Aggies to four conference championships, compiling a 128-91-16 record (.579) in 29 seasons (1919–48). Over the past 33 seasons, Utah State has compiled a 94-69 mark (.577) winning percentage) in "new" Romney Stadium. Only nine times in the 33-year history of the stadium has Utah State experienced a losing record at home.
Utah State’s largest crowd to witness a game in Romney Stadium was 33,119 (including standing room) in a 45-17 loss to BYU
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
on October 4, 1996.
External links
- Utah State Aggies.com - official athletics site - Romney Stadium
- Aerial photo (& topographic map) of USU campus from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps