Bobcat Stadium (Montana State University)

Last updated
Bobcat Stadium
MSUBobcatStadium new turf.jpg
With new FieldTurf in 2008
Bobcat Stadium (Montana State University)
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Bozeman
Location in the United States
USA Montana relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
Bozeman
Location in Montana
Former namesReno H. Sales Stadium
(1973–1997)
Address1 Bobcat Circle
Location Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana, U.S.
Coordinates 45°39′32″N111°02′56″W / 45.659°N 111.049°W / 45.659; -111.049
Elevation4,940 feet (1,505 m) AMSL
OwnerMontana State University
OperatorMontana State University
Capacity 20,767
Record attendance22,037
(November 19, 2022)
Surface FieldTurf (2008–present)
Natural grass (1973–2007)
Construction
Broke ground1972
Opened 1973 – Reno H. Sales
51 years ago
Renovated 1998 – Bobcat Stadium
Expanded 2011
Construction cost $500,000 (original)
$12 million upgrade (1998)
$10 million upgrade (2011)
ArchitectBauer Group Architects

Bobcat Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the western United States, located on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. It is the home of the Montana State Bobcats college football team of the Big Sky Conference.

Contents

At the south end of campus, the stadium has a seating capacity of 20,767 and a NW-SE configuration, with the press box along the southwest sideline. Originally natural grass, the playing field was switched to FieldTurf in 2008 and is at an elevation of 4,940 feet (1,510 m) above sea level. [1] [2]

History

Reno H. Sales Stadium

The stadium opened in 1973 as Reno Sales Stadium, built for about $500,000. Sales (1876–1969) [3] was a lineman on the first Bobcat football team in 1897 and was the college's only graduate in 1898. [4] Later in life he was an engineer and philanthropist. Born in Iowa, Sales moved with his family as a youngster to Montana in 1881 and they homesteaded near Salesville (now Gallatin Gateway); he was the chief geologist for Anaconda Copper for 41 years. [5] During his long life, Sales was widely known as "Mr. Bobcat," and for his generosity and devotion to his alma mater. [6] [7]

Bobcat Stadium

Prior to the 1998 season, the stadium was renovated for about $12 million and renamed "Bobcat Stadium." The facility was designed to accommodate further expansion in the southeast end zone.

On October 6, 2010, the university was granted approval by the board of regents to proceed with the planning, design and eventual construction of new endzone seating and related enhancements to Bobcat Stadium. Some of the enhancements include new visiting team and referee locker rooms, restrooms, an 18-by-37-foot (5.5 m × 11.3 m) LED video board in the north end zone, and a new scoreboard atop the new section. The new 7,200-seat end zone "bowl" connects the two sideline grandstands. The renovation was projected to cost $8–10 million; $4 million was required to be raised privately with the remaining amount to be financed and paid for through ticket and other athletics related revenue. No new student fees or other public money was to be used for the project. A day before the project was presented to the board of regents, it was an announced that an anonymous individual donated $1 million to the project in honor of former Bobcat legend Sonny Holland. [8] [9] [10]

Ground was broken for the expansion on January 28, 2011, [11] and the work was completed in time for the home opener against UC Davis on September 10. [12] [13]

2012 home opener; the first night game in Bobcat Stadium history Bobcat stadium gold rush 2012.JPG
2012 home opener; the first night game in Bobcat Stadium history

The upgraded stadium has 17,777 seats, but capacity is routinely expanded through the use of standing room only areas and temporary bleachers in the north endzone. An attendance record of 20,767 was established during the 2012 season opener vs. Chadron State on August 30. [14] Bobcat Stadium set a new record with 21,007 at the 2013 season opener against Monmouth on August 29. [15] The record was further broken twice during the 2022 season, first in the season opener vs. McNeese State on September 4, then again in season finale against archrival Montana, when 22,047 attended the Brawl of the Wild with College GameDay also in town.

The venue was further enhanced with floodlights through the use of donations obtained in the fall of 2011. Since 2012, MSU has had the capability to host night games and meet television broadcasting lighting requirements. [16]

Athletic Facility Master Plan

In 2017, MSU Athletics published its 20-year Athletic Facility Master Plan which envisions renovating and constructing athletic facilities to serve student-athletes and fans. [17] As part of Phase One of the masterplan, MSU constructed the Bobcat Athletic Complex, a 40,000-square-foot football operations facility that encloses the northwest end of the stadium, and hosted its grand opening on October 8, 2021. [18] The Bobcat Athletic Complex provides student-athletes with study spaces, locker rooms, and team meeting rooms, as well as training, health, and rehabilitation facilities, strength training room, nutrition room, and fueling station. It also houses the football program, including a team lounge and offices for coaches and staff. The $18-million-dollar facility was funded by private donors.

The masterplan also includes future renovations to the East Sideline, North End Zone, and West Sideline. The East Sideline renovations envision a new stadium entry and 6,400 seats, including general and accessible seating, premium seating options, and club-style seats. The concourses will consist of improved restroom facilities, new concession opportunities, retail spaces, and access to a premium lounge.

The North End Zone renovations will be designed to integrate with and enhance the Bobcat Athletic Complex, serving to complete the bowl by connecting the East and West Sidelines. The North End Zone will provide 2,000 additional seats, including general and accessible seating, while also providing concourse space below with restrooms and concessions. A new scoreboard, videoboard, and stadium sound system are included as part of this project, or as a stand-alone project, coordinating with the North End Zone seating and the Bobcat Athletic Complex.

The existing West Sideline and Press Box Tower will be completely renovated to improve fan amenities and the spectator experience. Minor renovations to the seating bowl are envisioned, including improved access to the renovated Tower. The Tower renovations will include upgrading the concourse, concessions, restrooms, retail points, and stadium entry points, improving the second-level corporate hospitality area, third-level Stadium Club and Sky Suites, and fourth-floor Sky Suites, and completely renovating the fifth-level press box, media, and coaches’ spaces. The entire Tower façade will be redesigned to create the centerpiece for the stadium bowl.

Previous venues

Gatton Field

Through the 1971 season, the Bobcats played home games for four decades at Gatton Field. It was located directly south of the Romney Gym, across Grant Street and northeast of the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, which opened in 1957. The playing field ran east–west and had lighting as far back as the 1940s. [19] It was razed in early 1972, [20] and is the site of the Marga Hosaeus Fitness Center, opened in 1973. [21] Bobcat Stadium is approximately a half-mile (0.8 km) due south.

The field was named for Cyrus J. Gatton, a former Montana State football player from 1913 to 1916. Born in Iowa and raised in Bozeman, Gatton enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I and was killed in northeast France while flying for the 11th Aero Squadron on November 4, just a week before the Armistice. The class of 1917 voted in 1920 that when the school built a new football field it should be named for Cyrus Gatton, and the request was honored ten years later. [21]

Van Winkle Stadium

The new stadium was not completed for the 1972 season; the Bobcats played their home games at Van Winkle Stadium at Bozeman High School, with expanded temporary seating. [22] [23] Despite the change of venue, MSU lost just one home game, won the Big Sky title (5–1), and finished 8–3 overall. [24]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana State University</span> Public research university in Bozeman, Montana, U.S.

Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana. It is the state's largest university. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35 fields through its nine colleges. More than 16,700 students attended MSU in the fall 2019, taught by 796 full-time and 547 part-time faculty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jan Stenerud</span> Norwegian-American football player (born 1942)

Jan Stenerud is a Norwegian-American former football kicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with Kansas City Chiefs. The first Norwegian NFL player, he began his career in the AFL after being selected by the Chiefs during the 1966 draft and joined the NFL following the AFL–NFL merger. Along with his 13 seasons in Kansas City, Stenerud was a member of the Green Bay Packers for four seasons and the Minnesota Vikings for two seasons until retiring in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Stadium</span> American football stadium in Pullman, Washington

Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It is the home field of the Washington State Cougars of the Pac-12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kibbie Dome</span> Multi-purpose domed stadium in Moscow, Idaho

The P1FCU Kibbie Dome, known simply as the Kibbie Dome and formerly named the Kibbie-ASUI Activity Center, is a multi-purpose indoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. It is the home of the Idaho Vandals of the Big Sky Conference for four sports. Basketball was played in the venue until the autumn 2021 opening of the adjacent Idaho Central Credit Union Arena.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cajun Field</span> Football stadium in Lafayette, Louisiana

Cajun Field is a football stadium located on the South Campus of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in the city of Lafayette, Louisiana. Nicknamed The Swamp, it is the home field of Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns athletics. Cajun Field is primarily used for its American football team. Cajun Field has an official capacity of 41,426 with 2,577 chairback seats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Davis Wade Stadium</span> Stadium at Mississippi State University

Davis Wade Stadium, officially known as Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field is the home venue for the Mississippi State Bulldogs football team. Originally constructed in 1914 as New Athletic Field, it is the second-oldest stadium in the Football Bowl Subdivision behind Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd Stadium, and the fourth oldest in all of college football behind Penn's Franklin Field, Harvard Stadium, and Bobby Dodd Stadium. As of 2022, it has a seating capacity of 60,311 people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brick Breeden Fieldhouse</span>

The Brick Breeden Fieldhouse is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the western United States, located on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. It is the home of the Montana State Bobcats of the Big Sky Conference; the primary venue for men's and women's basketball and indoor track and field.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peden Stadium</span> Football stadium on the campus of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio

Peden Stadium, also known as Frank Solich Field at Peden Stadium since August 2022, is an American football stadium on the campus of Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. Situated on the banks of the Hocking River with a seated capacity of 24,000, Peden Stadium has been the home of the Ohio Bobcats Football team since 1929. An example of early 20th Century sports venues, it is the oldest college football venue in the Mid-American Conference, the third oldest in Ohio, and the 29th oldest college stadium in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana–Montana State football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Montana–Montana State football rivalry is an annual college football rivalry game between the University of Montana Grizzlies and the Montana State University Bobcats. The game is most historically and commonly known as the Cat-Griz game, and sometimes as the Griz-Cat game. Since 1997, the match has been advertised as the Brawl of the Wild. The winner receives the massive Great Divide Trophy, as the universities are on opposite sides of the continental divide.

Neale Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho. Opened 87 years ago in 1937 for college football, it was used for over three decades, through the 1968 football season; the track team moved to the venue in the late 1940s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana State Bobcats football</span> Football program of Montana State University

The Montana State Bobcats football program competes in the Big Sky Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivision for Montana State University. The program began in 1897 and has won three national championships. It is the only college football program in the nation to win national championships on three different levels of competition, NAIA, NCAA Division II, and NCAA Division I-AA. Through the 2022 season, the Bobcats had played in 1,049 games with an all-time record of 525–492–32.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana State Bobcats</span> Collegiate athletics teams of Montana State University

The Montana State Bobcats are the varsity athletic teams representing Montana State University in Bozeman in intercollegiate athletics. The university sponsors thirteen teams including men and women's basketball, cross country, skiing, tennis, and track and field; women's-only golf and volleyball; and men's-only football. The Bobcats compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Big Sky Conference with the exception of the men's and women's skiing teams which belong to the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association. Their main rivals are the Grizzlies of the University of Montana in Missoula. Both schools are charter members of the Big Sky Conference, which began competition 61 years ago in the fall of 1963.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montana State Bobcats men's basketball</span> Mens basketball program representing Montana State University

The Montana State Bobcats men's basketball team represents Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference in NCAA Division I. The Bobcats are currently without a head coach and play their home games on campus at Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Montana. MSU has appeared in the NCAA tournament five times, most recently with consecutive bids in 2022 and 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Montana State Bobcats football team</span> American college football season

The 2016 Montana State Bobcats football team represented Montana State University as a member of the Big Sky Conference during the 2016 NCAA Division I FCS football season. Led by first-year head coach Jeff Choate, Montana State compiled an overall record of 4–7 with a mark of 2–6 in conference play, placing in a four-way tie for ninth place in the Big Sky. The Bobcats played their home games at Bobcat Stadium in Bozeman, Montana.

The 1976 Montana State Bobcats football team represented the Montana State University in the 1976 NCAA Division II football season. The team was led by sixth-year head coach Sonny Holland and won the Division II national championship. The Bobcats played their home games on campus in Bozeman at Reno H. Sales Stadium.

The 1962 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State College as an independent during the 1962 NCAA College Division football season. In its fifth and final season under head coach Herb Agocs, the team played its home games on campus at Gatton Field in Bozeman and compiled a 7–3 record.

The 1971 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1971 NCAA College Division football season. In their first season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled a 2–7–1 record.

The 1972 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1972 NCAA College Division football season. In their second season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled an 8–3 record and won the Big Sky championship.

The 1973 Montana State Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Montana State University in the Big Sky Conference during the 1973 NCAA Division II football season. In their third season under head coach Sonny Holland, the Bobcats compiled a 7–4 record and finished second in the Big Sky.

Reno Haber Sales was an American mining engineer who was Chief Geologist of Anaconda Corporation in Montana. He is known as the "father of mining geology."

References

  1. ↑ Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
  2. ↑ Reuters.com Archived 2012-09-09 at archive.today – MSU to install FieldTurf – 2008-06-23
  3. ↑ "Reno Haber Sales Papers, 1900-1968". Archives West. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Mining man Reno Sales dies at 92". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. Associated Press. May 10, 1969. p. 6.
  5. ↑ "Reno H. Sales". American Institute of Mining, Mettalurgical, and Petroleum Engineers. Retrieved September 27, 2016.
  6. ↑ Montana.edu campus buildings Archived December 13, 2007, at the Wayback Machine – Sales Stadium
  7. ↑ MSU Bobcats.com Archived September 27, 2007, at the Wayback Machine – Traditions
  8. ↑ http://www.bozemandailychronicle.com/sports/article_da5e646c-d0fd-11df-ad03-001cc4c03286.html – Bozeman Chronicle article re: donation
  9. ↑ http://www.mus.edu/board/meetings/2010/149-2001-C1010.pdf [ permanent dead link ] – Board of Regents Stadium expansion agenda item
  10. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-11. Retrieved 2010-10-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) – Conceptual Endzone seating design
  11. ↑ "MSU News Service - MSU breaks ground on new End Zone". Archived from the original on 2012-04-01. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  12. ↑ "Holland, Thayers, Pulfreys honored in Bobcat Stadium improvements".
  13. ↑ "Bobcats Open Renovated Stadium in Grand Style".
  14. ↑ "Bobcats win big in season opener".
  15. ↑ Monmouth Hawks vs Montana State Bobcats – Recap http://espn.go.com/ncf/recap?id=332410147
  16. ↑ "MSU will turn on the big lights for Cat/Griz showdown". Archived from the original on 2013-06-01.
  17. ↑ "Facilities Masterplan".
  18. ↑ "MSU to host Oct. 8 grand opening for Bobcat Athletic Complex".
  19. ↑ "Official football game program: Montana State at Utah". University of Utah Libraries. September 15, 1951. p. 4.
  20. ↑ "Construction starts soon on Montana State building". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. December 4, 1971. p. 12.
  21. 1 2 Bozeman Daily Chronicle – today in history – March 7 – 1972: Gratton Field...gone – accessed 2011-10-31
  22. ↑ Payne, Bob (September 30, 1972). "Idaho seeks 're-starter' in Bozeman". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 10.
  23. ↑ Payne, Bob (October 1, 1972). "Vandal title hopes lost: MSU gets 17-3 win". Spokesman-Review. Spokane, Washington. p. 1, sports.
  24. ↑ cfbdatawarehouse.com Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine – results – 1972 – Montana State – accessed 2011-10-31
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.