Centennial Bank Stadium

Centennial Bank Stadium
"The Vault"
	Centennial Bank Stadium Location in Arkansas Centennial Bank Stadium Location in the United States
Former names	Liberty Bank Stadium (2012–2013); ASU Stadium (2007–2011); Indian Stadium (1974–2007)
Location	2180 Aggie Road; Jonesboro, Arkansas 72401
Coordinates	35°50′56″N90°40′2″W / 35.84889°N 90.66722°W
Owner	Arkansas State University
Operator	Arkansas State University
Capacity	16,343 (1974–1979); 18,709 (1980–1990); 30,708 (1991–2001); 30,964 (2002–2014); 30,406 (2015–present)
Record attendance	31,243 (December 1, 2012) vs Middle Tennessee
Surface	ProGreen
Construction
Opened	September 28, 1974
Construction cost	$2.5 million; ($15.4 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Brackett-Krennerich
Tenants
	Arkansas State Red Wolves (NCAA) 1974–present

Last updated December 10, 2024

Centennial Bank Stadium is a football stadium located in Jonesboro, Arkansas, on the campus of Arkansas State University that is home to the Arkansas State Red Wolves football team. The stadium opened in 1974 as Indian Stadium named after the old nickname of the school, the Indians, until the 2007 season when it was renamed ASU Stadium. The venue was renamed Liberty Bank Stadium in September 2012 after Liberty Bank of Arkansas donated approximately $5 million to the university. In 2013, Liberty Bank was bought by Home BancShares, whose trade name is Centennial Bank. Since 2015, the stadium has a seating capacity of 30,406.

History

The stadium opened in 1974 however construction was not completely finished until prior to the 1975 season. Not all bleachers had been installed by the start of the 1974 season and lights were not installed until after the season. Despite not being fully completed, the Arkansas State football team began play there in 1974. The original cost of the stadium was $2.5 million of which $1.4 million was raised by friends and alumni of the university. The first game played in the stadium was on September 28, 1974, against Louisiana Tech University and Arkansas State lost 21–7. The first victory in the stadium was a 14–7 win over Eastern Michigan University on October 5, 1974. A dedication game was played on November 2, 1974, against Northeast Louisiana University and Arkansas State won the game 17–14.

The stadium originally had a capacity of 16,343 when it first opened. This was upgraded in 1980 to a capacity of 18,709. Further expansion was completed in 1991, when Arkansas State moved up from Division I-AA (FCS) to Division I-A (FBS) and new capacity requirements had to be met to keep up with this status, making the capacity 30,708. The grandstand was double-decked with seats and Indian Stadium had a four level press area that includes the press box and two donor levels: Happy Hunting Grounds and Chiefs Council. The area also includes a photo deck complete with an area for filming, Visiting Team AD Suite and coaches booths for both teams. In 2001, a video/scoreboard was erected in the South end zone which cost more than a million dollars to purchase and construct.

In 2013, Liberty Bank was bought by Centennial Bank, and the naming rights were also absorbed. Liberty Bank Stadium was renamed Centennial Bank Stadium for the 2014 football season.

Renovations

In 2002, more improvements were added to the stadium. Luxury suites were added, increasing capacity to its current figure of 30,964. The players and coaches of the school moved into a brand new complex that included office space for coaches, dressing rooms, meeting rooms, and player lounges. When these areas are not being used by staff and players they are used for several different purposes. These areas become suites used during football games, academic study areas for players and students, conference rooms, alumni functions, booster meetings, and recruitment purposes. The complex now houses a place known as the Performance Enhancement Center. Inside this center there are several different areas that include the Athletic Training Center, Strength and Conditioning Center, Student-Athletic Academic Success Center, a computer lab, and other various offices and rooms. In 2005, it was announced that Arkansas State University would replace the natural Bermuda grass field with FieldTurf at a cost of $500,000. However, Pro Green synthetic grass was installed in the stadium prior to the start of the 2006 season.

Thanks to a $5 million gift – the largest individual donation in A-State Athletics history – by alumnus Johnny Allison, a “Centennial Expansion” construction and renovation project to the stadium's press box and west-side concourse took place during the nine-month period between the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

The entire project, including the press box and concourse, covered 40,000 square feet (3,700 m²). The Centennial Expansion project included a complete overhaul to the stadium press box, expanding it from 7,120 to 36,000 square feet (661 to 3,345 m²). The project also included improvements and additions to the concourse bathrooms, concessions, gating and ticketing areas.

In 2013, Arkansas State University announced plans to build a $27 million Football Operations Center with an indoor practice field, weight rooms, lockers, medical centers, and staff offices. The plans originally called for the north end zone seating to be removed, but with average attendance being higher than ever, new seating with concession stands and TV screens are to be added.^[3]

In 2014, a Daktronics LED video display/scoreboard measuring approximately 32 feet (9.8 m) high by 50 feet (15 m) wide was erected in the south end zone.^[4] This replaces the scoreboard erected in 2001.

Features

Centennial Bank Stadium features a multi-level press box, which houses media areas, coaching booths, broadcasting locations, a video control booth, camera areas, suites, a club area and more. The face of the stadium has been redesigned to include 42 loge boxes, 20 suites, a club area covering close to 8,000 square feet (740 m²) and 344 club seats in its revenue-generating areas. Not only has depth been added to the press box, it now spans from approximately the 15-to-15 yard lines, allowing for enhanced media, coaching, broadcasting, control booth, visiting athletics director suite, and camera areas.

Other uses

The stadium was also used for a very brief period to showcase a game between the two largest high schools in the Jonesboro-area. The game pitted Jonesboro High School against cross-town rival Nettleton High School. The game was suspended temporarily after Jonesboro won the first two games in blowouts. The average stadium attendance for these games were over 7,000. The rivalry was renewed for the 2006 high school football season and the two schools again played the game in Indian Stadium. Jonesboro won the 2006 game, but it was closer than the previous games; the final score was 44–38. In 2010 a new rivalry started with the Greene County Tech Golden Eagles. This rivalry was known as the "Border Bowl" as the counties in which the schools are located (Craighead and Greene) border each other. The series was discontinued as Jonesboro swept the series 4–0. In 2014, a new rivalry was formed with cross-town rival Valley View High School.

Attendance records

The largest crowd to see an Arkansas State football game in Centennial Bank Stadium was 31,243 on December 1, 2012, when the Red Wolves hosted Middle Tennessee State University. The highest average attendance in the stadium's history was during the 2012 season when Arkansas State drew an average of 26,398 spectators per game.

Rank	Date	Attendance	Opponent	Result
1	December 1, 2012	31,243	Middle Tennessee	W, 45–0
2	August 31, 2013	30,451	Arkansas–Pine Bluff	W, 62–11
3	September 18, 2004	30,427	Memphis	L, 35–47
4	November 8, 2012	30,243	Louisiana–Monroe	W, 45–23
5	September 10, 2011	29,872	Memphis	W, 47–3

Gallery

View of the Grandstand from the Southeast.
Centennial Bank Stadium seen from the west side.
Scoreboard and end-zone seating.

Related Research Articles

CEFCU ('sef-kyü) Stadium, formerly known as Spartan Stadium, is an outdoor athletic stadium on the west coast of the United States, located in the Spartan Keyes neighborhood of central San Jose, California. Owned by San José State University, the venue is the longtime home of Spartan football; it also hosts the university's commencement ceremony on Memorial Day weekend, and occasional high school football games. Known as Spartan Stadium for over eight decades, it was renamed in 2016.

Memorial Stadium is a stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The stadium, used primarily for football, is a memorial to the university's students who died in World War I; their names are engraved on the nearly 200 pillars surrounding the stadium's façade. With a capacity of 60,670, the stadium is primarily used as the home of the university's Fighting Illini football team.

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium is an American football stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia, on the campus of West Virginia University. It opened in 1980 and serves as the home field for the West Virginia Mountaineers football team. On the day the stadium opened, at an opening ceremony, John Denver touched down on the field in a helicopter, performed the song "Take Me Home, Country Roads," and then immediately departed by helicopter. The facility is named for Milan Puskar, a Morgantown resident and founder of Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Inc. who donated $20 million to the university in 2004. The playing surface retains the stadium's original name of Mountaineer Field, which was also the name of WVU's previous football stadium. The stadium’s design was inspired by Jack Trice Stadium, which opened a few years earlier at Iowa State University.

Darrell K Royal Memorial Stadium, located in Austin, Texas, on the campus of the University of Texas, has been home to the Longhorns football team since 1924. The stadium has delivered a home field advantage with the team's home record through November 24, 2023 being 399–122–10 (.761). The official stadium seating capacity is 100,119, making the stadium the fourth largest in the Southeastern Conference, the seventh largest stadium in the United States, and the ninth largest stadium in the world.

David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium is a college football stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on the campus of the University of Kansas. The stadium was opened in 1921, and is the seventh oldest college football stadium in the country, and is widely recognized as the oldest west of the Mississippi River. It is the home stadium of the Kansas Jayhawks football team.

Memorial Stadium is a stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. It is primarily used for football, and has been the home of Indiana Hoosiers football since its opening in 1960. It is the 15th largest football stadium in the Big Ten Conference, with a capacity of 52,626. The field has a conventional north-south alignment, at an approximate elevation of 771 feet (235 m) above sea level.

Veterans Memorial Stadium at Larry Blakeney Field is a stadium in Troy, Alabama. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Troy University Trojans. The seating capacity is 30,470. The stadium was originally built in 1950, and has regularly been expanded, renovated and improved since then. The stadium was named in honor of the college students and local residents who gave their lives during World War II. The field received its name from retired head coach Larry Blakeney, the coach with the most wins in Troy history.

Malone Stadium is a stadium in Monroe, Louisiana, United States, on the campus of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. It is primarily used for football and is the home field of the ULM Warhawks. The stadium, named for former coach James L. Malone, opened in 1978 and has a seating capacity of 27,617 people.

Vaught–Hemingway Stadium at Hollingsworth Field is an outdoor athletic stadium located in University, Mississippi, United States. The stadium serves as the home for the University of Mississippi Rebels college football team. The stadium is named after Johnny Vaught and Judge William Hemingway. Since its expansion in 2016, it is the largest stadium in the state of Mississippi with a capacity of 64,038 and also holds the state record for attendance at 68,126.

Wallace Wade Stadium, in full Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, is a 35,018-seat outdoor stadium in the southeastern United States, located on the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Duke Blue Devils of the Atlantic Coast Conference.

Jack Trice Stadium is a stadium located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the Iowa State Cyclones. It is named in honor of Jack Trice, Iowa State's first African American athlete, who died of injuries sustained during a 1923 game against Minnesota. The stadium opened on September 20, 1975, with a 17–12 win over Air Force.

Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium in Columbia, Missouri, United States, on the campus of the University of Missouri. It is primarily used for football and serves as the home field for the Missouri Tigers' program. It is the third-largest sports facility by seating capacity in the state of Missouri, behind The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot.

Arthur L. Williams Stadium is a 25,000-seat football stadium located on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA. The stadium was built in 1989 and plays host to Liberty Flames football, which is a part of the NCAA Division I - Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). A new field house has recently been constructed at the north end of the stadium. This new facility houses a new home locker room, coaches offices, meeting rooms and training facility as well as a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m²) weight room. In the 2009 off season, Liberty University added a video scoreboard on the north end of the field. The video scoreboard measured 20 feet (6 m) tall and 36 feet (11 m) wide. This video board was replaced by a massive new high-definition video board in time for the 2018 football season.

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.

Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium is a 25,500-seat football stadium in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It opened in 1957 and was renovated in 1982. It is home to the Florida A&M Rattlers football team.

Truist Stadium, formerly Aggie Stadium, is a 21,500-seat multi-purpose stadium in Greensboro, North Carolina. It is located at the north end of the North Carolina A&T State University campus.

Allen E. Paulson Stadium at Evans Family Field is a 25,000-seat on-campus football stadium in Statesboro, Georgia. It is home to the Georgia Southern Eagles football team and the focal point of Erk Russell Athletic Park.

Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium is an athletic stadium located in Commerce, Texas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the East Texas A&M University Lions football team, Texas A&M-Commerce Men's and Women's Track and Field, and the Commerce High School Tigers Football team of the Commerce Independent School District. Prior to 1996, the stadium was named "East Texas State Memorial Stadium, and until the end of the 2017 season, it was known as Texas A&M-Commerce Memorial Stadium." The stadium was built in honor of the 78 Texas A&M-Commerce alums and students who fought and died during World War II. The stadium was renamed Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium was formally changed in November 2017 in honor of longtime Lion football coach Ernest Hawkins.

Provost Umphrey Stadium is a 16,000-seat multi-purpose stadium located on the campus of Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. The stadium, home to the Lamar Cardinals football team, is located next to the Montagne Center. While primarily used for football, Provost Umphrey Stadium is also a concert venue with seating up to 20,000 for concerts. The stadium was completely renovated in 2009 and is designed to allow for a future expansion to 28,000.

Bob Ford Field at Tom & Mary Casey Stadium is a football stadium in Albany, New York, owned and operated by the University at Albany, SUNY and hosts the school's football team, as well as their soccer program. The stadium, with an initial seating capacity of 8,500 opened on September 14, 2013, when Albany made its debut in Colonial Athletic Association football against Rhode Island. It was renamed Bob Ford Field at Tom and Mary Casey Stadium in 2015 after Tom & Mary Casey gave a $10 million gift to the school. It replaced University Field as the school's current stadium.

References

↑ "Centennial Bank Stadium". College Gridirons. Retrieved November 8, 2013.
↑ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
↑ "ASU Announces $22 Million Football Facility Project". Arkansas State University. September 6, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2013.
↑ "Daktronics to Install New Video Display and Sound System for Arkansas State University". Daktronics. June 6, 2014. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2014.

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.

[1] "Centennial Bank Stadium". College Gridirons. Retrieved November 8, 2013.

[inflation-US-2] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[3] "ASU Announces $22 Million Football Facility Project". Arkansas State University. September 6, 2012. Retrieved December 15, 2013.

[4] "Daktronics to Install New Video Display and Sound System for Arkansas State University". Daktronics. June 6, 2014. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved August 30, 2014.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

v t e Arkansas State University
Located in: Jonesboro, Arkansas
Athletics	Arkansas State Red Wolves Baseball Men's basketball Women's basketball Football Red (mascot) Sun Belt Conference
Buildings	First National Bank Arena Centennial Bank Stadium Pfeiffer House and Carriage House Tomlinson Stadium–Kell Field
Related	ASU Indian Family KASU Sound of the Natural State
Founded: 1909 Students: 14,074 Endowment: 54.9 million

v t e Arkansas State Red Wolves football
Venues	Kays Stadium (1937–1973) Centennial Bank Stadium (1974–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Memphis: Paint Bucket Bowl
Culture & lore	Howl "ASU Loyalty Song" Sound of the Natural State
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942–1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship season in bold

v t e Football stadiums of the Sun Belt Conference
East Division	Kidd Brewer Stadium (Appalachian State) Brooks Stadium (Coastal Carolina) Paulson Stadium (Georgia Southern) Center Parc Stadium (Georgia State) Bridgeforth Stadium (James Madison) Joan C. Edwards Stadium (Marshall) S.B. Ballard Stadium (Old Dominion)
West Division	Centennial Bank Stadium (Arkansas State) Cajun Field (Louisiana) JPS Field at Malone Stadium (Louisiana–Monroe) Hancock Whitney Stadium (South Alabama) M. M. Roberts Stadium (Southern Miss) UFCU Stadium (Texas State) Veterans Memorial Stadium (Troy)