FIU Stadium

Last updated

FIU Stadium
FIU Stadium, October 13, 2012.jpg
USA Florida relief location map.jpg
Red pog.svg
FIU Stadium
Location within Florida
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
FIU Stadium
FIU Stadium (the United States)
Former namesFIU Community Stadium (1995–2001)
Ocean Bank Field at FIU Stadium (2001–2017)
Riccardo Silva Stadium (2017–2022)
Location11200 Southwest 8th Street
Miami, FL 33199
Coordinates 25°45′9″N80°22′40″W / 25.75250°N 80.37778°W / 25.75250; -80.37778
Owner Florida International University
Operator Florida International University
Executive suites19
Capacity 20,000
Record attendance22,682 (2011 vs. Duke)
Surface FieldTurf
Construction
Broke groundJuly 24, 1994 (1994-07-24)
OpenedSeptember 24, 1995 (1995-09-24) [1]
Expanded2001, 2008 and 2012
Construction costUS$3 million (original stadium, 1994)
($5.76 million in 2022 dollars [2] ) [3]
US$54 million (new stadium, 2007)
Architect Rossetti Architects
BEA Architects
General contractor Odebrecht Construction
Tenants
FIU Panthers (NCAA) (1995–present)
Football (2002–present)
Track and Field (1995–2006)
Miami FC (2016–2018, 2020–)

FIU Stadium is a college football and soccer stadium on the campus of Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida. It is the home stadium of the FIU Panthers football team and the Miami FC soccer team from the USL Championship. The stadium opened in 1995 and has a seating capacity of 20,000.

Contents

History

FIU Community Stadium

FIU Community Stadium was the first dedicated sports facility at the school, replacing Tamiami Field. Construction officially began on July 24, 1994, and the facility opened on September 24, 1995, as a 7,500-seat football and track stadium. It was built as a joint venture between FIU, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Miami-Dade Parks, and the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair. [1] In anticipation of the inaugural FIU Golden Panthers football [Note 1] season in fall 2002, the university placed movable bleachers around the stadium's all-weather running track in 2001, which increased the stadium's capacity to 17,000 seats.

Renovation

YearsStadium capacity
1995–20017,500 [3]
2002–200717,000 [4]
2008–201118,000 [5]
2012–present20,000

In 2007, the university announced a major expansion and redesign for FIU Stadium. The redesign of FIU Stadium would increase the stadium's capacity to 45,000 fans, to be built in phases. For the first phase of the expansion, the school demolished a large portion of the original 1995 stadium. The west, south and east sides of FIU Stadium were taken down and construction began on the new, permanent stadium. The expansion was completed in September 2008 for the 2008 football season. Phase one increased the stadium's capacity from 17,000 fans to 18,000, including 1,500 club seats. [6] During construction, the 2007 FIU Golden Panthers football team played its home games in the Miami Orange Bowl.

FIU Stadium Renovations FIU Stadium Nov 2007.JPG
FIU Stadium Renovations

The new facility opened for the first home game of the 2008 football season against the South Florida Bulls on September 20. The Golden Panthers lost 17–9 in front of a crowd of 16,717. [7] The team won its first game in the new stadium on October 11, 2008, against Sun Belt Conference rival the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders, 31–21. The team finished its first season in the new stadium 5-7. In 2009, the university began the second phase of the stadium expansion, which included the construction of a new football field house. Renovations were completed in 2012 and the capacity increased to 20,000 seats.

In 2017, the university agreed to a five-year deal to rename the stadium after Riccardo Silva, part owner of Miami FC. [8] Before the deal, Silva had donated $3.76 million for various improvements to the stadium including a new playing surface and Jumbotron video scoreboard. [8] [9]

Attendance

Historical Attendance at FIU Stadium
RankAttendanceDateGame result
122,682October 1, 2011FIU 27, Duke 31
(2011 Homecoming)
220,205September 12, 2011FIU 17, UCF 10
319,872September 11, 2010FIU 14, Rutgers 19
418,524September 24, 2016FIU 14, UCF 53
517,962October 24, 2015FIU 41, Old Dominion 12
(2015 Homecoming)

On October 1, 2011, FIU Stadium drew its largest attendance in school history. A crowd of 22,268 came to watch the Panthers play the Duke Blue Devils football team for the team's 2011 homecoming game. During the game, the Goodyear Blimp made its first appearance at FIU Stadium. The Miami Tower in Downtown Miami was also lit in blue and gold from September 26 to October 1, 2011, in honor of the game. [10]

On April 19, Miami FC set a club record for attendance at the stadium. The match against Major League Soccer team Inter Miami CF in the Third Round of the 2022 U.S. Open Cup drew 11,158 fans. [11]

Renaming

On April 3, 2017, FIU Stadium was renamed Riccardo Silva Stadium. [8] [12] [9] The decision to rename the stadium is in recognition of the support given by Italian businessman Riccardo Silva to the FIU Department of Intercollegiate Athletics since 2015.

The newly renamed stadium home opener featured a performance by Grammy-nominated Latin star Maluma. [13] [14] Maluma returned to the stadium in April 2018 to record the video for the Spanish-language version of Jason Derulo's World Cup 2018 anthem for Coca-Cola. [15] [16]

Structure and facilities

Designed by Rossetti Architects, [17] the stadium has a 6,500-square-foot (600 m2) Panther Club on the ground level, an upper concourse for additional fan seating and concessions, a jumbotron scoreboard, and 19 luxury suites. Seating includes chairback seats and bench seating, all with backrests. Panther fans shout "Rattle the Cage!" and fans will stomp and jump in unison on the bleachers creating a very loud reverberation throughout the steel and aluminum stadium.[ citation needed ] The Rattling of the Cage is done throughout the game, notably while the team is on defense and during cheers. [18] [19]

In April 2017 Riccardo Silva Stadium has also seen significant improvements made to the facility over the last two months, with completion of two major projects. The first is the installation of a new state of the art playing surface. The new surface, FieldTurf's Revolution 360, features fibers that provide for optimal durability, resilience and feel and is used by many of the country's biggest NFL and soccer teams.

Riccardo Silva Stadium has also been enhanced by installation of a new videoboard, replacing the existing scoreboard, providing a huge boost to the fan experience at The Miami FC's soccer games. Measuring approximately 31 by 59 feet (9.4 m × 18.0 m), the new videoboard will feature a 13HD pixel layout, the premier technology for outdoor applications within the sports industry. It will have full live video and instant replay capabilities, along with multiple zones of content, including statistics and graphics.

In April 2011, the field was named Alfonso Field after alumnus David F. Alfonso. The facility also includes a two-story, 50,000-square-foot (4,600 m2) field house, named for trustee R. Kirk Landon, which includes a 14,000-square-foot (1,300 m2) weight room. The stadium also includes 8,500 square feet (790 m2) of locker rooms, an equipment room, a full-service athletic training facility, a ticket office, a merchandise area, and an FIU Athletics Hall of Fame.

Student section FIU Stadium.JPG
Student section

Transportation

Miami-Dade Transit serves Riccardo Silva Stadium with Metrobus lines 8, 11, 24, and 71. Bus lines 8, 11, and 24 connect Riccardo Silva Stadium directly with Downtown Miami and Brickell. [20] For students at the Biscayne Bay Campus, the Riccardo Silva Golden Panther Express offers direct bus service to Riccardo Silva Stadium. Riccardo Silva Stadium has multiple bike racks for fans traveling by bicycle. Parking on game days is free. Tailgate parking areas around the stadium open six hours before kickoff. [21]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ FIU dropped the word "Golden" from its nickname starting in the 2010–11 school year.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hard Rock Stadium</span> Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida

Hard Rock Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Miami Gardens, Florida, United States. The stadium is the home field for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL) and the Miami Hurricanes, the University of Miami's NCAA Division I college football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florida International University</span> Public university in Miami, Florida, US

Florida International University (FIU) is a public research university with its main campus in University Park, Florida. Founded in 1965 by the Florida Legislature, the school opened its doors to students in 1972. FIU has grown to become the third-largest university in Florida and the eighth-largest public university in the United States by enrollment. FIU is a constituent part of the State University System of Florida.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Orange Bowl</span> Stadium in Florida, United States

The Miami Orange Bowl was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, from 1937 until 2008. The stadium was located in the Little Havana neighborhood west of Downtown Miami. The Miami Orange Bowl was considered a landmark and served as the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team from 1937 through 2007 and for the Miami Dolphins for the Dolphins' first 21 seasons until Joe Robbie Stadium, now Hard Rock Stadium, opened in nearby Miami Gardens in 1987. The stadium also was the temporary home for the FIU Golden Panthers for one year, in 2007, while its on-campus venue, now known as Riccardo Silva Stadium, underwent expansion

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CEFCU Stadium</span> Stadium at San Jose State University

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pitt Stadium</span> Defunct outdoor stadium

Pitt Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh in the Oakland neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Opened in 1925, it served primarily as the home of the university's Pittsburgh Panthers football team through 1999. It was also used for other sporting events, including basketball, soccer, baseball, track and field, rifle, and gymnastics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nippert Stadium</span> Football stadium at the University of Cincinnati

James Gamble Nippert Memorial Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on the campus of the University of Cincinnati. Primarily used for American football, it is the home field of the Cincinnati Bearcats football team. The stadium has also been used as a soccer venue, serving as the home of FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer from their inaugural 2016 USL season through the 2020 MLS season, following which they moved to TQL Stadium. Nippert Stadium has a current seating capacity of 38,088 following the expansion and renovation performed in 2014, and the 2017 removal of corner seats to accommodate FC Cincinnati during their transition to the MLS. The stadium began in 1901 with a rudimentary for and field surface, with permanent concrete stands built along each sideline for the 1915 season and a complete horseshoe stadium completed in 1924, making it the fourth-oldest playing site and fifth-oldest stadium in college football, respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shula Bowl</span> Annual college American football game

The Shula Bowl is the name given to the Florida Atlantic–Florida International football rivalry. It is an annual college football rivalry game between the only two public universities in the Miami metropolitan area: Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in Boca Raton and Florida International University (FIU) in University Park. The game's winner receives a traveling trophy, the "Don Shula Award," for one year. The current winner is Florida Atlantic, winning 52–7 on November 12, 2022. Florida Atlantic leads the all-time series 16 games to 4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ocean Bank Convocation Center</span> Home to the FIU Panthers basketball and volleyball teams

Ocean Bank Convocation Center is a 5,000-seat multi-purpose arena at Florida International University in University Park, Miami, Florida. It was opened on February 1, 1986, and is home to the FIU Panthers basketball and volleyball teams. It was originally named Sunblazer Arena, but was renamed Golden Panther Arena when FIU's athletic teams changed their nickname from Sunblazers to Golden Panthers in 1987. It was renamed Pharmed Arena in 2004, and then was briefly named FIU Arena in 2008 before being renamed to U.S. Century Bank Arena. The facility reverted to the FIU Arena name again from 2014 to 2018 before being renamed the Ocean Bank Convocation Center in 2018.

Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Hadley, Massachusetts, on the campus of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sports in Florida</span> Overview of sports in Florida

The U.S. state of Florida has three National Football League teams, two Major League Baseball teams, two National Basketball Association teams, two National Hockey League teams, two Major League Soccer teams and 13 NCAA Division I college teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIU Panthers</span> Intercollegiate sports teams of Florida International University

The FIU Panthers are the athletic teams representing Florida International University, an American public university located in Miami, Florida. The Panthers currently compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I athletics as members of Conference USA. The men's soccer and swimming & diving teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Until 2011, they were known as the FIU Golden Panthers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami FC</span> American soccer team

The Miami FC is an American professional soccer team based in Miami, Florida that competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FIU Panthers football</span> Football team representing Florida International University

FIU Panthers football program represents Florida International University (FIU) in the sport of American football. The Panthers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the East Division of Conference USA (CUSA). The Panthers' head coach is Mike MacIntyre. FIU has produced a Sun Belt Conference co-championship team in 2010, along with 3 postseason bowl appearances. The Panthers play their home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium which has a seating capacity of 20,000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Riccardo Silva</span> Italian businessman and investor (born 1970)

Riccardo Silva is an Italian businessman and investor. He is owner of Silva International Investments, which has investments in a range of companies across media, sports, entertainment, art, and real estate. He is also co-owner of AC Milan, president and co-owner of Miami FC, owner of the Silva family art collection, and previously served as CEO of the Milan Channel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 FIU Panthers football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers played their home games at the Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida as members of the East Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by first-year head coach Butch Davis. The Panthers finished the season 8–5, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in second place in the East Division. They received an invitation to the Gasparilla Bowl where they lost to Temple.

Silva International Investments is a London-based investment company, founded on 1 May 2015 by Riccardo Silva. The firm manages and invests in assets across multiple sectors, including media, sport, fashion, technology and real estate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 FIU Panthers football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University (FIU) in the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers played their home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by third-year head coach Butch Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 FIU Panthers football team</span> American college football season

The 2020 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University (FIU) in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers played their home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by fourth-year head coach Butch Davis. The season was notably truncated due to several cancellations stemming from the effects of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 FIU Panthers football team</span> American college football season

The 2021 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University (FIU) in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers played their home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida, and competed in the East Division of Conference USA (C-USA). They were led by fifth-year head coach Butch Davis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 FIU Panthers football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 FIU Panthers football team represented Florida International University (FIU) as a member of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers were led by second-year head coach Mike MacIntyre and played home games at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami, Florida.

References

  1. 1 2 "Heralding the New Stadium". The Miami Herald . September 24, 1995. p. 4. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  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. 1 2 Polansky, Risa (March 8, 2007). "FIU Plans $50 Million Stadium, Student Center". Miami Today . Archived from the original on February 6, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  4. ↑ "2006 FIU Football Program" (PDF). FIU Athletics.[ permanent dead link ]
  5. ↑ "FIU Breaks Ground On New Stadium" (Press release). FIU Athletics. May 25, 2007. Archived from the original on July 4, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  6. ↑ "FIU Stadium". CollegeGridirons.com. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  7. ↑ USF vs FIU (Stats report). FIU Athletics. September 20, 2010. Archived from the original on March 11, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  8. 1 2 3 "FIU Stadium gets facelift, new name after Miami FC owner gives record $3.76 million donation". miamiherald. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  9. 1 2 McMurphy, Brett. "Riccardo Silva Stadium will be the new name of FIU's football stadium, sources told ESPN". ESPN.com. ESPN. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ Merille, Eduardo (September 1, 2011). "Iconic Downtown Building to go Blue and Gold for Homecoming". FIU News. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Miami FC Breaks Club Attendance Record Despite 1-0 Loss in Miami Clásico - Miami Clásico". Miami FC. April 19, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
  12. ↑ "FIU names stadium for entrepreneur, real estate investor Riccardo Silva". The Real Deal Miami. April 3, 2017. Retrieved April 4, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Maluma Set to Perform at Miami FC's Home Opener". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Global music idol Maluma joins Miami FC at historic home opener". Archived from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Maluma Returns to Riccardo Silva Stadium to Shoot New Video for Coca Cola's 2018 FIFA World Cup Anthem". Archived from the original on April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  16. ↑ Diaz, Johnny. "Drake, Taylor Swift, Zayn and others make Miami music videos a trend again". Sun-Sentinel.com. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  17. ↑ "NOTICE TO ARCHITECT/ENGINEERS – BT-842 FIU Stadium Expansion & Master Plan" (PDF). Florida International University. September 9, 2011. p. 1–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 24, 2013. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  18. ↑ "FIU Rattles The City". Antisteez.com. November 30, 2010. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  19. ↑ Brooks, Jeff (August 1, 2007). "Odebrecht Building Expandable Stadium at FIU" (Southeast ed.). ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com. 9054.
  20. ↑ "Metrobus". Miami-Dade County. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
  21. ↑ "Game Day Parking". FIU Athletics. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2012.
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.