LaVell Edwards Stadium

Last updated
LaVell Edwards Stadium
BYU Cougars logo.svg
BYU Football.jpg
Interior view during a football game, 2016
LaVell Edwards Stadium
Usa edcp relief location map.png
Red pog.svg
Provo
Location in the United States
USA Utah relief location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Provo
Location in Utah
Former namesCougar Stadium
(1964–2000)
Address1700 N Canyon Rd
Location Brigham Young University
Provo, Utah, U.S.
Coordinates 40°15′29″N111°39′18″W / 40.258°N 111.655°W / 40.258; -111.655
Public transit UTA icon.svg UVX
(at BYU Stadium station)
OwnerBrigham Young University
OperatorBrigham Young University
Capacity 63,470 (2011–present)

Former capacity:

List
    • 63,725 (2010)
    • 64,045 (2003–09)
    • 65,000 (1982–2002)
    • 35,000 (1968–81)
    • 28,812 (1964–67)
Record attendance66,247 (1993)
(vs. Notre Dame)
SurfaceNatural grass
Construction
Broke groundOctober 1963
OpenedOctober 2, 1964;
59 years ago
 (1964-10-02)
Architect Fred L. Markham
Tenants
BYU Cougars (NCAA) (1964–present)
Website
byucougars.com/stadium

LaVell Edwards Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the western United States, on the campus of Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Primarily used for college football, it is the home field of the BYU Cougars, a member of the Big 12 Conference in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Opened as "Cougar Stadium" in 1964, its seating capacity is 63,470. Following the 2024 departure of Oklahoma and Texas for the Southeastern Conference, it is the largest permanent stadium in the Big 12. [lower-alpha 1]

Contents

The natural grass playing field is conventionally aligned north–south at an elevation of 4,649 feet (1,417 m) above sea level, with the press box along the west sideline.

History and seating

On the north end of campus, the stadium opened 60 years ago in 1964 as Cougar Stadium, replacing a much smaller 5,000-seat venue of the same name. [1] The first game on Friday night, October 2, was attended by 33,610, a state record. [2] The original stadium, corresponding to the lower half of the current facility's grandstand seats, had a seating capacity was just over 28,800. Seating was soon added to make room for 35,000, and temporary bleachers in the end zones raised the capacity to 45,000.

The stadium was expanded in 1982 to accommodate more than 65,000; permanent concrete stands in the end zones, separated by entryways from the east and west grandstands, were put in place of the temporary bleachers. The playing field was lowered eight feet (2.4 m), and the running track was removed to make room for six additional rows. [3]

LaVell Edwards (1930–2016) was the head coach at BYU for 29 seasons, preceded by ten years as an assistant. He announced his retirement effective at the end of the 2000 season; the stadium was officially renamed in his honor immediately before his last home game as head coach. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, the stadium's parking lot was used as a park and ride lot for guests attending events at the Peaks Ice Arena and Soldier Hollow.

Renovations

View of the stadium in 2004, after its capacity was reduced 09-18-04k.jpg
View of the stadium in 2004, after its capacity was reduced

The stadium was renovated in 2003 to provide additional luxury seating, which reduced the capacity to 64,045. The luxury seating was a noticeable addition because the arrangement of blue and white seats in this section spells out BYU in block letters. In 2008, BYU unveiled a new video board on the north end zone on August 30, allowing fans seated in the south end zone to see the instant replays and graphics which previously were shown only on the south board. In addition, a brand-new addition to the stadium was the Cougar Marching Band Hall, which included a large rehearsal room, uniform storage space, band offices, instrument lockers, and video screens that assist in rehearsals. [4]

During the summer of 2010, the stadium's capacity was further reduced due to some renovations that allowed for more wheelchair accessibility. As of 2016, 63,470 is considered a sellout.

The stadium underwent some upgrades before the 2012 season: new HD LED videoboards face the north and south end zones, replacing the outdated and smaller video screens, and they are flanked by video ribbons that stretch along the top of the north and south stands. The elevator shafts have been freshly coated to reflect the new BYU "blue" color scheme, each has the oval Y painted on it, and in 2013 the student section was unified into one area to seat the BYU student section instead of being scattered throughout the stadium.

In September 2021, upgrades to newer, larger video boards were completed along with larger video ribbons. The dimensions of the old video boards were 34 by 50 feet, while the new dimensions of the new south board is 48 by 131 feet and the north board is 36 by 72 feet. The old north and south ribbon boards were four feet tall and were replaced with 8-foot ribbon boards. [5]

Track and field

Prior to the 1982 expansion, it was the home venue for BYU's outdoor track and field teams and hosted the NCAA championships in 1967 and 1975. [6] A new track facility was built just south of the stadium and later named for Clarence Robison, the Cougars' legendary track coach.

Jurassic fossils under the stadium

Part of the largest collection of Jurassic period fossils in North America, housed at BYU, was stored underneath the east bleachers of the stadium until 2005. The fossils have since been prepared and are on display in the BYU Museum of Paleontology's collection room. [7] [8] [9]

Security

Due to installation of new features in the stadium, the grounds crew and BYU Police have installed a number of security features to prevent students from entering the stadium after hours, including infrared security cameras and motion detectors.

See also

Footnotes

  1. Kansas will play 2024 conference home games at the Kansas City Chiefs' Arrowhead Stadium during renovation of its normal home of Memorial Stadium.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bryant–Denny Stadium</span> Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama US

Bryant–Denny Stadium is an outdoor stadium in the southeastern United States, on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. It is the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois)</span> Football stadium in Champaign, Illinois

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan-Hare Stadium</span> Stadium in Auburn, AL, US

Jordan-Hare Stadium is an American football stadium in Auburn, Alabama on the campus Auburn University. It primarily serves as the home venue of the Auburn Tigers football team. The stadium is named for Ralph "Shug" Jordan, who owns the most wins in school history, and Cliff Hare, a member of Auburn's first football team as well as Dean of the Auburn University School of Chemistry and President of the Southern Conference. On November 19, 2005, the playing field at the stadium was named in honor of former Auburn coach and athletic director Pat Dye. The venue is now known as Pat Dye Field at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The stadium reached its current seating capacity of 88,043 with the 2023 expansion and is the 10th largest stadium in the NCAA and the 20th largest in the world. For years, it has been a fixture on lists of best gameday atmospheres and most intimidating places to play.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milan Puskar Stadium</span> American football stadium in West Virginia, US

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyle Field</span> Football stadium on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas

Kyle Field is the American football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, United States. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggies football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a permanent concrete stadium since 1927. The seating capacity of 102,733 in 2021 makes it the largest in the Southeastern Conference and the fourth-largest stadium in the NCAA, the fourth-largest stadium in the United States, and the sixth-largest non-racing stadium in the world and the largest in Texas.

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

Martin Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the Northwestern 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">Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium</span> Stadium at the University of Texas

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 17, 2018 being 375–117–10 (.764). The official stadium seating capacity is 100,119, making the stadium the largest in the Big 12 Conference, the seventh largest stadium in the United States, and the ninth largest stadium in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Stadium (Lincoln)</span> Stadium in Nebraska, United States

Memorial Stadium, nicknamed The Sea of Red, is an American football stadium located on the campus of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in Lincoln, Nebraska. The stadium primarily serves as the home venue for the Nebraska Cornhuskers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ross–Ade Stadium</span> American football stadium on the Purdue University campus in W. Lafayette, IN, US

Ross–Ade Stadium is a stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana, on the campus of Purdue University. It is the home field of Purdue Boilermakers football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arizona Stadium</span> Outdoor college football stadium in Tucson, Arizona

Arizona Stadium is an outdoor college football stadium in the southwestern United States, located on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. It is the home field of the Arizona Wildcats of the Pac-12 Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Veterans Memorial Stadium (Troy University)</span>

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lane Stadium</span> American football stadium on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, VA, US

Lane Stadium is a college football stadium in the eastern United States, located on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia. The playing surface of the stadium is named Worsham Field. The home field of the Virginia Tech Hokies of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), it was rated the number one home field advantage in all of college football in 2005 by Rivals.com. In 2007, it was ranked #2 on ESPN.com's "Top 10 Scariest Places To Play." The stadium is named for Edward Hudson Lane, a former student, local businessman, and Virginia Tech booster, while the playing surface is named for Wes Worsham, a university donor and booster.

<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">Kidd Brewer Stadium</span> Stadium in North Carolina

Kidd Brewer Stadium is a 30,000-seat multi-purpose stadium located in Boone, North Carolina. Nicknamed "The Rock," the stadium is the home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team. Kidd Brewer stands 3,333 feet (1,016 m) above sea level. The Mountaineers boast a 263–77–5 (.770) home record at the stadium.

Rogers Field was an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. It was the home venue of the WSU Cougars football and track teams until severely damaged by a fire in April 1970. Partially demolished in early 1971, Rogers Field was replaced by the concrete Martin Stadium, which was built on the same site and opened in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BYU Cougars football</span> College football program representing Brigham Young University

The BYU Cougars football team is the college football program representing Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. The Cougars began collegiate football competition in 1922, and have won 23 conference championships and one national championship in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Field (Provo)</span>

The Stadium at South Field, more commonly known simply as "South Field", is a soccer-specific stadium in Provo, Utah on the campus of Brigham Young University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Memorial Stadium (Kent State)</span> Former stadium at Kent State University

Memorial Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Kent, Ohio, United States, on the campus of Kent State University. Its primary use was as the home field for the Kent State Golden Flashes football team and also served as the home venue for the KSU men's track and field team. The football and track teams had already been playing on the site since 1941, but with temporary bleachers for seating. The permanent grandstand built and dedicated in 1950, which also included a press box, was the first phase of the stadium, and was later followed by a duplicate grandstand on the opposite side of the field in 1954. Initial plans called for the seating to eventually surround the field, though these plans were largely never realized. During the 1960s, additional bleacher seats were added separate from the two main grandstands on all sides of the field, and brought seating capacity to approximately 20,000 by 1965.

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

John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium is an American football stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. The stadium serves as the home of the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston in collegiate football and previously the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maverik Stadium</span> Utah State University football stadium

Maverik Stadium, also known as George Holani Field at Maverik Stadium, is an outdoor college football stadium in the Western United States, on the campus of Utah State University in Logan, Utah. The home field of the Utah State Aggies of the Mountain West Conference, it opened 56 years ago in 1968 as "Romney Stadium" and currently has a seating capacity of 25,100. Its field has a traditional north-south alignment, and sits at an elevation of 4,710 feet (1,435 m) above sea level. The playing surface was natural grass through 2003, and is currently AstroTurf GameDay Grass.

References

  1. Chipman, Dee (October 2, 1964). "New era: Cougars meet New Mexico". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. C1.
  2. Miller, Hack (October 3, 1964). "Lobos outlast BYU Cats". Deseret News. (Salt Lake City, Utah). p. A7.
  3. "stadium information". StadiumDB.com. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  4. "BYU trumpets 100th anniversary of Cougar Marching Band with new band hall". 10 September 2008.
  5. https://universe.byu.edu/2021/09/09/new-byu-football-video-board-goes-up-days-before-home-opener-against-utah/ - New BYU football video board goes up days before home opener against Utah. 9 September 2021
  6. BYUCougars.com - LaVell Edwards Stadium
  7. "BYU Earth Science Museum". byu.edu. October 24, 2007. Archived from the original on June 7, 2007. Retrieved October 24, 2007.
  8. "BYU is home to North America's largest collection of Jurassic era fossils". BYU Magazine, August 1993, 7-8. August 1993. Retrieved December 28, 2006.
  9. "Museum Information". byu.edu. Archived from the original on August 15, 2007. Retrieved October 26, 2008.