Sun Bowl (stadium)

Last updated
Sun Bowl
UTEP Sun Bowl Stadium Aerial View Sept 6 2009.jpg
Aerial view from the northwest in 2009;
Kidd Field at upper left
Sun Bowl (stadium)
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El Paso
Location in the United States
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El Paso
Location in Texas
Address2701 Sun Bowl Drive
Location University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso, Texas, U.S.
Coordinates 31°46′23″N106°30′29″W / 31.773°N 106.508°W / 31.773; -106.508
Elevation3,910 feet (1,190 m)
OwnerUniversity of Texas at El Paso
OperatorUniversity of Texas at El Paso
Capacity 30,000 (1963–1981)
52,000 (1982–2000)
51,500 (2001–present) [1]
SurfaceNatural grass (1963–1973)
AstroTurf (1974–2000)
AstroPlay (2001–2014)
FieldTurf (2015–present)
Construction
Broke groundAugust 1, 1961;
62 years ago
 (1961-08-01) [2]
OpenedSeptember 21, 1963;
60 years ago
 (1963-09-21)
Renovated2006, 2018
Expanded1982
Construction cost $275,000
(approximate, original)
ArchitectGarland & Hilles
Carroll & Daeuble
General contractorPonsford Brothers
Tenants
UTEP Miners (NCAA) (1963–present)
Sun Bowl (NCAA) (1963–present)
El Paso Patriots (USL PDL) (1989–2001)
Texas vs. Nation Game (NCAA) (2007–2010)
El Paso ISD (selected games)

The Sun Bowl is an outdoor football stadium in the southwestern United States, on the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso. It is home to the UTEP Miners of Conference USA, and the late December college football bowl game, the Sun Bowl. The stadium opened in 1963 and has a nominal seating capacity of 51,500, although UTEP currently lists the capacity as 46,670. [3]

Contents

History

The stadium, named for the game it hosts, was opened 61 years ago in 1963 with a Texas Western win over North Texas State on September 21. The opening play was a 54-yard touchdown run by Larry Durham of the Miners. [4]

The land on which the stadium sits was originally donated by the university to El Paso County, who built the stadium for the school and the Sun Bowl game. Both had previously used Kidd Field, the current track and field venue, which seats 15,000. The city had realized that the game could not expand its audience or the list of teams that it could invite without a bigger stadium, so the Sun Bowl was built in a natural bowl adjacent to the west. It originally sat 30,000, with only the sideline grandstands. The playing field runs nearly north–south (tilted about 10° NW–SE) at an elevation of 3,910 feet (1,190 m) above sea level.

Renovations

The current press box was added in 1969, and the stadium reached the capacity of 52,000 in 1982 with the addition of the north end zone stands and the expansion of the east stands. (The south end zone is still vacant, with the ground of the bowl covered with the school's logos.)

The school retook control of the land and stadium in 2001, when hundreds of seats were removed as part of a re–configuration of the seating bowl to accommodate soccer, which lowered capacity to its current figure of 51,500. [1]

The school's Athletics Director, Jim Senter, announced on April 13, 2018 plans to renovate the Sun Bowl stadium. The $15 million project would include luxury boxes installed in a new press facility, renovation of the concourses and premium seating added on the west side of the stadium. The renovations were completed in time for the 2021 season.

Notable events

Postseason college football

Sun Bowl

The college football bowl game began in January 1936 and moved to the new stadium in December 1963. All games have been played in El Paso.

All-star game

On February 2, 2007, the stadium hosted the inaugural Texas vs. The Nation all-star college football game; the Nation defeated Texas 24–20. [5]

Concerts

Since the 1990s, the Sun Bowl has hosted several concerts such as The Rolling Stones, U2, Pink Floyd, Ricky Martin, NSYNC, One Direction (a sellout), Guns 'n' Roses, and a co-headlining performance by Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Alice Cooper. Notably, the Mexican pop sensation RBD kicked off their Soy Rebelde Tour with their first live performance in nearly 15 years at the Sun Bowl.

Other events

On February 17, 2016, the stadium hosted festivities and a simulcast of the Mass held by Pope Francis during the pontiff's visit to Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, several miles away across the Rio Grande. [6]

The super bowl in 1996.

Other tenants

For a short time before moving to Dudley Field, the El Paso Patriots soccer team in the Premier Development League (now known as USL League Two) made its home at the Sun Bowl. The Patriots played their final seasons at Patriot Stadium.

Photos

Pano with Kidd Field and back of Sun Bowl stadium.jpg
Panoramic view with Kidd Field and the underside of the Sun Bowl stadium

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Texas at El Paso</span> Public university in El Paso, Texas, U.S.

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American student population after the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. It is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity." The university's School of Engineering is the nation's top producer of Hispanic engineers with M.S. and Ph.D. degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Haskins Center</span> Arena in Texas, United States

The Don Haskins Center, formerly known as the Special Events Center, is the home of UTEP Miners men's and women's basketball. The venue is located in the heart of El Paso, Texas. In addition to hosting sporting events, the Don Haskins Center is also used by many area schools, such as El Paso Community College, for graduation and commencement ceremonies. Due to its large seating capacity, the center is also the city's premier entertainment venue and has hosted big-name acts such as pop star Shakira's Tour of the Mongoose, Oral Fixation Tour and The Sun Comes Out World Tour, Britney Spears during her Circus Tour, comedian George Lopez and rock band KISS.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aggie Memorial Stadium</span> New Mexico stadium

Aggie Memorial Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in the southwestern United States, located on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. It is the home field of the New Mexico State Aggies of Conference USA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kidd Field</span>

Kidd Field is an athletic facility used primarily by the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in El Paso, Texas. Constructed for its then-primary use as a football field in 1938, it was the site of the Sun Bowl until 1963 when Sun Bowl Stadium opened. Kidd Field is used for track and field meets today. Kidd Field cost $2,000 to build, and El Paso holds an annual Easter festival there. Built in the early 1930s, Kidd Field has been home to numerous All-Americans, national champions, national record-holders and Olympians. Named after UTEP professor and athletic booster John W. Kidd, the facility was shared with the UTEP football team until 1962, when the facility became sole home to the track and field team. The track features an eight-lane Mondo Track, the same surface used for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. The track was made possible by generous donations from Wayne and Russ Vandenburg of EPT Management and Mark Fry. The track was dedicated in former Miner legend Larry K. Durham's name. His contribution gave Kidd Field a makeover in 2011, and it was dedicated in his name in April 2012. A state-of-the-art Daktronics video board was added in January 2008. The 9x15-foot LED video display plants fans right into the action on the track, providing graphics and video elements that display real-time highlights throughout a meet. The lit facility also houses throws and jumps arenas, making Kidd Field one of the top track-only complexes in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UTEP Miners</span> Athletic program of the University of Texas at El Paso

The UTEP Miners is the name given to the sports teams of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). They are informally referred to as the Miners, UTEP, or Texas–El Paso. UTEP was a member of the Western Athletic Conference from 1967 to 2005, when they joined Rice, Tulsa, and SMU in leaving the WAC for Conference USA. The UTEP Miners are best known as the first team in Texas to win an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. UTEP's colors are orange and blue and the mascot is a miner named Paydirt Pete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Battle of I-10</span> Conference USA rivalry game

The Battle of I-10 is the name given to the New Mexico State–UTEP football rivalry. It is a college rivalry game between New Mexico State University (NMSU) and the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). It is called the Battle of I-10 because the two universities are located along Interstate 10 connecting Las Cruces and El Paso. The teams compete for the Silver Spade Trophy and the Mayor's Cup.

The 2007 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Mike Price. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso. UTEP averaged 36,569 fans per game, ranking 64th nationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">UTEP Miners football</span> American football team

The UTEP Miners football program represents University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) in the sport of American football. The Miners compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the West Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They are coached by Dana Dimel. UTEP has produced a Border Conference championship team in 1956 and a Western Athletic Conference championship team in 2000, along with 14 postseason bowl appearances. The Miners play their home games at the Sun Bowl which has a seating capacity of 51,500.

The 2008 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team's head coach was Mike Price. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. UTEP averaged 37,296 fans per game, ranking 66th nationally.

The 2004 EV1.net Houston Bowl was the fifth edition of the college football bowl game, and was played at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. The game pitted the Colorado Buffaloes from the Big 12 Conference and the UTEP Miners from the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). The game was the final competition of the 2004 football season for each team and resulted in a 33–28 Colorado victory.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas vs The Nation</span> Former college football All-star bowl game

Texas vs The Nation was an American college football all-star bowl game played from 2007 to 2013. Originally played at the Sun Bowl Stadium, the format of the game pitted 50 top-rated college seniors who played college or high school football in Texas against a squad of 50 top-rated seniors from the other 49 states. In its first year, 73% of players who participated in the game were signed by National Football League (NFL) teams. In 2011, the game moved from El Paso to San Antonio, and the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) became the named sponsor of the game. In 2012, the NFLPA began its own all-star game, the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, and the Texas vs The Nation game was not held. The game was revived in 2013 at Eagle Stadium in Allen, but did not return in 2014.

The 2000 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Gary Nord. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 UTEP Miners football team</span> American college football season

The 2015 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2015 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This was the third year for head coach Sean Kugler both with UTEP and overall. They were members of the West Division of Conference USA. The Miners played their home games in El Paso, Texas at the Sun Bowl Stadium. They finished the season 5–7, 3–5 in C-USA play to finish in a three way tie for third place in the West Division. UTEP averaged 23,212 fans per game.

The 1937 Sun Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Texas Mines Miners and the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys.

The 1988 Independence Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game between the Southern Miss Golden Eagles and the UTEP Miners.

The 1954 Sun Bowl was a college football postseason bowl game that featured the Texas Western Miners and the Mississippi Southern Southerners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 UTEP Miners football team</span> American college football season

The 2016 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas, and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by fourth-year head coach Sean Kugler. They finished the season 4–8, 2–6 in C-USA play to finish in a tie for fifth place in the West Division. UTEP averaged 23,001 fans per game.

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

The 2017 UTEP Miners football team represented University of Texas at El Paso in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas and competed in the West Division of Conference USA (C–USA). They were led by fifth-year head coach Sean Kugler until his resignation on October 2 and then by interim head coach Mike Price, who had previously served at UTEP's head coach from 2004 to 2012. The Miners finished the season with a record 0–12, 0–8 in conference play to finish in last place in the Conference USA and winless for the first time since the 1973 season. UTEP averaged 19,548 fans per game.

The 1963 Texas Western Miners football team was an American football team that represented Texas Western College as an independent during the 1963 NCAA University Division football season. In its first season under head coach Warren Harper, the team played home games on campus at the new Sun Bowl stadium, compiled a 3–7 record, and was outscored 142 to 98.

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

The 2023 UTEP Miners football team represented the University of Texas at El Paso in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Miners played their home games at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, and competed as members of Conference USA. They were led by sixth-year head coach Dana Dimel.

References

  1. 1 2 "UTEP-Marshall Game Sold Out". UTEP Athletics. Retrieved October 9, 2012.
  2. "Bean Tags Charge As "Ridiculous"". The Bonham Daily Favorite. September 6, 1962. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  3. "UTEP Quick Facts" (PDF). 2022 UTEP Football Media Guide. UTEP Miners. p. 2. Retrieved December 22, 2022.
  4. "Miners 'bowl' Eagles with 34–7 win". The El Paso Times. September 22, 1963. Retrieved November 2, 2021 via Newspapers.com.
  5. Matthew Aguilar. "Team Nation victorious". El Paso Times . Retrieved August 24, 2017.
  6. "Pope Francis hosts papal mass 2Nations1Faith event". Fox7Austin.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
Events and tenants
Preceded by Home of the Sun Bowl
1963–present
Succeeded by
Current
Preceded by Home of the UTEP Miners
1963–present
Succeeded by
Current