Ratcliffe Stadium

Last updated
Ratcliffe Stadium
Ratcliffe Stadium
Former namesFresno State College Stadium
(1926–1941)
Location1101 E. University Ave
Fresno, California
Coordinates 36°46′05″N119°47′20″W / 36.768°N 119.789°W / 36.768; -119.789
Owner Fresno City College
OperatorFresno City College
Capacity 13,000
Surface Field: natural grass
Track: polyurethane
Construction
OpenedOctober 9, 1926
97 years ago
Renovated1976, 1986, 2009
Expanded1942
Tenants
Fresno City College Rams (1941–present)
Fresno State Bulldogs (1926–1979)

Ratcliffe Stadium is a collegiate athletic venue in the western United States, located on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

Contents

Opened 97 years ago in 1926, it was renamed in 1941 after their first football coach, Emory Ratcliffe. The stadium hosted the Raisin Bowl (1946–1949) and was home to the Fresno State Bulldogs football team through 1979; they moved to their on-campus Bulldog Stadium in 1980.

Ratcliffe also hosted the West Coast Relays, a major track and field competition. Today, local high school football games and various track and field events are still held there. The stadium has a seating capacity of 13,000, and it is located at 1101 E. University Avenue, along Blackstone Avenue.

The football field has a conventional north-south alignment, at an elevation of 300 feet (90 m) above sea level.

Historical events

On June 2, 1964, Fresno Mayor Wallace D. Henderson marched with Martin Luther King Jr. and 1,000 persons from Fresno High School march Ratcliffe Stadium, where about 3,000 persons attended a rally that he spoke at regarding fair housing, desegregation and the Rumford Housing Act and in protest of California Proposition 14 (1964). It was organized as the Witness of Faith for Freedom Rally.

See also

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The 1930 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State Normal School—now known as California State University, Fresno—during the 1930 college football season.

The 1934 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State Normal School—now known as California State University, Fresno—during the 1934 college football season.

The 1974 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented California State University, Fresno as a member of the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) during the 1974 NCAA Division I football season. Led by second-year head coach J. R. Boone, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 5–7 with a mark of 1–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the PCAA. The Bulldogs played their home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1964 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1964 NCAA College Division football season. Led by first-year head coach Phil Krueger, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 1–3 in conference play, tying for fourth place in the CCAA. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1959 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season.

The 1958 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1958 NCAA College Division football season. Led by Clark Van Galder in his seventh and final season as head coach, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 4–1 in conference play, winning the CCAA title. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1963 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1963 NCAA College Division football season. Led by Cecil Coleman in his fifth and final season as head coach, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 4–6 with a mark of 2–2 in conference play, placing fourth in the CCAA. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1968 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1968 NCAA College Division football season. Led by third-year head coach Darryl Rogers, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 7–4 with a mark of 4–0 in conference play, winning the CCAA title. As champion, the Bulldogs qualified for the 1968 Camellia Bowl, which was played in Sacramento, California against the champion of the Far Western Conference, the Humboldt State Lumberjacks. Humboldt State prevailed, 29–14.

The 1957 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1957 NCAA College Division football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Clark Van Galder, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 1–1 in conference play, tying for third place in the CCAA. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1956 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1956 NCAA College Division football season. Led by fifth-year head coach Clark Van Galder, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 8–2 with a mark of 2–0 in conference play, placing first in CCAA standings, but no champion was named. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California

The 1955 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1955 college football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Clark Van Galder, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 9–1 with a mark of 2–0 in conference play, placing first in CCAA standings, but no champion was named. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California

The 1954 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1954 college football season. Led by third-year head coach Clark Van Galder, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 7–3 with a mark of 4–0 in conference play, winning the CCAA title. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1953 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as a member of the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) during the 1953 college football season. The Bulldogs rejoined CCAA after having played as an independent in the 1951 and 1952 seasons. Led by second-year head coach Clark Van Galder, Fresno State compiled an overall record of 4–4–2 with a mark of 2–2–1 in conference play, placing third in the CCAA. The Bulldogs played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1952 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State College—now known as California State University, Fresno—as an independent during the 1952 college football season. Led by first-year head coach Clark Van Galder, the Bulldogs compiled a record of 8–2. Fresno State played home games at Ratcliffe Stadium on the campus of Fresno City College in Fresno, California.

The 1938 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State Normal School—now known as California State University, Fresno—during the 1938 college football season.

The 1933 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State Normal School—now known as California State University, Fresno—during the 1933 college football season.

The 1927 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State Normal School—now known as California State University, Fresno—during the 1927 college football season.

The 1926 Fresno State Bulldogs football team represented Fresno State Normal School—now known as California State University, Fresno—during the 1926 college football season.

References