Stadium and Field Names

[bobbythekidd]

What is the story behind the name of your home stadium and feild? Some are easy like the Yale Bowl, or Cowboy Stadium (McNeese), but some are more obscure. Estes Stadium at UCA, or Goodreau field at Nova must have a story behind them.

Post yours here. This can be added to our Stadium Database after it is filled in.

[Mvemjsunpx]

Washington-Grizzly Stadium (Montana)

Partially named for local billionaire & construction magnate Dennis Washington, who helped finance the building of the stadium in 1985-86.


*edit*: I see this info is already in the database.

[Willie]

Washington-Grizzly Stadium (Montana)

Partially named for local billionaire & construction magnate Dennis Washington, who helped finance the building of the stadium in 1985-86.

What's the story behind it being named Hoyt Field though? I assume something similar.

[ToTheLeft]

(Arthur L.) Williams Stadium -Liberty University

He cut the check, his name goes on it. Simple as that. Art is one of the inaugural members of the LU Athletics Hall of Fame.

The field has yet to be named after anyone or anything.

[Mvemjsunpx]

What's the story behind it being named Hoyt Field though? I assume something similar.

From the 2009 Football Yearbook:

• "The field was named “John Hoyt Field” in 2001 at the request of the anonymous donor, in honor of Hoyt, a long-time Grizzly booster, who passed away in March 2001."

Only the field turf has been named John Hoyt Field. I don't remember the surface being named when it was grass/frozen dirt.

[JayJ79]

UNI:
UNI-Dome (self evident)

Stan Sheriff Field:

Sheriff coached at Northern Iowa from 1960 to 1982 and also served as athletic director.

With a record of 129-101-4, Sheriff is the winningest Northern Iowa coach. His teams won or shared four North Central Conference championships and two Mid-Continent titles and made three postseason appearances.

Sheriff became Northern Iowa's athletic director in 1970 and was instrumental in the construction of the UNI-Dome, a 16,000-seat indoor stadium that opened in 1976. Allen said the opening of the Dome was a turning point in Northern Iowa athletics.

"I don't think anybody here will forget how much the Dome has meant to this institution," Allen said. "It's a landmark in the state of Iowa. Everything, all of our athletic success, is directly reflective of the Dome, in football and basketball. It enabled us to go one step up the rung."

(excerpts from: http://www.library.uni.edu/collections/ ... an-sheriff )

[∞∞∞]

Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium-Old Dominion University

From some website:

The athletic facility was designated "Foreman Field," named for A. H. Foreman, who was a member of the College of William and Mary's Board of Visitors and the Chairman of the Norfolk School Board. Foreman was an early advocate for the Norfolk Division, and was one of the people most responsible for acquiring the needed funds to build the stadium.

From wikipedia:

In July 2009, the stadium was renamed Foreman Field at S.B. Ballard Stadium, in honor of a local contractor, who donated more than $2.5 million for the stadium.

[Col Hogan]

Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium was named after Warren McGuirk, who served as the Dean of the School of Physical Education and Director of Athletics at UMass for over three decades. During his tenure as an administrator, coach and teacher, he made improvements in facilities, curriculum and intramural programs. McGuirk was instrumental in the development and construction of the Women's Physical Education (1958), the Boyden Building (1963), and the football stadium-now Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium (1966). He also increased intercollegiate athletic schedules and competitions during this period. McGuirk served on several national and regional boards and committees while at the helm of the UMass Athletic Department. He was a member of the NCAA Television Committee from 1954-59. In 1958, he was president of the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC). He was also appointed to the U.S. Olympic Committee in 1958 as the NCAA's official representative. McGuirk was a member of the 1980 Hall of Fame class.

[Screamin_Eagle174]

Named in honor of former Eastern head football and basketball coach Arthur C. Woodward, the “New” Woodward Field in Cheney, Wash., has been used by the Eagles since 1967. Prior to that, Woodward Field was located near where Eastern’s JFK Library now sits.

Woodward was head of Eastern’s department of physical education and health for 23 years from 1927 to 1950. He was insistent that every interested student should have the opportunity to engage in competitive sports through intramural activities. He endeared himself to students, and, as a result, Woodward Field was named in his honor in 1937. He also established the physical education program at North Central High School in Spokane. During World War I he was in charge of physical fitness work for the Navy in the Puget Sound area, and spent eight years as director of physical and health education for Tacoma public
schools. Woodward passed away of a heart attack on Feb. 2, 1950, just a short time after attending a convocation and rally honoring the Eastern basketball team.

This is the 43rd year the current stadium has been in use, and Eastern’s 38-7 win over Southwest Texas State on Sept. 21, 1996, was the 100th Eastern game at the facility. The team’s 24-7 victory over UC-Davis on Nov. 19, 2005, at the fog-shrouded stadium was EWU’s 100th win. Eastern has a 109-54 record (66.9 percent) in 163 games at Woodward Field since 1967, with the Eagles utilizing Joe Albi Stadium in Spokane as the school’s main home field from 1983-89. In 1990 and again from 1997-2002, Eastern played at least one game each year on the artificial turf surface at Albi, which enters its 60th year of existence this fall. Eastern is 43-24-2 in 69 games there dating back to 1950 when it was built.

Woodward Field has 8,600 permanent seats after an expansion in 2004 that included the addition of 1,600 seats in the north end zone. Renovations to the facilities in the 1990s included resurfacing the running track, additional bleacher seating on the east side, addition of lights and two new restroom facilities. Eastern beat Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo 61-7 on Sept. 10, 1994, in the first-ever night game at Woodward Field, which was also the debut of Mike Kramer’s head coaching career. Eastern played its first-ever NCAA Football Championship Subdivision Playoff game at Woodward on Dec, 5, 2004, in a 35-34 loss to Sam Houston State. With more than 2,000 temporary bleachers added, record crowds of 11,583 in 2006, 10,830 in 2008 and 10,754 in 2004 attended the Eastern versus Montana showdowns that were all won by the Grizzlies. Eastern’s top 10 all-time attendance figuresat Woodward Field have come in the past five seasons. Seven of the top eight averages for single season attendance have come in the last seven seasons, including a record of 7,116 in the 2006 season. Eastern is 43-16 in the past nine seasons at Woodward Field, with a nine-game winning streak at that venue snapped against Sacramento State on Oct. 21, 2000, when the Hornets made a 23-yard field goal with no time remaining. The Eagles were 4-0 in 1999 and 6-0 in 1997. In 1998, the Eagles were 3-1 at Woodward with the lone loss a 30-27 overtime setback to Portland State when the Eagles missed a 25-yard field goal that could have won it with one second left. Since returning to Woodward Field in 1989 to play the majority of its home games, Eastern is 63-33 for a .656 winning percentage.

[DJH]

I believe that Western Illinois plays basketball in the Waste Management arena. No joke.

[slycat]

Bobcat Stadium is easy.

Jim Wacker field is named after our legendary coach who lead the Bobcats to two Division II national championships in the 80s.

[tampajag]

Southern's stadium is named after coach A.W. Mumford, he is the most sucessful coach at Southern with a record of 172-60-14 (he coached from 1936 - 1961)

[DukeJack]

JMU: Bridgeforth Stadium is named for William Bridgeforth, a former member of the JMU Board of Directors. The field is named for Zane Showker, a former rector and large donor whose name also graces our CoB.

NAU: The Walkup Skydome is named for J. Lawrence Walkup, the 11th president in NAU history. His career is notable for changing the name of the school from the Arizona State College to Northern Arizona University, as well as overseeing the first doctoral degrees granted by the school.

[Ursus A. Horribilis]

What's the story behind it being named Hoyt Field though? I assume something similar.

From the 2009 Football Yearbook:

• "The field was named “John Hoyt Field” in 2001 at the request of the anonymous donor, in honor of Hoyt, a long-time Grizzly booster, who passed away in March 2001."

Only the field turf has been named John Hoyt Field. I don't remember the surface being named when it was grass/frozen dirt.

That is correct. The field was not named previous to the donation of the field turf and the donor asked that it be named.

[SuperHornet]

We've got one of the most jacked up names in the country, rivalling Baltimore's baseball park.

Fred Anderson Field at Hornet Stadium in the Alex G. Spanos Sports Complex

Anderson owned one of the old Sacramento pro football teams. Spanos is a Stockton developer who owns the San Diego Chargers and donates $$ for college athletic and music facilities. His blasted name is on the Sports Complex at Sac, the Faye Spanos Concert Hall (for his wife) and Spanos Center arena for hoops, VB, and HS wrestling at UOP, and a locker room at UCSD. Not to mention a ton of subdivisions in Stockton.

[Franks Tanks]

At Lafayette we have Fisher Field at Fisher Stadium (different Fishers)

FIsher Field was was built in 1926 by funds raised and donated by Mr. Thomas Fisher. It's capacity was 18,000 at one point but seating was decreased to 14,000 over the years. It was known simply as Fisher Field until the 2006 remodel. Another man with the last name of Fisher donated significant funds to the re-model so the Fisher Stadium piece is named after him, and Fisher Field is kept as a homage to the original stadium and donor.

"The expanded name reflects the contributions of both Thomas Fisher '1888 and James R. Fisher, Class of 1977."

[skinny_uncle]

McAndrew Stadium at SIU was named for William McAndrew who coached there from 1913 to 1938. It was built near the end of his coaching career. This is the last year it will be used. I'm not sure if a name has been picked for the new stadium currently in the process of being built for next year.

[andy7171]

Johnny Unitas Stadium @ Minnegan Field

Johnny U was the chairman of the fund raising committee to build a new stadium and field house for Towson. Two of his daughters attended Towson. He died shortly after the stadium was opened in 2002 and the school asked his wife if they could name it after him.

Doc Minnegan was a soccer coach for 30 years at Towson, the old stadium was called Minnegan Stadium.

[TribeFanInNC]

William & Mary: Walter J. Zable Stadium at Cary Field.

The original stadium was on land that was part of a farm owned by Archibald Cary, and was known as "Mr. Cary's Field". When the present stadium was built nearby in 1935, the name "Cary Field" lived on at the new location.

Walter Zable, W&M class of 1937, donated $10 million to the College, and the stadium was named in his honor on 11/3/1990 prior to the homecoming game against Furman.

[93henfan]

No rocket science involved for this one:

Tubby Raymond Field at Delaware Stadium

Tubby Raymond = 300-game winning Hall of Fame University of Delaware Coach
Delaware = state/school where the field is located

[Bostonspider]

Richmond's current stadium is self evident, UR Stadium. Originally named City Stadium, the field took on the name Univeristy of Richmond Stadium in 1983 when UR took over the operations of the City owned Stadium. I imagine it will return to being called City Stadium next season as the Spiders move to the new Dickinson Field at E. Claiborne Robins Stadium. In 2007, Earl Dickinson Jr., R’75, pledged $2 million, the stadium’s playing field will be named Dickinson Field in honor of his father, Earl Dickinson, Sr., R’48. The Stadiums name is in honor of Richmond's greatest donor, E. Claiborne Robins. By the time of his death in 1995 Mr. Robins had given Richmond over $250 Million. His foundation gave the final $5 Million needed for stadium construction, and in recognition of this gift as well as all of his other spectactular gifts, the Stadium will be named for him.

[Nova69]

On May 7, 1930, the playing field at Villanova Stadium was dedicated to the memory of Leo J. Goodreau, a Villanova football player who died due to injuries incurred in practice.

[dbackjon]

On May 7, 1930, the playing field at Villanova Stadium was dedicated to the memory of Leo J. Goodreau, a Villanova football player who died due to injuries incurred in practice.

Welcome to cs!!

[wideright82]

On May 7, 1930, the playing field at Villanova Stadium was dedicated to the memory of Leo J. Goodreau, a Villanova football player who died due to injuries incurred in practice.

Welcome to cs!!

Yes, agreed. Welcome fellow Nova fan. Slowly we will amass numbers greater than those of Bryant

[Nova69]

Thanks for the welcome. I've been reading along for a while but never had anything to contribute until now.