Faurot Field
Encyclopedia
Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is the home field of the University of Missouri
Tigers
in Columbia, Missouri
. It is primarily used for football
. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot
. During the offseason, soccer
goals are set up in the end zones and it is used for intramural matches. It also hosts the annual "Providence Bowl" game between Hickman
and Rock Bridge
high schools (so named because both schools are located on Providence Road in Columbia, and Faurot is roughly equidistant between the two) and in the past has been home to the MSHSAA
football championships, now held in St. Louis (taking advantage of the climate-controlled atmosphere of the Edward Jones Dome
). It is the second largest sports facility by capacity in the state of Missouri, second to Arrowhead Stadium
in Kansas City.
The stadium is a typical horseshoe-shaped stadium, with seating added on in the "open" endzone. The horseshoe is completed by a grass berm in the curved end, which is used for general admission on game days. The berm is famous for the giant block "M" made of painted white stones located behind the endzone. This distinctive feature has not been immune to pranks, such as enterprising Nebraska or Kansas
fans attempting to change the "M" to an "N" or a "K", but groundskeepers and students have in the past protected what may be the stadium's best-known landmark. One of the traditions of the football team is that seniors, after playing their final home game, take a rock from the "M" as a souvenir. It is also traditionally whitewashed every year by incoming freshmen during welcoming activities.
There is road between the field and the stands around the entire length of the horseshoe, taking the place of the track, removed in the mid-1990s.
" and a "Memorial Stadium" to be constructed at the University. The names of the two projects were a tribute to Mizzou alumni who lost their lives during World War I
. Ground was broken on the site of the future stadium in December 1925. The site was a sizeable natural valley that lay between twin bluffs south of the campus. Original plans called for the stadium to seat 25,000, with proposed stages of expansion in capacity to 35,000, 55,000, 75,000 and 95,000. According to legend, a rock crusher and truck were buried during initial blasting, and they still remain buried under the field.
Memorial Stadium was dedicated on October 2, 1926, to the memory of 112 alumni and students who lost their lives in World War I. The 25,000-seat stadium was built with a 440 yards (402.3 m) track that circled the playing field. That first October game against Tulane
was marred by rainstorms that washed out a bridge into Columbia coming from the western side of Missouri. While the game sold out, the field could not be sodded due to the wet conditions. Therefore, a surface of sawdust and tree bark was used, and "the Tigers and Green Wave played to a scoreless, mudpie tie", in the words of sportswriter Bob Broeg
. Grass would be installed thenafter until the 1980s.
The highly recognizable rock 'M' of the northern end zone debuted on October 1, 1927, to a 13-6 victory over Kansas State
. The monument was built by members of the freshman class using leftover rocks from the original stadium construction. The 90 ft (27.4 m) wide by 95 ft (29 m) high 'M' has continued to watch over the field and provide seating for fans since that day.
Mizzou earned its largest margin of victory ever at Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2011. Under Coach Gary Pinkel, the Tigers defeated Western Illinois University
by a score of 69–0.
to 62,023.
On May 18, 1985, the project began to convert the natural grass surface to a new artificial surface called Omniturf
. The conversion was completed on August 30. Missouri was the last school in the Big Eight Conference
to switch from grass to artificial turf. Six of the other seven conference schools switched to artificial turf in the early 1970s, and Iowa State
followed suit in 1975 when the Cyclones' new Jack Trice Stadium
opened. The first game on the new artificial turf was a 27–23 loss to Northwestern University
played on September 14, 1985. The Tigers went on to finish 0–7 at home during the 1985 season. The OmniTurf surface became infamous to Tiger fans as the "lousy field" on which The Fifth Down Game was played on October 6, 1990. Troubles continued on the artificial surface, and in 1992, Big Eight Conference coaches issued a statement that read, in part: "Big Eight Conference football coaches wanted to report that the football field at the University of Missouri is a detriment to the home and visiting teams and takes away from the integrity of the game played on such a field."
On September 18, 1994, The Rolling Stones
performed, during their Voodoo Lounge Tour
, before 45,000 fans at Memorial Stadium in a concert that raised almost $100,000 for the conversion of the Omniturf surface back to natural grass. The final game on the infamous Omniturf surface was played on November 19 of that same year against the University of Kansas
, a 31-14 Kansas victory. Mizzou's all-time record on the Omiturf was a disappointing 20–38–3.
The artificial Omniturf playing surface was removed and replaced with natural grass over the summer of 1995. Legendary Coach Don Faurot
put down the last piece of sod as a symbolic gesture. Faurot had helped to lay the sod of the original playing surface in 1926. He died later that year in October, during Homecoming week. As part of the installation of the new playing surface, grass-covered terraces were extended up from the field to the seating area, where they met a new low brick wall that was designed to give Memorial Stadium a traditional college ambiance. The brick wall also honors the greatest figures in Tiger football (including Faurot, Kellen Winslow
and Dan Devine
) by listing the team's honored numbers on each panel. The first game on the new natural grass resulted in a 28–7 victory for Mizzou over North Texas. The game was also historic as the first game played under permanent lights—previously, night games only were played under temporary lights paid for by television broadcasters, and as part of the renovations four large light stanchions were erected outside each corner of the stadium.
In 1996, the press box was upgraded to a 15-story building containing state-of-the-art facilities for the coaches and media, as well as several executive suites, hundreds of premium club seats and a restaurant. 1997 saw the installation of a video board in the north ("M") end and a refurbishment of the concourses, with new signage and expanded concessions. FieldTurf
replaced the natural grass in 2003. In 2005, the south end's antiquated auxiliary scoreboards were replaced with new ones, as well as a second high-definition video monitor.
In 2009, the university installed a new $5 million 30x80 foot north end zone scoreboard with updated video capabilities and new sound system. The new north end zone video board and audio upgrades replaced the current 10 year old equipment. It is presently the third largest scoreboard in the Big 12 Conference
, sitting behind Godzillatron
at Texas
' DKR Stadium and "12th Man TV" at Kyle Field
in College Station
.
, and that any added construction will run into problems associated with this.
All-Time Largest Crowds
Largest Crowds Since 1995 (when seating was reduced to 68,174 capacity from 75,000)
For the 2008 season
official seating capacity was increased to 68,349.
For the 2009 season
official seating capacity was increased to 71,004.
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
Tigers
Missouri Tigers
The Missouri Tigers athletics programs include the extramural and intramural sports teams of the University of Missouri, located in Columbia, Missouri, United States...
in Columbia, Missouri
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
. It is primarily used for football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
. During the offseason, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goals are set up in the end zones and it is used for intramural matches. It also hosts the annual "Providence Bowl" game between Hickman
Hickman High School
David Henry Hickman High School is a coeducational public secondary school in Columbia, Missouri, United States, serving students in grades 10–12. The school is one of three high schools in the Columbia Public School District, with admission based primarily on the locations of students' homes...
and Rock Bridge
Rock Bridge High School
Rock Bridge High School is a public high school located in southern Columbia, Missouri. The school serves grades 10 through 12, and is a part of the Columbia Public Schools...
high schools (so named because both schools are located on Providence Road in Columbia, and Faurot is roughly equidistant between the two) and in the past has been home to the MSHSAA
Missouri State High School Activities Association
The Missouri State High School Activities Association is the governing body for high school activities throughout the state of Missouri...
football championships, now held in St. Louis (taking advantage of the climate-controlled atmosphere of the Edward Jones Dome
Edward Jones Dome
The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome The Edward Jones Dome (more formally known as the Edward Jones Dome at America's Center, and previously known as The Trans World Dome (from 1995–2001) is a multi-purpose stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, and home of the St. Louis Rams of the NFL. It was...
). It is the second largest sports facility by capacity in the state of Missouri, second to Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium
Arrowhead Stadium is a stadium located in Kansas City, Missouri and home to the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs....
in Kansas City.
The stadium is a typical horseshoe-shaped stadium, with seating added on in the "open" endzone. The horseshoe is completed by a grass berm in the curved end, which is used for general admission on game days. The berm is famous for the giant block "M" made of painted white stones located behind the endzone. This distinctive feature has not been immune to pranks, such as enterprising Nebraska or Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
fans attempting to change the "M" to an "N" or a "K", but groundskeepers and students have in the past protected what may be the stadium's best-known landmark. One of the traditions of the football team is that seniors, after playing their final home game, take a rock from the "M" as a souvenir. It is also traditionally whitewashed every year by incoming freshmen during welcoming activities.
There is road between the field and the stands around the entire length of the horseshoe, taking the place of the track, removed in the mid-1990s.
Early history
Fundraising began in 1921 for a "Memorial UnionMemorial Union (University of Missouri)
Memorial Union serves as a community center for the University of Missouri by providing meeting rooms, technology centers, dining facilities, and playing host to many special events...
" and a "Memorial Stadium" to be constructed at the University. The names of the two projects were a tribute to Mizzou alumni who lost their lives during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. Ground was broken on the site of the future stadium in December 1925. The site was a sizeable natural valley that lay between twin bluffs south of the campus. Original plans called for the stadium to seat 25,000, with proposed stages of expansion in capacity to 35,000, 55,000, 75,000 and 95,000. According to legend, a rock crusher and truck were buried during initial blasting, and they still remain buried under the field.
Memorial Stadium was dedicated on October 2, 1926, to the memory of 112 alumni and students who lost their lives in World War I. The 25,000-seat stadium was built with a 440 yards (402.3 m) track that circled the playing field. That first October game against Tulane
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
was marred by rainstorms that washed out a bridge into Columbia coming from the western side of Missouri. While the game sold out, the field could not be sodded due to the wet conditions. Therefore, a surface of sawdust and tree bark was used, and "the Tigers and Green Wave played to a scoreless, mudpie tie", in the words of sportswriter Bob Broeg
Bob Broeg
Robert William Patrick Broeg was an American sportswriter.Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, he officially covered the St. Louis Cardinals for forty years. He graduated from Grover Cleveland High School and the University of Missouri before entering the United States Marines...
. Grass would be installed thenafter until the 1980s.
The highly recognizable rock 'M' of the northern end zone debuted on October 1, 1927, to a 13-6 victory over Kansas State
Kansas State Wildcats
Kansas State University's athletic teams are called the Wildcats. The official color of the teams is Royal Purple, making Kansas State one of very few schools that have only one official color; white and silver are generally used as complementary colors.Kansas State participates in...
. The monument was built by members of the freshman class using leftover rocks from the original stadium construction. The 90 ft (27.4 m) wide by 95 ft (29 m) high 'M' has continued to watch over the field and provide seating for fans since that day.
Mizzou earned its largest margin of victory ever at Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2011. Under Coach Gary Pinkel, the Tigers defeated Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
by a score of 69–0.
Modernization
In recent years, several major renovations have taken place at Faurot Field. During the summer of 1978, the south endzone was enclosed with 10,800 permanent seats, which brought total seating capacitySeating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
to 62,023.
On May 18, 1985, the project began to convert the natural grass surface to a new artificial surface called Omniturf
Omniturf
Omniturf was the first artificial surface to be used by an English Football League club. The first club to install this 'plastic grass' surface was Queens Park Rangers who installed the new pitch for the start of the 1981/82 season...
. The conversion was completed on August 30. Missouri was the last school in the Big Eight Conference
Big Eight Conference
The Big Eight Conference, a former NCAA-affiliated Division I-A college athletic association that sponsored football, was formed in January 1907 as the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association by its charter member schools: the University of Kansas, University of Missouri, University...
to switch from grass to artificial turf. Six of the other seven conference schools switched to artificial turf in the early 1970s, and Iowa State
Iowa State Cyclones
The Iowa State Cyclones are the athletic teams of Iowa State University. The university is a member of the Big 12 Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding 16 varsity teams in 12 sports.*Men's sports...
followed suit in 1975 when the Cyclones' new Jack Trice Stadium
Jack Trice Stadium
Jack Trice Stadium is a stadium, in Ames, Iowa, United States. It opened on September 20, 1975 making it the newest stadium in the Big 12 Conference...
opened. The first game on the new artificial turf was a 27–23 loss to Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
played on September 14, 1985. The Tigers went on to finish 0–7 at home during the 1985 season. The OmniTurf surface became infamous to Tiger fans as the "lousy field" on which The Fifth Down Game was played on October 6, 1990. Troubles continued on the artificial surface, and in 1992, Big Eight Conference coaches issued a statement that read, in part: "Big Eight Conference football coaches wanted to report that the football field at the University of Missouri is a detriment to the home and visiting teams and takes away from the integrity of the game played on such a field."
On September 18, 1994, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
performed, during their Voodoo Lounge Tour
Voodoo Lounge Tour
The Voodoo Lounge Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones to promote their 1994 album Voodoo Lounge. This was their first tour without bassist Bill Wyman; he was replaced by Darryl Jones. The tour grossed $320 million, becoming the highest grossing tour of any artist at that time...
, before 45,000 fans at Memorial Stadium in a concert that raised almost $100,000 for the conversion of the Omniturf surface back to natural grass. The final game on the infamous Omniturf surface was played on November 19 of that same year against the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, a 31-14 Kansas victory. Mizzou's all-time record on the Omiturf was a disappointing 20–38–3.
The artificial Omniturf playing surface was removed and replaced with natural grass over the summer of 1995. Legendary Coach Don Faurot
Don Faurot
Donald Burrows Faurot was an American football and basketball player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the Northeast Missouri State Teachers College, now Truman State University, from 1926 to 1934 and at the University of Missouri from 1935 to 1942 and again from 1946 to 1956...
put down the last piece of sod as a symbolic gesture. Faurot had helped to lay the sod of the original playing surface in 1926. He died later that year in October, during Homecoming week. As part of the installation of the new playing surface, grass-covered terraces were extended up from the field to the seating area, where they met a new low brick wall that was designed to give Memorial Stadium a traditional college ambiance. The brick wall also honors the greatest figures in Tiger football (including Faurot, Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
and Dan Devine
Dan Devine
Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to 1970, and the University of Notre Dame from 1975 to 1980, compiling a career college football mark of...
) by listing the team's honored numbers on each panel. The first game on the new natural grass resulted in a 28–7 victory for Mizzou over North Texas. The game was also historic as the first game played under permanent lights—previously, night games only were played under temporary lights paid for by television broadcasters, and as part of the renovations four large light stanchions were erected outside each corner of the stadium.
In 1996, the press box was upgraded to a 15-story building containing state-of-the-art facilities for the coaches and media, as well as several executive suites, hundreds of premium club seats and a restaurant. 1997 saw the installation of a video board in the north ("M") end and a refurbishment of the concourses, with new signage and expanded concessions. FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
replaced the natural grass in 2003. In 2005, the south end's antiquated auxiliary scoreboards were replaced with new ones, as well as a second high-definition video monitor.
In 2009, the university installed a new $5 million 30x80 foot north end zone scoreboard with updated video capabilities and new sound system. The new north end zone video board and audio upgrades replaced the current 10 year old equipment. It is presently the third largest scoreboard in the Big 12 Conference
Big 12 Conference
The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference of ten schools located in the Central United States, with its headquarters located in Las Colinas, a community in the Dallas, Texas suburb of Irving...
, sitting behind Godzillatron
Godzillatron
"Godzillatron" or "Adzillatron" is the nickname given to the scoreboard at the University of Texas at Austin's Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The official name of the board has not yet been decided; it is simply referred to as the "Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Scoreboard" by the...
at Texas
Texas Longhorns football
The Texas Longhorns football program is the intercollegiate football team representing The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas. The team currently competes in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big 12 Conference which is a Division I Bowl Subdivision of the National...
' DKR Stadium and "12th Man TV" at Kyle Field
Kyle Field
Kyle Field is the football stadium located on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. It has been the home to the Texas A&M Aggie football team in rudimentary form since 1904, and as a complete stadium since 1927. It is known as The Home of the 12th Man...
in College Station
College Station, Texas
College Station is a city in Brazos County, Texas, situated in East Central Texas in the heart of the Brazos Valley. The city is located within the most populated region of Texas, near three of the 10 largest cities in the United States - Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio...
.
Future projects
Many fans have expressed interest in expanding the south stands to be more uniform with the rest of the stadium, adding features such as bathrooms and permanent food stands in the process. However, this project may be hampered by the fact that the south end is very close to the water tableWater table
The water table is the level at which the submarine pressure is far from atmospheric pressure. It may be conveniently visualized as the 'surface' of the subsurface materials that are saturated with groundwater in a given vicinity. However, saturated conditions may extend above the water table as...
, and that any added construction will run into problems associated with this.
Record crowds
The stadium officially holds 71,004 people. The record attendance for Faurot Field is 75,298 when Missouri hosted Penn State on October 4, 1980.All-Time Largest Crowds
- 75,298, vs. Penn State, Oct. 4, 1980
- 75,136, vs. Texas, Sept. 29, 1979
- 74,575, vs. Nebraska, Nov. 3, 1979
- 73,655, vs. Alabama, Sept. 16, 1978
- 72,348, vs. Nebraska, Oct. 15, 1983
- 72,333, vs. Colorado, Oct. 18, 1980
- 72,001, vs. Nebraska, Oct. 24, 1981
- 71,291, vs. Oklahoma, Nov. 17, 1979
- 71,096, vs. Colorado, Oct. 28, 1978
- 71,004, vs. Texas, Oct. 24, 2009
- 71,004 vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 23, 2010
- 71,004 vs. Iowa State, Oct. 15, 2011
Largest Crowds Since 1995 (when seating was reduced to 68,174 capacity from 75,000)
For the 2008 season
2008 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2008 Missouri Tigers football team represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2008 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel, who returned in his eighth season with Mizzou, and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium.Quarterback Chase Daniel returned for...
official seating capacity was increased to 68,349.
For the 2009 season
2009 Missouri Tigers football team
The 2009 Missouri Tigers football team, their 120th season, represented the University of Missouri in college football's 2009 season. The team was coached by Gary Pinkel, who returned for his ninth season with Mizzou, and played their home games at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium...
official seating capacity was increased to 71,004.
- 71,004, vs. Iowa State, Oct. 15, 2011
- 71,004, vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 23, 2010
- 71,004, vs. Texas, Oct. 24, 2009
- 70,049, vs. Nebraska, Oct. 6, 2007
- 68,349, vs. Kansas State, Nov. 8, 2008
- 68,349, vs. Colorado, Oct. 25, 2008
- 68,349, vs. Oklahoma State, Oct. 11, 2008
- 68,349, vs. Nebraska, Oct. 11, 2003
- 68,174, vs. Nebraska, Sept. 25, 1999
- 68,174, vs. Kansas State, Nov. 21, 1998
- 66,846, vs. Nebraska, Nov. 8, 1997