Harder Stadium
Encyclopedia
Harder Stadium is a 17,000 seat, outdoor multi-purpose stadium
on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara
in Santa Barbara
, California
. It serves as the on-campus soccer stadium for both the men's and women's programs. It is also currently used occasionally by the school's club rugby
and lacrosse
teams and previously served as the home for the football
team. The Santa Ynez Mountains
can be seen to the north of the stadium and southerly ocean breezes from the Pacific Ocean
can be felt while at Harder Stadium.
team. It hosted Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers who trained there ahead of the 1967 Super Bowl I. The UC-Santa Barbara football team played their home games at Harder Stadium until football was cut after the 1972 season due to budget cuts. UCSB brought football back as a non-scholarship sport in 1983 and by 1987 was playing a full Division II and III schedule. In 1992, the NCAA ruled that Division I schools must play at the Division I level in all sports; UCSB and a few other schools attempted to form a non-scholarship Division I-AAA level, but the effort failed and UCSB eventually dropped football. The stadium has a capacity of 17,000 people, and currently is the largest stadium on California's Central Coast
, although when Alex G. Spanos Stadium which is currently used by California Polytechnic State University
is fully renovated in the summer of 2010 it will lose that title. Along with the UCSB Events Center, it is one of the more well-attended athletic venues in the Central Coast
.
. However, a number of professional club and international teams have played in Harder Stadium as well.
, Stanford Cardinal
, and Hartford Hawks
.
The men's program hosted their first men's NCAA Tournament game in 2002, blanking the San Diego Toreros
2-0. In total, they have hosted 9 NCAA Tournament games.
In 2004, 11,214 fans saw UCSB defeat Virginia Commonwealth 4-1 to reach the College Cup (NCAA Soccer's "Final Four"). After the game, a group of students celebrated by carrying one of the soccer goals out of the stadium. They had planned to throw it into the Pacific Ocean (about 1/3 mile away), but were stopped by a combination of law enforcement down the block and tiring out from the weight of the goal.
However in 2006, the UCSB won the 2006 Division I Men's College Cup
in St. Louis, Missouri
. Meanwhile 2,000 miles away at Harder Stadium, a group of rowdy students marched down to the stadium from their homes and attempted the same feat. This time the group succeeded in their quest, throwing the soccer goal off of a cliff at the beginning of the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive
.
In 2009, the NCAA awarded UCSB and Harder Stadium the [2010 NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Tournament|[2010 Division I Men's College Cup]], which is the "Final Four" of Division I men's soccer.
On September 24, 2010, the UCSB gaucho fans set a record on the highest attendance at any NCAA (on campus) soccer match. UCSB beat the visiting UCLA team (2-0) in front of 15,896 who attended the game.
Additional UCSB teams that use the stadium for select contests are the UCSB women's lacrosse, men's lacrosse and rugby teams. These teams are part of the UCSB Recreation Department and open to all students.
(with former Gaucho Carin Jennings) made an appearance right before it went off to China
to win the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. Not to be outdone, the US Men's National Team
made an appearance in 1994 against the Romanian National Team
.
College Rugby is scheduled to play in Harder Stadium April 16, and April 17, 2010 for the collegiate Sweet Sixteen match. Two pools will play during the weekend. Pool "A" comprises BYU, University of Delaware, Syracuse, and University of Arizona. Pool "C" comprises San Diego State University, Bowling Green, St. Mary's, and Arkansas State University. This is the first time since 2000 Arizona will play in the Sweet Sixteen.
Club teams also join the ranks of teams who have played at Harder Stadium. In March 2004, San Jose Earthquakes
and Los Angeles Galaxy
played a pre-season exhibition in Santa Barbara. Following the success of MLS
teams at Harder, in March 2006 & 2007, the UC Santa Barbara men's team played exhibition matches against the Columbus Crew
while in July 2006, Cruz Azul and Los Angeles Galaxy
played. March 2007 also saw Shizuoka Sangyō University
of Japan square off against UCSB. March 2009 saw Club América
and Monarcas Morelia match up, while UCSB has scheduled to play the Mexican U-17 National Team
.
, at Harder Stadium. Previous bands to have played at the festival include Sublime
, No Doubt
, Jack Johnson
, T.I.
, Run-D.M.C.
, Coolio
, Busta Rhymes
, The Black Eyed Peas
, Jane's Addiction
, MxPx
, Social Distortion
, Eve 6
, Pepper
, Slightly Stoopid
, Ludacris
, Nas
, Hellogoodbye
, and E-40
.
Harder Stadium also houses 18 art studios located beneath the seating risers. They are primarily used by graduate students and faculty.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
on the campus of the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
in Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It serves as the on-campus soccer stadium for both the men's and women's programs. It is also currently used occasionally by the school's club rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
teams and previously served as the home for the 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...
team. The Santa Ynez Mountains
Santa Ynez Mountains
The Santa Ynez Mountains are a portion of the Transverse Ranges, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges of the west coast of North America, and are one of the northernmost mountain ranges in Southern California.-Geography:...
can be seen to the north of the stadium and southerly ocean breezes from the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
can be felt while at Harder Stadium.
History
The stadium was built in 1966 and is named after Theodore "Spud" Harder, a former coach of the Gauchos' footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team. It hosted Vince Lombardi and the Green Bay Packers who trained there ahead of the 1967 Super Bowl I. The UC-Santa Barbara football team played their home games at Harder Stadium until football was cut after the 1972 season due to budget cuts. UCSB brought football back as a non-scholarship sport in 1983 and by 1987 was playing a full Division II and III schedule. In 1992, the NCAA ruled that Division I schools must play at the Division I level in all sports; UCSB and a few other schools attempted to form a non-scholarship Division I-AAA level, but the effort failed and UCSB eventually dropped football. The stadium has a capacity of 17,000 people, and currently is the largest stadium on California's Central Coast
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
, although when Alex G. Spanos Stadium which is currently used by California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University
California Polytechnic State University, or Cal Poly, is a public university located in San Luis Obispo, California, United States. The university is one of two polytechnic campuses in the 23-member California State University system....
is fully renovated in the summer of 2010 it will lose that title. Along with the UCSB Events Center, it is one of the more well-attended athletic venues in the Central Coast
Central Coast of California
The Central Coast is an area of California, United States, roughly spanning the area between the Monterey Bay and Point Conception. It extends through Santa Cruz County, San Benito County, Monterey County, San Luis Obispo County, and Santa Barbara County...
.
Soccer legacy
Harder Stadium sees most of its present-day use as a soccer stadium to the UCSB men's soccer and women's soccer teams. The stadium hosted the final three matches of the 2010 College Cup2010 NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Tournament
The 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 collegiate soccer teams who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The semifinals and final were held at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher seeded...
. However, a number of professional club and international teams have played in Harder Stadium as well.
UC Santa Barbara teams
Due to the success of the men's program, the stadium has hosted numerous NCAA soccer playoff games in addition to the regular season games. Despite the men's program recent success, it was the women's program who first brought the NCAA Tournaments to Harder Stadium. The women hosted the first soccer NCAA Tournament game in a 1985 4-3 victory against Cal State Hayward. In total, the women's program has held 4 NCAA Tournament matches at Harder Stadium, bringing such opponents as the Wisconsin BadgersWisconsin Badgers
The Wisconsin Badgers are the collegiate athletic teams from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. This NCAA Division I athletic program has teams in football, basketball, ice hockey, volleyball, soccer, cross country, tennis, swimming, wrestling, track and field, rowing, golf, and softball...
, Stanford Cardinal
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...
, and Hartford Hawks
Hartford Hawks
The Hartford Hawks are the athletic teams of the University of Hartford. The school sponsors 18 varsity sports , all of which compete in the Division I America East Conference. The Hawks' colors are scarlet and white.-Teams:...
.
The men's program hosted their first men's NCAA Tournament game in 2002, blanking the San Diego Toreros
University of San Diego
The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic university in San Diego, California. USD offers more than sixty bachelor's, master’s, and doctoral programs...
2-0. In total, they have hosted 9 NCAA Tournament games.
In 2004, 11,214 fans saw UCSB defeat Virginia Commonwealth 4-1 to reach the College Cup (NCAA Soccer's "Final Four"). After the game, a group of students celebrated by carrying one of the soccer goals out of the stadium. They had planned to throw it into the Pacific Ocean (about 1/3 mile away), but were stopped by a combination of law enforcement down the block and tiring out from the weight of the goal.
However in 2006, the UCSB won the 2006 Division I Men's College Cup
2006 Division I Men's College Cup
The 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 teams from NCAA Division I who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The College Cup Final Four was held at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher-seeded...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. Meanwhile 2,000 miles away at Harder Stadium, a group of rowdy students marched down to the stadium from their homes and attempted the same feat. This time the group succeeded in their quest, throwing the soccer goal off of a cliff at the beginning of the 6600 block of Del Playa Drive
Del Playa Drive
Del Playa Drive is a street in Isla Vista, California that overlooks the ocean. The street stretches four blocks over the full length of the unincorporated city . It begins at the bike path bordering the campus and continues to Camino Majorca, where it ends at the entrance to the trails to Sands,...
.
In 2009, the NCAA awarded UCSB and Harder Stadium the [2010 NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Tournament|[2010 Division I Men's College Cup]], which is the "Final Four" of Division I men's soccer.
On September 24, 2010, the UCSB gaucho fans set a record on the highest attendance at any NCAA (on campus) soccer match. UCSB beat the visiting UCLA team (2-0) in front of 15,896 who attended the game.
Additional UCSB teams that use the stadium for select contests are the UCSB women's lacrosse, men's lacrosse and rugby teams. These teams are part of the UCSB Recreation Department and open to all students.
Other teams
Due to the large capacity of Harder Stadium, it is an ideal venue for professional teams to use for exhibition games. In 1991, the US Women's National TeamUnited States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
(with former Gaucho Carin Jennings) made an appearance right before it went off to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
to win the 1991 FIFA Women's World Cup. Not to be outdone, the US Men's National Team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
made an appearance in 1994 against the Romanian National Team
Romania national football team
The Romania national football team is the national football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation.Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil, France, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups.However, after that...
.
College Rugby is scheduled to play in Harder Stadium April 16, and April 17, 2010 for the collegiate Sweet Sixteen match. Two pools will play during the weekend. Pool "A" comprises BYU, University of Delaware, Syracuse, and University of Arizona. Pool "C" comprises San Diego State University, Bowling Green, St. Mary's, and Arkansas State University. This is the first time since 2000 Arizona will play in the Sweet Sixteen.
Club teams also join the ranks of teams who have played at Harder Stadium. In March 2004, San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
and Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
played a pre-season exhibition in Santa Barbara. Following the success of MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
teams at Harder, in March 2006 & 2007, the UC Santa Barbara men's team played exhibition matches against the Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
while in July 2006, Cruz Azul and Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
played. March 2007 also saw Shizuoka Sangyō University
Shizuoka Sangyo University
is a private university in Iwata city, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan, established in 1988.-Location:*Campus Iwata *Campus Fujieda -Faculty of Business:*School of Management...
of Japan square off against UCSB. March 2009 saw Club América
Club América
Club América is a Mexican Professional football club based in Mexico City. It competes in the Primera División, the top professional league in the country. The team's nickname is Las Águilas ....
and Monarcas Morelia match up, while UCSB has scheduled to play the Mexican U-17 National Team
Mexico national under-17 football team
The Mexico U-17 national football team is one of the younger teams that represents Mexico in football, and is controlled by the Mexican Football Federation . A two time FIFA U-17 World Cup champion, the team has enjoyed recent success as it was crowned in the 2005 and 2011 editions of the tournament...
.
Non-sporting activities
Every year, the school's Associated Students Program Board have thrown a free day-long party, known as EXTRAVAGANZAExtravaganza (Music Festival)
Extravaganza is an annual free campus music festival held at the University of California, Santa Barbara that began in 1979 and has been held every year since 1989. It takes place towards the end of spring quarter and is funded by a student lock-in fee...
, at Harder Stadium. Previous bands to have played at the festival include Sublime
Sublime (band)
Sublime was an American ska punk band from Long Beach, California, formed in 1988. The band's line-up, unchanged until their breakup, consisted of Bradley Nowell , Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh . Michael "Miguel" Happoldt also contributed on a few Sublime songs, such as "New Thrash." Lou Dog, Nowell's...
, No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson (musician)
Jack Johnson was born May 18, 1975 is an American folk rock singer-songwriter, surfer and musician known for his work in the soft rock and acoustic genres. In 2001, he achieved commercial success after the release of his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales. He has since released four more albums, a...
, T.I.
T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. , better known by his stage name T.I., is an American rap artist, film and music producer, actor and author. He is also the founder and co-chief executive officer of Grand Hustle Records....
, Run-D.M.C.
Run-D.M.C.
Run–D.M.C. was an American hip hop group from Hollis, in the Queens borough of New York City. Founded by Joseph "Run" Simmons, Darryl "D.M.C." McDaniels, and Jason "Jam-Master Jay" Mizell, the group is widely acknowledged as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture.Run–D.M.C...
, Coolio
Coolio
Artis Leon Ivey Jr. , better known by the stage name Coolio, is an American musician, rapper, actor and record producer.-Late 80s:He recorded two singles in the late 80s, titled "Watcha Gonna Do" and "You're Gonna Miss Me"...
, Busta Rhymes
Busta Rhymes
Trevor Tahiem Smith, Jr., better known by his stage name Busta Rhymes ,Smith is an American rapper, producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the alias Busta Rhymes after NFL wide receiver George "Buster" Rhymes...
, The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
, Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction is an American alternative rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band's original line-up featured Perry Farrell , Dave Navarro , Eric Avery and Stephen Perkins . After breaking up in 1991, Jane's Addiction briefly reunited in 1997 and again in 2001, both times...
, MxPx
MxPx
MxPx is a pop punk band from Bremerton, Washington with connections to the Christian punk scene. The band has recorded eight studio albums, four EPs, four compilation albums, a live album, a VHS tape, a DVD and released 20 singles....
, Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
, Eve 6
Eve 6
Eve 6 is an American rock band from Southern California, who are most well known for their hit singles "Inside Out", "Leech", and the slow anthem "Here's to the Night". They disbanded in 2004, returned in 2007 with a new lineup, and finally reunited with all three original members in March 2011...
, Pepper
Pepper (band)
Pepper is a rock band originally from Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. The band's music is often classified as a combination of reggae, dub and rock. The band consists of vocalist/guitarist Kaleo Wassman, vocalist/bassist Bret Bollinger, and drummer Yesod Williams...
, Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Stoopid is an American band based in Ocean Beach, San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of acoustic rock and blues with reggae, hip-hop, and punk". As a band, they have released eight albums with their sixth studio album, entitled Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat...
, Ludacris
Ludacris
Christopher Brian Bridges , better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, Nas
Nas
Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, who performs under the name Nas , formerly Nasty Nas, is an American rapper and actor. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in hip hop and one of the most skilled and influential rappers of all-time...
, Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye
Hellogoodbye is a power pop band that was formed in Huntington Beach, California in 2001 by singer Forrest Kline. They were signed to Drive-Thru Records and released their first full-length album Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! in 2006, in addition to their previously released EP Hellogoodbye...
, and E-40
E-40
Earl Stevens , better known by his stage name E-40, is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and investor from Vallejo, California. He is also part of the rap group The Click and the founder of Sick Wid It Records. His solo debut album, Federal, was released in November 1992, after The Click's debut...
.
Harder Stadium also houses 18 art studios located beneath the seating risers. They are primarily used by graduate students and faculty.