Illinois Field
Encyclopedia
Illinois Field is a baseball
venue in Champaign, Illinois
, home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini baseball
team. It is located in the sports complex at the University of Illinois and is south of Kirby Avenue, just west of where Kirby Avenue becomes Florida Avenue (i.e. the Champaign
-Urbana
border). It is a short distance east of Assembly Hall
and Memorial Stadium
.
on March 24, 1988. Prior to this, the home of Illinois baseball was located farther north on campus at the intersection of Wright Street and University Avenue, which is now part of the engineering campus. That site, also known as Illinois Field, had been in use since 1884. It was also the home of the Illini football team
and other teams prior to the opening of Memorial Stadium
in 1923. This version of Illinois field sat 17,000 at its largest.
Several significant renovations have taken place since the new stadium was built. First, in 1996, the clubhouse was renovated and expanded to twice its original size. Second, in 1999, lights were added to allow for night games. Illinois also won the first night game in Illinois Field history on April 27, 1999 against Illinois State. Third, in 2007, the grass playing surface was replaced with a synthetic FieldTurf
surface that mimics natural grass without the maintenance requirements.
While Illinois Field has served as the home field for the University of Illinois Baseball Team for the past 20 years, it has not always been an exclusive relationship. In 1994, Illinois shared the premises with the Champaign-Urbana Bandits
, a minor league team in the short-lived Great Central League
. As of September 2007, there has been discussion between the city of Champaign, the University of Illinois, and the Frontier League
of expanding the field and to allow the sale of alcohol at games to accommodate for a new minor league franchise. However, these discussions are only in the very beginning stages and no definitive steps have been made one way or the other. There are also plans to increase the seating capacity
of the stadium in the future.
Illinois Field has hosted the Big Ten Baseball Tournament several years, most recently in 2005, but has never hosted a NCAA Regional or Super Regional.
playing surface which covers the entire playing field with the exception of the pitching mound. The field’s dimensions are symmetric with a distance of 330 feet down the lines, 370 feet to the gaps, and 400 feet to center field. There are also two batting cage
s and a bullpen
with two mounds down each foul line. The dugout
s for both teams are in-ground.
Attendance Records:
at Illinois Field seats 25 people and is located above the permanent seating section behind home plate. This facility is used by any media members, VIP
s and game day staff. Radio broadcasts of games are broadcast from the press box. The Wall of Fame, located behind the press box, honors past Illinois Baseball greats.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
venue in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini baseball
College baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
team. It is located in the sports complex at the University of Illinois and is south of Kirby Avenue, just west of where Kirby Avenue becomes Florida Avenue (i.e. the Champaign
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
-Urbana
Urbana, Illinois
Urbana is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 41,250. Urbana is the tenth-most populous city in Illinois outside of the Chicago metropolitan area....
border). It is a short distance east of Assembly Hall
Assembly Hall (Champaign)
Assembly Hall is a large dome-shaped indoor arena, located in Champaign, Illinois, and is part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign....
and Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Champaign)
thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as...
.
History
Illinois Field was constructed at its current location in 1988. The first game played there was a victory for Illinois over Western IllinoisWestern Illinois Leathernecks
The Western Illinois Leathernecks are the teams and athletes that represent Western Illinois University, located in Macomb, Illinois, in NCAA Division I sports. The school's primary conference affiliation is with The Summit League; its football team is a member of the Division I FCS Missouri...
on March 24, 1988. Prior to this, the home of Illinois baseball was located farther north on campus at the intersection of Wright Street and University Avenue, which is now part of the engineering campus. That site, also known as Illinois Field, had been in use since 1884. It was also the home of the Illini football team
Illinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
and other teams prior to the opening of Memorial Stadium
Memorial Stadium (Champaign)
thumb|right|300px|Original plan for Memorial Stadium circa 1921. Caption from [[Popular Mechanics]] Magazine, 1921Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign, Illinois, in the United States, on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The stadium is dedicated as...
in 1923. This version of Illinois field sat 17,000 at its largest.
Several significant renovations have taken place since the new stadium was built. First, in 1996, the clubhouse was renovated and expanded to twice its original size. Second, in 1999, lights were added to allow for night games. Illinois also won the first night game in Illinois Field history on April 27, 1999 against Illinois State. Third, in 2007, the grass playing surface was replaced with a synthetic 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...
surface that mimics natural grass without the maintenance requirements.
While Illinois Field has served as the home field for the University of Illinois Baseball Team for the past 20 years, it has not always been an exclusive relationship. In 1994, Illinois shared the premises with the Champaign-Urbana Bandits
Champaign-Urbana Bandits
The Champaign-Urbana Bandits were a baseball team that played in the Great Central League in 1994. The team played at Illinois Field, which is home of the University of Illinois baseball team....
, a minor league team in the short-lived Great Central League
Great Central League
The Great Central League was a short-lived baseball league of four teams that played baseball in the upper Midwest of the United States in . Its only season ended before completion and no championship was ever held.-Teams:*Champaign-Urbana Bandits...
. As of September 2007, there has been discussion between the city of Champaign, the University of Illinois, and the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
of expanding the field and to allow the sale of alcohol at games to accommodate for a new minor league franchise. However, these discussions are only in the very beginning stages and no definitive steps have been made one way or the other. There are also plans to increase the seating capacity
Seating 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...
of the stadium in the future.
Illinois Field has hosted the Big Ten Baseball Tournament several years, most recently in 2005, but has never hosted a NCAA Regional or Super Regional.
Playing field
Illinois Field has a FieldTurfFieldTurf
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...
playing surface which covers the entire playing field with the exception of the pitching mound. The field’s dimensions are symmetric with a distance of 330 feet down the lines, 370 feet to the gaps, and 400 feet to center field. There are also two batting cage
Batting cage
A batting cage is an enclosed cage for baseball players to practice the skill of batting.It is usually made of netting or a chain-link fence and rectangular in shape. A batter stands at one end of the cage, with a pitching machine at the opposing end...
s and a bullpen
Bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen is the area where relief pitchers warm-up before entering a game. Depending on the ballpark, it may be situated in foul territory along the baselines or just beyond the outfield fence. Also, a team's roster of relief pitchers is metonymically referred to as "the bullpen"...
with two mounds down each foul line. The dugout
Dugout (baseball)
In baseball, the dugout is a team's bench area and is located in foul territory between home plate and either first or third base. There are two dugouts, one for the home team and one for the visiting team. In general, the dugout is occupied by all players not prescribed to be on the field at that...
s for both teams are in-ground.
Stands
The stadium part of Illinois Field features permanent, bleacher seating for 1500 spectators. These seats wrap around the foul territory behind home plate from the first-base bag to the third-base bag. Additional space for another 1500 spectators is available on the grass areas located down the foul lines. Temporary seating can also be installed in this area for big games or events, like the Big Ten Tournament. As mentioned above, there are also plans to expand the permanent seating available at Illinois Field.Attendance Records:
- single game: 4,229 fans on April 15, 1995
- weekend series: 5,820 fans on April 21-22, 1990
- season average: 1,270 fans per game in 1990
- season: 17,722 fans in 2005
Clubhouse
Down the left field line at Illinois Field there is a building that serves as the clubhouse for the Illini team, coaches, and staff. The clubhouse contains space for a variety of functions for the team. The main feature of the clubhouse is the team locker room. Other parts of the clubhouse are a coaches’ locker room, training room and a player’s lounge that also serves as a recruiting lounge. The player's lounge also contains video equipment that allows players and coaches to watch film.Press box
The press boxPress box
The press box is a special section of a sports stadium or arena that is set up for the media to report about a given event. It is typically located in the section of the stadium holding the luxury box. In general, newspaper writers sit in this box and write about the on-field event as it unfolds...
at Illinois Field seats 25 people and is located above the permanent seating section behind home plate. This facility is used by any media members, VIP
VIP
VIP and V.I.P. is a three-letter acronym that may refer to:-In general:* Vacuum insulated panel* Values, Influence, and Peers, an anti-crime campaign in Ontario elementary schools* Variable Information Printing, a form of on-demand printing...
s and game day staff. Radio broadcasts of games are broadcast from the press box. The Wall of Fame, located behind the press box, honors past Illinois Baseball greats.