Jack Trice Stadium
Encyclopedia
Jack Trice Stadium is a stadium
, in Ames, Iowa
, United States
. It opened on September 20, 1975 (with a win against Air Force
) making it the newest stadium in the Big 12 Conference
. Including hillside seats in the corners of the stadium, the facility can hold approximately 55,000 spectators.
The current record for single-game attendance, 56,795, was set on September 8, 2007 when the Cyclones hosted Northern Iowa
.
It is primarily used for college football
, and is the home field of the Iowa State Cyclones
.
, a sports, entertainment and continuing education complex located to the southeast of the university's main campus. North of the stadium is Hilton Coliseum
, home to Iowa State Cyclones
basketball, wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics teams, as well as other events such as music festivals, rock concerts and university commencement ceremonies.
In 1975, the stadium's playing field was named in honor of Jack Trice
, Iowa State's first African American
athlete and the school's first athlete to die of injuries sustained during a Cyclone athletic competition. Until 1997, the facility itself was known as Cyclone Stadium. Because of persistent requests by the students, the facility was renamed Jack Trice Stadium, making it the only one in Division I-A named for an African American individual.
on Sept. 20, 1975. In late 1973 and spring of 1974, heavy earth-moving equipment shaped the embankments. A huge, movable form shaped the lower decks with thousands of cubic yards of concrete. Originally, the stadium had a capacity of 42,500.
In 1976, bleachers were constructed in the end zone
s to increase the stadium's capacity to more than 46,000 (50,000 with standing room tickets). Before then, all the seating was in the grandstands on the sidelines.
1995-1997
The stadium complex was transformed in 1995-96 with the construction of the state-of-the-art 10.6 million Richard O. Jacobson Athletic Building, in the north end-zone of Jack Trice Stadium. The Jacobson Building is the home of Cyclone athletics
containing all sport and administrative offices except men's
and women's
basketball and volleyball. The Ralph A. Olsen Building was also renovated at that time and it sits attached to the north end of the Jacobson Athletic Building. The Olsen Building, named in honor of prominent Ellsworth, Iowa
farmer and ISU alumnus, houses the strength and conditioning facilities, the team meeting rooms, and the locker rooms.
In 1996, a natural grass field and new drainage system made its debut, the field had been AstroTurf
since 1975. In 1997, the $6.2 million, three-level press tower located on the west side was added to Jack Trice Stadium. The new press tower includes press and radio-television levels and nine sky box suites.
2002
The football atmosphere at Jack Trice Stadium was enhanced with the installation of a new million dollar videoboard and scoreboard which replace its black and white predecessor. Permanent lighting was also added to the side of the stadium for the 2002 season at a cost of $500,000. Since then, ISU has played twice as many home night games as they did the previous 30 years.
2007-2009
Between the 2007 and 2009 football seasons, Jack Trice received its largest renovation project to date. With the completion of $30 million in renovations, the stadium has 22 new suites, a new wider concourses with new concessions and bathrooms on the east and west side, a new club section, improved disability seating, new fencing and gates, a new plaza near the main entrance, and many preservative renovations throughout the stadium.
The changes to suites also includes the expansion of two existing suites on the west side of the stadium and the installation of operable windows in all of the current suites. Funding for these renovations came completely from the sale of stadium suites, club seats, increased ticket revenues and fund raising.
Richard O. "Dick" Jacobson donated $5 million to ISU athletics in 2008, for the purpose of continuing renovations to Jack Trice Stadium. There will be a Jacobson Plaza constructed near the stadiums main entrance in his honor. This donation was the largest donation ever made to ISU athletics.
On May 1, 2008, ISU Athletic Department was given permission from the Iowa Board of Regents to continue planning and fund raising for the Jack Trice Expansion. Iowa State Athletics will once more have to get permission from the Iowa Board of Regents before the construction of the final phase can be completed, the south end-zone.
This final addition will include enclosing the south end zone, which will include an upper deck, and connecting the east side concourse to the west side concourse. Originally, the south end-zone project was scheduled to be completed at the same time as the east concourse; however, funding has not yet been secured for the south end-zone expansion which is estimated at $55 million, so the two projects are now being completed separately.
On a call in show, ISU athletic director stated that more facility improvements will be continuing over the next few years. Iowa State's head football coach Paul Rhoads
has also made similar comments although there has been no official release. It is believed that the university will be building a new training facility and office building next to the current one starting next year (2012) and that work on the South end zone expansion will begin in 2013.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
, in Ames, Iowa
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It opened on September 20, 1975 (with a win against Air Force
Air Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
) making it the newest stadium 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...
. Including hillside seats in the corners of the stadium, the facility can hold approximately 55,000 spectators.
The current record for single-game attendance, 56,795, was set on September 8, 2007 when the Cyclones hosted Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa Panthers football
The first year of Northern Iowa Panthers football was in 1895. They have fielded a football team every year since then with the exceptions of 1906-1907 and 1943-1944...
.
It is primarily used for college football
College 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...
, and is the home field of the Iowa State Cyclones
Iowa State Cyclones football
The Iowa State Cyclones football team represents Iowa State University in college football. The Cyclones compete in the Big 12 Conference in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. ISU started playing football in 1892, however, it did not become an official sport until 1894...
.
Description
The stadium consists of double-decked grandstands running the length of either sideline, as well as a set of bleachers in the south end zone. The Richard O. Jacobson Athletic Building, an athletic center built in 1996, is located in the north end zone. The field itself is slightly lower than the surrounding ground. There is a single main concourse for each of the grandstands. A three-level press box on the west side of the stadium was added to the stadium in 1997 for a cost of $6.2 million. Permanent lighting and a large video/scoreboard behind the bleachers in the south end zone were added in 2002. Later in 2010-2011 a second video/scoreboard was added on the north side. At triple the size of the previous scoreboard, it satnds over the Jacobson Athletic Building. The stadium is part of the Iowa State CenterIowa State Center
The Iowa State Center is located just southeast of Iowa State University's central campus in Ames, Iowa. It is a complex of cultural and athletic venues...
, a sports, entertainment and continuing education complex located to the southeast of the university's main campus. North of the stadium is Hilton Coliseum
Hilton Coliseum
James H. Hilton Coliseum is a 14,356-seat multi-purpose arena in Ames, Iowa. The arena opened in 1971. It is home to the Iowa State University Cyclones men's and women's basketball teams, wrestling, gymnastics and volleyball teams.-Overview:...
, home to Iowa State Cyclones
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...
basketball, wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics teams, as well as other events such as music festivals, rock concerts and university commencement ceremonies.
Jack Trice
Jack Trice
Johnny "Jack" Trice was a football player who became the first African-American athlete from Iowa State College...
, Iowa State's first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
athlete and the school's first athlete to die of injuries sustained during a Cyclone athletic competition. Until 1997, the facility itself was known as Cyclone Stadium. Because of persistent requests by the students, the facility was renamed Jack Trice Stadium, making it the only one in Division I-A named for an African American individual.
Initial construction
Jack Trice Stadium was completed in less than two years, from its ground breaking on Oct. 26, 1973 to the first game, a victory over Air ForceAir Force Falcons football
The Air Force Falcons are a college football team from the United States Air Force Academy, located just outside of Colorado Springs, Colorado. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the NCAA Division I and the Mountain West Conference.-Style:...
on Sept. 20, 1975. In late 1973 and spring of 1974, heavy earth-moving equipment shaped the embankments. A huge, movable form shaped the lower decks with thousands of cubic yards of concrete. Originally, the stadium had a capacity of 42,500.
Previous expansions and renovations
1976In 1976, bleachers were constructed in the end zone
End zone
In gridiron-based codes of football, the end zone refers to the scoring area on the field. It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines. There are two end zones, each being on an opposite side of the field...
s to increase the stadium's capacity to more than 46,000 (50,000 with standing room tickets). Before then, all the seating was in the grandstands on the sidelines.
1995-1997
The stadium complex was transformed in 1995-96 with the construction of the state-of-the-art 10.6 million Richard O. Jacobson Athletic Building, in the north end-zone of Jack Trice Stadium. The Jacobson Building is the home of Cyclone athletics
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...
containing all sport and administrative offices except men's
Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball
The Iowa State Cyclones men's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.-Johnny Orr era :...
and women's
Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball
The Iowa State Cyclones women's basketball team represents Iowa State University and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. Iowa State's women's basketball team is 569-502 overall and 20-13 in post-season play.-Overview:...
basketball and volleyball. The Ralph A. Olsen Building was also renovated at that time and it sits attached to the north end of the Jacobson Athletic Building. The Olsen Building, named in honor of prominent Ellsworth, Iowa
Ellsworth, Iowa
Ellsworth is a city in Hamilton County, Iowa, United States. The population was 531 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Ellsworth's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 42.311954, -93.580868...
farmer and ISU alumnus, houses the strength and conditioning facilities, the team meeting rooms, and the locker rooms.
In 1996, a natural grass field and new drainage system made its debut, the field had been AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
since 1975. In 1997, the $6.2 million, three-level press tower located on the west side was added to Jack Trice Stadium. The new press tower includes press and radio-television levels and nine sky box suites.
2002
The football atmosphere at Jack Trice Stadium was enhanced with the installation of a new million dollar videoboard and scoreboard which replace its black and white predecessor. Permanent lighting was also added to the side of the stadium for the 2002 season at a cost of $500,000. Since then, ISU has played twice as many home night games as they did the previous 30 years.
Between the 2007 and 2009 football seasons, Jack Trice received its largest renovation project to date. With the completion of $30 million in renovations, the stadium has 22 new suites, a new wider concourses with new concessions and bathrooms on the east and west side, a new club section, improved disability seating, new fencing and gates, a new plaza near the main entrance, and many preservative renovations throughout the stadium.
The changes to suites also includes the expansion of two existing suites on the west side of the stadium and the installation of operable windows in all of the current suites. Funding for these renovations came completely from the sale of stadium suites, club seats, increased ticket revenues and fund raising.
Richard O. "Dick" Jacobson donated $5 million to ISU athletics in 2008, for the purpose of continuing renovations to Jack Trice Stadium. There will be a Jacobson Plaza constructed near the stadiums main entrance in his honor. This donation was the largest donation ever made to ISU athletics.
2011
A new video/scoreboard was installed on the north end of Jack Trice Stadium. The new video board is one of the top 15 largest used in a college football stadium. The screen measures 36 feet high and 79.5 feet wide and will has a resolution of 720 x 1,584. The new video board was completed for the 2011 football season.Future expansion
This final addition will include enclosing the south end zone, which will include an upper deck, and connecting the east side concourse to the west side concourse. Originally, the south end-zone project was scheduled to be completed at the same time as the east concourse; however, funding has not yet been secured for the south end-zone expansion which is estimated at $55 million, so the two projects are now being completed separately.
On a call in show, ISU athletic director stated that more facility improvements will be continuing over the next few years. Iowa State's head football coach Paul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads
Paul Rhoads is an American college football head coach at Iowa State University. Rhoads was formerly the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach of the Auburn University football team before then-head coach Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign at the 2008 season's end...
has also made similar comments although there has been no official release. It is believed that the university will be building a new training facility and office building next to the current one starting next year (2012) and that work on the South end zone expansion will begin in 2013.
Largest Crowds
Listed are the top ten largest crowds in the stadium's history:- 1. 56,795 September 8, 2007 vs Northern Iowa
- 2. 56,390 October 1, 2011 vs #17 Texas
- 3. 56,085 September 10, 2011 vs Iowa
- 4. 55,518 October 1, 2005 vs Northern Iowa
- 5. 55,338 October 7, 2006 vs #22 Nebraska
- 6. 54,672 September 1, 2011 vs Northern Iowa
- 7. 54,475 October 27, 1990 vs #4 Nebraska
- 8. 54,290 September 10, 2005 vs #8 Iowa
- 9. 54,469 September 14, 1991 vs #14 Iowa
- 10. 53,488 September 13, 2003 vs #19 Iowa