Joan C. Edwards Stadium
Encyclopedia
The Joan C. Edwards Stadium is a football
stadium located on the campus of Marshall University
in Huntington, West Virginia
. It can hold 38,019 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, 300 wheelchair
-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, fourteen concession areas, and sixteen separate restrooms . It also features 90000 sq ft (8,361.3 m²). of artificial turf and 1,837 tons of structural steel. It also houses the Shewey Athletic Center, a fieldhouse and a training facility. The new stadium replaced Fairfield Stadium
, a condemned off-campus facility built in 1927 in the Fairfield Park neighborhood.
Marshall has a 118-19 overall record at Joan C. Edwards stadium for a winning percentage of .866. That is the highest home winning percentage in NCAA Division 1 FBS. The University of Alabama
ranks second with an .825 winning percentage at Bryant-Denny Stadium
.
. On January 16, then-Governor Arch A. Moore Jr. met with Huntington and University leaders, stating that "money is available" if the plans for the stadium were put together. On June 15, the Board of Regents gives the green light to the new stadium project; on September 9, the University begins purchasing property east of the central campus for the proposed stadium.
On January 15, 1987, Governor Moore asks the Board of Regents to approve funding for the sale of bonds that would help finance the new stadium . On June 8 of the following year, the state Legislature passes a state budget which has the inclusion of a new 30,000-seat stadium if the Board of Regents can secure funding. A little over one month later on June 9, the Board of Regents passes a resolution that endorsed the construction of a new football stadium.
On October 4, 1988, a rendering of the new stadium was unveiled . The designers of the new facility was Stafford Consultants of Princeton, West Virginia
and Rosser Fabrap of Atlanta, Georgia
. Soon after, the Board of Regents were given 1800 sq ft (167.2 m²). of property by the Greater Huntington Area Chamber of Commerce. On November 1, the Board of Regents purchases additional property and hired investment bankers who helped decide the optimal financing method for the project.
On January 11, 1989, the Board of Regents approved of a $70 million bond sale, $30 million of which was for the new Marshall stadium . Demolition of the existing structures for the new stadium began on December 9. A contract for the new stadium was awarded on June 13, 1990 to River Cities Construction of Huntington and the Frank Irey Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place one month later on July 18. By October 6, 1990, steel beams were being erected for the new stadium. Marshall's "Thundering Herd" played their last game at Fairfield Stadium against Eastern Kentucky University
on November 10, losing 12-15 .
On January 19, 1991, the designers admitted there was only room for 28,000 seats, not the original 30,000 due to an error in calculating the size of the chairback seats . The remaining 2,000 was to be added to the south end zone after the 1991 season. It would be the sixth largest stadium in NCAA Division I-AA football. By May 3 of that year, it was announced that the stadium was two-thirds complete and on August 9, the "Thundering Herd's" freshmen and transfers held their first practice in the new stadium.
On September 7, 1991, the new Marshall Stadium was unveiled before a crowd of 33,116 . The opening game was against New Hampshire
, which Marshall won, 24-23. One year later in July, Marshall football staff and administrators relocated into a new facilities structure at the north end of the stadium adjacent to 3rd Avenue.
On September 4, 1993, the playing surface was named in honor of James F. Edwards
, a donor to Marshall University . On November 28, 2003, the Marshall Stadium was renamed to the Joan C. Edwards
Stadium in honor of her contributions and that of James who had donated $65 million to the university. The Shewey Athletic Center was named for Fred and Christine Shewey who were also major donors.
The expansion of the additional 2,000 seats was completed in July 1995 . Five years later in August, another seating expansion brought the total number of seats to 38,016.
The record attendance was set on September 10, 2010 at 41,382 in a 24-21 overtime loss to West Virginia University
.
Division I named exclusively for a woman. The other is Williams-Brice Stadium
at South Carolina
. (Several other stadiums are named after husband-and-wife pairs.)
In 2005, the stadium underwent a change in the playing surface as the AstroTurf
surface, in place since 1998, was removed, and a new FieldTurf
surface was installed.
The stadium hosted the MAC
championship game in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. The NCAA Division I-AA national championship game was held at then-Marshall University Stadium several times in the 1990s, including in 1992 and 1996 -- the years when the Thundering Herd won the national championship. In 2000, a bronze memorial to the 1970 plane crash that killed most of the football team was placed on the front of the stadium to the left of the main tower, and the road the stadium is on was renamed "Marshall Memorial Boulevard."
In 2010, Kentucky Christian University
will play three of its home football games at the stadium.
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...
stadium located on the campus of Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
. It can hold 38,019 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, 300 wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, fourteen concession areas, and sixteen separate restrooms . It also features 90000 sq ft (8,361.3 m²). of artificial turf and 1,837 tons of structural steel. It also houses the Shewey Athletic Center, a fieldhouse and a training facility. The new stadium replaced Fairfield Stadium
Fairfield Stadium
Fairfield Stadium was a stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. It was primarily used for football, and was the home field of the Marshall University football team between 1927 and 1990, prior to the opening of Joan C...
, a condemned off-campus facility built in 1927 in the Fairfield Park neighborhood.
Marshall has a 118-19 overall record at Joan C. Edwards stadium for a winning percentage of .866. That is the highest home winning percentage in NCAA Division 1 FBS. The University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
ranks second with an .825 winning percentage at Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant-Denny Stadium
Bryant–Denny Stadium, located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, is the home stadium for the University of Alabama football team. The stadium opened in 1929, and was originally named Denny Stadium, in honor of former Alabama president George Hutchenson Denny...
.
History
The Joan C. Edwards Stadium was first proposed in 1986 to replace Fairfield StadiumFairfield Stadium
Fairfield Stadium was a stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. It was primarily used for football, and was the home field of the Marshall University football team between 1927 and 1990, prior to the opening of Joan C...
. On January 16, then-Governor Arch A. Moore Jr. met with Huntington and University leaders, stating that "money is available" if the plans for the stadium were put together. On June 15, the Board of Regents gives the green light to the new stadium project; on September 9, the University begins purchasing property east of the central campus for the proposed stadium.
On January 15, 1987, Governor Moore asks the Board of Regents to approve funding for the sale of bonds that would help finance the new stadium . On June 8 of the following year, the state Legislature passes a state budget which has the inclusion of a new 30,000-seat stadium if the Board of Regents can secure funding. A little over one month later on June 9, the Board of Regents passes a resolution that endorsed the construction of a new football stadium.
On October 4, 1988, a rendering of the new stadium was unveiled . The designers of the new facility was Stafford Consultants of Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton, West Virginia
Princeton is a city in Mercer County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,652 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Bluefield, WV-VA micropolitan area which has a population of 111,586. It is the county seat of Mercer County...
and Rosser Fabrap of Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. Soon after, the Board of Regents were given 1800 sq ft (167.2 m²). of property by the Greater Huntington Area Chamber of Commerce. On November 1, the Board of Regents purchases additional property and hired investment bankers who helped decide the optimal financing method for the project.
On January 11, 1989, the Board of Regents approved of a $70 million bond sale, $30 million of which was for the new Marshall stadium . Demolition of the existing structures for the new stadium began on December 9. A contract for the new stadium was awarded on June 13, 1990 to River Cities Construction of Huntington and the Frank Irey Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. Groundbreaking ceremonies took place one month later on July 18. By October 6, 1990, steel beams were being erected for the new stadium. Marshall's "Thundering Herd" played their last game at Fairfield Stadium against Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Kentucky University, commonly referred to as Eastern or by the acronym EKU by local residents, is an undergraduate and graduate teaching and research institution located in Richmond, Kentucky, U.S.A.. EKU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools...
on November 10, losing 12-15 .
On January 19, 1991, the designers admitted there was only room for 28,000 seats, not the original 30,000 due to an error in calculating the size of the chairback seats . The remaining 2,000 was to be added to the south end zone after the 1991 season. It would be the sixth largest stadium in NCAA Division I-AA football. By May 3 of that year, it was announced that the stadium was two-thirds complete and on August 9, the "Thundering Herd's" freshmen and transfers held their first practice in the new stadium.
On September 7, 1991, the new Marshall Stadium was unveiled before a crowd of 33,116 . The opening game was against New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire
The University of New Hampshire is a public university in the University System of New Hampshire , United States. The main campus is in Durham, New Hampshire. An additional campus is located in Manchester. With over 15,000 students, UNH is the largest university in New Hampshire. The university is...
, which Marshall won, 24-23. One year later in July, Marshall football staff and administrators relocated into a new facilities structure at the north end of the stadium adjacent to 3rd Avenue.
On September 4, 1993, the playing surface was named in honor of James F. Edwards
James F. Edwards
James F. Edwards was a USA businessman and philanthropist.The owner and CEO of the National Mattress Company , Edwards married Joan C. Edwards in 1937.-References:**...
, a donor to Marshall University . On November 28, 2003, the Marshall Stadium was renamed to the Joan C. Edwards
Joan C. Edwards
Joan C. Edwards was a New Orleans jazz singer and well-known West Virginia-based philanthropist.- Biography :Born Joan Cavill in London, England, she moved to New Orleans at the age of four...
Stadium in honor of her contributions and that of James who had donated $65 million to the university. The Shewey Athletic Center was named for Fred and Christine Shewey who were also major donors.
The expansion of the additional 2,000 seats was completed in July 1995 . Five years later in August, another seating expansion brought the total number of seats to 38,016.
The record attendance was set on September 10, 2010 at 41,382 in a 24-21 overtime loss to West Virginia University
West Virginia University
West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...
.
Today
The stadium is one of only two in NCAANational Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I named exclusively for a woman. The other is Williams-Brice Stadium
Williams-Brice Stadium
Williams-Brice Stadium is the home football stadium for the South Carolina Gamecocks, the college football team representing the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina...
at South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
. (Several other stadiums are named after husband-and-wife pairs.)
In 2005, the stadium underwent a change in the playing surface as the 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...
surface, in place since 1998, was removed, and a new 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 was installed.
The stadium hosted the MAC
Mid-American Conference
The Mid-American Conference is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I college athletic conference with a membership base in the Great Lakes region that stretches from Western New York to Illinois. Nine of the twelve full member schools are in Ohio and Michigan, with single members...
championship game in 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002. The NCAA Division I-AA national championship game was held at then-Marshall University Stadium several times in the 1990s, including in 1992 and 1996 -- the years when the Thundering Herd won the national championship. In 2000, a bronze memorial to the 1970 plane crash that killed most of the football team was placed on the front of the stadium to the left of the main tower, and the road the stadium is on was renamed "Marshall Memorial Boulevard."
In 2010, Kentucky Christian University
Kentucky Christian University
Kentucky Christian University is a comprehensive baccalaureate level Christian university located in Grayson, Kentucky. It was founded on December 1, 1919, as Christian Normal Institute, by J. W. Lusby and J. O. Snodgrass. As a "normal school" its programs included a high school, a junior...
will play three of its home football games at the stadium.
See also
- Buildings at Marshall UniversityBuildings at Marshall UniversityMarshall University in Huntington, West Virginia is home to many notable structures, including two residential high-rises.- Timeline :- Notes :* Holderby Hall was originally named South Hall and was only four stories . Constructed in the 1960s, it was expanded and renamed.* Prichard Hall was...
- Cityscape of Huntington, West VirginiaCityscape of Huntington, West VirginiaHuntington's central business district is located to the south of the Ohio River, east of the Robert C. Byrd Bridge, and west of Hal Greer Boulevard. Broad avenues and streets dominate the streetscape, creating for the most part an even grid pattern...
- Marshall UniversityMarshall UniversityMarshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....