LaVell Edwards Stadium
Encyclopedia
LaVell Edwards Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium
in Provo
, Utah
, on the campus of Brigham Young University
. Primarily used for college football
, it is the home field of the BYU Cougars.
The playing field is natural grass and is at an elevation
of 4630 feet (1411 m) above sea level. The field runs in the conventional nourth-south direction, with the press box along the west sideline.
after the 2000 football season, the stadium was renamed in his honor.
To increase revenue, the stadium was renovated in 2003 to provide more luxury seating, which resulted in a slight reduction of seating capacity
to 64,045. The luxury seating was a noticeable addition because the arrangement of blue and white seats in this section spell out BYU in block letters. On August 30, 2008, BYU unveiled a new video board on the north endzone, allowing fans seated in the south endzone to see the instant replays and graphics which previously were shown only on the south board. During the summer of 2010, the capacity of the stadium was further reduced due to some renovations that allowed for more wheelchair accessibility. Currently, a crowd of 63,725 (or more) is considered a sellout at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
teams. In fact, the stadium hosted the NCAA Track and Field Championships in 1967 and 1975. With the removal of the track from Cougar Stadium (as it was still known at that time), a new track facility was built just south of the stadium - it was later named the Clarence F. Robison Track to honor the team's legendary former coach.
period fossil
s in North America, housed at BYU, was stored underneath the east bleachers of the stadium until 2005. The fossils have since been prepared and are on display in the BYU Earth Science Museum's collection room.
There has been talk of future expansion, but no date or details have been released.
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 Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, on the campus of Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. 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...
, it is the home field of the BYU Cougars.
The playing field is natural grass and is at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 4630 feet (1411 m) above sea level. The field runs in the conventional nourth-south direction, with the press box along the west sideline.
History and seating
The stadium opened on the north end of campus in 1964 as Cougar Stadium, replacing a smaller, 5,000-seat stadium of the same name. The capacity of the facility was just under 30,000 with stands on both sides of the playing field. Seating was soon added to make room for 35,000 fans. Temporary bleachers placed at the back of the end zones raised the capacity to 45,000. The stadium was expanded in 1982 to accommodate more than 65,000; permanent concrete stands in the end zones, separated by entryways from the east and west grandstands, were put in place of the temporary bleachers. The playing field was lowered eight feet (2.4 m), and the running track was removed. Following the retirement of legendary head coach LaVell EdwardsLaVell Edwards
R. LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University . With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time...
after the 2000 football season, the stadium was renamed in his honor.
To increase revenue, the stadium was renovated in 2003 to provide more luxury seating, which resulted in a slight reduction of 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...
to 64,045. The luxury seating was a noticeable addition because the arrangement of blue and white seats in this section spell out BYU in block letters. On August 30, 2008, BYU unveiled a new video board on the north endzone, allowing fans seated in the south endzone to see the instant replays and graphics which previously were shown only on the south board. During the summer of 2010, the capacity of the stadium was further reduced due to some renovations that allowed for more wheelchair accessibility. Currently, a crowd of 63,725 (or more) is considered a sellout at LaVell Edwards Stadium.
Track and field
Prior to the 1982 expansion, the stadium hosted events for BYU's outdoor track and fieldTrack and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
teams. In fact, the stadium hosted the NCAA Track and Field Championships in 1967 and 1975. With the removal of the track from Cougar Stadium (as it was still known at that time), a new track facility was built just south of the stadium - it was later named the Clarence F. Robison Track to honor the team's legendary former coach.
Jurassic fossils under the stadium
Part of the largest collection of JurassicJurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
period fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s in North America, housed at BYU, was stored underneath the east bleachers of the stadium until 2005. The fossils have since been prepared and are on display in the BYU Earth Science Museum's collection room.
Security
Due to installation of new features in the stadium, the grounds crew and BYU Police have installed a number of security features to prevent students from entering the stadium after hours, including security cameras and motion detectors. Anyone found entering the stadium after hours may be charged with trespassing and receive a fine.Renovations and future expansion
The stadium will undergo some upgrades starting in the 2011 season, by 2012 the student section will be unified in one section instead of being scattered throughout the stadium, new HD jumbotrons will face the north and south endzones, replacing the outdated and smaller video screens. The twin towers have been freshly coated to reflect the new BYU "Blue" color scheme.There has been talk of future expansion, but no date or details have been released.