Rynearson Stadium
Encyclopedia
Rynearson Stadium is a stadium
in Ypsilanti, Michigan
. It is primarily used for American football
, and is the home field of the Eastern Michigan University
Eagles
. It held its first game on September 27, 1969 when EMU upset the University of Akron, 10-3. Currently, the stadium has seating for 30,200 people. Standing room is available in the south end zone, allowing for crowds larger than the listed capacity; however, this has never been an issue, since the largest attendance for an EMU game at Rynearson was 26,188 (87% of capacity), on November 28, 2008 for a 56-52 win over Central Michigan.
The stadium is located on the school's west campus, just south of the Huron River. It originally consisted of two opposite sideline stands around the field and running track. It is one of only two stadiums in the MAC
which shares its football field with a running track (UB Stadium
being the other). In 1992, the seats were expanded south from each grandstand but not connected, giving the stadium the look of an unfinished horseshoe. This was done to conform to the new Division I-A rules for minimum stadium size. Originally a grass field, the field has been artificial since 1991, and was upgraded to FieldTurf
in 2005. Lighting was added in 1974, partially due to the Detroit Wheels
of the World Football League
using the stadium as their home field. The stadium has also hosted High School Football games.
The stadium was named for the late Elton J. Rynearson
, Sr., who coached football at Eastern Michigan for 26 seasons. His teams compiled a record of 114-58-15. In one six-year period, from 1925–30, Rynearson’s teams won 40 games, tied two and lost just four.
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 Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
. It is primarily used for American 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...
, and is the home field of the Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
Eagles
Eastern Michigan Eagles
The Eastern Michigan Eagles, formerly known as the Eastern Michigan Hurons, are the athletic teams for Eastern Michigan University. Altogether, they have won three NCAA Division II national championships and 13 NAIA Division I national championships in five different sports The Eastern Michigan...
. It held its first game on September 27, 1969 when EMU upset the University of Akron, 10-3. Currently, the stadium has seating for 30,200 people. Standing room is available in the south end zone, allowing for crowds larger than the listed capacity; however, this has never been an issue, since the largest attendance for an EMU game at Rynearson was 26,188 (87% of capacity), on November 28, 2008 for a 56-52 win over Central Michigan.
The stadium is located on the school's west campus, just south of the Huron River. It originally consisted of two opposite sideline stands around the field and running track. It is one of only two stadiums in 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...
which shares its football field with a running track (UB Stadium
University at Buffalo Stadium
University at Buffalo Stadium is a stadium in Amherst, New York. It is primarily used for football and track and field events, and is the home field of the Buffalo Bulls. It opened on September 4, 1993 with a game against the University of Maine...
being the other). In 1992, the seats were expanded south from each grandstand but not connected, giving the stadium the look of an unfinished horseshoe. This was done to conform to the new Division I-A rules for minimum stadium size. Originally a grass field, the field has been artificial since 1991, and was upgraded to 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...
in 2005. Lighting was added in 1974, partially due to the Detroit Wheels
Detroit Wheels
The Detroit Wheels were an American football team, a charter member of the ill-fated World Football League.The Wheels were founded December 13, 1973 by ten investors, whose number eventually grew to 33, including singer Marvin Gaye, Motown Records vice-president Esther Edwards, and Little Caesars...
of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
using the stadium as their home field. The stadium has also hosted High School Football games.
The stadium was named for the late Elton J. Rynearson
Elton Rynearson
Elton James Rynearson, Sr. was an American athlete, coach, and athletic director. He was affiliated with Eastern Michigan University for most of his life, beginning his association with the school as a student in 1910 and retiring as the school's athletic director in...
, Sr., who coached football at Eastern Michigan for 26 seasons. His teams compiled a record of 114-58-15. In one six-year period, from 1925–30, Rynearson’s teams won 40 games, tied two and lost just four.