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War Memorial Stadium (Arkansas)
Encyclopedia
War Memorial Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium
in Little Rock, Arkansas
. The stadium is primarily used for American football
and is the home stadium for the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes
, Catholic High School Rockets, and the secondary home stadium for the University of Arkansas
Razorbacks
. The stadium also hosts the Delta Classic
, an annual football game between the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions
and the Grambling State Tigers
, as well as hosting the Arkansas Activities Association
high school championship game in all classification.
recipient Maurice Britt. Britt dedicated the stadium to "the memory of her native sons and daughters who have given so much that we might have our freedom." Following the dedication ceremony, the first game at the stadium commenced, where the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Abilene Christian Wildcats
by a score of 40–6.
War Memorial Stadium has added numerous improvements to the stadium and to the playing field. A complete lighting system and an Astroturf
surface were installed for the 1970 season. A new artificial surface was installed in 1974 and also again prior to the 1984 season, before a returning to natural grass field in 1994. Artificial turf was reinstalled prior to the 2002 season when AstroPlay was installed. A new scoreboard and video screen were added prior to the 2005 football season and the field was later upgraded to field turf in 2006.
Renovations to the club facility and press box began on December 14, 2009, following the 4A Arkansas Activities Association
high school football championship game. The renovations cost approximately $7.3 million and was completed in August 2010. The renovations also included the Sports Media Legends Wall of Honor, honoring Arkansas sports journalists that distinguished themselves in their careers and have made contributions to the stadium and to the sport.
AT&T
signed a sponsorship agreement with the War Memorial Stadium Commission to name the playing field AT&T Field on June 23, 2010. The naming rights of the playing field lasts for at least five years with an options for a ten year agreement. With this agreement, War Memorial Stadium will earn $175,000 per year for the first five years with a 2.5% annual increase after the initial five years.
and Elton John
performed to a sell-out crowd of 41,274, grossing over $1.6 million for concert promotor Cellar Door Concerts. Other artists who had performed at the stadium are The Eagles, The Rolling Stones
, George Strait
, and 'N Sync
, among others. Reverend Billy Graham
conducted his evangelistic crusades
to thousands of listeners at the stadium that included a young President Bill Clinton
in 1959.
, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
(NAIA) began searching for cities to host the inaugural NAIA championship game. As it appeared that the championship game was headed to Shreveport, Louisiana
, the Louisiana legislature passed a bill banning integrated sporting events in the state. This would cause the NAIA to look for another city to host the game due to some of their member colleges had African-American athletes. War Memorial Stadium general manager Allen Berry had already begun to get local business to support for the game and the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce raised $25,000 to back the game. Both Aluminum Company of America
and Reynolds Metals Company agreed to pay $25,000 each to CBS
to broadcast the game nationally and this agreement led to the game's name, the Aluminum Bowl
. The NAIA invited the Montana State University Bobcats and St. Joseph's College Pumas, the two leading NAIA football teams at that time, to play on December 22, 1956. The final result was a scoreless tie, and the teams were named NAIA co-champions for the 1956 season. Despite promotion of the game by local organizers, only 5,000 spectators attended the game and organizers failed to keep the championship game in Little Rock and the game was moved to St. Petersburg, Florida
in 1957.
Multi-purpose stadium
Multi-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed in such a way as to be easily used by multiple sports. While any stadium could potentially host more than one sport, this concept usually refers to a specific design philosophy that stresses multi-functionality over specificity...
in Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
. The stadium 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 stadium for the Arkansas Baptist Buffaloes
Arkansas Baptist College
Arkansas Baptist College is a private, historically black liberal arts college located in Little Rock, Arkansas. Founded in 1884 as the Minister's Institute, ABC was initially funded by the Colored Baptists of the State of Arkansas. It is the only Baptist HBCU west of the Mississippi...
, Catholic High School Rockets, and the secondary home stadium for the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
Razorbacks
Arkansas Razorbacks
The Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the names of college sports teams at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The term Arkansas Razorbacks properly applies to any of the sports teams at the university. The Razorbacks take their name from the feral pig of the same name...
. The stadium also hosts the Delta Classic
Delta Classic
Also known as the Delta Classic, The Delta Classic 4 Literacy is a college football game held between historically black colleges. It is held annually in Little Rock, Arkansas.-History:...
, an annual football game between the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Golden Lions
University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff is a historically black university located in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States. Founded in 1873, it is the oldest HBCU and the second oldest public institution in the state of Arkansas . UAPB is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund...
and the Grambling State Tigers
Grambling State Tigers
The Grambling Tigers represent Grambling State University in NCAA intercollegiate athletics. Grambling's sports teams participate in Division I as a member of the Southwestern Athletic Conference...
, as well as hosting the Arkansas Activities Association
Arkansas Activities Association
The Arkansas Activities Association is the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in state of Arkansas. AAA is a member association of the National Federation of State High School Associations...
high school championship game in all classification.
History
War Memorial Stadium finished construction in 1947 and had a seating capacity of 31,075. On September 19, 1948, the stadium was formally dedicated by former Arkansas Razorback and Medal of HonorMedal of Honor
The Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government. It is bestowed by the President, in the name of Congress, upon members of the United States Armed Forces who distinguish themselves through "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his or her...
recipient Maurice Britt. Britt dedicated the stadium to "the memory of her native sons and daughters who have given so much that we might have our freedom." Following the dedication ceremony, the first game at the stadium commenced, where the Arkansas Razorbacks defeated the Abilene Christian Wildcats
Abilene Christian University
Abilene Christian University is a private university located in Abilene, Texas, affiliated with Churches of Christ. ACU was founded in 1906, as Childers Classical Institute...
by a score of 40–6.
War Memorial Stadium has added numerous improvements to the stadium and to the playing field. A complete lighting system and an 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 were installed for the 1970 season. A new artificial surface was installed in 1974 and also again prior to the 1984 season, before a returning to natural grass field in 1994. Artificial turf was reinstalled prior to the 2002 season when AstroPlay was installed. A new scoreboard and video screen were added prior to the 2005 football season and the field was later upgraded to field turf in 2006.
Renovations to the club facility and press box began on December 14, 2009, following the 4A Arkansas Activities Association
Arkansas Activities Association
The Arkansas Activities Association is the primary sanctioning body for high school sports in state of Arkansas. AAA is a member association of the National Federation of State High School Associations...
high school football championship game. The renovations cost approximately $7.3 million and was completed in August 2010. The renovations also included the Sports Media Legends Wall of Honor, honoring Arkansas sports journalists that distinguished themselves in their careers and have made contributions to the stadium and to the sport.
AT&T
AT&T
AT&T Inc. is an American multinational telecommunications corporation headquartered in Whitacre Tower, Dallas, Texas, United States. It is the largest provider of mobile telephony and fixed telephony in the United States, and is also a provider of broadband and subscription television services...
signed a sponsorship agreement with the War Memorial Stadium Commission to name the playing field AT&T Field on June 23, 2010. The naming rights of the playing field lasts for at least five years with an options for a ten year agreement. With this agreement, War Memorial Stadium will earn $175,000 per year for the first five years with a 2.5% annual increase after the initial five years.
Other uses
In addition to athletics, the stadium has been used for a variety of other purposes including musical concerts and speaking engagements. In 1995, Billy JoelBilly Joel
William Martin "Billy" Joel is an American musician and pianist, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist and the third best-selling solo artist in the United States, according to...
and Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
performed to a sell-out crowd of 41,274, grossing over $1.6 million for concert promotor Cellar Door Concerts. Other artists who had performed at the stadium are The Eagles, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
, George Strait
George Strait
George Harvey Strait is an American country music singer, actor, and music producer. Strait is referred to as the "King of Country," and critics call Strait a living legend. He is known for his unique style of western swing music, bar-room ballads, honky-tonk style, and fresh yet traditional...
, and 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, among others. Reverend Billy Graham
Billy Graham
William Franklin "Billy" Graham, Jr. is an American evangelical Christian evangelist. As of April 25, 2010, when he met with Barack Obama, Graham has spent personal time with twelve United States Presidents dating back to Harry S. Truman, and is number seven on Gallup's list of admired people for...
conducted his evangelistic crusades
Revival meeting
A revival meeting is a series of Christian religious services held in order to inspire active members of a church body, to raise funds and to gain new converts...
to thousands of listeners at the stadium that included a young President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
in 1959.
Aluminum Bowl
Months prior to the 1956 collegiate football season1956 college football season
The 1956 college football season saw the Sooners of the University of Oklahoma finish a third consecutive season unbeaten and untied to again win the national championship....
, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
(NAIA) began searching for cities to host the inaugural NAIA championship game. As it appeared that the championship game was headed to Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, the Louisiana legislature passed a bill banning integrated sporting events in the state. This would cause the NAIA to look for another city to host the game due to some of their member colleges had African-American athletes. War Memorial Stadium general manager Allen Berry had already begun to get local business to support for the game and the Little Rock Chamber of Commerce raised $25,000 to back the game. Both Aluminum Company of America
Alcoa
Alcoa Inc. is the world's third largest producer of aluminum, behind Rio Tinto Alcan and Rusal. From its operational headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alcoa conducts operations in 31 countries...
and Reynolds Metals Company agreed to pay $25,000 each to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
to broadcast the game nationally and this agreement led to the game's name, the Aluminum Bowl
Aluminum Bowl
The Aluminum Bowl was a one-time postseason college football bowl game held in 1956 as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics championship game. It featured the Montana State University-Bozeman and St. Joseph's College...
. The NAIA invited the Montana State University Bobcats and St. Joseph's College Pumas, the two leading NAIA football teams at that time, to play on December 22, 1956. The final result was a scoreless tie, and the teams were named NAIA co-champions for the 1956 season. Despite promotion of the game by local organizers, only 5,000 spectators attended the game and organizers failed to keep the championship game in Little Rock and the game was moved to St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. It is known as a vacation destination for both American and foreign tourists. As of 2008, the population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau is 245,314, making St...
in 1957.