Dix Stadium

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dix Stadium
Dix Stadium in 1970
Location	Dix Dr Kent, OH 44240
Opened	September 13, 1969
Owner	Kent State University
Operator	Kent State University
Surface	FieldTurf
Tenants
Kent State Golden Flashes Football (1969-present) Kent State Golden Flashes Field Hockey (1997-2005)
Seats
29,287

Dix Stadium's west grandstand seen from the parking lot.

Dix Stadium is a stadium in Kent, Ohio. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Kent State University Golden Flashes. It lies at the far eastern end of the KSU campus along Summit Street, just east of State Route 261 and is the center piece of what has become an athletic complex. From 1997-2005, the field hockey team also played its games at the stadium until a new field hockey stadium was constructed behind Dix Stadium. The KSU Softball, Women's Soccer, Field Hockey, and Indoor Track teams all play their home matches in facilities around Dix Stadium. The stadium also hosts the occasional high school football game and served as the host of the 2001 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship. It opened on September 13, 1969 with a win against in-state rival Dayton. It was named in honor of Robert C. Dix, a member of Kent's Board of Trustees for more than three decades.

The 29,287-seat stadium consists of four separate grandstands on each side of the field. The west side is the largest, and the recently rebuilt east side (student seating) is the smallest. On either side of the east grandstands are spaces for party tents. Permanent lights were added in 1996. Artificial turf was installed in 1997 and replaced in 2005 with the latest version of FieldTurf. The current scoreboard with a 15x17-foot video display was added in 1998. Prior to the 2002 season, the east side stands, remnants of the original Memorial Stadium, were demolished. The current east side bleachers were constructed after the 2002 season and were completed in time for the 2003 season opener. The new configuration slightly altered the stadium's seating capacity reducing it from 30,520 to the current 29,287.

[edit] Trivia

• The current end zone sections of Dix Stadium were the sideline seats at KSU's old Memorial Stadium, which stood on what is now the visitor parking lot in front of the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center and Student Center. When Dix Stadium was built in the late 1960's, the old stadium was dismantled and then reassembled at the new site in its current configuration.

• Although many crowds have come close, Dix Stadium has never officially been sold out for a game. The largest crowd ever at Dix Stadium was 27,363 on November 10, 1973 for a game versus Miami University.

A view of the current east stands at Dix Stadium, built between the 2002 and 2003 seasons. This section of seating is the primary student section for Kent State home games and also is the location for the marching band, seen on the far right. The KSU Field House can be seen in the left background.