Stoll Field/McLean Stadium
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| Stoll Field/McLean Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Location | Avenue of Champions Lexington, KY 40506 |
| Opened | October 14, 1916 |
| Closed | November, 1972 |
| Owner | University of Kentucky |
| Operator | University of Kentucky |
| Former names | |
| Stoll Field (1916-23) | |
| Tenants | |
| Kentucky Wildcats (Football) |
|
| Seats | |
| 37,000 (final) | |
Stoll Field/McLean Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Lexington, Kentucky. It was the home of the University of Kentucky Wildcats football team. The field was in use since 1880, but the concrete stands were opened in October of 1916, and closed following the 1972 season, and was replaced by Commonwealth Stadium. Memorial Coliseum is located across the street from the site.
The stadium was a two-sided concrete structure, with bleachers in both endzones. It was originally named for Judge Richard C. Stoll, a prominent alumnus. In November of 1924, the grandstands were renamed McLean Stadium in honor of Prince Innes McLean, a former center for the Wildcats who had died from injuries sustained in the 1923 Kentucky-Cincinnati game.
The stadium was the home of the Wildcats during the Bear Bryant era (1946-1953), which included the team's first bowl appearance (in the 1947 Great Lakes Bowl), and the first Southeastern Conference football championship (in 1950). Bryant's coaching tenure at the predominantly basketball-savvy school is regarded as the best era in UK's football history, as they only have had one SEC championship (1976) and six bowl appearances (following the 1976, 1983, 1984, 1993, 1998 and 1999 seasons). (Indeed, the 1977 season — ironically, a season in which they neither won the conference nor received a bowl invitation — was the only other season in which the team ever posted ten wins.)
The stadium's downfall was due partially to the popularity of college football in the 1960s. The location of McLean Stadium, bound by Rose Street, Euclid Avenue (now Avenue of Champions), Lexington Avenue and Patterson Drive, did not have any room for expansion. Therefore, the school decided to build a Commonwealth Stadium, located on a former farming center on campus. The last game played at the stadium was on November 11, 1972, with the Wildcats beating Vanderbilt University 14-13. The stadium was razed during the 1970s, the south end being replaced with the Singletary Center for the Arts. A field was installed in the north end, perpendicular to the old end zone, and is named Stoll Field. It is still the practice field for the UK marching band, and is also used for intramural activities.
