Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium

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Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
"The House That Bill Built"

Location 1800 College Ave.
Manhattan, KS
Opened September 21, 1968
Owner Kansas State Univ.
Operator Kansas State Univ.
Surface FieldTurf
Construction cost $1.6 million USD
Former names
KSU Stadium (1968-1991)
KSU Stadium/Wagner Field (1991-2005)
Tenants
Kansas State Wildcats (football)
Capacity
52,000 (est. after 2006 renovations)

Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is used solely for American football, and is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats.

[edit] Construction and renovations

Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium opened as KSU Stadium in 1968, with a capacity of 35,000. It was the replacement for Memorial Stadium, which hosted Kansas State football games since 1922 (and is still standing today). The first game played at the new stadium was on September 21, 1968; Kansas State beat the Colorado State Rams 21-0. In 1970, 4,000 permanent bleacher seats were added to the east side and 3,000 temporary seats on the west side. Also that year, an AstroTurf playing field was installed in place of natural grass.

Prior to the 1991 season, a new AstroTurf surface was installed and the playing field was named "Wagner Field" for the Dave and Carol Wagner family of Dodge City, Kansas.[1]

In 1993, on its 25th anniversary, KSU Stadium saw its first significant additions — a five-level press box and luxury suites on the west side of the field.

After the 1998 season, the stadium underwent another expansion, a $12.8 million USD project designed by HOK Sport that increased the official capacity to 50,300 and added an upper deck on the east grandstands, club seating, and more luxury suites. Prior to the 2002 season, the artificial turf was updated to a more cushioned FieldTurf surface at a cost of $800,000.

Before the final game of the 2005 season, KSU Stadium was renamed in honor of the retiring head coach Bill Snyder, who had led the team for 17 years.[2] Snyder had turned the Wildcats, once among the worst college football teams, into a frequent championship contender in the Big 12 Conference.

In 2006, another $5.6 million was used to renovate the locker-room complex and add new north end zone seating, raising the permanent seating capacity. The renovation includes new audio and visual electronics and a new hydrotherapy center.

[edit] Historical notes

  • From 1996 to 2000, Kansas State won 26 consecutive games on its home field. This is the 25th-longest home winning streak in NCAA history.
  • On August 31, 1996, the stadium hosted the first football game in Big 12 Conference history, as Kansas State defeated Texas Tech University 21-14, amid pomp and ceremony, including a skydiver delivering the first conference game ball.
  • Kansas State's 100th game at Snyder Stadium was a 14-21 loss to Iowa State University on November 16, 1985.
  • Kansas State's 200th game at Snyder Stadium was a 40-7 win over Louisiana Tech on November 17, 2001.
  • The stadium has hosted several Kansas high school football State Championship contests and Kansas Shrine Bowl games.

[edit] Top 10 crowds at Snyder Stadium


Football Stadiums of the Big 12 Conference
Bill Snyder Family Stadium (Kansas State) • Boone Pickens Stadium (Oklahoma State) • Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas) • Faurot Field (Missouri) • Floyd Casey Stadium (Baylor) • Folsom Field (Colorado) • Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (Oklahoma) • Jack Trice Stadium (Iowa State) • Jones AT&T Stadium (Texas Tech) • Kyle Field (Texas A&M) • Memorial Stadium (Kansas) • Memorial Stadium (Nebraska)


Kansas State University  

Academics

College of Agriculture • College of Architecture, Planning and Design • College of Arts and Sciences • College of Business Administration • College of Education • College of Engineering • College of Human Ecology • College of Technology and Aviation • College of Veterinary Medicine • Graduate School •

Athletics

Big Twelve • Kansas State Wildcats • Wildcat Victory • Wabash Cannonball • KSUMB • Sunflower Showdown •

Snyder Family Stadium • Bramlage Coliseum • Ahearn Field House • Tointon Stadium • R. V. Christian Track Complex • Breidenthal Teamhouse • Colbert Hills • Memorial Stadium

Campus

Manhattan, Kansas • Salina, Kansas

Culture

Willie the Wildcat • Aggieville • Alumni • The Collegian


Coordinates: 39°12′07.3″N, 96°35′37.9″W

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