Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium | |
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| "The House That Bill Built" | |
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| Location | 1800 College Ave Manhattan, KS 66502-3308 |
| Opened | September 21, 1968 |
| Owner | Kansas State University. |
| Operator | Kansas State University |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction cost | $1.6 million USD |
| Former names | KSU Stadium (1968-1991) KSU Stadium/Wagner Field (1991-2005) |
| Tenants | Kansas State Wildcats |
| Capacity | 52,200 (est. after 2006 renovations)
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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 Football Team.
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[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 the on-campus 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 shut out Colorado State 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. In 1988, the south end of the stadium was enclosed when the new Bramlage Coliseum was completed. A large reception room inside the coliseum overlooks the south end of the stadium.
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 permanent 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 seating capacity to 50,300 and added an upper deck on the east grandstands, club seating, and more luxury suites.[2] 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, Kansas State offered retiring head coach Bill Snyder the opportunity to rename KSU Stadium. Snyder had turned the Wildcats, once among the worst college football teams, into a frequent championship contender in the Big 12 Conference. When he was asked about renaming the stadium, Snyder told school officials, "If you are going to do it, name it after the people that I care about the most."[3] Hence, the Regents renamed the stadium to honor the family of the coach who had led the team for 17 years.[4]
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 by approximately 1,900, to 52,200.[5] The renovation also included new audio and visual electronics and a new hydrotherapy center. Although new permanent seating was added, the athletic department actually lowered the stadium's official seating capcity to 50,000 following the renovation.
[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 athletic competition in Big 12 Conference history: a football game between Kansas State and Texas Tech University.[6] Kansas State won the game 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
Kansas State has exceeded the official capacity at Snyder Stadium several times; following are the top 10 crowds:[7]
- 53,811 Nebraska, November 11, 2000
- 53,310 Oklahoma, October 16, 2004
- 53,011 Oklahoma, October 14, 2000
- 52,254 Kansas, October 9, 1999
- 52,234 Nebraska, October 23, 2004
- 52,221 Nebraska, November 16, 2002
- 52,077 Colorado, November 6, 1999
- 51,614 Kansas, October 25, 2003
- 51,536 Colorado, October 18, 2003
- 51,234 Missouri, November 20, 1999
[edit] References
- ^ KSU Buildings Chronology (English). Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ “KSU Stadium Project on Track”, The Topeka Capital-Journal, July 25, 1999, <http://cjonline.com/stories/072599/spo_ksustadiumproj.shtml>
- ^ “Snyder is retiring, but K-State stadium will be in the family”, USA Today, November 18, 2005, <http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/2005-11-18-whiteside_x.htm>
- ^ (November 16, 2005). "Board of Regents Re-Names Kansas State University's Football Stadium". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-07-28.
- ^ “K-State Has Grand Plans”, The Topeka Capital-Journal, June 26, 2007, <http://cjonline.com/stories/062607/cat_180019837.shtml>
- ^ “Some key dates in Big 12 history (sidebar)”, The Topeka Capital-Journal, June 15, 2007, <http://cjonline.com/stories/061507/haw_177297634.shtml>
- ^ Kansas State list of top crowds
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Memorial Stadium (Kansas State) |
Home of the Kansas State Wildcats 1968 – present |
Succeeded by Current |
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