Dix Stadium

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Coordinates: 41.1391° N 81.3134° W

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] Upgrades

In June 2007, the university began phase one of a two-to-four year project of renovations and upgrades to Dix Stadium. Phase one included repainting the north end zone bleachers as well as upgrades to the press box and a permanent canopy over the camera areas. Entryways to the west stands were upgraded with improved signage and cosmetic improvements were done around the main concourse. A new road to the neighboring field house was also constructed.

Phase two of the renovations began in February 2008 with the demolition of the sound end zone seats^[1] and removal of the perimeter fencing around the stadium. Plans include replacing the fencing with a brick and wrought iron fence as well as the construction of new entrances and ticket booths at the west entry.^[2] In the south end zone, plans call for a terrace with a new concession area and scoreboard (similar to the setup at Miami University's Yager Stadium) Phase one was mostly completed by the beginning of the 2007 home football season in September^[3][4] and phase two is expected to be completed or near completion by the Flashes' first home game in September 2008.

[edit] Trivia

• The current north end zone section of Dix Stadium was one of the sideline seats at KSU's old Memorial Stadium (the south end zone, demolished in 2008, was the other sideline), 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 Kent State game. The largest KSU football crowd ever at Dix Stadium was 27,363 on November 10, 1973 for a game versus Miami University. The stadium was, however, sold out in August 1980 for a scrimmage between the Cleveland Browns and the Buffalo Bills and nearly sold out for a November 28, 1998 high school playoff game between Cleveland St. Ignatius and Canton McKinley.

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

The east stands, built in 2003, are the primary student section.

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Krell, Steph. "KSU's Dix Stadium getting makeover", Kent and Ravenna, Ohio: Record-Courier, 2008-02-01. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. 
2. ^ David, Carducci. "The birth of a 'new' of Dix Stadium", Kent and Ravenna, Ohio: Record-Courier, 2008-02-06. Retrieved on 2008-02-11. 
3. ^ Offseason will feature upgrade of Dix Stadium http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/1131721
4. ^ Dix Stadium renovation set to commence http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/2001132