Duck Samford Stadium
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Duck Samford Stadium | |
|---|---|
| "The Duck" | |
 |
|
| Location | 1600 East University Drive Auburn, Alabama, United States  |
| Broke ground | 1968 |
| Opened | October 25, 1968 |
| Owner | Auburn City Schools |
| Operator | Auburn City Schools |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction cost | $1.1 million USD |
| Tenants | Auburn High School Tigers (AHSAA) (1968-Present) |
| Capacity | 7,120 |
Duck Samford Stadium is a stadium in Auburn, Alabama. It is primarily used for American football and soccer, and is the home field of the Auburn High School Tigers. Duck Samford Stadium was constructed in 1968, and seats 7,120 spectators.[1] The field is named after James Drake "Duck" Samford, a former Auburn University football player and longtime supporter of youth athletics in Auburn.[2]
Contents |
[edit] History
Duck Samford Stadium was constructed in 1968 by the City of Auburn for USD$1.1 million, replacing Felton Little Park, which had served as Auburn High School's home field since 1949. The stadium opened on October 25, 1968 with an Auburn High School loss to Lanett High School, 14-13; the first home win at the venue came three weeks later against arch-rival Opelika High School, 41-0. The original seating consisted of what is today the home (east) stands, and seated approximately 5,000.[3]
The stadium was expanded in the 1980s to include a visitors' seating section on the west side of the stadium, which increased capacity to 6,000. An expansion in 1993 increased the west side stands further to reach the stadium's current capacity of 7,120. The stadium underwent a USD$2.0 million renovation in 2004, with the east side stands completely replaced.[4] At the same time, the existing turf was replaced with TifSport Certified Bermuda grass, the same playing surface as at the University of Texas's Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and the Washington Redskins' FedEx Field.[5] In 2005, ownership of Duck Samford was transferred from the City of Auburn to the Auburn City School District.
[edit] Miscellaneous
Duck Samford Stadium is part of the Duck Samford Sports Complex, which also includes ten baseball fields, a walking trail, and two multi-use fields. The complex hosted the 2005 Dixie Youth World Series.[6]
From 1968 through 2006, the Auburn High School football team has a 125-90-1 record at Duck Samford Stadium, a winning percentage of 0.581. The stadium has hosted eight Alabama High School Athletic Association football playoff games; in those matches, Auburn High School has a 4-4 record.[7]
Duck Samford Stadium is the site of the City of Auburn's Fourth of July fireworks display.[8]
[edit] References
- ^ Auburn Bulletin, October 23, 1968.
- ^ Elizabeth D. Schafer, Auburn Football. (Charleston, SC: Arcadia, 2004), 27.
- ^ Auburn Bulletin, October 23, 1968; Auburn Bulletin, November 20, 1968.
- ^ Some of the projects published by Bid Ocean in 2004 in the state of Alabama, retrieved July 21, 2007.
- ^ TifSport Stadium and Athletic Field Installations, retrieved July 21, 2007.
- ^ Auburn Parks and Recreation Department Athletic Facility Application, retrieved July 21, 2007; Auburn Parks and Rec Baseball Fields, retrieved July 21, 2007; City of Auburn to be site of the 2005 State Dixie Youth Majors 50th World Series, retrieved July 21, 2007.
- ^ Duck Samford record collated from accounts in the Auburn Bulletin/Lee County Bulletin (1968-1969), and Opelika-Auburn News (1970-2006).
- ^ Lindsay Field, "Happy 4th", Opelika-Auburn News, July 3, 2007.
[edit] External links
- Duck Samford Stadium is at coordinates Coordinates:
