Reser Stadium
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| Reser Stadium | |
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| Location | SW 26th St. and SW Western Blvd., Corvallis, Oregon 97331 |
| Coordinates | |
| Broke ground | 1952 |
| Opened | November 14, 1953 |
| Renovated | 2005 |
| Owner | Oregon State University |
| Operator | Oregon State University |
| Surface | FieldTurf - 2005 |
| Construction cost | $1 million USD, $80 million (2005 renovation) |
| Former names | Parker Stadium (1953–1999) |
| Tenants | Oregon State Beavers (NCAA) |
| Capacity | 45,674 |
Reser Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pacific-10 Conference. Originally named Parker Stadium, the stadium's current seating capacity is 45,674[1]. The playing surface is FieldTurf and sits at an elevation of 240 feet (73 m) above sea level.
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[edit] History and use
From 1910 to 1953, the Beavers played their home games at Bell Field (now the site of the Dixon Recreation Center), and also played as many as four games a year at Multnomah Stadium (now PGE Park) in Portland.[2]
In 1948, Oregon State president August L. Strand, athletic director Spec Keene, and Portland businessman Charles T. Parker met to plan a replacement for Bell Field. In 1949, Parker kicked off the stadium fundraising campaign and made significant contributions of his own.[2][3] In 1952, construction of the stadium began. For Parker's efforts and contributions, the completed stadium was named in his honor, and the first game was played on Homecoming, November 14, 1953, with the Beavers defeating Washington State 7-0.[2]
The stadium was renamed in 1999 to honor Al and Pat Reser, 1960 Oregon State graduates, major donors to Oregon State athletics, and owners of Reser's Fine Foods.[4] The Parker name is still honored at Parker Plaza, located between Reser and Gill Coliseum, the site of many pregame activities.
The stadium is located on the southwest corner of the Oregon State campus at the intersection of SW 26th Street and SW Western Boulevard in Corvallis. In addition to football, intramural and club sports also use the facility occasionally, most notably the field hockey and soccer programs.
Reser Stadium alternates with Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon in hosting the Civil War game.
[edit] Expansion and upgrades
Prior to the 2005-06 seasons, the official capacity of the stadium stood at 35,362. In 2003 the Raising Reser campaign saw the capacity increased to 43,300 with the addition of a new east grandstand and plans to further boost seating to 55,000 through three phases of renovation.
"Phase Two" of the Raising Reser project, which began in December 2006 and was completed prior to the 2007 football season, focused on expanding seating in the south end zone by wrapping the recently renovated east grandstand around to the west grandstand. This addition raised total seating capacity to 45,678 and also included the installation of an 80 ft. x 30 ft. ProStar Digital VideoPlus Display, which is the largest display in the Pac-10.[5]
Prior to 1969, the stadium's playing surface was natural grass. The grass field was replaced with AstroTurf in 1969. The artificial turf was changed out roughly every decade. In 1999 the surface was replaced with AstroTurf 12/2000; FieldTurf was installed in 2005.
The north end zone is also home to the Valley Football Center, which houses a large weight room, offices and meeting facilities, reserved primarily for coaches and administrators within the football program.
[edit] External links
- World Stadiums.com - photos - Reser Stadium
- 06 OSU vs Oregon Highlights at Reser Stadium on mreplay.com
[edit] References
- ^ Football Release Final '07
- ^ a b c Edmonston, George. Happy Birthday Parker (Reser) Stadium. OSU Alumni Association. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ Oregon State Sports Information (June 14, 1999). "Parker Stadium renamed Reser Stadium". Press release. Retrieved on 2007-10-31.
- ^ Reser Stadium. Retrieved on 2006-08-28.
- ^ Athletic Director's Report. Retrieved on 2006-10-26.
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