| Arizona Stadium | |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 N National Champion Dr Tucson, AZ 85721 |
| Broke ground | December 1927 |
| Opened | October 13, 1928[1] |
| Expanded | 1938, 1947, 1950, 1965, 1976, 1988, 1990 |
| Owner | University of Arizona |
| Operator | University of Arizona |
| Surface | Bermuda grass |
| Construction cost | $166,888[2] ($2.14 million in 2012 dollars[3]) |
| Architect | Roy Place[4] |
| Project Manager | J. F. Garfield[5] |
| General Contractor | Orndorff Construction Co.[6] |
| Capacity | 57,400 (2007-present) 56,000 (2000-2006) 57,803 (1990-1999) 54,071 (1988-1989) 49,671 (1976-1987) 32,671 (1965-1975) 22,671 (1950-1964) 14,000 (1947-1949) 10,000 (1938-1946) 7,000 (1928-1937) |
| Record attendance | 59,920 (November 23, 1996 vs. Arizona State) |
| Tenants | |
| Arizona Wildcats (NCAA) (1929–present) Insight Bowl (NCAA) (1989–1999) |
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Arizona Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, United States. It is the home field of the Arizona Wildcats of the Pacific-12 Conference, and its current seating capacity is 57,803.
Located in central Tucson, the stadium has been home to Wildcat football since 1928. Initially, stadium capacity was just 7,000, with seating located on the stadium's west side. Arizona's first game at the facility was October 12, 1929 when the Wildcats defeated Caltech 35-0. Capacity was raised to 10,000 in 1938 when seats were constructed on the east side of the stadium. Additional seating was added to both end zones in 1947. This added an additional 4,000 seats.
In 1950, a horseshoe configuration was constructed around the south end zone resulting in the addition of almost 8,700 seats. A multi-level press box and 10,000 seats were added to the west grandstand in 1965. The east side of the stadium received a second tier, consisting of 17,000 seats, in 1976, as the Wildcats prepared to leave the WAC for the Pac-8 in 1978.
In 1981, the track team moved out and the track was removed. Permanent seating was placed at the north end of the end zone in 1988. Following the 1988 season, a new press box with luxury sky boxes replaced the aging structure built more than two decades earlier. Prior to the 1999 season, a new state-of-the-art scoreboard was installed complete with video monitor.
The football field runs in the traditional north-south configuration and the natural grass playing field sits at an elevation of 2430 feet (740 m) above sea level.[7]
In addition to hosting football games, the stadium also includes two dormitories, Pinal and Navajo, in the South stands, and Sierra Hall, which today is home to offices for the music department and Residence Life, located under the east stands. The Steward Observatory Mirror Lab, a mirror fabrication facility for large telescopes, sits under the east wing of Arizona Stadium.[8]
In September 2009, UA announced a long-term $378 million sports expansion project that would include an expansion of the north end zone stands. The expansion would include a four-story building that would house locker rooms and football offices, among other things.[9] In January 2011, it was announced that a new 5,356-square-foot (497.6 m2) video board would be installed above the south stands in time for the 2011 season. It will be the third-largest video screen in college football.[10]
| Preceded by first host |
Home of the Insight Bowl 1989 – 1999 |
Succeeded by Chase Field |
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