Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium | |
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Former names | Hughes Stadium |
Location | S. Overland Trail, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526 |
Broke ground | May 1967 |
Opened | September 28, 1968 |
Renovated | 2005 |
Owner | Colorado State University |
Operator | Colorado State University |
Surface | FieldTurf - (2006-present) natural grass - (1968-2005) |
Construction cost | $2,800,000 |
Architect | Aller-Lingle Architects (2005 renovation) |
Capacity | 34,400 (2005-present)[1] 30,000 (1969-2004) |
Record attendance | 39,107 (Colorado State vs. Utah, 1994) |
Tenants | |
Colorado State Rams - (NCAA) - (1968-present) |
Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the home field of the Colorado State Rams of the Mountain West Conference.
Hughes Stadium opened in 1968 on the west edge of Fort Collins, four miles (6 km) west of the school's main campus. It replaced the old Colorado Field, a 12,000-seat on-campus stadium.[2]
Hughes Stadium sits in a natural oval bowl, with seating on three sides and an open grass berm (not open for seating) behind the south endzone. The west (home side) stands are expanded out of the bowl and capped by a press box. The stadium is named for Harry W. Hughes, the head coach for 31 seasons (1911–41), then known as Colorado Agricultural.[3]
The field itself was named in 2003 in honor of then head coach Sonny Lubick, who led the Rams for 15 seasons (1993-2007). Lubick succeeded Earle Bruce and led CSU to multiple conference championships and bowl appearances.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 34,400 with club seats and 12 luxury suites, completed in 2005. The playing field, at an elevation of 5190 feet (1582 m) above sea level [4], was natural grass for the stadium's first 38 seasons; FieldTurf was installed in the summer of 2006.[5]
The first game at Hughes Stadium was played on September 28, 1968, a 17-12 loss to North Texas State, led by Mean Joe Greene. From October 1989 to August 1991, the Rams won eight consecutive games at the stadium, a school record.
Bob Dylan recorded the NBC television special and live concert album Hard Rain at Hughes Stadium during a rainstorm in May 1976.[6]
This stadium is one of the few in the nation that serves beer during football games.
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