Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, usually shortened to just Stambaugh Stadium, is the home of football and soccer teams at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Built in 1982, Stambaugh has seen the Penguins football team rise to become a power in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision football. Stambaugh is also known by fans as the Ice Castle.
When it opened, Stambaugh had one large set of stands on the west side. However, upgrades made prior to the 1997 athletic season brought a new set of bleachers on the east side, on the site of a practice field. In addition, a new press box and increases in luxury suites, as well as a stadium club, which hosts the football team's weekly press conferences, and is rented out for private events. In the summer of 2009, a second scoreboard was constructed in the south endzone, giving Stambaugh Stadium a scoreboard in each endzone. New reserved chairback seats were also installed during the 2009 season. Also in 2009, two new flagpoles were constructed next to the scoreboard in the north endzone, one for the state flag and one for the United States flag. Currently, the stadium's capacity is 20,630—making it the largest stadium in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (previously the Gateway Conference), and one of the largest stadiums in the NCAA's Division I FCS.
The stadium's 25th Anniversary was celebrated during the 2007 season, and the top 25 players in the stadium's first twenty-five years were honored at a ceremony on Sept. 15, 2007[1]. Those players were Tony Bowens (1987–90), Adrian Brown (1996–99), Pat Crummey (1998–2001), Pat Danko (1988–91), Harry Deligianis (1995–97), Drew Gerber (1990–93), LeVar Greene (1998–2001), Matt Hogg (1994–97), Tim Johnson (1999–2000), Leon Jones (1992–95), Todd Kollar (1994–97), Paul McFadden (1980–83), Marcus Mason (2005–06), P.J. Mays (2000–02), Dave Roberts (1989–92), Jeff Ryan (1998–2001), Ian Shirey (1996–99), Dwyte Smiley (1996–99), Randy Smith (1991–94), Tamron Smith (1990–93), Paul Soltis (1987–89), Lester Weaver (1991–94), Paris Wicks (1979–82), Jeff Wilkins (1990–93), Jim Zdelar (1987–88)
In addition to hosting football and soccer home games, Stambaugh is also the home of YSU's athletic offices, football locker rooms and weight rooms, racquetball courts, ROTC offices, and visitor locker rooms.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||