Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium
.jpg) The Stadium in 2014 after renovations in '13 | |
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| Former names | KSU Stadium |
|---|---|
| Address | 1800 College Avenue Manhattan, KS 66502-3308 |
| Coordinates | 39°12′7″N 96°35′38″W / 39.20194°N 96.59389°W |
| Owner | Kansas State University |
| Operator | Kansas State University |
| Capacity | 50,000 (2006-present) 50,300 (1999-2005) 43,000 (1970-1998) 35,000 (1968-1969) |
| Record attendance | 53,811 |
| Surface | Astroturf Gameday Grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | October 1, 1967 |
| Opened | 21 September 1968 |
| Renovated | 1993, 2007, 2013 |
| Expanded | 1970, 1999, 2013 |
| Construction cost | $1.6 million (original structure) ($14 million in 2024 dollars[1]) |
| Architect | HOK Sport (renovations) |
| Tenants | |
| Kansas State Wildcats football (1968–present) | |
| Website | |
| billsynderfamilystadium | |
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium is a stadium in Manhattan, Kansas. It is used for American football, and is the home field of the Kansas State University Wildcats football team. It is named after head coach Bill Snyder and his family. From 1990 through the first game of the 2014 season, K-State is 130-31-1 (.806) at home.[2]
Construction and renovations
Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium opened as KSU Stadium in 1968, with a seating capacity of 35,000. It was the replacement for the on-campus Memorial Stadium, which hosted Kansas State football games since 1922 (and is still standing today). The first game played at the new stadium was on September 21, 1968 – Kansas State shut out Colorado State 21-0.
In 1970, 4,000 permanent bleacher seats were added to the east side and 3,000 temporary seats on the west side. Also that year, an AstroTurf playing field was installed in place of natural grass.
Over the next two decades, the stadium received only periodic updates. First, the original turf was replaced in 1980 with a product called Superturf, and lights were installed prior to the 1983 season. In 1988, the south end of the stadium was partially enclosed when the new Bramlage Coliseum was completed. A large reception room inside the coliseum now overlooks the south end of the stadium. Finally, prior to the 1991 season, another new artificial playing surface was installed and the playing field was named Wagner Field for the Dave and Carol Wagner family of Dodge City, Kansas.[3]
In 1993, on its 25th anniversary, KSU Stadium saw its first significant permanent addition – a five-level press box and luxury suites on the west side of the field, named the Dev Nelson press box. After the 1998 season, the stadium underwent another expansion, a $12.8 million project designed by HOK Sport that added an upper deck on the east grandstands, club seating, and more luxury suites, which increased the official stadium capacity to 50,300.[4] Prior to the 2002 season, the artificial turf was updated to a more cushioned FieldTurf surface at a cost of $800,000.
Prior to the 2006 season, another $5.6 million was used to renovate the locker-room complex and add new north end zone seating, reportedly raising the permanent seating capacity by approximately 1,900.[5] The renovation also included new audio and visual electronics and a new hydrotherapy center. Although new permanent seating was added, the athletic department actually lowered the stadium's official seating capacity to 50,000 following the renovation.
After the 2010 season the field was replaced with artificial gameday turf. Additional renovations unveiled for the 2011 season included the addition of concessions and restrooms in the east side upper deck.
West Side Stadium Center
The most significant addition to the stadium since its construction was the West Side Stadium Center, a $90 million project, which opened for the 2013 season.
The project was led by sports design firm AECOM (formerly Ellerbe Becket), out of Kansas City, with design support from Heery Design in conjunction with Construction Managers GE Johnson and Mortenson Construction. K-State broke ground on the project prior to the 2012 Spring Game. Initial construction process took place around the old Dev Nelson press box, and then on December 15, 2012, at 9:00 a.m., the Dev Nelson Press Box was imploded by controlled explosion to make way for the new center.
The approximately 250,000-square-foot (23,000 m2) facility, clad in limestone, provides new amenities for fans and student-athletes. The new structure includes larger concession and restroom facilities, new ticket office and retail locations, a K-State Hall of Honor within the large main concourse, a student-athlete dining hall, new club and loge seats as well as additional premium suites and a new press/media level. An outdoor Tailgate Terrace provides fans a place to enjoy the tailgating atmosphere of a K-State game day. The second through fourth levels have outdoor suite, club and loge seating. The fifth level is designated for media and coaches on game-days and will be the new permanent home for the K-State Media relations office.
The center was officially dedicated on August 30, 2013, in conjunction with the unveiling of an eleven-and-a-half foot bronze statue of head football coach Bill Snyder in front of the structure. The statue, weighing 1800 pounds, was created by sculptor E. Spencer Schubert.[6][7]
Phased Master Plan
The West Side Stadium was Phase II of Kansas State's Master Plan for the future development of the university's athletic campus. The Master Plan is estimated to take fifteen years to complete from the completion of Phase I (renovations to the east side's upper deck) in August 2011. Kansas State publicly unveiled plans for Phase III – the construction of a new end zone seating area, new offices, locker rooms and Strength training facilities – on April 26, 2014. Phases IV, V and VI are in the planning stage.
Name
Before the final game of the 2005 season, Kansas State offered to name the stadium Bill Snyder Stadium in honor of retiring head coach Bill Snyder. In 17 years, Snyder had turned the Wildcats, once the definition of college football futility, into a frequent championship contender in the Big 12 Conference. When he was asked about renaming the stadium, Snyder told school officials, "If you are going to do it, name it after the people that I care about the most."[8] Hence, the Regents renamed the stadium to honor the family of the coach who had led the team for 17 years.[9]
Starting in the 2009 season, Snyder returned to coach the team again, becoming one of only three coaches in division I FBS history to coach in a stadium that bears his name, joining Bear Bryant at Alabama and Shug Jordan at Auburn.
Historical notes
- From 1996 to 2000, Kansas State won 26 consecutive games on its home field. This is the 25th-longest home winning streak in NCAA history.
- On August 31, 1996, the stadium hosted the first athletic competition in Big 12 Conference history: a football game between Kansas State and Texas Tech University.[10] Kansas State won the game 21-14 amid pomp and ceremony.[11]
- The first night game at the stadium was held on October 23, 1982, when TBS erected temporary lights to televise a game against the University of Kansas. Kansas State won the game 36-7, in front of a then-record crowd of 43,167.
- Kansas State's 100th game at the stadium was a 21-14 loss to Iowa State University on November 16, 1985.
- Kansas State's 200th game at the stadium was a 40-7 win over Louisiana Tech on November 17, 2001.
- The stadium has hosted several Kansas State High School Activities Association State Championship contests and Kansas Shrine Bowl games.
Top 10 crowds at Snyder Stadium
Kansas State has exceeded the official capacity at Bill Snyder Family Stadium multiple times; following are the top 10 crowds:[12]
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 53,811 | Nov. 11, 2000 | #16 Kansas State 29, #4 Nebraska 28 |
| 2 | 53,351 | Aug. 30, 2013 | Kansas State 21, #1 (FCS) North Dakota State 24 |
| 3 | 53,310 | Oct. 16, 2004 | Kansas State 21, #2 Oklahoma 31 |
| 4 | 53,073 | Sept. 7, 2013 | Kansas State 48, Louisiana-Lafayette 27 |
| 5 | 53,040 | Sep. 18, 2014 | #20 Kansas State 14, #5 Auburn 20 |
| 6 | 53,011 | Oct. 14, 2000 | #2 Kansas State 31, #8 Oklahoma 41 |
| 7 | 52,898 | Oct. 26, 2013 | Kansas State 35, West Virginia 12 |
| 8 | 52,894 | Sept. 14, 2013 | Kansas State 37, Massachusetts 7 |
| 9 | 52,830 | Aug. 30, 2014 | #20 Kansas State 55, (FCS) Stephen F. Austin 16 |
| 10 | 52,803 | Oct. 12, 2013 | Kansas State 25, #15 Baylor 35 |
Non-football uses
The facility has hosted a very small number of non-football activities. On September 5, 1987, Willie Nelson performed a concert at the stadium to raise money for Farm Aid, following a Kansas State football game against Austin Peay State.[13]
See also
- List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums
- Memorial Stadium – Kansas State football field from 1922 to 1967
- Ahearn Field – Kansas State football field from 1911 to 1921
References
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Game-by-Game Results for Kansas State". James Howell. Retrieved 2012-10-08.
- ^ "KSU Buildings Chronology" (English). Retrieved July 28, 2007.
- ^ Haskin, Kevin (July 25, 1999). "KSU Stadium Project on Track". The Topeka Capital-Journal.
- ^ Bisel, Tim (June 26, 2007). "K-State Has Grand Plans". The Topeka Capital-Journal.
- ^ Template:Cite article
- ^ Template:Cite article
- ^ Whiteside, Kelly (November 18, 2005). "Snyder is Retiring, But K-State Stadium Will Be in the Family". USA Today. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ "Board of Regents Re-Names Kansas State University's Football Stadium" (PDF) (Press release). November 16, 2005. Retrieved July 28, 2007.
- ^ Caywood, Kurt (June 15, 2007). "Some Key Dates in Big 12 History (sidebar)". The Topeka Capital-Journal.
- ^ Meek, Austin (October 4, 2008). "A Far Cry From 1996". The Topeka Capital-Journal.
- ^ Kansas State list of top crowds
- ^ 1988 KSU yearbook on e-yearbook.com
External links
- Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium at kstatesports.com
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Established: 1863 – Endowment: $488.9 million – Students: 22,795 (fall 2017) | ||