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101-599: The game is held at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis . The record for attendance, 61,171, was set in 1997. Since the Jackson State-Tennessee State rivalry became a fixture in 1994, the average attendance for a Southern Heritage Classic game is about 50,000. Both schools are roughly equidistant from Memphis, being located approximately 200 miles away. The 2001 game was moved from its originally scheduled date of September 15 to November 22 due to

202-529: A Big East team. They chose not to do this for the first year of this arrangement, allowing C-USA champions UCF to play Georgia . The stadium is also the host of the "Southern Heritage Classic", a game between two historically black schools , University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff and Tennessee State University . The stadium also has hosted home games of the Tennessee Vols , Ole Miss Rebels , and Mississippi State Bulldogs . The Memphis Express of

303-610: A Jumbotron, contributed by FedEx , which is headquartered in Memphis. In addition, 17-acre (6.9 ha) Tiger Lane was created as a green space for tailgating and community events. On January 9, 2024, the City of Memphis transferred ownership of the stadium to the University of Memphis and contributed $ 120 million to renovations of the stadium, with an additional $ 50 million coming from FedEx chairman Fred Smith , and $ 50 million from

404-626: A Southern Heritage Classic record seven touchdowns in that game. Between 1995 and 2007 (13 games), nine were decided by seven points or less. Nearly 50 players who participated in the Southern Heritage Classic have gone on to play in the NFL, including four first-round draft picks: Lester Holmes (JSU offensive lineman, drafted 19th by the Philadelphia Eagles in 1993), Sylvester Morris (JSU wide receiver, drafted 21st by

505-488: A century the only event at the ancient Greek Olympic festival was the race that comprised one length of the stadion at Olympia , where the word "stadium" originated. Most of the stadiums with a capacity of at least 10,000 are used for association football . Other popular stadium sports include gridiron football , baseball , cricket , the various codes of rugby , field lacrosse , bandy , and bullfighting . Many large sports venues are also used for concerts. "Stadium"

606-865: A few have even been designed to have moveable fields as part of the infrastructure. The Caesars Superdome in New Orleans is a true dome structure made of a lamellar multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet (210 m). It is the largest fixed domed structure in the world. Even though enclosed, dome stadiums are called stadiums because they are large enough for, and designed for, what are generally considered to be outdoor sports such as athletics, American football , association football , rugby , and baseball . Those designed for what are usually indoor sports like basketball, ice hockey and volleyball are generally called arenas . Exceptions include: Different sports require different playing surfaces of various size and shape. Some stadiums are designed primarily for

707-405: A few municipally owned stadiums, which are often known by a name that is significant to their area (for example, Boston 's Fenway Park ). In recent years, some government-owned stadiums have also been subject to naming-rights agreements, with some or all of the revenue often going to the team(s) that play there. One consequence of corporate naming has been an increase in stadium name changes, when

808-403: A football pitch with a running track , although certain compromises must be made. The major drawback is that the stands are necessarily set back a good distance from the pitch, especially at the ends of the pitch. In the case of some smaller stadiums, there are not stands at the ends. When there are stands all the way around, the stadium takes on an oval shape. When one end is open, the stadium has

909-471: A horseshoe shape. All three configurations (open, oval and horseshoe) are common, especially in the case of American college football stadiums. Rectangular stadiums are more common in Europe, especially for football where many stadiums have four often distinct and very different stands on the four sides of the stadium. These are often all of different sizes and designs and have been erected at different periods in

1010-414: A much greater hospitality building topping the northeast section. Its design is similar to that of old Tampa Stadium ("The Big Sombrero"), with the endzone grandstands being much shorter than the sidelines. The stadium is designed in such a way that all of its seats have a relatively good view of most of the playing surface. This is due primarily to two design factors. The stands are relatively steep for

1111-465: A neutral site in Memphis, which was roughly equidistant from both campuses. Doing so benefited both schools by enhancing the rivalry and bringing in more dollars. Both schools have a large alumni base in the Memphis metro area. The Southern Heritage Classic was founded and has been produced by Fred Jones Jr. A Memphis entrepreneur and entertainment producer, Jones was tasked with organizing the game as officials from both schools weren't familiar enough with

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1212-470: A new stadium be built in place of the old one. Some in the University of Memphis community prefer the construction of a smaller, on-campus stadium, but such a venue would almost certainly be inadequate (in terms of capacity and amenities) for the Liberty Bowl. Although this proposal did not move ahead, the long-term future of Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is currently unclear. However, it is thought that

1313-581: A northern bowl, it left the city, playing one year in Atlantic City before settling in Memphis). The game was such a success for Memphis that the stadium was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in December 1975. As originally built, the stadium was lopsided, with the southwest side being taller than the northeast side. A 1987 expansion brought it to its current, balanced configuration, although with

1414-414: A one-tier, true bowl stadium. Also, there is little space between the side and end lines of the playing surface and the stands. In December 1983, the playing field was renamed Rex Dockery Field in honor of Rex Dockery , a former Memphis Tigers football coach who had recently died in a plane crash. The field, which had been natural grass since its inception, was replaced with a FieldTurf surface before

1515-707: A pitch envied around Ireland. Other early stadiums from this period in the UK include the Stamford Bridge stadium (opened in 1877 for the London Athletic Club ) and Anfield stadium (1884 as a venue for Everton F.C. ). In the U.S., many professional baseball teams built large stadiums mainly out of wood , with the first such venue being the South End Grounds in Boston , opened in 1871 for

1616-554: A sellout crowd. Despite its efforts, the city was unsuccessful in luring an NFL team (which would have been called the "Memphis Hound Dogs") to the Liberty Bowl. Not willing to give up on pro football, in 1995 the Liberty Bowl welcomed the Memphis Mad Dogs as part of the Canadian Football League 's attempt at bringing their league into American markets . Due to the design features noted earlier, it

1717-632: A separate on-campus stadium for the Tigers would be fiscally unrealistic if a new municipal stadium were to be built in addition to it. The most recent professional tenant was the Memphis Express of the Alliance of American Football , which played its home games played in the stadium for its sole season in 2019. It was announced on October 1, 2021 that Simmons Bank and the City of Memphis were in advanced negotiations to have Simmons Bank become

1818-440: A short track and field event followed by music and a fireworks display. Upon its completion the stadium was the first joint purpose-built football stadium in the world. The architect Archibald Leitch brought his experience with the construction of industrial buildings to bear on the design of functional stadiums up and down the country. His work encompassed the first 40 years of the 20th century. One of his most notable designs

1919-522: A single sport while others can accommodate different events, particularly ones with retractable seating . Stadiums built specifically for association football are common in Europe; Gaelic games stadiums, such as Croke Park , are common in Ireland, while stadiums built specifically for baseball or American football are common in the United States. The most common multiple use design combines

2020-404: A sports venue, and was the first baseball park to use steel and brick for the majority of its construction. Another influential venue was Boston 's Harvard Stadium , built in 1903 by Harvard University for its American football team and track and field program. It was the world's first stadium to use concrete-and-steel construction. In 1909, concrete-and-steel construction came to baseball with

2121-469: A whole. Despite their success, the team moved to Calgary , although this move was due more to the owner, Nelson Skalbania , a Canadian businessman, wanting to move the team to his home country. One of the more interesting events held in the stadium was an exhibition Major League Baseball game involving the Atlanta Braves and Milwaukee Brewers during the 1975 season. The game was sponsored by

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2222-602: Is a football stadium located at the former Mid-South Fairgrounds in the Midtown area of Memphis, Tennessee , United States. The stadium is the site of the annual Liberty Bowl , the annual Southern Heritage Classic , and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team of the American Athletic Conference . It has also been the host of several attempts at professional sports in

2323-549: Is the Latin form of the Greek word " stadion " ( στάδιον ), a measure of length equalling the length of 600 human feet. As feet are of variable length the exact length of a stadion depends on the exact length adopted for 1 foot at a given place and time. Although in modern terms 1 stadion = 600 ft (180 m), in a given historical context it may actually signify a length up to 15% larger or smaller. The equivalent Roman measure,

2424-675: Is the Nippon Professional Baseball league of Japan, in which many of the teams are themselves named after their parent corporations. Also, many newer European football stadiums, such as the University of Bolton and Emirates Stadiums in England and Signal Iduna Park and Allianz Arena in Germany have been corporately named. This new trend in corporate naming (or renaming) is distinguishable from names of some older venues, such as Crosley Field , Wrigley Field , and

2525-625: Is the Stadium at Olympia in Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were held from 776 BC. Initially the Games consisted of a single event, a sprint along the length of the stadium. Greek and Roman stadiums have been found in numerous ancient cities, perhaps the most famous being the Stadium of Domitian , in Rome. The excavated and refurbished ancient Panathenaic Stadium hosted attempted revivals of

2626-465: The 1976 NFL season , with a telethon even being staged for this purpose. Over 40,000 people put down deposits for season tickets for the would-be NFL team. Despite this seemingly overwhelming show of support, the NFL ignored Memphis' pleas and the Southmen folded. Owner John Bassett filed a lawsuit against the league , but was unsuccessful. In 1984, the original United States Football League added

2727-628: The Alliance of American Football played in the stadium for its sole season in 2019. The Memphis Showboats of the United Football League play in the stadium. The Houston Gamblers will played there as a hub team in 2023. In 1974 and 1975, the stadium hosted the Memphis Southmen , aka "Grizzlies", of the World Football League . The Southmen drew fairly well, at least by WFL standards, in part due to

2828-794: The Allianz Arena in Munich was called the FIFA World Cup Stadium, Munich during the tournament. Likewise, the same stadium will be known as the "München Arena" during the European Competitions. Similar rules affect the Imtech Arena and Veltins-Arena . This rule applies even if the stadium sponsor is an official FIFA sponsor—the Johannesburg stadium then commercially known as "Coca-Cola Park", bearing

2929-596: The Memphis Blues minor league team . The right-field fence was only 174 feet (53 m) from home plate, about 125 feet (38 m) shorter than the dimensions of most major league parks. Blue Öyster Cult Outlaws Point Blank Joan Jett & the Blackhearts Survivor Dokken Metallica Kingdom Come As of 2021, it is considered highly unlikely that there will be a permanent NFL franchise in

3030-541: The Memphis Showboats as an expansion team. The Showboats, featuring defensive end Reggie White and coached by flamboyant Memphian Pepper Rodgers , were one of the better draws in the league. They advanced to the semifinals in 1985. Much like the Southmen before them, it was generally believed the Showboats would have been a viable venture had their league been better organized. However, this attempt caused

3131-638: The National Football League or the American Football League . (To a certain extent, this continues in lower football leagues as well, with the venue now known as Charles Schwab Field Omaha being used as the home stadium of the United Football League's Omaha Nighthawks .) Along with today's single use stadiums is the trend for retro-style ballparks closer to downtown areas. Oriole Park at Camden Yards

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3232-640: The Summer Olympics and the FIFA World Cup (of association football), during which cities often pledge to build new stadiums in order to satisfy the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or FIFA . In recent decades, to help take the burden of the massive expense of building and maintaining a stadium, many American and European sports teams have sold the rights to the name of the facility. This trend, which began in

3333-487: The University of Memphis . Before this, the team had spent 29 seasons at Crump Stadium . It was not the first time the team had played at the fairgrounds; before playing at Crump, the team had played two seasons there at a former park. As of the start of the 2006 season, the team had a 130-106-7 record at the stadium. Also since its opening, the stadium has hosted the Liberty Bowl game. It annually hosts teams from

3434-483: The stadium , had a similar length – about 185 m (607 ft) – but instead of being defined in feet was defined using the Roman standard passus to be a distance of 125 passūs (double-paces). The English use of stadium comes from the tiered infrastructure surrounding a Roman track of such length. Most dictionaries provide for both stadiums and stadia as valid English plurals. The oldest known stadium

3535-654: The 1960s stadiums began to be used as live venues for popular music, giving rise to the term " stadium rock ", particularly for forms of hard rock and progressive rock . The origins of stadium rock are sometimes dated to when the Beatles played Shea Stadium in New York in 1965. Also important was the use of large stadiums for American tours by bands in the later 1960s, such as the Rolling Stones , Grand Funk Railroad and Led Zeppelin . The tendency developed in

3636-604: The 1970s, but accelerated greatly in the 1990s, has led to sponsors' names being affixed to both established stadiums and new ones. In some cases, the corporate name replaces (with varying degrees of success) the name by which the venue has been known for many years. But many of the more recently built stadiums, like the Volkswagen Arena in Wolfsburg , Germany, have never been known by a non-corporate name. The sponsorship phenomenon has since spread worldwide. There remain

3737-532: The 1990s. In several cases, an American football stadium has been constructed adjacent to a baseball park , to allow for the sharing of mutual parking lots and other amenities. With the rise of MLS, the construction of soccer-specific stadiums has also increased since the late 1990s to better fit the needs of that sport. In many cases, earlier baseball stadiums were constructed to fit into a particular land area or city block. This resulted in asymmetrical dimensions for many baseball fields. Yankee Stadium , for example,

3838-459: The 2005 season; this was subsequently replaced with the modern version of AstroTurf . In 2013, the Liberty Bowl and its setting received a $ 38 million facelift. It was repainted, and new lighting, new elevators, new turf, renovation of luxury boxes, better handicapped access, were added as part of the design by Memphis architect Tom Marshall of O.T. Marshall Architects. In addition, two new video boards were added, costing $ 2.5 million and including

3939-549: The CFL moved the Mad Dogs and Barracudas' late season home games to Sunday afternoons. While this put both teams in direct competition with NFL television broadcasts, it was initially thought to be an acceptable risk since neither city was particularly loyal to one NFL team. However, even with these changes, the Liberty Bowl became a virtual ghost town late in the season, with several crowds well below 10,000. It soon became apparent that

4040-534: The Greeks built structures called "stadium"; Romans built structures called " circus ". Greek stadia were for foot races, whereas the Roman circus was for horse races. Both had similar shapes and bowl-like areas around them for spectators. The Greeks also developed the theatre, with its seating arrangements foreshadowing those of modern stadiums. The Romans copied the theatre, then expanded it to accommodate larger crowds and more elaborate settings. The Romans also developed

4141-615: The Kansas City Chiefs in 2000), Rashard Anderson (JSU defensive back, drafted 23rd by the Carolina Panthers in 2000) and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (TSU defensive back, drafted 18th by the Arizona Cardinals in 2008). The classic and several festivities affiliated with it annually generated approximately $ 21 million for the Memphis economy and $ 325,000 for each university. The game also featured two of

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4242-602: The Mad Dogs were not a viable venture. Although they finished one game out of the playoffs, their dreadful attendance figures caused them to fold at the end of the season along with the other American teams. In 1997, the NFL's Houston Oilers announced that they would play two seasons in Memphis as the Tennessee Oilers before the Adelphia Coliseum , their new stadium in Nashville (now Nissan Stadium),

4343-769: The Memphis agreement a year early in favor of playing at Vanderbilt in 1998. A subsequent major professional tenant was the Memphis Maniax of the first XFL . The Maniax finished tied for second place in the Western Division at 5–5 with the San Francisco Demons , but did not make the playoffs. The league folded after one season. From 1978 to 1980, the Memphis Rogues of the North American Soccer League called

4444-428: The Memphis area. The Classic part of the series between the two schools began in 1990, with Tennessee State winning 23–14. There were only two games staged in the period between 1990 and 2022 in which Jackson State did not participate — 1991 and 1993. Mississippi Valley State played Tennessee State in 1991, and Grambling State was TSU's foe in 1993. Tennessee State has played in every Southern Heritage Classic since

4545-509: The Olympic Games in 1870 and 1875 before hosting the first modern Olympics in 1896 , the 1906 Intercalated Games , and some events of the 2004 Summer Olympics . The excavation and refurbishment of the stadium was part of the legacy of the Greek national benefactor Evangelos Zappas , and it was the first ancient stadium to be used in modern times. Stadiums in ancient Greece and Rome were built for different purposes, and at first only

4646-584: The Olympic Games, the first one being held in 1896 in Athens , Greece. The White City Stadium , built for the 1908 Summer Olympics in London is often cited as the first modern seater stadium, at least in the UK. Designed by the engineer J.J. Webster and completed in 10 months by George Wimpey , on the site of the Franco-British Exhibition , this stadium with a seating capacity of 68,000

4747-707: The SEC and Big 12 conference. Since 2006, the second bid has gone to a team from the SEC , setting up an all-Southern bowl game. As of 2010, the SEC has the right to override the Conference USA champion and instead replace them with an opponent from the Big East Conference , now the American Athletic Conference . At the same time, the PapaJohns.com Bowl was given the option of a Conference USA team instead of

4848-453: The US is bleachers , which is mostly used for seating areas with bench seats as opposed to individual seats, and which often are uncovered; the name refers to the bleaching effect direct, unshaded sunlight has on the benches and patrons in those sections. Many stadiums make luxury suites or boxes available to patrons at high prices. These suites can accommodate ten to thirty people, depending on

4949-442: The city of Memphis to decide on expanding the stadium, in the hopes of luring an NFL franchise to the city. To this end, the Liberty Bowl underwent a $ 12 million facelift. As mentioned above, the stands were built up to the same level as the west ones, adding about 12,000 seats, and a "skybox" of luxury suites was added to the top of those stands. After the renovation, the then- St. Louis Cardinals played an exhibition game there before

5050-564: The city, as well as other local football games and other gatherings. The stadium was originally built as Memphis Memorial Stadium in 1965 for $ 3  million, as a part of the Mid-South Fairgrounds, then home to one of the South's most popular fairs , but now conducted in neighboring DeSoto County, Mississippi . The fairgrounds also included the now-defunct Mid-South Coliseum (formerly the city's major indoor venue) as well as

5151-458: The construction of new facilities. In Europe and Latin America, where there are multiple association football clubs in any given city, and several leagues in each country, no such monopoly power exists, and stadiums are built primarily with private money. Outside professional sports, governments are also involved through the intense competition for the right to host major sporting events, primarily

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5252-462: The country. Past concerts have included headline stars such as Luther Vandross, The O'Jays, Gap Band, Gladys Knight and Usher. The 2020 game, scheduled for September 12, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic . On February 2, 2022, Jackson State announced that the school would immediately leave the series due to conference conflicts. Tennessee State’s president issued a scathing response stating

5353-532: The decision to terminate the series was “an insensitive and irresponsible act" with consequences that go beyond football. On February 11, 2022, Jackson State announced they will play in the 2022 Southern Heritage Classic for the last time. On December 7, 2022, it was announced that Arkansas–Pine Bluff will replace Jackson State in the classic for 2023 and 2024. Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium , originally named Memphis Memorial Stadium , and later Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium ,

5454-424: The double-sized round theatre called amphitheatre , seating crowds in the tens of thousands for gladiatorial combats and beast shows. The Greek stadium and theatre and the Roman circus and amphitheatre are all ancestral to the modern stadium. The first stadiums to be built in the modern era were basic facilities, designed for the single purpose of fitting as many spectators in as possible. With tremendous growth in

5555-458: The events of the September 11 terrorist attacks, and attendance suffered as a result, drawing only 28,690. Although the two teams played each other, the games were played at each team's home field on an alternating basis. That made it difficult for fans of the road team to travel en masse. TSU head coach Bill Thomas and JSU head coach W. C. Gorden discussed the possibility of playing annually at

5656-462: The field to the required length. However, the end zones were nowhere near regulation; they averaged around 9 yards in length, and no other American stadium had end zones shorter than 15 yards. The stands jutted into the corners of the end zones, creating a distinct safety hazard. The only real concession to the Canadian format that was feasible at the Liberty Bowl was the moving of the goal posts to

5757-408: The first and second Busch Stadiums , in that the parks were named by and for the club's owner, which also happened to be the name of the company owned by those clubowners. (The current Busch Stadium received its name via a modern naming rights agreement.) During the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, some stadiums were temporarily renamed because FIFA prohibits sponsorship of stadiums. For example,

5858-427: The full width of that game's field, players not participating in the game and the coaching staffs would have to have been seated in the stands. Likewise, 20 yards past the goal line at the Liberty Bowl puts one several rows up into the end zone stands. AstroTurf sections were added around the grass field to accommodate the required width, while the end zones became half AstroTurf/half grass pentagons in order to bring

5959-439: The game's inception in 1990, and TSU owns a 19–11 record in the contest. The games have largely been close, hard-fought battles with three overtime games and 14 contests decided by a touchdown or less. The record for the highest-scoring game was set in 2001, the game delayed by the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when Tennessee State beat Jackson State, 64–33, for a combined 97 points. TSU quarterback Shannon Harris passed for 360 yards and

6060-427: The goal line, where they are in the Canadian game, as opposed to the end line. The result was what amounted to a hybrid game, played by Canadian rules on essentially a U.S. field. Despite these limitations, the Mad Dogs, coached by Rodgers, drew fairly well during the early part of the season. However, they were tripped up by quirks in the CFL schedule. The CFL season runs from July to November so as to conclude before

6161-631: The harsh Canadian winters set in and make conditions unbearable for players, coaches, officials, and especially spectators. Its games were generally scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights—the same nights on which high school and college football games are played in the United States. The Mad Dogs knew that once college football season started, most fans preferred to drive across Interstate 40 to watch Tennessee football or down Interstate 55 to watch Ole Miss or Mississippi State . (The Birmingham Barracudas faced similar problems due to competition from Alabama and Auburn .) With this in mind,

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6262-476: The largest among them, are megaprojects that can only be afforded by the largest corporations, wealthiest individuals, or government. Sports fans have a deep emotional attachment to their teams. In North America, with its closed-league " franchise " system, there are fewer teams than cities which would like them. This creates tremendous bargaining power for the owners of teams, whereby owners can threaten to relocate teams to other cities unless governments subsidize

6363-418: The mid-1970s as the increased power of amplification and sound systems allowed the use of larger and larger venues. Smoke, fireworks and sophisticated lighting shows became staples of arena rock performances. Key acts from this era included Journey , REO Speedwagon , Boston , Foreigner , Styx , Kiss , Peter Frampton and Queen . In the 1980s arena rock became dominated by glam metal bands, following

6464-406: The most highly acclaimed show bands in the country, with JSU's Sonic Boom of the South and TSU's Aristocrat of Bands. They both gave high-energy halftime performances that were nearly as popular as the game itself. Also, the Southern Heritage Classic tailgating experience was a large draw and begins days before the game. Concerts and other events fill up the weekend calendar, drawing fans from all over

6565-481: The name of one of FIFA's major sponsors , was known by its historic name of Ellis Park Stadium during the 2010 FIFA World Cup . Corporate names are also temporarily replaced during the Olympics. Modern stadiums bring several negative environmental issues with their construction. They require thousands of tons of materials to build, they greatly increase traffic in the area around the stadium, as well as maintaining

6666-401: The namesake corporation changes its name, or if it is the naming agreement simply expires. Phoenix's Chase Field , for example, was previously known as Bank One Ballpark, but was renamed to reflect the takeover of the latter corporation. San Francisco's historic Candlestick Park was renamed as 3Com Park for several years, but the name was dropped when the sponsorship agreement expired, and it

6767-599: The now-closed Libertyland amusement park, which has been demolished and replaced with an amateur indoor sports venue. It was dedicated as a memorial to the citizens of Memphis who had served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War . The facility was built partially as a way to bring the Liberty Bowl to a permanent home in Memphis (the game had started in Philadelphia , but because of poor attendance as

6868-475: The old stadiums they replace. In North America, where baseball and American football are the two most popular outdoor spectator sports, a number of football/baseball multi-use stadiums were built, especially during the 1960s, and some of them were successful. Since the requirements for baseball and football are significantly different, the trend has been toward the construction of single-purpose stadiums, beginning with Kansas City in 1972–1973 and accelerating in

6969-535: The opening of Shibe Park in Philadelphia and, a few months later, Forbes Field in Pittsburgh . The latter was the world's first three-tiered sporting venue. The opening of these parks marked the start of the "jewel box" era of park construction. The largest stadium crowd ever was 199,854 people watching the final match of the 1950 World Cup at Rio de Janeiro 's Maracanã on 16 July 1950. Domed stadiums are distinguished from conventional stadiums by their enclosing roofs. Many of these are not actually domes in

7070-418: The popularity of organised sport in the late Victorian era , especially association football in the United Kingdom and baseball in the United States, the first such structures were built. One such early stadium was the Lansdowne Road Stadium , the brainchild of Henry Dunlop , who organised the first All Ireland Athletics Championships. Banned from locating sporting events at Trinity College, Dunlop built

7171-406: The presence on their roster of some well-known players recruited away from the NFL at considerable expense. By nearly all accounts, they would have been a viable venture had the WFL been better run. Much, perhaps too much, was read into this relative success at the gate. When the WFL folded, the team formally changed its name to the Grizzlies and made a bid to join the NFL as an expansion team for

7272-828: The public. An "all-seater" stadium has seats for all spectators. Other stadiums are designed so that all or some spectators stand to view the event. The term "all-seater" is not common in the U.S., as very few American stadiums have sizeable standing-only sections. Poor stadium design has contributed to disasters, such as the Hillsborough disaster and the Heysel Stadium disaster . Since these, all Premier League , UEFA European Championship and FIFA World Cup qualifying matches require all spectators to be seated. Seating areas may be known as terraces , tiers , or decks . Originally set out for standing room only, they are now usually equipped with seating. Another term used in

7373-508: The pure architectural sense, some being better described as vaults , some having truss -supported roofs and others having more exotic designs such as a tensegrity structure . But, in the context of sports stadiums, the term "dome" has become standard for all covered stadiums, particularly because the first such enclosed stadium, the Houston Astrodome , was built with an actual dome-shaped roof. Some stadiums have partial roofs, and

7474-403: The stadium during renovations. Seating capacity is expected to remain above 50,000 after the renovations are finished. In the same vote that transferred ownership to the University of Memphis, the City of Memphis also approved $ 120 million in funding for stadium renovations. In addition, the university received a $ 50 million grant ahead of the vote from FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith , with

7575-457: The stadium home. The playing surface is somewhat smaller than that generally favored by soccer, but that sport adapts to smaller playing surfaces better than some others (the preferred width of a soccer pitch is 70 to 80 yards, but the rules allow for a pitch as narrow as 50 yards wide). Like the Southmen, the Rogues seemingly did fairly well in a league that wasn't doing all that well as

7676-538: The stadium in 1872. "I laid down a cinder running path of a quarter-mile, laid down the present Lansdowne Tennis Club ground with my own theodolite, started a Lansdowne archery club, a Lansdowne cricket club, and last, but not least, the Lansdowne Rugby Football Club – colours red, black and yellow." Some 300 cartloads of soil from a trench beneath the railway were used to raise the ground, allowing Dunlop to use his engineering expertise to create

7777-455: The stadium or in the city. The stadium is more than adequate for the Tigers, a team which is currently playing in one of the larger stadiums in its current conference, the American Athletic Conference . The Liberty Bowl game is well-attended and averages crowds just under the stadium's maximum capacity. There are a variety of factors that play into the city's prospects, including: On January 1, 2007, then-Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton proposed

7878-413: The stadium when their permanent stadium was unable to be used as a result of damage. Stadium A stadium ( pl. : stadiums or stadia ) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event. Pausanias noted that for about half

7979-401: The stadium's history. The vastly differing character of European football stadiums has led to the growing hobby of ground hopping where spectators make a journey to visit the stadium for itself rather than for the event held there. In recent years the trend of building completely new oval stadiums in Europe has led to traditionalists criticising the designs as bland and lacking in the character of

8080-536: The stadium. The increased traffic around modern stadiums has led to create exposure zones says the Health Effect Institute, exposing 30–40% of people living around the stadium to potential health issues. Many stadiums are attempting to counteract these issues by implementing solar panels, and high efficiency lighting, to reduce their own carbon footprint. Although concerts, such as classical music, had been presented in them for decades, beginning in

8181-542: The stipulation that they would only receive the money when the university raises another $ 50 million. Towards the end of the now iconic 2001 SpongeBob SquarePants episode " Band Geeks ", the Liberty Bowl was featured in a brief clip of a 1984 USFL game between the Showboats and the Tampa Bay Bandits before cutting to Squidward and his band playing " Sweet Victory " on the field. †= Team's stadium under construction or refurbishment at time 1 = A team used

8282-612: The team then known as the Boston Beaneaters (now the Atlanta Braves ). Many of these parks caught fire, and those that did not proved inadequate for a growing game. All of the 19th-century wooden parks were replaced, some after a few years, and none survive today. Goodison Park was the first purpose-built association football stadium in the world. Walton -based building firm Kelly brothers were instructed to erect two uncovered stands that could each accommodate 4,000 spectators. A third covered stand accommodating 3,000 spectators

8383-473: The title sponsor for the stadium and renaming it from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium to become Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. On May 12, 2022 officials revealed plans to renovate the stadium before the 2025 football season, costing around $ 200 million. Completed with help of architecture firm Populous , plans include: Construction should begin after the 2023 football season; the Tigers will continue to play in

8484-487: The university. The renovations include the destruction and replacement of the west side tower and most of the west side of the bowl, new premium seating, renovating the east side suites, and updating hospitality spaces around the stadium. Permanent seating capacity will be reduced to approximately 50,000 upon completion of the project. Since its opening, the stadium has hosted the Memphis Tigers football team from

8585-562: The venue. Luxury suites at events such as the Super Bowl can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Due to the number of people congregating in stadiums and the frequency of events, many notable accidents have occurred in the past, some causing injury and death. For example, the Hillsborough disaster was a human crush at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield , England on 15 April 1989. The resulting 97 deaths and 765 injuries makes this

8686-461: The worst disaster in British sporting history. Much effort has been spent to avoid the recurrence of such events, both in design and legislation. Especially where there is a perceived risk of terrorism or violence attention remains high to prevent human death and keep stadiums as places where families can enjoy a public event together. In Europe and South America, during the twentieth century, it

8787-472: Was Old Trafford in Manchester. The ground was originally designed with a capacity of 100,000 spectators and featured seating in the south stand under cover, while the remaining three stands were left as terraces and uncovered. It was the first stadium to feature continuous seating along the contours of the stadium. These early venues, originally designed to host football matches, were adopted for use by

8888-476: Was also requested. Everton officials were impressed with the builder's workmanship and agreed two further contracts: exterior hoardings were constructed at a cost of £150 and 12 turnstiles were installed at a cost of £7 each. The stadium was officially opened on 24 August 1892 by Lord Kinnaird and Frederick Wall of the Football Association. No football was played; instead the 12,000 crowd watched

8989-613: Was another two years before the new name of Monster Cable Products ' Monster Park was applied. Local opposition to the corporate naming of that particular stadium led San Francisco's city council to permanently restore the Candlestick Park name once the Monster contract expired. More recently, in Ireland, there has been huge opposition to the renaming of Dublin 's historic Lansdowne Road as the Aviva Stadium . Lansdowne

9090-585: Was built on a triangular city block in The Bronx , New York City. This resulted in a large left field dimension but a small right field dimension. Before more modern football stadiums were built in the United States, many baseball parks, including Fenway Park , the Polo Grounds , Wrigley Field , Comiskey Park , Tiger Stadium , Griffith Stadium , Milwaukee County Stadium , Shibe Park , Forbes Field , Yankee Stadium , and Sportsman's Park were used by

9191-750: Was common for violent bands of supporters to fight inside or close to association football stadiums. In the United Kingdom they are known as hooligans . Structural features that increase safety include separate entry and exit accesses for each spectator area, especially separating accesses for home and visitor supporters, dividing walls, glass parapets, vibration attenuation and sprinkler systems. Security features that have been adopted include armed surveillance, Identity document checks, video surveillance , metal detectors and security searches to enforce rules that forbid spectators to carry dangerous or potentially dangerous items. Modern stadiums, especially

9292-584: Was completed in time for the 1999 season. The largest stadium in Nashville at the time, Vanderbilt Stadium , then seated only 41,000 fans—too few even for temporary use. Vanderbilt University was also unwilling at the time to let beer be sold at games. Although the Vols' Neyland Stadium in Knoxville was slightly closer to Nashville, it was deemed too big (at over 102,000 seats) for an NFL team. Pepper Rodgers

9393-414: Was extremely difficult to shoehorn a Canadian football field onto the Liberty Bowl's playing surface. Canadian fields are 10 yards longer and 35 feet wider than in the U.S. version, and the end zones are 20 yards deep rather than 10; few U.S. football stadiums are designed readily to accommodate a playing surface of this size. Had the attempt to play the Canadian game included an attempt to use

9494-486: Was initially willing to stick it out in Memphis for one more season. However, that changed with the only game that drew more fans than could have comfortably been accommodated at Vanderbilt, the year's final game against the Pittsburgh Steelers . While 50,677 people showed up, the great majority of them (three-fourths of the crowd, by one estimate) were Steeler fans . Adams was so disgusted that he ripped up

9595-655: Was named the Oilers' "Director of Memphis Operations." The team was to live and practice in Nashville, commuting to Memphis only for games. Although the idea seemed acceptable enough to the league and the team at the time, the 1997 season was a disaster, because of the lack of fan ownership for the temporary team. Many Memphians wanted nothing to do with a team which would be lost in two years —especially to longtime rival Nashville. For their part, Nashvillians were skittish about having to drive 210 miles (340 km) to see "their" team play. In an unfortunate coincidence, Interstate 40

9696-424: Was opened by King Edward VII on 27 April 1908. Upon completion, the stadium had a running track 24 ft wide (7.3 m) and three laps to the mile (536 m); outside there was a 35-foot-wide (11 m), 660-yard (600 m) cycle track. The infield included a swimming and diving pool. The London Highbury Stadium , built in 1913, was the first stadium in the UK to feature a two-tiered seating arrangement when it

9797-471: Was redesigned in the Art Deco style in 1936. During these decades, parallel stadium developments were taking place in the U.S. The Baker Bowl , a baseball park in Philadelphia that opened in its original form in 1887 but was completely rebuilt in 1895, broke new ground in stadium construction in two major ways. The stadium's second incarnation featured the world's first cantilevered second deck (tier) in

9898-529: Was redeveloped as the Aviva, opening in May 2010. On the other hand, Los Angeles' Great Western Forum , one of the earliest examples of corporate renaming, retained its name for many years, even after the namesake bank no longer existed, the corporate name being dropped only after the building later changed ownership. This practice has typically been less common in countries outside the United States. A notable exception

9999-563: Was reportedly the first floodlit stadium. Floodlighting in association football dates as far back as 1878, when there were floodlit experimental matches at Bramall Lane, Sheffield during the dark winter afternoons. With no national grid , lights were powered by batteries and dynamoes , and were unreliable. Since the development of electrical grids, lighting has been an important element in stadium design, allowing games to be played after sundown, and in covered, or partly covered stadiums that allow less natural light, but provide more shelter for

10100-525: Was the first such ballpark for Major League Baseball to be built, using early-20th-century styling with 21st-century amenities. There is a solar-powered stadium in Taiwan that produces as much energy as it needs to function. Stadium designers often study acoustics to increase noise caused by fans' voices, aiming to create a lively atmosphere. Until the advent of floodlights , most games played on large areas had to rely on natural lighting. Bramall Lane

10201-469: Was undergoing extensive repairs just east of Memphis at the time. This lengthened the normal three hour drive from Nashville to Memphis to five hours or longer. As a result, the Oilers played before some of the smallest home crowds seen in the NFL since the 1950s for most games, and the visiting teams often seemed to have more supporters than the Oilers. Even though none of the Oilers' first seven games attracted more than 27,000 people, Oilers' owner Bud Adams

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