University Stadium (Albuquerque)

University Stadium
Turner & Margaret Branch Field[1]

View of Stadium from south stands
Location 1111 University Boulevard SE, Albuquerque, NM 87131
Coordinates 35°4′1″N 106°37′42″W / 35.06694°N 106.62833°W / 35.06694; -106.62833Coordinates: 35°4′1″N 106°37′42″W / 35.06694°N 106.62833°W / 35.06694; -106.62833
Owner Univ. of New Mexico
Operator Univ. of New Mexico
Capacity 30,000 (1960–1977)
30,646 (1978–1994)
31,218 (1995–2000)
37,370 (2001–2003)
38,634 (2004–2007)
40,094 (2008–2009)
39,224 (2010–present)[2]
Record attendance 44,760 (New Mexico vs. New Mexico State, 2005)
Surface FieldTurf
Construction
Broke ground 1958
Opened September 17, 1960
Construction cost $4.1 million
($32.8 million in 2016 dollars[3])
Architect W.C. Kruger and Associates
Tenants
New Mexico Lobos football (NCAA) (1960–present)
New Mexico Bowl (NCAA) (2006–present)

University Stadium is an outdoor football stadium on the south campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque, New Mexico.[4] It is the home field of the New Mexico Lobos football team of the Mountain West Conference. The stadium opened in September 1960 and currently has a seating capacity of 39,224. The newly installed synthetic turf surface field runs in the traditional north-south configuration and sits at an elevation of 5100 feet (1554 m) above sea level.[5]

History

Replacement of Zimmerman

The stadium replaced Zimmerman Field, a 16,000-seat stadium which was located just south of the current Zimmerman Library. The main campus would expand with removing the old field, room for campus facilities, and a new humanities building now stand in the space. The university purchased land south of campus, near the corner of Avenida Cesar Chavez and University Boulevard for the current stadium. This land became the "south campus", which includes WisePies Arena (aka The Pit) and Isotopes Park, the Lobo Tennis Club, Lobo Field, Lobo Softball field, the Rudy Davalos Basketball Center and buildings housing the athletics department as well as the football stadium.[6][7]

When it opened in 1960, University Stadium consisted of the east and west stands and press box. The stadium was built in an existing arroyo with the grandstands built up from moved earth for an earthen fill that was then cemented over. This "berm" style construction placed the field below ground level with seats above and below the natural ground level. Initial costs for the stadium were just over $4 million. University Stadium opened on September 17, 1960 with UNM defeating an overmatched National University of Mexico by a score of 77-6.

A new press box with private suites was built in 1976 at a cost of $1.8 million. Because the stadium had been built on earthen fill, the press box had to be supported on large concrete cylinders that went down to the pre-existing ground level. In 1995 the next major addition to University Stadium came when UNM built the L.F. "Tow" Diehm Athletic Facility, a field house and athletic training facility located in the southern end zone.

The athletics department announced in late 2011 the football field would be stripped of natural grass and would be replaced by synthetic turf. FieldTurf was awarded the bid for the school. The new field was announced to be ready in time for the 2012 season.[8] Naming rights for the new field were purchased by local attorneys Turner and Margaret Branch, who are alumni of the university.[9]

Expansion

The west stands and press box

The Stadium's current expansion began in 2001 with stands, new bathroom and concessions facilities in the north end zone. UNM also added a large, then state-of-the-art scoreboard that included the "LoboVision" video screen. In 2004, portable bleachers were donated to UNM by the city of Albuquerque in 2004 to take the stadium's capacity beyond 39,000. Expansion is currently continuing. The next phase of expansion includes renovations of the stadium's southwest and southeast corners as well as adding 5,000 seats to the south end of the stadium as well as a tunnel leading into the Tow Diehm facility. By the time renovations are completed, the stadium will seat over 43,000.

New Mexico Bowl

Main article: New Mexico Bowl

Since December 2006, University Stadium has hosted the New Mexico Bowl. The game was funded by a $2 million line of credit from ESPN and featured the San Jose State Spartans of the Western Athletic Conference and the University of New Mexico of the Mountain West Conference. SJSU defeated UNM 20-12. The game was the first Division I bowl game played in the state of New Mexico. University Stadium had hosted the Division II national championship, named the Zia Bowl, in early December 1979 and 1980.[10] In Zia Bowl I, Delaware defeated Youngstown State 38-21. In Zia Bowl II, Cal Poly-San Luis Obispo (now simply Cal Poly) beat Eastern Illinois 21-13. Attendance was 4,000 or less for both Zia Bowls, and in 1981 the Division II championship was moved to McAllen, Texas.[11]

University Stadium hosted a U.S. women's national soccer team FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Mexico in May 2004 and a friendly match between the U.S. men's national soccer team and Honduras in March 2005.

The stadium has hosted concerts by many famous artists, including Led Zeppelin, Metallica & The Rolling Stones, among others. The stadium recently hosted Nitro Circus Live

References

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