Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium
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Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, located in Austin, Texas, is home to the University of Texas Longhorn football team. The current official stadium capacity is 85,123,[1] the largest football venue in the state of Texas, the largest in the Big 12 Conference, and the tenth largest on-campus stadium in the NCAA.
An attendance record of 89,442 people occurred on September 9, 2006 for the Longhorns' 24-7 loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes. That set a new record for the greatest number of people ever to gather for a football game in the state of Texas.[2]
The stadium has been expanded several times since its original opening, most recently in 1999. The stadium has undergone renovations since 2005. Stage one was completed in 2006 and consisting mainly of updates in accordance with newer fire safety codes. Stage two began in 2006 and consists of seating expansion and addition of new facilities in the north end zone.
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[edit] Memorial dedication
In 1923, former UT athletics director L. Theo Bellmont (the west side of the stadium is named is honor), along with thirty student leaders, presented the idea of building a concrete stadium to replace the wooden bleachers of Clark Field to the Board of Regents. Heralded as "the largest sports facility of its kind in the Southwest" upon its completion in 1924, the first unit of the stadium consisted of the east and west stands with a seating capacity of 27,000. It was designed as a dual-purpose facility with a 440-yard track surrounding the football field. The stadium was financed through donations from both students and alumni. The estimated cost of the structure was $275,000.
The student body dedicated the stadium in honor of the 198,520 Texans — 5,280 of whom lost their lives — who fought in World War I. A statue, representing the figure of democracy, was later placed atop the north end zone seats of the stadium. In World War II, the University lost many former players, including former coach Jack Chevigny. The Athletics Council rededicated the newly enlarged stadium on September 18, 1948 prior to the Texas-LSU game, honoring the men and women who had died in the war. On November 12, 1977, a small granite monument was unveiled and placed at the base of the statue, during the TCU-Texas game. The ceremony rededicated Texas Memorial Stadium to the memory of all alumni in all American wars.
The University of Texas honored legendary football coach Darrell K. Royal, who led Texas to three national championships and eleven Southwest Conference titles, by officially naming the stadium after him in 1996. Additionally, the University established the Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Veterans Committee, comprised of alumni who served in World War II, Korea, Vietnam or the Gulf Wars. The committee is charged to forever dedicate the stadium in the memory of, and in honor of, UT students and alumni who gave their lives for their country. Each year, one home football game is designated as Veterans Recognition Day, commemorating the "memorial" aspect of the stadium and to honor the memory of war veterans.
[edit] Major upgrades
![The old scoreboard from the north end. It was demolished to make way for the 2006-2008 expansion. The Longhorn at the very top was auctioned on eBay.[3]](/Image:DKR_Old_North_Scoreboard_KSU_vs_Texas_2003.jpg)
- 1926 - "Horseshoe" built on the north end for US$125,000 raising capacity to 40,500
- 1948 - Two L-shaped sections added to the east and west stands, raising seating capacity to 60,130
- 1955 - Lights added
- 1969 - Upper deck added to the west side raising seating capacity to 75,504 when completed in 1972; artificial turf applied to field
- 1977 - Track converted from 440 yards to 400 meters
- 1986 - The Vernon F. "Doc" Neuhaus–Darrell K Royal Athletic Center completed at the south end of the stadium at a cost of $7 million; the Center was later renamed the W. A. "Tex" Moncrief, Jr.–V. F. "Doc" Neuhaus Athletic Center in 1997 after Royal's name was added to the stadium
- 1996 - Replacement of the stadium's artificial turf with natural grass (Prescription Athletic Turf); installation of a Jumbotron video system; scoreboards retrofitted
- 1997 - Fourteen stadium suites added to west side; underside of the stands remodeled, adding a concession plaza and visitors' locker room. In recognition of UT law school alumnus and benefactor Joe Jamail, the University named the football playing field Joe Jamail Field.
- 1998 - 5,000-seat upper deck added on east side including fifty-two new stadium suites and a 13,000-square-foot private club room
- 1999 - Track removed; new seats added to the west grandstand and the field was lowered seven feet to accommodate new front-row and field-level seats on the east and west grandstands bringing capacity to 80,082
- 2002 - Prescription Athletic Turf replaced with TifSport Certified Bermuda grass
- 2006-2008 - See below
[edit] 2006-2008 improvements
US$15 million have been allocated by the Board of Regents for stadium renovations. Stage one, beginning November 14, 2005, involves updating Bellmont Hall — which sits in the west end of the stadium — to meet newer safety codes set by the Austin Fire Department. Also included are water sealing the stadium and the expansion of both the Centennial Room and eighth-floor press box.
US$8 million are being spent on audiovisual improvements, the centerpiece of which is a 7,370 square foot high-definition Daktronics LED scoreboard, nicknamed "Godzillatron." The screen has a pixel resolution of 848 x 2064. Previously, two scoreboards were in place, one in the south end and one in the north end. The new scoreboard replaces the one in the south end. The north end will not feature a scoreboard as it has been removed in preparation for the addition of extra seats in the 2008 expansion. The new scoreboard also required the removal of the six large flag poles that previously displayed the Six Flags Over Texas. These have been replaced by smaller flags.
At the time of its creation, Godzillatron was called the largest high-definition video screen in the world,[4][5] though it was quickly surpassed by a larger screen in Tokyo.[6] [7] It is still the largest high-definition video screen in collegiate sports. [8] Depending on how the measurement is made, it may be the largest high definition screen in the Western hemisphere. The Miami Dolphins have a high-definition screen with a larger diagonal measurement, but Godzillatron has greater square footage. [9]
One downside for fans is that the screen can be used to allow more obtrusive advertising to be displayed during games.[10] It has been controversial among fans because the screen includes a border of advertisements at most times.[11] [12] This has led to some fans calling the new screen "Adzillatron".[13] Complaints have also been made about the scoreboard being too loud and about it broadcasting advertisements to those in the stadium, even over the top of the band playing in the stadium.[12][13] In its first usage, the portion of the new screen that was typically used for showing replays and film highlights was approximately the same size as the old video screen.[11][14] More recent games have featured a 16:9 format image centered in a ring of advertisement. Nevertheless, complaints continue about the advertising, with some fans shouting out "We won't shop/eat/bank there" when advertisements are played loudly in the stadium.[15]
A new, temporary, bleacher seating section has been added behind the south endzone for the 2006 season. In mid-July 2006, the University of Texas announced that they had completely sold out Memorial Stadium for the upcoming 2006 season. This announcement meant that for the first time in the history of the university, tickets will not be sold on an individual game basis. The bleachers allowed a new attendance record of 85,123 to be set on September 2, 2006 vs North Texas.[16] This was quickly surpassed by the September 9th game vs Ohio State University. The attendance for that game was 89,422[16], which stands as the largest number of people to ever watch a football game in the state of Texas.
Regents approved a US$149.9 million expansion plan (includes the $15 million 2006 renovations) to include a new memorial plaza and new north end zone structure that is scheduled to be completed in August 2008. The new outdoor plaza at the northwest corner will be a memorial to veterans, with a bronze tablet honoring Texas World War I deaths, a monument, landscaping, and new stadium entry gates between two 115 foot towers, like those in the east grandstand. The expansion also consists of replacing the north end zone structure with a multi-level complex that includes additional seats, club space, suites, athletic offices, academic-advising areas and a basement with gym space. Seating capacity overall will rise to more than 90,000 from the current 85,123.[17]
This project began just after the final home game of 2006, as the north end-zone is being expanded to make the lowest seats closer the field while adding luxury boxes and an upper-deck.[18] The lower deck is planned to be rebuilt for 2007, while the upper deck is planned to be ready for 2008.[18]
Demolition work began on December 8, 2006 and demolition is expected to be finished in two months, with new construction beginning thereafter.[19]
[edit] Sources
[edit] External links
- Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at Mack Brown Texas Football
- Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium Timeline at www.Sports-Venue.info
- Microsoft PowerPoint Board of Regents presentation of new construction (also Adobe Acrobat format)
- Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium webcam
