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Memorial Stadium (University of Illinois)

Memorial Stadium is a stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, Illinois, United States. The stadium, used primarily for football, is a memorial to the university's students who died in World War I; their names are engraved on the nearly 200 pillars surrounding the stadium's façade.[5] With a capacity of 60,670, the stadium is primarily used as the home of the university's Fighting Illini football team.

Full name

University of Illinois Memorial Stadium

1402 South 1st Street

Champaign, Illinois

40°5′57″N 88°14′9″W / 40.09917°N 88.23583°W / 40.09917; -88.23583

Bus transport MTD

University of Illinois

University of Illinois

60,670 (2011–present)[4]

Former capacity:

List
    • 55,524 (1923–1929)
    • 71,119 (1930–1963)
    • 71,227 (1964–1982)
    • 70,906 (1983)
    • 70,563 (1984–1986)
    • 70,153 (1987)
    • 69,200 (1988–1990)
    • 70,053 (1991)
    • 70,904 (1992–2001)
    • 69,249 (2002–2006)
    • 57,078 (2007)
    • 62,870 (2008–2010)

Grass (1923–1974)
AstroTurf (1975–2000)
AstroPlay (2001–2007)
FieldTurf (2008–present)

September 11, 1922 (1922-09-11)[1]

November 3, 1923 (1923-11-03)

1985, 2008, 2013

1930

US$1,700,000 ($30.4 million in 2023 dollars[2])

Holabird & Roche (original)
HNTB (renovation)

English Brothers[3]

Dedication[edit]

The stadium is dedicated to the men of the University of Illinois that gave their lives serving in World War I. In 2002, the stadium dedication was extended to those who died in World War II. There are a total of 200 columns on the east and west sides of the stadium. 183 columns display one name of a University of Illinois alum that lost their lives in the first war (182 men and 1 woman).


The stadium was officially dedicated on October 18, 1924, on which the university football team played a homecoming game against the University of Michigan. On way to a 39–14 Illini victory,[11] Red Grange scored five touchdowns in one of the greatest single-game performances in football history.

The football playing surface within the stadium is named Zuppke Field, in honor of , the University of Illinois head football coach from 1913 to 1941.

Robert Zuppke

The north end of Zuppke Field hosts The Grange Rock, a tribute to . The tribute was dedicated on October 22, 1994, with Mrs. Margaret Grange, Red Grange's wife, in attendance. The rock came from the same Indiana quarry that produced the stadium's columns.

Red Grange

In 2009, a 12-foot (3.7 m) statue of Red Grange was dedicated as the capstone of the stadium's "Illinois Renaissance" renovations.

The Ray Eliot Varsity Room is named for , the University of Illinois head football coach from 1942 to 1959.

Ray Eliot

A press box was built at the top of the west balcony in 1967.

As part of the 1974 Golden Anniversary campaign, artificial turf was installed on the field, along with a new lighting system.

A $7 million renovation began in April 1985. New was installed, along with new football headquarters in the northeast corner of the stadium.

AstroTurf

From November 1991 to August 1992, an $18 million renovation project replaced all concrete bleachers in both the east and west upper decks, along with the top 25 rows of the main stands. New restrooms were built, and the stadium's electrical and drainage systems were upgraded to meet new building codes.

A color scoreboard was added to the north end of the stadium for the 1994 season.

The stadium's AstroTurf was replaced with in 2001.

AstroPlay

In the summer of 2022, the stadium was given a new turf field.

Memorial Stadium was the site of the and 1979 NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships

1977

From December 1985 until the spring of 2000, an inflatable practice dome known as "The Bubble" was inflated over the field, to allow for indoor practice during the winter months. "The Bubble" was replaced by the Irwin Indoor Football Practice Facility in 2001 which is just northeast of the stadium.

[5]

"The Bubble" was also used by the in 1985 while practicing for Super Bowl XX.[6]

Chicago Bears

On September 22, 1985, it hosted the first ever concert.

Farm Aid

It is the site of the field show of the annual Illini Marching Band Festival, hosted by the and usually the largest high school marching band competition in Illinois.[19]

Marching Illini

Since 1999, it has hosted the football state finals. In 2023 Illinois State University will become the permanent host for the IHSA state football champuonships after the Memorial Stadium and Northern Illinois University in Dekalb have alternated hosting the event for the past ten years.

IHSA

In , the stadium also hosted the NFL's Chicago Bears while Soldier Field was being renovated. The Bears' founder and former Illini Football player George Halas had his team's colors mimic his Alma Mater's school colors.[20]

2002

Since the 's creation in 2009, Memorial Stadium has served as the finish line for the Illinois Marathon, which is held the fourth weekend each April.

marathon

East facing view of Memorial Stadium at night.

East facing view of Memorial Stadium at night.

Statue of Red Grange outside Memorial Stadium

Statue of Red Grange outside Memorial Stadium

East Exterior

East Exterior

Jumbotron

Jumbotron

Dedication plaque outside Memorial Stadium

Dedication plaque outside Memorial Stadium

West Exterior

West Exterior

Premium Suites

Premium Suites

List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums

List of American football stadiums by capacity

Lists of stadiums

Edit this at Wikidata

Official website

Memorial Stadium history/timeline

University of Illinois Memorial Stadium view from above