Bridgeforth Stadium
| Bridgeforth Stadium | |
|---|---|
|
|
| The Bridgeforth Stadium (2007) | |
| Earlier names | |
|
Madison Stadium (1975–1981) |
|
| Data | |
| place | 250 Champions Drive Harrisonburg Virginia 22807
 |
| Coordinates | 38 ° 26 '6.9 " N , 78 ° 52' 22.8" W |
| owner | James Madison University |
| operator | James Madison University |
| start of building | 1973 |
| opening | 20th September 1975 |
| First game | October 12, 1974 JMU - Bridgewater 41:13 |
| Extensions | 1981, 2011 |
| surface |
AstroTurf (1975-2005) FieldTurf (since 2006) |
| costs | 62 million US dollars (2011) |
| architect | HKS, Inc. |
| capacity | 24,877 places (since 2011) |
| Societies) | |
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The Bridge Forth stage and Zane Showker Field is a college football - stadium on the campus of James Madison University (JMU) in Harrisonburg in the State of Virginia . It is the home ground of the James Madison Dukes college football team . Bridgeforth Stadium has 24,877 seats and is currently the largest venue in the Colonial Athletic Association (a conference of ten colleges on the US east coast).
history
When it was built in 1975, the facility was originally called Madison Stadium and had a capacity of around 5,200 spectators. It was initially intended as a multi-purpose stadium and was used for athletics, lacrosse and field hockey, among other things. It also had sports halls, several classrooms, offices for the various teams in the JMU sports department, and press rooms.
In 1981 it was renamed JMU Stadium . At the same time, it was also subjected to its first major expansion, in which the installation of a second row of seats increased the capacity to 12,000 spectators. In 1990 the stadium got its current name (Bridgeforth Stadium) , after William E. Bridgeforth, a former member of the JMU Board of Visitors. The field was christened in 2003 in the name of the patron Zane Showker (whose name can also be found on another new JMU building).
In 2006, the previously used artificial turf from the AstroTurf brand was replaced by the FieldTurf artificial turf.
From December 2009 onwards, the stadium was renovated and expanded a second time. The west grandstands and the synthetic track were removed and a two-story complex was built in their place. This extension was completed in August 2011 and cost about 62 million US dollars . Thanks to the construction work, the Bridgeforth has expanded its capacity to 24,877 seats, and it now has improved lighting, a larger video area and 17 new suites.
The first game in the renovated stadium took place on September 10, 2011. The Dukes defeated the Central Connecticut Blue Devils 14: 9 in front of an audience of approx. 25,000 spectators .
gallery
Web links
- jmusports.com: Bridgeforth Stadium / Zane Showker Field (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ Archived copy . Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2011.
- ↑ Bridgeforth Stadium Extension (NBC29) . Retrieved July 9, 2017.