A fun UK football blast from the past

[The Old School JPS]

This is an old article from the Lexington Herald-Leader about the proposed construction of a new football stadium for UK. Take a look:



"We think the stadium committee decided wisely when they chose not to use artificial turf on the playing field. Not only is this an expensive luxury but the hard surface also leads to more accidents, especially knee injuries."

Wow, you know this has to be a pretty old article - the HL actually got something right related to UK football!

"Moreover, we feel the committee acted correctly in sanctioning plans which would permit the stadium to be expanded from its planned 50,000 seating capacity to 70,000 should the need arise in the future."

And it did, 25 years later.

"planned 50,000 seating capacity" - I wonder how that ended up being 58,000? Did they originally plan something different than the bleachers that were eventually used? Were the end zone bleachers (now gone) ultimately made larger than planned? I have been told in the past, but never seen in print, that originally the areas directly under the upper decks were going to be left vacant for the eventual construction of boxes; perhaps the seats put there account for some or all of the 8,000 seat discrepancy?

Anyone with knowledge or memory of any of this, I'd be interested to hear from you.

[The Old School JPS]

Let me try again to upload that article . . .

For some reason I can't get the scan of the article to load. My bad.

It features an artist's conception of what the finished Commonwealth Stadium would look like and talks about the plans to build the stadium.

I'll try to figure out another way to get it on here.

[Brian McCat]

Thanks for sharing, OSJPS.

[jwade]

I've got a book entitled University of Kentucky Football Facts 1974. I think it's a forerunner to the modern media guide. It says, "...the new facility has a capacity of 50,000 sideline seats, with end zone bleachers swelling the total to 58,000." It refers to the sections between the upper and lower decks, press box side, as being "private booths" and "VIP booths."

Jim

[Brian McCat]

It's funny that they describe it as 'Handsome.'

Didn't they ditch the bluegrass a few years ago for a new breed of turfgrass that's more resilient in November?

[Brian McCat]

The Old School JPS wrote:
"planned 50,000 seating capacity" - I wonder how that ended up being 58,000? Did they originally plan something different than the bleachers that were eventually used? Were the end zone bleachers (now gone) ultimately made larger than planned? I have been told in the past, but never seen in print, that originally the areas directly under the upper decks were going to be left vacant for the eventual construction of boxes; perhaps the seats put there account for some or all of the 8,000 seat discrepancy?

It's also interesting that they said 50,000, expandible to 70,000.

Ánd now, Jerry Claiborne Stadium can hold 78,000- the discrepancy lives on!

[baldcat]

Very very cool post, JPS. :thumbup

[Blue4ever]

Brian McCat wrote: It's funny that they describe it as 'Handsome.'

Didn't they ditch the bluegrass a few years ago for a new breed of turfgrass that's more resilient in November?

I thought if was Bermuda? Used to turn a pale yellow in November.Kind of strange. I believe they did change it out.

[gerntz]

Brian McCat wrote: It's funny that they describe it as 'Handsome.'

Didn't they ditch the bluegrass a few years ago for a new breed of turfgrass that's more resilient in November?
No, it is still bermuda:

http://www.ukathletics.com/index.php?s=&url_channel_id=39&url_article_id=9218 &url_subchannel_id=&change_well_id=2

But they now overseed it with annual rye before the first frost to keep it looking green. I think you can still see the bermuda brown the last game or two down beneath the green.

The bermuda is tough, green or brown. Stays good footing all season.

[gerntz]

The Old School JPS wrote: This is an old article from the Lexington Herald-Leader about the proposed construction of a new football stadium for UK. Take a look:



"We think the stadium committee decided wisely when they chose not to use artificial turf on the playing field. Not only is this an expensive luxury but the hard surface also leads to more accidents, especially knee injuries."

Wow, you know this has to be a pretty old article - the HL actually got something right related to UK football!

"Moreover, we feel the committee acted correctly in sanctioning plans which would permit the stadium to be expanded from its planned 50,000 seating capacity to 70,000 should the need arise in the future."

And it did, 25 years later.

"planned 50,000 seating capacity" - I wonder how that ended up being 58,000? Did they originally plan something different than the bleachers that were eventually used? Were the end zone bleachers (now gone) ultimately made larger than planned? I have been told in the past, but never seen in print, that originally the areas directly under the upper decks were going to be left vacant for the eventual construction of boxes; perhaps the seats put there account for some or all of the 8,000 seat discrepancy?

Anyone with knowledge or memory of any of this, I'd be interested to hear from you.
The sideline grandstands are 50,000. That was the capacity the first season of Commonwealth as there were no endzone stands in 1973. For 1974, they brought the old Stoll Field endzone stands over to get to 58,000. They they stayed until the endzones were bowled in.

[gerntz]

Brian McCat wrote: The Old School JPS wrote:
"planned 50,000 seating capacity" - I wonder how that ended up being 58,000? Did they originally plan something different than the bleachers that were eventually used? Were the end zone bleachers (now gone) ultimately made larger than planned? I have been told in the past, but never seen in print, that originally the areas directly under the upper decks were going to be left vacant for the eventual construction of boxes; perhaps the seats put there account for some or all of the 8,000 seat discrepancy?

It's also interesting that they said 50,000, expandible to 70,000.

Ánd now, Jerry Claiborne Stadium can hold 78,000- the discrepancy lives on!
JCF's seating capacity is 67K & change. Record attendance is just over 71K.

[The Old School JPS]

jwade wrote: I've got a book entitled University of Kentucky Football Facts 1974. I think it's a forerunner to the modern media guide. It says, "...the new facility has a capacity of 50,000 sideline seats, with end zone bleachers swelling the total to 58,000." It refers to the sections between the upper and lower decks, press box side, as being "private booths" and "VIP booths."

Jim


That and gertz's post seem to wrap up the 50,000 to 58,000 discrepancy.

How about this issue with the sections at the top of the lower level, under the upper level?Were the original plans for that area changed during construction? If so, for what reasons, and did it alter the total number of seats by very much?