- Memorial Stadium (University of Minnesota)
-
Memorial Stadium "The Brick House" 
Original entrance of Memorial Stadium, now located inside the McNamara Alumni Center.
Location University Ave SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455Broke ground March 6, 1924 Opened October 4, 1924 Closed November 21, 1981 Demolished 1992 Owner University of Minnesota Operator University of Minnesota Surface Natural grass (1977-81)
Tartan Turf (1970-76)
Natural grass (1924-69)Capacity 56,652 (1970-81)
52,809 (1924-69)Tenants Minnesota Golden Gophers (NCAA) (1924-81) Memorial Stadium, also known as the "Brick House," was an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. It was the home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team for 58 seasons, from 1924 until 1981. Before moving to Memorial Stadium in 1924, the Gophers played at Northrop Field. Starting in 1982, the Gophers played their home games in the new Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, and Memorial Stadium was demolished a decade later. After 27 seasons indoors, the Gophers returned to campus in 2009 at the new TCF Bank Stadium, a block from the site of Memorial Stadium.
Contents
History
The stadium opened on October 14, 1924. It was dedicated to 3527 students, graduates, and workers who served in World War I, which ended six years earlier. The stadium sat on approximately 11 acres (45,000 m²).
During that span the team won six national championships including three consecutive (1934-1936). The championship years were 1934, 1935, 1936, 1940, 1941, and 1960. The official capacity of the stadium during the 1970s was listed as 56,652. The stadium seated approximately 66,000 people with additional temporary bleachers, although many of the seats were far away from the field. The stadium's attendance record was 66,284, set in 1966 against Purdue on November 18th.[1]
Memorial Stadium also served as the university's track and field venue, and was an occasional back-up venue for professional football and soccer. In 1969, the NFL's Minnesota Vikings played a regular season game against the Green Bay Packers at Memorial Stadium, due to a conflict with a Minnesota Twins playoff game at Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings also played a 1971 pre-season game at Memorial. The Minnesota Kicks of the NASL played one game at Memorial Stadium, which was also their last. They played a 1981 playoff game there on September 6th against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and lost 3-0. The game was moved due to a schedule conflict with the Minnesota Twins at Met Stadium.
Memorial Stadium served as the anchor for Stadium Village, a small commercial area at the southeast portion of the Twin Cities campus.
Move to Metrodome 1982
Pressured by downtown Minneapolis business interests and athletic boosters, the school elected to move out of the stadium to the new Metrodome, about two miles (3 km) away, during the spring of 1982. Athletic director Paul Giel cited the advantages of recruiting by playing in a new NFL venue. Also, the attendance was expected to go up in the late fall with protection from harsh weather.[2] The stadium had been neglected by this time, and was badly in need of renovation.[2] New coach Lou Holtz gave an impassioned speech when the time came in 1984 to decide whether to remain at the Metrodome, and declared that "athletes want to play at the Dome."[2]
University Aquatic center
Following the move, the University of Minnesota proposed a new natatorium that would extend into the field at the open end of the horseshoe and ensure that there could be no return to Memorial Stadium. After legal challenges to halt construction of the natatorium failed, the Aquatic Center opened in 1990 and the stadium was torn down two years later. The original brick entrance arch was preserved, and when the McNamara Alumni Center was built on the same site it was installed in the interior atrium over the entrance to a small museum.
Aftermath
The move to the Metrodome proved to be disappointing in the long run, as the home games lost the charm of being on a college campus.[3] The Gophers had the lowest priority in scheduling, behind the Twins and Vikings, and had to move games if the Twins were in the baseball playoffs. The university also gave up most concession and parking revenue, although their portion of the rent was the lowest of the three Metrodome tenants.
On May 20, 2006, the Minnesota state legislature passed a bill providing funding for a new stadium on the university campus, to be named TCF Bank Stadium and completed in the fall of 2009. The original Memorial Stadium site could not be used, due to the construction of the aquatic and alumni centers. The new stadium is located about a block from where the old stadium once stood, and was designed so that the alumni center on the old site is visible through the open end of the horseshoe.
Dedication above the main entryway.Attendance
Year Total Games Season highest Average 1924 139,772 6 Illinois (35,341) 23,297 1925 193,707 7 Notre Dame (49,009) 27,672 1926 156,032 5 Michigan (58,362) 31,206 1927 166,848 5 Wisconsin (48,443) 23,126 1928 146,185 5 Chicago (53,016) 29,237 1929 204,083 6 Michigan (58,160) 34,014 1930 167,728 6 Northwestern (50,225) 27,955 1931 115,631 5 Wisconsin (48,443) 23,126 1932 113,956 5 Northwestern (52,426) 43,557 1933 164,301 6 Iowa (41,177) 27,384 1934 192,922 5 Michigan (59,362) 38,584 1935 217,785 5 Northwestern (52,426) 43,557 1936 247,653 5 Iowa (61,172) 49,531 1937 254,188 5 Notre Dame (63,237) 50,838 1938 237,000 5 Michigan (54,212) 47,400 1939 229,954 5 Northwestern (52,372) 45,991 1940 234,990 5 Michigan (61,976) 46,998 1941 239,227 5 Northwestern (61,784) 47,845 1942 231,307 6 Michigan (52,351) 38,551 1943 182,779 7 Purdue (38,709) 26,111 1944 179,979 6 Northwestern (39,997) 29,997 1945 246,931 6 Ohio State (55,789) 41,155 1946 328,003 6 Michigan (59,037) 54,667 1947 289,612 5 Purdue (61,087) 57,922 1948 308,556 5 Purdue (65,549) 61,711 1949 305,200 5 Wisconsin (63,139) 61,040 1950 267,015 5 Iowa (60,312) 53,403 1951 224,759 5 Nebraska (54,573) 45,152 1952 270,292 5 Iowa (60,376) 54,058 1953 293,313 5 Michigan (62,795) 58,663 1954 347,555 6 Iowa (65,464) 57,926 1955 305,581 5 USC (64,074) 61,116 1956 372,654 6 Iowa (64,235) 62,109 1957 314,769 5 Purdue (64,629) 62,954 1958 282,230 5 Iowa (63,726) 56,446 1959 256,039 5 Michigan (56,082) 51,208 1960 342,199 6 Iowa (65,292) 57,033 1961 361,929 6 Purdue (66,284) 60,322 1962 368,200 6 Iowa (65,061) 61,367 1963 286,797 5 Michigan (61,817) 57,759 1964 268,908 5 Iowa (62,514) 53,782 1965 302,747 6 Michigan (58,519) 50,458 1966 248,248 5 Iowa (62,631) 49,600 1967 237,798 6 Michigan State (56,334) 39,633 1968 312,806 6 USC (60,820) 52,134 1969 272,449 6 Ohio State (52,972) 45,417 1970 225,468 5 Nebraska (52,539) 45,093 1971 207,662 6 Michigan (44,412) 34,610 1972 222,079 6 Iowa (44,196) 37,013 1973 252,917 6 Nebraska (56,782) 42,153 1974 226,127 6 Ohio State (45,411) 37,688 1975 220,081 7 Wisconsin (37,578) 31,440 1976 262,878 6 Iowa (53,222) 43,813 1977 247,118 7 Michigan (44,165) 35,303 1978 231,411 6 Ohio State (52,209) 38,569 1979 241,952 6 Purdue (47,281) 40,325 1980 265,105 6 Iowa (58,158) 44,184 1981 301,248 7 Michigan (52,875) 43,035 References
- ^ Memorial Stadium Information from Gophersports.com The official athletic site of the University of Minnesota
- ^ a b c Brackin, Dennis - [Memorial Stadium: An unfair end? http://www.startribune.com/sports/gophers/55900867.html] Star Tribune, September 2, 2009
- ^ Wood, Bob ((August 1989)). Big Ten Country: A Journey Through One Football Season. William Morrow & Co. doi:--. ISBN 0-688-08922-4.
- Wood, Bob ((August 1989)). Big Ten Country: A Journey Through One Football Season. William Morrow & Co. doi:--. ISBN 0-688-08922-4.
- University of Minnesota 2006 Football Media Guide - Records
- University of Minnesota 2006 Football Media Guide - History
External links
Preceded by
Northrop FieldHome of the
Minnesota Golden Gophers football
1924–1981Succeeded by
H.H.H. MetrodomeCoordinates: 44°58′31″N 93°13′43″W / 44.9754093°N 93.228575°W
Categories:- 1924 establishments in the United States
- 1981 disestablishments
- Defunct college football venues
- Minnesota Golden Gophers football venues
- Sports venues in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Demolished sports venues in the United States
- Defunct National Football League venues
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
