Kidd Brewer Stadium
"The Rock"

"The Rock" in 2017
Kidd Brewer Stadium is located in North Carolina
Kidd Brewer Stadium
Kidd Brewer Stadium
Location in North Carolina
Kidd Brewer Stadium is located in the United States
Kidd Brewer Stadium
Kidd Brewer Stadium
Location in the United States
Former namesConrad Stadium (1962–1988)
Location270 Stadium Dr
Boone, North Carolina 28608
Coordinates36°12′42″N 81°41′08″W / 36.21167°N 81.68556°W / 36.21167; -81.68556
Public transitAppalCart
OwnerAppalachian State University
OperatorAppalachian State University
Executive suites18
Capacity30,000 (2017–present)
24,050 (2012–16)
23,150 (2011)
21,650 (2009–2010)
20,150 (2008)
16,650 (1995–2007)
18,000 (1979–1994)
10,000 (1962–1978)[1]
Record attendance40,168
SurfaceFieldTurf (2003–present)
Astroturf (1970–2002)
Grass (1962–1969)
Construction
Broke ground1960
OpenedSeptember 15, 1962
Renovated1999, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017
Expanded1978, 1995, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011-12, 2016, 2019-20
Construction cost$32 million (2008 expansion)
ArchitectWalter Robbs Callahan and Pierce (expansions)
Tenants
Appalachian State Mountaineers (NCAA)
Football (1962–present)
Outdoor Track and Field (1962–2018)
Field Hockey (1968–2014)

Kidd Brewer Stadium is a 30,000-seat multi-purpose stadium located in Boone, North Carolina. Nicknamed "The Rock," the stadium is the home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team. Kidd Brewer stands 3,333 feet (1,016 m) above sea level. The Mountaineers boast a 263–77–5 (.770) home record at the stadium.[2]

History

College Field

College Field, an earlier venue for the college team

College Field was Appalachian State University's college football stadium in Boone, North Carolina (36°12′52″N 81°40′55″W / 36.214554°N 81.681825°W / 36.214554; -81.681825).[3] The Mountaineers played at College Field from 1928 to 1961. The Mountaineers moved across campus to the Conrad Stadium in 1962.

Conrad Stadium

Officially opened on September 15, 1962, as Conrad Stadium, in honor of former university trustee and R. J. Reynolds executive William J. Conrad, the stadium was originally constructed with 10,000 permanent seats. It became the first venue in either North or South Carolina to install artificial turf. The Mountaineers and Elon staged the first game on artificial turf in the Carolinas on October 3, 1970.[4] Seating capacity was expanded to 18,000 following the 1978 season. The stadium was the backdrop for the second college football game ever televised by ESPN as the Mountaineers played the Western Carolina Catamounts for the Old Mountain Jug in 1979.[5]

Conrad Stadium was renamed on September 3, 1988 in honor of Kidd Brewer, one of the most successful head coaches in Appalachian football history and a colorful part of North Carolina history. Brewer, a Winston-Salem native, served as head football coach of the Mountaineers from 1935 to 1938, compiling a 30–5–3 overall mark in his four seasons at the helm of the Apps. An All-American at Duke, Brewer's 1937 squad was unbeaten and unscored upon in the regular season.

Appalachian carried a 30-game home winning streak, the longest in Division I at the time, before losing to the Georgia Southern Eagles on October 20, 2007. Prior to that game, the Mountaineers' last home loss was in the first round of the playoffs, 13–14, to Maine on November 30, 2002.

Renovations

Completion of an extensive renovation and restoration project on the original 10,000 seats in 1995 readjusted the seating capacity to 16,650. A then-state-of-the-art "AppVision" video board was added in 1999 and enlarged prior to the 2001 campaign. Appalachian State was also one of the initial collegiate programs in the country to install FieldTurf at its football stadium in 2003.[6]

Following the 2006 season, the press box was removed to make way for a new 100,000-square-foot (9,290 m2) stadium complex. The complex houses state-of-the-art strength and conditioning and athletic training facilities to benefit all 20 of Appalachian's varsity sports, as well as extensive locker rooms, academic, office and meeting space for ASU student-athletes, coaches and administrators. However, the most visible element of the crown jewel of ASU athletics' $50 million facilities enhancement campaign is the addition of premium seating on the stadium's west side, in the way of 18 luxury suites, 500 club seats and spacious Yosef Club and Chancellor's Box areas.

An additional 4,400 seats were added to the east side stands prior to the 2008 season, which brought the total seating capacity to 20,150. The addition of the new seats was completed in time for the home opener against Jacksonville on September 6, 2008. Also new for 2008 was an upgraded AppVision video board which was nearly double the size of the 2001 screen.

Current

In 2009, the Kidd Brewer Stadium complex was completed prior to the home opener against McNeese State. Total seating capacity for 2009 was increased to 21,650 with the opening of the additional premium seating, which includes the 18 luxury suites and 500 club seats in the Yosef Club and Chancellor's Box areas. Prior to the 2011 season, temporary bleachers were installed behind the North Endzone. The additional 1,500 seats brought capacity to 23,150. The temporary section was further expanded prior to the 2012 season, which brought capacity to 24,050. 2013 saw small ribbon boards installed on the stadium's east and west seating areas.

In 2016, 2,500 seats were installed in the North end zone, replacing the previous bleachers, along with additional concession stands. This was done partly in preparation for a home game against the Miami Hurricanes.[7] In 2017, plans were announced for a new video board and ribbon boards to be installed in August. The new board would be around three times as large as the former screen.[8] The work was completed in time for the 2017 season. Along with the north end zone complex, 2020 also saw new FieldTurf installed and the hill behind the north end zone was regraded, bringing it closer to the field, as well as the removal of the track around the field.[9]

End zone expansion

In 2018, App State approved a new north end zone expansion, replacing Owens Field House. The building adds around 1,000 seats to the stadium. It also accommodates a wide variety of athletics and academic uses. Construction started in 2019 and finished by the Spring of 2021.[10] The North End Zone complex opened for the first home game of the 2021 season against Elon.

Largest Attendance

RankAttendanceDateGame result
140,168September 16, 2023Appalachian State 43, East Carolina 28
240,168September 3, 2022Appalachian State 61, North Carolina 63
336,075 September 2, 2023 Appalachian State 45, Gardner-Webb 24
435,126September 23, 2017Appalachian State 19, Wake Forest 20
534,658September 17, 2016Appalachian State 10, No. 25 Miami 45
634,406September 17, 2022Appalachian State 32, Troy 28
733,248 September 24, 2022 Appalachian State 28, James Madison 32
832,501 October 29, 2022 Appalachian State 42, Robert Morris 3
932,096 November 19, 2022 Appalachian State 27, Old Dominion 14
1031,757 October 20, 2022 Appalachian State 42, Georgia St. 17

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Rock Readies for Saturday's Home Opener". Appalachian Sports Information. September 5, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  2. ↑ "2021 APP STATE FOOTBALL GUIDE". Appalachian State University, accessed November 28, 2021.
  3. ↑ Homecoming Game, 1958, ASTC vs. Catawba, photo 13 Archived 2012-07-07 at archive.today
  4. ↑ Flynn, Mike (2008). 2008 Appalachian Football: Kidd Brewer Stadium (PDF). Appalachian Sports Information. p. 194. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-17. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  5. ↑ Hooker, Daniel (2008). 2008 Western Carolina Football Media Guide (PDF). WCU Media Relations Department. p. 46. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-05-23. Retrieved 2008-12-09.
  6. ↑ Scott, David (September 10, 2003). "Mountains of Praise for FieldTurf". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved December 9, 2008.
  7. ↑ "Kidd Brewer Stadium". appstatesports.com. 2014. Retrieved September 18, 2016.
  8. ↑ "New videoboards part of App State's big-picture plans".
  9. ↑ thomas.sherrill@wataugademocrat.com, Thomas Sherrill (27 November 2019). "Miller Hill to be regraded, moved closer to KBS field in 2020". Watauga Democrat. Retrieved 30 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "App State Athletics Facility Projects Approved by Board of Governors".
  • College Field - Appalachian State University Historical Photographs Collection


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