Bill Armstrong Stadium
Encyclopedia
Bill Armstrong Stadium is a 6,500-capacity soccer-specific stadium
and velodrome
located in Bloomington, Indiana
. The stadium is home to the Indiana Hoosiers
men's and women's soccer teams. It also hosted the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
in 1988, and is home to the annual Little 500
cycling race, which was featured in the 1979 Oscar
-winning movie Breaking Away
.
at Indiana University and very involved with the Little 500 and its activities each year. He can be seen in the movie Breaking Away
as the official starter of the race, saying, "Gentlemen, mount your Roadmaster bicycles."
The field was renamed in honor of six-time national champion coach Jerry Yeagley
following his retirement in 2004. Therefore, the official name of the complex is Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium, although it is still widely known as simply Armstrong Stadium.
Soccer-specific stadium
Soccer-specific stadium is a term used mainly in the United States, Canada, Australia and South Korea coined by Lamar Hunt, to refer to a sports stadium either purpose built or fundamentally redesigned for soccer and whose primary function is to host soccer matches, as opposed to a multipurpose...
and velodrome
Velodrome
A velodrome is an arena for track cycling. Modern velodromes feature steeply banked oval tracks, consisting of two 180-degree circular bends connected by two straights...
located in Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington, Indiana
Bloomington is a city in and the county seat of Monroe County in the southern region of the U.S. state of Indiana. The population was 80,405 at the 2010 census....
. The stadium is home to the Indiana Hoosiers
Indiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
men's and women's soccer teams. It also hosted the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
in 1988, and is home to the annual Little 500
Little 500
The Little 500 , is a bicycle race held annually at Bill Armstrong Stadium on the campus of Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana...
cycling race, which was featured in the 1979 Oscar
Academy Awards
An Academy Award, also known as an Oscar, is an accolade bestowed by the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers...
-winning movie Breaking Away
Breaking Away
Breaking Away is a 1979 American film. A coming of age story, it follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. It stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern , Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley...
.
History
Construction on the stadium finished in 1981, with the inaugural game on September 13 of the same year ending in a 2-1 victory for the Hoosiers. A $2.5 million renovation took place in 2001, bringing a new grass surface, scoreboard and grandstand. The 5,000-seat main stand includes a press facility with room for 50 members of the media. A later phase of the renovation included a 1,500-seat secondary stand on the north side of the field, bringing the stadium to its current capacity of 6,500.Name
This stadium is named for William S. Armstrong, Sr. who was the president of the Indiana University Foundation for many years. He was both an avid supporter of the athletic programIndiana Hoosiers
The Indiana Hoosiers are the athletic teams for the Bloomington campus of Indiana University . Athletic teams sponsored by IU Bloomington include cross country, track, baseball, golf, tennis, rowing, volleyball, soccer, football and basketball...
at Indiana University and very involved with the Little 500 and its activities each year. He can be seen in the movie Breaking Away
Breaking Away
Breaking Away is a 1979 American film. A coming of age story, it follows a group of four male teenagers in Bloomington, Indiana, who have recently graduated from high school. It stars Dennis Christopher, Dennis Quaid, Daniel Stern , Jackie Earle Haley, Barbara Barrie and Paul Dooley...
as the official starter of the race, saying, "Gentlemen, mount your Roadmaster bicycles."
The field was renamed in honor of six-time national champion coach Jerry Yeagley
Jerry Yeagley
Jerry Yeagley was the coach of the Indiana University men's soccer team from 1973 to 2003. His teams won six NCAA Championships and a Division I record 544 games...
following his retirement in 2004. Therefore, the official name of the complex is Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium, although it is still widely known as simply Armstrong Stadium.