Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
Encyclopedia
Bagwell Field at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium is the on-campus football
facility for the East Carolina
Pirates
in Greenville
, North Carolina
. The official capacity of the stadium is 50,000, making it the third largest college stadium in North Carolina. The record attendance for the stadium was on October 16, 2010 against North Carolina State University
with 50,410 in attendance. The stadium is also the site of Spring Commencement exercises for the University.
, that a new stadium will be built to replace College Stadium
. By 1962, over $280,000 was raised and Ficklen Memorial Stadium was built. The stadium was named for James Skinner Ficklen, the owner of Greenville’s E.B. Skinner Tobacco Company. Skinner was a booster of the college, and established a scholarship fund in his name. The original stadium included permanent stands on the south side, a press box, and a lighting system. Ficklen Memorial Stadium opened on September 21, 1963 with a win against Wake Forest. The original seating capacity was 10,000.
, North Carolina
. The exterior of the stadium was painted in 1970 by F.A. Miller Company. The lighting system was the next item that changed. The original lighting system was replaced with six towers outside of the stadium in 1975. The cost of the new lighting system was $450,000. L.E. Wooten company built the lighting system.
The next addition occurred two years later. The university added seats to the four corners increased the seating capacity to 35,000. This addition made Ficklen Memorial Stadium the third largest stadium in North Carolina. The expansion was funded by a 2.5 million drive in the spring of 1977. The three-story press box which is currently in use was built during that expansion. The press box had space for 92 writers and an entire floor for electronic media. Lastly, scoreboard with a lightbank message center was placed on the east end of the stadium. The playing surface was redone in 1983. A new drainage system, new base of gravel and sand, new treated topsoil, and a new grass—Tifton 419 Hybrid Bermuda were all installed. A new sound system was built in 1988.
Ronald and Mary Ellen Dowdy of Orlando
, Florida
, donated one million dollars during a fund-raising drive in 1994. Because of this donation, Ficklen Memorial Stadium was renamed Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. Also that year the roads were improved around the stadium. A year later, Al and Debbie Bagwell of Lake Gaston
, Virginia
donated to the East Carolina Educational Foundation. Because of this donation, the field inside the stadium was named Bagwell Field.
The upper deck on the north side was completed in 1998. It increased the capacity to 40,000. This was the first seating capacity increase since 1977. A year later the club level on the north side was completed. It added 3,000 seats to the total capacity. During the expansion of the upper deck and club level, the press box received improvements. In 1999, a $2 million scoreboard was built in the east endzone. Also that year a Pirate sculpture was dedicated in the southeast area of the stadium. The three-ton bronze sculpture is over 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. Irwin Belk gave the sculpture to the school. Jodi Hollnagel, a faculty member of the School of Art created the sculpture.
. The 52475 square feet (4,875.1 m²) strength and conditioning, banquet rooms, sport memorabilia, and an academic enhancement center building was named for Pete and Lynn Murphy of Rose Hill
, North Carolina
.
to plan a new pressbox and upper deck on the south side of the stadium. This expansion will increase seating to 58,000.
Thundering Herd
lost a game 17-14 to the Pirates at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium, which ended with Marshall quarterback
Ted Shoebridge controversially being called for intentional grounding
on the last play of the game. Later that evening, while on approach to Huntington
Tri-State Airport
, the Marshall football team's plane, which had been chartered to transport the Thundering Herd to and from Greenville, crashed, killing all seventy-five people on board.
On December 11, 2006, a plaque
was erected at the visitors' entrance to Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. It depicts the memorial fountain on the Marshall University campus.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
facility for the East Carolina
East Carolina University
East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, engaged doctoral/research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statute and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina, the university is the largest institution of higher learning in...
Pirates
East Carolina Pirates
The East Carolina Pirates are the intercollegiate sports teams representing East Carolina University in Greenville, North Carolina. All varsity-level sports teams sponsored by the university compete in NCAA Division I as a member of Conference USA...
in Greenville
Greenville, North Carolina
Greenville is the county seat of Pitt County and principal city of the Greenville, North Carolina metropolitan area. Greenville is the health, entertainment, and educational hub of North Carolina's Tidewater and Coastal Plain and in 2008 was listed as the Tenth Largest City in North Carolina...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The official capacity of the stadium is 50,000, making it the third largest college stadium in North Carolina. The record attendance for the stadium was on October 16, 2010 against North Carolina State University
2010 NC State Wolfpack football team
The 2010 NC State Wolfpack Football Team represented North Carolina State University in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Wolfpack, led by head coach Tom O'Brien, played their home games at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, North Carolina and were members of the Atlantic division...
with 50,410 in attendance. The stadium is also the site of Spring Commencement exercises for the University.
Original construction
The initiative to build a new stadium was announced on October 7, 1961. On that day, President Leo Jenkins announced to a meeting of boostersBoosterism
Boosterism is the act of "boosting," or promoting, one's town, city, or organization, with the goal of improving public perception of it. Boosting can be as simple as "talking up" the entity at a party or as elaborate as establishing a visitors' bureau. It is somewhat associated with American small...
, that a new stadium will be built to replace College Stadium
College Stadium
College Stadium was the stadium for the East Carolina Pirates football team. It was built in 1949 for $25,000. The facility sat 2,000 spectators. The complex was razed in 1962 once Ficklen Memorial Stadium was built...
. By 1962, over $280,000 was raised and Ficklen Memorial Stadium was built. The stadium was named for James Skinner Ficklen, the owner of Greenville’s E.B. Skinner Tobacco Company. Skinner was a booster of the college, and established a scholarship fund in his name. The original stadium included permanent stands on the south side, a press box, and a lighting system. Ficklen Memorial Stadium opened on September 21, 1963 with a win against Wake Forest. The original seating capacity was 10,000.
Early expansions
The north side permanent seating was constructed in 1967 and 1968, increasing the capacity of the stadium to 20,000. The seats were designed by W.M. Freeman Associates from High PointHigh Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. The exterior of the stadium was painted in 1970 by F.A. Miller Company. The lighting system was the next item that changed. The original lighting system was replaced with six towers outside of the stadium in 1975. The cost of the new lighting system was $450,000. L.E. Wooten company built the lighting system.
1990s expansions
In 1991, $1.6 million in renovations and repairs was done to the stadium.Ronald and Mary Ellen Dowdy of Orlando
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, donated one million dollars during a fund-raising drive in 1994. Because of this donation, Ficklen Memorial Stadium was renamed Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. Also that year the roads were improved around the stadium. A year later, Al and Debbie Bagwell of Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston
Lake Gaston is a hydroelectric reservoir in east United States of America. Part of the lake is in the North Carolina counties of Halifax, Northampton, and Warren. The part extending into Virginia lies in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
donated to the East Carolina Educational Foundation. Because of this donation, the field inside the stadium was named Bagwell Field.
The upper deck on the north side was completed in 1998. It increased the capacity to 40,000. This was the first seating capacity increase since 1977. A year later the club level on the north side was completed. It added 3,000 seats to the total capacity. During the expansion of the upper deck and club level, the press box received improvements. In 1999, a $2 million scoreboard was built in the east endzone. Also that year a Pirate sculpture was dedicated in the southeast area of the stadium. The three-ton bronze sculpture is over 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. Irwin Belk gave the sculpture to the school. Jodi Hollnagel, a faculty member of the School of Art created the sculpture.
Murphy Center construction
The $13 million Murphy Center was dedicated on September 13, 2002. It was built in the west endzone of the stadium. It connects the stadium to Williams Arena at Minges ColiseumWilliams Arena at Minges Coliseum
Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum is multi-purpose arena in Greenville, North Carolina, USA. The arena opened in 1968. It is home to the East Carolina University Pirates men's and women's basketball teams. The facility underwent a complete renovation in the 1990s and currently seats 8,000 people...
. The 52475 square feet (4,875.1 m²) strength and conditioning, banquet rooms, sport memorabilia, and an academic enhancement center building was named for Pete and Lynn Murphy of Rose Hill
Rose Hill, North Carolina
Rose Hill is a town in Duplin County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2000 census.Rose Hill claims to be the home of the world's largest frying pan.-Geography:Rose Hill is located at ....
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
.
2009-2010 expansion
The next expansion began in December 2009. The expansion included removing the scoreboard located in the east end zone. Seven thousand seats were built in its place. The seats connect the north and south sides in a horseshoe pattern. Those seats increased the capacity to 50,000. Restroom and concession stands were built under the new section. Above the east end zone, a new scoreboard was built. The high-definition scoreboard is 88 feet (26.8 m) wide and a little over 28 feet (8.5 m) tall. The LED portion is 84 feet (25.6 m) wide. This makes the new scoreboard the 22nd largest scoreboard in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision. On the north and south sides of the stadium, 10,200 chair-back seats were installed. Lastly, another scoreboard was built on the west end zone in front of the Murphy Center. The total cost of the expansion was $20 million.Future expansion
East Carolina has received permission from the North Carolina General AssemblyNorth Carolina General Assembly
The North Carolina General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of North Carolina. The General Assembly drafts and legislates the state laws of North Carolina, also known as the General Statutes...
to plan a new pressbox and upper deck on the south side of the stadium. This expansion will increase seating to 58,000.
Marshall University plane crash
On November 14, 1970, the visiting Marshall UniversityMarshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
Thundering Herd
Marshall Thundering Herd
The Marshall Thundering Herd are the intercollegiate athletic teams that collectively represent the Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Thundering Herd athletic teams compete in Conference USA, which are members of the NCAA Division I...
lost a game 17-14 to the Pirates at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium, which ended with Marshall quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Ted Shoebridge controversially being called for intentional grounding
Intentional grounding
In gridiron football, intentional grounding is when a quarterback throws an incomplete pass toward an area of the field where there is clearly no eligible receiver. The penalty usually results in the loss of a down as well as 10 yards...
on the last play of the game. Later that evening, while on approach to Huntington
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
Tri-State Airport
Tri-State Airport
Tri-State Airport , also known as Milton J. Ferguson Field, is a public-use airport in Wayne County, West Virginia, United States. The airport is located three nautical miles south of the central business district of Huntington, West Virginia, near the cities of Ceredo and Kenova...
, the Marshall football team's plane, which had been chartered to transport the Thundering Herd to and from Greenville, crashed, killing all seventy-five people on board.
On December 11, 2006, a plaque
Commemorative plaque
A commemorative plaque, or simply plaque, is a plate of metal, ceramic, stone, wood, or other material, typically attached to a wall, stone, or other vertical surface, and bearing text in memory of an important figure or event...
was erected at the visitors' entrance to Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium. It depicts the memorial fountain on the Marshall University campus.
List of average attendance
| Year | Total attendance | Average attendance | Rank | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on Thursday, September 2, 2010. The season progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game on Monday, January 10, 2011.-Rule changes for... |
297,987 | 49,665 | 44 | |
| 2009 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on September 2, 2009, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2010, featuring the... |
292,191 | 41,742 | 57 | |
| 2008 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 28, 2008, progressing through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in Miami Gardens, Florida on January 8, 2009, where the #2... |
210,080 | 42,016 | 56 | |
| 2007 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season The 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season, or the college football season, began on August 30, 2007, progressed through the regular season and bowl season, and concluded with the Bowl Championship Series National Championship Game in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 7, 2008, where the top... |
249,219 | 41,537 | 56 | |
| 2006 | 223,006 | 37,168 | 63 | |
| 2005 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2005 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the least amount of controversy surrounding the Bowl Championship Series title game in many years.To an extent it was a return to classic football... |
165,230 | 33,046 | 70 | |
| 2004 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss... |
153,418 | 30,684 | 71 | |
| 2003 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2003 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with an abundance of controversy, resulting in a split national championship. This was the first split title since the inception of the BCS, something the BCS intended to eliminate.... |
198,073 | 33,012 | 68 | |
| 2002 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning... |
148,144 | 29,629 | 67 | |
| 2001 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis... |
186,875 | 37,375 | 58 | |
| 2000 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season The 2000 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Oklahoma Sooners claiming their first national championship and their first conference championship since the departure of head coach Barry Switzer.... |
217,742 | 36,290 | 61 | |
| 1999 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1999 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State named national champions, defeating Virginia Tech in the BCS Sugar Bowl.Florida State became the first team in history to start out preseason #1 and remain there through the entire season. Their 12-0 season gave them 109 victories in the... |
294,255 | 42,036 | 49 | |
| 1998 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first of the Bowl Championship Series, which saw Tennessee win the national championship, one year after star quarterback Peyton Manning left for the NFL... |
158,716 | 31,743 | 64 | |
| 1997 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season, play of college football in the United States organized by the National Collegiate Athletic Association at the Division I-A level, began in late summer 1997 and culminated with the major bowl games in early January 1998. The national championship was... |
164,375 | 32,875 | - | |
| 1996 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped.... |
146,324 | 29,265 | - | |
| 1995 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1995 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Alliance and was a relatively calm year compared to the early 1990s.Tom Osborne led Nebraska to its second straight national title with a victory over Florida in the Fiesta Bowl.... |
151,889 | 30,378 | - | |
| 1994 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1994 NCAA Division I-A football season saw yet another controversial finish as both Nebraska and Penn State finished undefeated, and yet Penn State finished a distant second in the final AP and UPI polls. The controversial finish, however, could have been an even worse morass if not for some... |
159,805 | 31,961 | - | |
| 1993 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned national champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl... |
134,482 | 26,896 | - | |
| 1992 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1992 NCAA Division I-A football season was the first year of the Bowl Coalition, and ended with Alabama's first national championship in thirteen years—their first since the departure of Bear Bryant... |
164,068 | 32,814 | - | |
| 1991 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1991 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split champion for the second consecutive season. Both the Miami Hurricanes and the Washington Huskies finished the season undefeated and with the top ranking in a nationally recognized poll... |
160,108 | 32,022 | - | |
| 1990 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season The 1990 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship and the ensuing controversy led to the creation of the Bowl Coalition, a precursor to the Bowl Championship Series. The title was split between the Colorado Buffaloes and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets... |
143,285 | 28,657 | - |
Top fifteen attended games
| Attendance | Opponent | Date | Score | Reference | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50,610 | October 1, 2011 | L, 20-35 | ||
| 2 | 50,410 | October 16, 2010 | W, 33-27OT | ||
| 3 | 50,345 | November 5, 2011 | L, 28-48 | ||
| 4 | 50,277 | November 19, 2011 | W, 38-31 | ||
| 5 | 50,191 | November 6, 2010 | L, 35-76 | ||
| 6 | 50,145 | October 23, 2010 | W, 37-10 | ||
| 7 | 50,092† | November 20, 1999 | W, 23-6 | ||
| 8 | 50,023 | September 24, 2011 | W, 28-23 | ||
| 9 | 50,010 | September 5, 2010 | W, 51-49 | ||
| 10 | 49,410 | October 29, 2011 | W 34-13 | ||
| 11 | 49,404 | September 10, 2011 | L, 10-17 | ||
| 12 | 49,108 | November 26, 2010 | L, 38-45OT | ||
| 13 | 48,123 | September 11, 2010 | W, 49-27 | ||
| 14 | 45,123 | September 7, 2000 | L, 28-45 | ||
| 15 | 44,040† | October 11, 2003 | L, 17-28 | ||