Movie Gallery Stadium
Encyclopedia
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a stadium
in Troy, Alabama
. It is primarily used for American football
, and is the home field of the Troy University
Trojans.
Veterans Memorial Stadium opened in 1950. Originally dedicated to the TSTC students and Pike County
residents who had died in World War II
, the stadium solely consisted of a small, 5,000-seat grandstand on the west side of the running track, and was built into the natural slope of the ground. It was expanded several times, including the addition of upper deck in 1998 that brought capacity up to 17,500, before the most recent renovation was carried out for completion in 2003, the season which saw the Trojans make the move to Division I-A. The old press box area, which had cut into the 1998 upper deck, was filled in and a larger press box and luxury box area was added behind the now completed upper deck. The track was removed and the field was lowered, and permanent seating was placed over the old berm area behind the south grandstand. The now-30,000 seat stadium is a flattened "U" shape, with the north end still open. The natural grass surface was replaced with AstroPlay synthetic grass.
Costs for the 1998 expansion of the stadium were financed in part by a substantial donation from HealthSouth
founder Richard M. Scrushy
. The playing field (but not the stadium) was renamed for Scrushy, but this became a public relations
problem for Troy when Scrushy was forced out of his position due to alleged financial misdeeds at HealthSouth, for which he was later tried, but acquitted. (Scrushy was later convicted of other unrelated crimes, along with former Alabama
governor
Don Siegelman
; those convictions are currently under appeal.)
Construction costs for the latest expansions were financed in part by the sale of naming rights
to the video rental chain Movie Gallery
. Because of this, Scrushy's name is no longer on the field. Movie Gallery's name was removed after the company filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2010, at which point the venue reverted to its original name.
The stadium hosted the last Blue-Gray Football Classic
in 2003 before the game was cancelled by the Lions Club of Montgomery, Alabama due to the lack of a title sponsor. The largest crowd to see a Troy football game in Veterans Memorial Stadium was 26,574 on September 9, 2004, when the Trojans hosted Missouri.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in Troy, Alabama
Troy, Alabama
Troy is a city in Pike County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,003. Troy experienced a growth spurt of over 4,000+ people since 2000. The city is the county seat of Pike County....
. It is primarily used for American football
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...
, and is the home field of the Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
Trojans.
Veterans Memorial Stadium opened in 1950. Originally dedicated to the TSTC students and Pike County
Pike County, Alabama
Pike County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of General Zebulon Pike, of New Jersey, an explorer who led an expedition to southern Colorado and discovered Pikes Peak in 1806. As of 2010 the population was 32,899. Its county seat is Troy.- History :In 1819 the State...
residents who had died in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the stadium solely consisted of a small, 5,000-seat grandstand on the west side of the running track, and was built into the natural slope of the ground. It was expanded several times, including the addition of upper deck in 1998 that brought capacity up to 17,500, before the most recent renovation was carried out for completion in 2003, the season which saw the Trojans make the move to Division I-A. The old press box area, which had cut into the 1998 upper deck, was filled in and a larger press box and luxury box area was added behind the now completed upper deck. The track was removed and the field was lowered, and permanent seating was placed over the old berm area behind the south grandstand. The now-30,000 seat stadium is a flattened "U" shape, with the north end still open. The natural grass surface was replaced with AstroPlay synthetic grass.
Costs for the 1998 expansion of the stadium were financed in part by a substantial donation from HealthSouth
HealthSouth
HealthSouth Corporation , based in Birmingham, Alabama, is the nation’s largest owner and operator of inpatient rehabilitative hospitals. Operating in 26 states across the country and in Puerto Rico, HealthSouth serves patients through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals , outpatient...
founder Richard M. Scrushy
Richard M. Scrushy
Richard Marin Scrushy is an American business man and founder of HealthSouth Corporation, a global healthcare company based in Birmingham, Alabama....
. The playing field (but not the stadium) was renamed for Scrushy, but this became a public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
problem for Troy when Scrushy was forced out of his position due to alleged financial misdeeds at HealthSouth, for which he was later tried, but acquitted. (Scrushy was later convicted of other unrelated crimes, along with former Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Don Siegelman
Don Siegelman
Don Eugene Siegelman is an American Democratic Party politician who held numerous offices in Alabama. He was the 51st Governor of Alabama for one term from 1999 to 2003...
; those convictions are currently under appeal.)
Construction costs for the latest expansions were financed in part by the sale of naming rights
Naming rights
In the private sector, naming rights are a financial transaction whereby a corporation or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, typically for a defined period of time. For properties like a multi-purpose arena, performing arts venue or an athletic field, the term ranges from three...
to the video rental chain Movie Gallery
Movie Gallery
Movie Gallery, Inc. was the second largest movie and game rental company in the United States, behind Blockbuster Video. The company rented and sold Blu-ray Discs, DVDs, VHS tapes, and video games...
. Because of this, Scrushy's name is no longer on the field. Movie Gallery's name was removed after the company filed for bankruptcy and ceased operations in 2010, at which point the venue reverted to its original name.
The stadium hosted the last Blue-Gray Football Classic
Blue-Gray Football Classic
The Blue–Gray Football Classic was an annual American college football all-star game held in Alabama usually on Christmas Day. It was begun in 1939 and held annually through 2001 at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama. The game was not contested in 2002 and was subsequently revived in 2003 in...
in 2003 before the game was cancelled by the Lions Club of Montgomery, Alabama due to the lack of a title sponsor. The largest crowd to see a Troy football game in Veterans Memorial Stadium was 26,574 on September 9, 2004, when the Trojans hosted Missouri.