Reser Stadium
Encyclopedia
Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium
in Corvallis
, Oregon
, United States
. on the campus of Oregon State University
. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers
of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current seating capacity
is 45,674. The FieldTurf
playing field runs northwest to southeast, at an elevation
of 240 feet (73.2 m) above sea level, with the press box above the grandstand on the southwest sideline.
(now the site of the Dixon Recreation Center), and also played as many as four games a year at Multnomah Stadium (now Jeld-Wen Field) in Portland
.
In 1948, Oregon State president August L. Strand, athletic director
Spec Keene
, and Portland businessman Charles T. Parker met to plan a replacement for Bell Field. In 1949, Parker kicked off the stadium fundraising campaign and made significant contributions of his own. In 1952, construction of the stadium began. For Parker's efforts and contributions, the completed stadium was named in his honor, and the first game was played on Homecoming
, November 14, 1953, with the Beavers defeating Washington State
7-0.
The stadium was renamed in 1999
to honor Al and Pat Reser, owners of Reser's Fine Foods
. The couple both graduated from Oregon State in 1960 and are major donors to Beavers athletics and OSU, though Al died at the age of 74 in 2010. The Parker name is still honored at Parker Plaza, located between Reser and Gill Coliseum
, the site of many pregame activities.
The stadium is located on the southwest corner of the Oregon State campus at the intersection of SW 26th Street and SW Western Boulevard in Corvallis. In addition to football, intramural and club sports also use the facility occasionally.
Reser Stadium alternates with Autzen Stadium
at the University of Oregon
in hosting the Civil War game
. Since 1954, the games in even-numbered years have been played in Corvallis, odd-numbered in Eugene
.
the Raising Reser campaign increased the seating capacity to 43,300 in 2005
with the addition of a new grandstand along the northeast sideline, with plans to reach 55,000 through three phases of renovation.
"Phase Two" of the Raising Reser project was completed between the 2006 and 2007
football seasons; it enclosed the horseshoe in the southeast end zone with continuous seating in the corners. This addition raised total seating capacity
to 45,674 and included the 80 x 30 ft. (24 x 9 m) ProStar Digital VideoPlus Display screen.
During the planned Phase Three, the upper level will extend through the southwest grandstand.
Through the 1968
season, the stadium's playing surface was natural grass. AstroTurf
was installed in 1969
, and replaced roughly every decade. In 1999
the surface was replaced with AstroTurf
12/2000; infilled FieldTurf
was installed in 2005
.
The north end zone is also home to the Valley Football Center, which houses a large weight room, offices and meeting facilities, reserved primarily for coaches and administrators within the football program.
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 Corvallis
Corvallis, Oregon
Corvallis is a city located in central western Oregon, United States. It is the county seat of Benton County and the principal city of the Corvallis, Oregon Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Benton County. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 54,462....
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. on the campus of Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers
Oregon State Beavers football
The Oregon State Beavers football team represents Oregon State University in NCAA Division I-A college football. The team first fielded an organized football team in 1893 and is currently a member of the Pacific-12 Conference. The head coach is Mike Riley, with Danny Langsdorf as the offensive...
of the Pacific-12 Conference. Originally opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, the stadium was renamed in 1999, and its current seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
is 45,674. The FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
playing field runs northwest to southeast, at an elevation
Elevation
The elevation of a geographic location is its height above a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface ....
of 240 feet (73.2 m) above sea level, with the press box above the grandstand on the southwest sideline.
History and use
From 1910 to 1953, the Beavers played their home games at Bell FieldBell Field
Bell Field, originally known as College Field , was a stadium in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. It hosted the Oregon State University Beavers football team until they moved to Parker Stadium in 1953. The stadium held 21,000 people at its peak and was opened in 1910. The stadium is named...
(now the site of the Dixon Recreation Center), and also played as many as four games a year at Multnomah Stadium (now Jeld-Wen Field) in Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
.
In 1948, Oregon State president August L. Strand, athletic director
Athletic director
An athletic director is an administrator at many American colleges and universities, as well as in larger high schools and middle schools, who oversees the work of coaches and related staff involved in intercollegiate or interscholastic athletic programs...
Spec Keene
Spec Keene
Roy S. "Spec" Keene was a football, baseball, and basketball coach at Willamette University and an athletic director at Oregon State University.-Playing career:...
, and Portland businessman Charles T. Parker met to plan a replacement for Bell Field. In 1949, Parker kicked off the stadium fundraising campaign and made significant contributions of his own. In 1952, construction of the stadium began. For Parker's efforts and contributions, the completed stadium was named in his honor, and the first game was played on Homecoming
Homecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
, November 14, 1953, with the Beavers defeating Washington State
Washington State Cougars
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams at Washington State University; the term applies to any of the school's varsity teams. Washington State University is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference, which participates in the NCAA Division I...
7-0.
The stadium was renamed in 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...
to honor Al and Pat Reser, owners of Reser's Fine Foods
Reser's Fine Foods
Reser's Fine Foods, Inc. is a United States corporation, based in Beaverton, Oregon, that manufactures and distributes fresh and frozen prepared foods. Over 1,000 products are available in the 50 U.S. states, Canada, Guam, Mexico, and areas of the Far East. Its prepared foods are sold in national...
. The couple both graduated from Oregon State in 1960 and are major donors to Beavers athletics and OSU, though Al died at the age of 74 in 2010. The Parker name is still honored at Parker Plaza, located between Reser and Gill Coliseum
Gill Coliseum
Gill Coliseum is a 10,400-seat multi-purpose arena located on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Opened in 1949, the arena is home to the Oregon State Beavers' basketball, wrestling, volleyball, and gymnastics teams. It is named after famed basketball coach Amory T...
, the site of many pregame activities.
The stadium is located on the southwest corner of the Oregon State campus at the intersection of SW 26th Street and SW Western Boulevard in Corvallis. In addition to football, intramural and club sports also use the facility occasionally.
Reser Stadium alternates with Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium
Autzen Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Located north of the University of Oregon campus, it is the home field of the Oregon Ducks of the Pacific-12 Conference. Opened in 1967, the stadium has undergone several expansions...
at the University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
in hosting the Civil War game
Civil War (college football game)
The Civil War is the colloquial name for an American college football rivalry game played annually by the Oregon Ducks football team of the University of Oregon and the Oregon State Beavers football team of the Oregon State University...
. Since 1954, the games in even-numbered years have been played in Corvallis, odd-numbered in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
Expansion and upgrades
Through the 2004 season, the official capacity of the stadium stood at 35,362. In 20032003 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....
the Raising Reser campaign increased the seating capacity to 43,300 in 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...
with the addition of a new grandstand along the northeast sideline, with plans to reach 55,000 through three phases of renovation.
"Phase Two" of the Raising Reser project was completed between the 2006 and 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...
football seasons; it enclosed the horseshoe in the southeast end zone with continuous seating in the corners. This addition raised total seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
to 45,674 and included the 80 x 30 ft. (24 x 9 m) ProStar Digital VideoPlus Display screen.
During the planned Phase Three, the upper level will extend through the southwest grandstand.
Through the 1968
1968 college football season
In the 1968 college football season, the system of "polls and bowls" changed. The Associated Press returned to its pre-1961 system of ranking the Top 20 rather than the Top 10, and voted on the national champion after the bowl games, rather than before. During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no...
season, the stadium's playing surface was natural grass. AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
was installed in 1969
1969 college football season
The 1969 college football season was celebrated as the 100th anniversary of college football. During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A"...
, and replaced roughly every decade. In 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...
the surface was replaced with AstroTurf
AstroTurf
AstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Although the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf. The original AstroTurf product was a short pile synthetic turf while the current products incorporate modern features such as...
12/2000; infilled FieldTurf
FieldTurf
FieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Calhoun, Georgia, USA. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
was installed in 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...
.
The north end zone is also home to the Valley Football Center, which houses a large weight room, offices and meeting facilities, reserved primarily for coaches and administrators within the football program.
Reser Stadium attendance records
- OSU vs. Oregon, 2010 - 46,469
- OSU vs. Oregon, 2008 – 46,319
- OSU vs. California, 2008 – 45,969
- OSU vs. Washington, 2007 – 45,629
- OSU vs. California, 2010 - 45,439
- OSU vs. Arizona State, 2010 – 45,409
- OSU vs. Washington State, 2010 - 45,389
- OSU vs. Louisville, 2010 – 45,379
- OSU vs. Washington State, 2008 – 45,289
- OSU vs. Washington, 2009 - 45,274