Veterans Memorial Stadium (La Crosse)
Encyclopedia
Veterans Memorial Stadium is a stadium
in La Crosse, Wisconsin
. It is primarily used for American football
and track and field
, and is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Eagles". Veterans Memorial Stadium seats around 6,200 in the main grandstand and upon completion of the visitor's side, a total of 10,000. The 10-lane, 400 meter track complex has hosted several NCAA championships and continues to host the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
track and field championships every June. The stadium complex also houses the Veterans Hall of Honor meeting room.
had used the facilities for their summer practice and the university would be interested in attracting another NFL team to the campus.
This expansion will increase seating to around 10,000, improve Harring field and the surrounding track, and provide additional athletic fields for soccer and intramural sports.
The expansion, which has an estimated cost of about $14.5 million, began with demolition of the previous stadium in June 2008. The field and track was completed in September 2008, with the entire project scheduled to be finished September 2009.
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 La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
. 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 track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
, and is the home field of the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse "Eagles". Veterans Memorial Stadium seats around 6,200 in the main grandstand and upon completion of the visitor's side, a total of 10,000. The 10-lane, 400 meter track complex has hosted several NCAA championships and continues to host the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association
The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is the regulatory body for all high school sports in Wisconsin. Its history dates to 1895, making it the first high school athletic organization in the country...
track and field championships every June. The stadium complex also houses the Veterans Hall of Honor meeting room.
Planned expansion
Veterans Memorial Complex is being expanded to attract and retain large events such as the WIAA state track meet, and to have fields and associated structures that will support both UW–La Crosse athletic and recreational activities and community events and programs. In the past, the New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
had used the facilities for their summer practice and the university would be interested in attracting another NFL team to the campus.
This expansion will increase seating to around 10,000, improve Harring field and the surrounding track, and provide additional athletic fields for soccer and intramural sports.
The expansion, which has an estimated cost of about $14.5 million, began with demolition of the previous stadium in June 2008. The field and track was completed in September 2008, with the entire project scheduled to be finished September 2009.
Stadium
- Provide seating capacitySeating capacitySeating 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...
of 10,000 split between the main stadium structure and a “visitors side” seating section. - Develop facilities within the stadium for ticketing, and public restrooms.
- Develop space below the stadium seating for a student fitness center.
- Install new lighting in stadium.
- Develop facilities within the stadium for concessions, press box, chancellorChancellorChancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
’s box, corporate viewing boxes filming platform, etc. - Develop space below stadium seating for functions such as athletic training, classrooms, locker rooms, climate controlled storage, etc.
Track
- Construct a new, 9-lane (48”) lighted track with rubberized surface that meets all NCAA and WIAAWisconsin Interscholastic Athletic AssociationThe Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association is the regulatory body for all high school sports in Wisconsin. Its history dates to 1895, making it the first high school athletic organization in the country...
guidelines for competition track facilities. Utilize a “broken-back” style track layout to achieve faster competition track and to afford ample infield space for field events. - Incorporate long jump, triple jump, and pole vault within the field on the east (“visitors”) side of the football field. In corporate high jump into the south D-zone.
- Centrally locate the hammer throw, discus and javelin near the stadium complex area with permanent runways and throwing pads and cages.
Harring Field
- Install new synthetic playing surface within the stadium. This will allow unlimited use of the field and it will also reduce the required number of football practice fields.
- Develop one natural turf football practice field immediately adjacent to the stadium to accommodate coordinated, simultaneous practice on both the synthetic and the natural turf fields.
Soccer
- Provide a minimally crowned, irrigated and lighted 225’x360’ natural turf competition field oriented north-south.
- Provide an irrigated and lighted natural turf half-size practice field adjacent to the competition field.
- Provide spectator seating with an approximate capacity of 300 seats.
- Install permanent press facilities, scorers table, score board and public address system. Also provide team benches opposite of the spectator seating.
Student Recreation
- Develop permanent, lighted student recreation fields on north end of Memorial Fields complex.