Camp Randall
Stadium, built in 1917, is the home for Wisconsin's football team. The
current capacity (76,129) ranks among the nation's largest school-owned
stadiums.
>> Visit the University of Wisconsin Camp Randall web page.
-
Address
- Camp
Randall Stadium
1440 Monroe Street
Madison, Wis. 53711
- Location
- Camp Randall is located at the corner of Monroe and Regent
streets on the west side of the UW campus. (1440 Monroe Street)
The Facility - Distinguished by its impressive double-deck structure and
horseshoe design, Camp Randall Stadium has been the Badgers'
facility since its opening game on Nov. 3, 1917. It has been host
to 416 UW football games and attracted nearly 19 million fans.
Besides the field, Camp Randall houses the athletic department
offices, lounges and study areas for student-athletes, as well as
film, training and weight rooms and a display of football
memorabilia.
The Stadium is the centerpiece of Wisconsin's athletic complex.
Located on the same block on the west side of campus are the Dave
McClain Athletic Facility, the state-of-the-art indoor practice
building, and the Wisconsin Field House.
The History - Camp Randall Stadium and its grounds had a rich history prior
to its affiliation with Wisconsin athletics.
In the days before the Civil War, the site was owned by the
Wisconsin Agricultural Society, which held its annual state fair
on the grounds. When hostilities broke out in 1861, the society
gave the land to the government for a major military training
center. More than 70,000 troops attended training drills at the
Camp Randall complex.
After peace was restored nationally, the land was returned to
state fair property. The fair later moved to Milwaukee, and
Wisconsin's Civil War veterans urged the legislature to purchase
the land. In 1893, the state presented the site to the university
as a memorial athletic field.
Intercollegiate athletics began on campus in 1881, and football
joined the scene in 1889. The first games were played on the lower
part of campus. The stadium was built at its present site in 1913.
A tragic collapse of the wooden bleachers in 1915 prompted the UW
to make plans for concrete stands.
Stadium Construction - Two years later, a 10,000-seat concrete stadium was built with
a grant of $15,000 from the state legislature. The rest of the
money came from department revenues.
The first game played in the present Camp Randall Stadium was a
thrilling 10-7 homecoming victory over Minnesota in 1917. Capacity
of the structure has increased several times, jumping to 51,000 by
1951.
A revision of the seating arrangements in 1955 boosted the
capacity to 52,788. In 1958, the running track was removed, the
playing field was lowered 10 feet and capacity was increased to
63,435. A second deck on the west side was added in 1966, raising
the capacity to 77,745. Restructuring in the student section in
'94, lowered capacity to its present level of 76,129. The facility
is designed so that all seats point toward the center of the
field, providing excellent sight lines.
The Communications Center, which is one of the Midwest's best
facilities for working media, was built after the 1966 season. The
three-level structure includes areas for media, game personnel,
department officials and patrons.
Facility improvements have been continued into this decade with
the installation of an artificial turf playing field in the summer
of 1990 and a computerized scoreboard and message center added in
1992.
|
|
|
