Gonzaga Stadium
| Location |
Gonzaga University Spokane, Washington (site: Foley Center Library)[1] |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 47°40′01″N 117°24′02″W / 47.667°N 117.4005°WCoordinates: 47°40′01″N 117°24′02″W / 47.667°N 117.4005°W |
| Owner | Gonzaga University |
| Operator | Gonzaga University |
| Seating type | wood bench |
| Capacity | 1922: 10,000 [2] |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 16, 1922 [3][4][5][6] |
| Opened |
October 14, 1922 [2][3] (vs. Washington State) |
| Renovated | 1931 (lights)[3][5] |
| Closed | 1947 |
| Demolished | 1949 [1] |
| Construction cost | $100,000 [2] |
| General contractor | Huetter Construction Co.[3][5] |
| Tenants | |
| Gonzaga University (multiple sports) | |
Stadium
Stadium
Gonzaga Stadium was an outdoor sports stadium in the northwest United States, located on the campus of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.[7] The home of Gonzaga Bulldogs football, it was built in five months and opened in 1922;[2][3][5][8] the first game was against Washington State on October 14, won by the Cougars with a late field goal, 10–7.[9] After the opening loss, Gonzaga was undefeated in the next ten games at the stadium, with eight wins and two ties.[8] The football field had a conventional north-south alignment at an elevation of approximately 1,900 feet (580 m) above sea level. Lights were installed in 1931,[3][5] between the field and the running track.[1]
Like many colleges, football was stopped at Gonzaga due to World War II and the last season was in 1941.[1][3] The program was not resumed after the war and the stadium seating was demolished 67 years ago in 1949.[1][3]
Gonzaga Stadium was used for city high school football until it was deemed unsafe by the city after the 1947 season.[10][11] The wooden venue hosted a professional preseason game in 1946 under the lights, between the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Dodgers of the new All-America Football Conference.[12][13] High school football moved to Ferris Field in 1948 for two years, then to the new Memorial Stadium in 1950, later named for Gonzaga alumnus Joe Albi in 1962.
The southern portion of the football field is currently occupied by the Foley Center Library.[1][14]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Then and Now: Gonzaga's former football stadium | The Spokesman-Review". Spokesman.com. 2012-04-30. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
- 1 2 3 4 "Gonzaga's new stadium is ready for opening game". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). October 13, 1922. p. 1.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Duffy, Bernard (October 24, 1965). "Life and death of the Gonzaga Stadium". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Inland Empire. p. 4.
- ↑ "Gonzaga Stadium ground broken". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). (column 6). May 16, 1922. p. 1.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Reed, Justin (September 22, 2016). "Undefeated since 1941". Gonzaga Bulletin. Retrieved October 31, 2016.
- ↑ Paul Burgarino. "Fighting Bulldog football: the ghost of autumns past - The Gonzaga Bulletin: Home". The Gonzaga Bulletin. Retrieved 2016-10-23.
- ↑
- 1 2 Weber, W. W. (November 28, 1924). "Gonzaga has lost only one of eleven games in stadium". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). p. 25.
- ↑ "Washington State Noses Out Gonzaga". Ogden Standard-Examiner. (Utah). October 15, 1922. p. 11.
- ↑ "City says stadium must be repaired". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). December 17, 1947. p. 1.
- ↑ "Historic Gonzaga Stadium finally will be "retired"". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). April 8, 1949. p. 15.
- ↑ "Top pro teams in game tonight". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). August 24, 1946. p. 9.
- ↑ "Yankees winners; may return here". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). August 26, 1946. p. 15.
- ↑ "Photograph taken from speeding airplane". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). May 13, 1939. p. 1.
External links
- Gonzaga University – Gonzaga History 1913-1940
- College Football Data Warehouse – Gonzaga Bulldogs (1920–24)