Bowers Stadium
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620 Bowers Boulevard
Map | News | ID#:
Timeline
| Sep. 13, 1986 |
First home game at Bearkat Stadium |
| 1989 |
Renamed Bowers Stadium |
| Sep. 24, 1994 |
Largest crowd in history (16,148) [4, 5] |
| May 2007 |
RealGrass turf installed |
Namesake
Elliott T. Bowers
Architect
Unknown
Contractor(s)
Unknown
Links
While games were played west of campus at Pritchett Field, the land east of campus was populated with trees. Lots of 'em.
By the 1970s the university was pushing eastward with the land across Avenue H from the University Library (middle left) still undeveloped.
The 1984 Alcalde has a four-photograph spread of the past, present, and future of Bearkat Football. This rendition of the future shows a stadium that will seat "10,000 to 12,000 people." It also notes "other than the playing field will be a track" and that "parking facilities will also be added." It seems from the graphic that the north endzone had a tunnel.
An image from the 1985 Alcalde - where it too says the stadium will "seat up to 12,000 people."
An aerial from 1985 of the stadium under construction.
By 1990 - more or less when this photograph was taken - the stadium was complete and a popular destination for football.
An aerial photograph of the stadium from the mid-1990s - and possibly the record-setting September 1994 game against Alcorn State. Or second-largest crowd from the October 1994 game against Alcorn State. Or just some game with a lot of people there [3,4,5].
Sources
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Bowers Stadium is part of the Athletics Complex on the eastern edge of campus at the intersection of Bowers Boulevard and Sycamore Avenue. It is home to both the SHSU football and track programs. Structures associated with the stadium include:
Prior to this location football games and other campus-wide events were held at Pritchett Field.
Originally named Bearkat Stadium, the venue opened on September 13, 1986 with a 23-6 victory over Montana State. The Bearkats maintained an undefeated winning streak at home that season, with the first home loss coming against Stephen F. Austin State University (10-17) in 1988.
The stadium seats anywhere between 12,975 [1] to 14,000 [2], with the largest capcity crowd being either:
- The NCAA Division I Semifinal game against
Montana on December 16, 2011 (12,367 in attendance, score 31-28) [3].
- The game against nationally-ranked Alcorn State on September 24, 1994 [5] (or October [3]) (score 48-23). Attendance was either "16,148 (the largest crowd ever to witness a sports event in Huntsville)" [4], or "12,148" [3].
The stadium also hosts Huntsville Hornet high school games and other UIL high school playoff games each season, as well as regional track and field events.
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