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RICE-ECCLES STADIUM
Rice-Eccles Stadium opened its gates on September 12, 1998 to the largest crowd ever to watch a football game in Salt Lake City. Four years later, a world-wide television audience watched another landmark event hosted by Rice-Eccles Stadium - the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games. The international media exposure during the 2002 Olympic Games allowed the world to see what Utah players, fans and opponents already knew. With its striking design, stunning mountain backdrop and panoramic views of the Salt Lake valley, Rice-Eccles Stadium is perhaps the most beautiful stadium in the country. The attendance mark set in that first football game (44,112) - a Utah victory over Louisville - has since fallen, but the merits of Rice-Eccles Stadium have not.
The 45,017-seat facility is located on the grounds previously occupied by Ute and Rice Stadiums, respectively. Robert L. Rice acquired naming rights in 1972 by contributing $1 million to renovate Ute Stadium (built in 1927). His monies went towards replacing the turf and lighting, and the creation of the Scholarship Box. Now, only the south end zone bleachers still remain of that initial major renovation. Two days after Utah concluded its 1997 season with a win over Rice, wrecking crews moved in and demolished Rice Stadium. In its place - less than 10 months later - stood Rice-Eccles Stadium, an imposing concrete, steel and glass edifice that dominates the Salt Lake skyline. The idea of a new stadium was proposed in 1996 by Utah Director of Athletics Dr. Chris Hill, who then spearheaded a massive fund-raising campaign. Hill originally envisioned the project as a three-year undertaking, before Eccles Foundation changed the plans. In May 1997, former Ute All-America skier Spence Eccles announced that the George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation would contribute $10 million to the construction of a new stadium. Once the lead gift was in place, the time table for the stadium's completion was moved up from three years to just 15 months. The total construction costs ran $50 million, of which $10 million came from private gifts, $10 million from athletics department bonding, $12 million from the University of Utah and $8 million from the 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Committee. FFKR Architects designed the project and Layton Construction began the rebuilding in June of 1997 - working around previously scheduled events like the entire 1997 Utah home football season. More than 900 construction workers and 45 sub-contractors were employed over the course of the project. Construction workers poured 30,000 cubic yards of concrete to create the footings, foundations, press box towers and bowl seating, and placed 2,470 tons of structural steel and 3.7 million pounds of rebar. The stadium's progress soon became apparent throughout the valley, especially the elevator towers on the west side, which were poured continuously 24 hours a day for seven days, and eventually rose to a height of 177 feet (14 stories). Not long thereafter, a three-story, glass-enclosed "stadium box" connected the towers. The stadium box - encased behind a 400-square-foot expanse of tempered glass - is serviced by four high-speed elevators. Stadium box occupants are treated to sweeping views of the Wasatch Mountains to the east and downtown Salt Lake City, the Great Salt Lake and the Oquirrh Mountains to the west. Three spacious, sun-splashed levels are supported by the twin towers. Level 4 contains the Cleone and Spence Eccles Scholarship Box, which seats 450 and features indoor-outdoor seating, as well as eight suites. Level 5, the Mezzanine, boasts another 17 suites. The suites have a roomy, comfortable seating area and are equipped with televisions and refrigerators. They overlook the field behind a 10-foot-high glass wall. Level 6 features the Varsity Reception Room, which seats 400, as well as the John Mooney Working Press Area, named in honor of the late Ute football writer and Salt Lake Tribune sports editor. Three rows of press seating serve to accommodate more than 100 media representatives. Other features of Level 6 are two television booths, three radio booths (including the Bill Marcroft Radio Booth, named after the former "Voice of the Utes"), public address and scoreboard operator rooms, a copy/photography/statistics area and a kitchen. The roof, which can hold up to 200 television cameras, is accessed from this level. Upgrades have continued in recent years. In June 2003, Larry H. and Gail Miller donated $1.6 million for a video display system and new scoreboards. The video display board in the south end zone measures 22-feet-7-inches by 38-feet. The ProStar VideoPlus LED display provides live video of game action, instant replays and graphics. Including the scoreboard display and sponsor panels, the complete south end zone video display system measures 44 by 58 feet. A new LED board measuring 200-feet-long by 4-feet high was installed at the top of the north end zone stands in time for the 2007 home season. The $500,000 board (funded by Utah Sports Properties) encourages fan participation with its display of special graphics and effects, player head shots and noise meters. The stadium floor has also changed with the times and new turf will be installed prior to the 2009 season. FieldTurf, a synthetic product that feels and plays like natural grass but is much more durable and weather resistant, was installed in 2002. The Utes played on natural grass in 2000 and 2001 after experimenting with SportGrass (a hybrid natural grass and artificial turf) from 1995-99. From 1972-95, Rice Stadium utilized AstroTurf. Utah's home field record on the various surfaces follows: 237-109-15 on grass, 76-44-1 on artificial turf, 18-10-0 on SportsGrass and 27-7 on FieldTurf. The south end zone bleachers, built in 1982, house the locker rooms, the Gary L. Crocker Stadium Club suite and a band room. The plaza behind the south end zone was renovated as Olympic Cauldron Park and dedicated on August 21, 2003. The 2002 Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games' memorial contains the original cauldron that held the Olympic flame during the games; a 6,000-square-foot visitor center with a gallery, theater and ticket office; and Hoberman Arch, the famed backdrop for the awards ceremonies held downtown during the Olympics. Hoberman Arch is 75 feet long, 40 feet high and five feet wide. The larger stadium has allowed Ute officials to craft an impressive non-conference home schedule that has included teams like UCLA, Arizona, Washington State, California, Oregon, Texas A&M, Louisville and North Carolina. With the high profile opponents have come new attendance marks. Eleven standing-room only crowds have exceeded Rice-Eccles Stadium's official capacity of 45,017. In 2003, the Utes beat California 31-24 before a school-record 46,768 fans and an ESPN national television audience. The 2004 Utes came close to filling the stadium every game and averaged a school-record 44,112 spectators.
MWC Stadium Capacities Brigham Young Air Force San Diego State Utah TCU New Mexico UNLV Colorado State Wyoming
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RICE-ECCLES STADIUM FACTS
