Bounce House

Bounce House (formerly known as Bright House Networks Stadium and Spectrum Stadium) is an American football stadium located in Orlando, Florida, United States, on the main campus of the University of Central Florida. It is the home field of the UCF Knights of NCAA Division I FBS college football.

For the temporary inflatable structures and buildings, see Inflatable castle.

Bounce House
"The Bounce House"
Bounce House
Location in Florida
Bounce House
Location in the United States
Former namesBright House Networks Stadium (2007–17)[1]
Spectrum Stadium (2017–20)[2]
Location4465 Knights Victory Way
Orlando, Florida 32816
Coordinates28.6091°N 81.1924°W / 28.6091; -81.1924
Public transitUCF Transit Center,
OwnerUniversity of Central Florida
OperatorN/A
Executive suites24[3]
Capacity45,323 (2007–2014)[4]
44,206 (2015–present)[5]
Record attendance48,453 (2009)[6]
SurfaceTifway 419 Bermuda[7]
Scoreboard114 feet (35 m) x 36 feet (11 m)[3]
Construction
Broke groundMarch 22, 2006 (2006-03-22)[8][9]
OpenedSeptember 15, 2007 (2007-09-15)[10]
Renovated2014–15, 2017
Construction cost$55 million[7]
($69.8 million in 2019 dollars[11])
Architect360 Architecture[3]
General contractorWharton-Smith[3]
Tenants
UCF Knights (NCAA) (2007–present)
Florida Cup (2017–2018)
Orlando Apollos (AAF) (2019)[12]

The stadium opened in 2007 as a replacement for Camping World Stadium (then known as the Citrus Bowl) in Downtown Orlando, where the Knights had played since their inaugural season in 1979.[3] The steel and brick-clad stadium was designed by 360 Architecture and constructed in 18 months. The stadium underwent an $8 million renovation following the 2014 season. The Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership was built on the east facade of the stadium, and a party deck was added to the east stands.[13][14] Since the renovations, its seating capacity is 44,206.[5] The attendance record as of the 2019 season was 48,453 for an October 18, 2009 match-up against the Miami Hurricanes.[6] Bounce House was the home of the Orlando Apollos during the first and only 2019 season of the Alliance of American Football.

Bounce House's current name comes from the facility's longtime nickname The Bounce House, as it was found to be susceptible to considerable shaking when its crowd jumps in unison. Although it was stated that the stadium was structurally sound and that this effect would not cause long-term damage to the facility, measures were undertaken following the stadium's inaugural season to reduce these effects.

Location

Bounce House is located on the northeastern edge of UCF's 1,415-acre (573 ha) main campus, which is approximately 13 miles (21 km) northeast of Downtown Orlando and 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Daytona Beach.[15] The stadium is a part of the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village and is bordered by McCulloch Road on the north side, Knights Plaza on the west side, and Orion Boulevard on the southern and eastern sides.

To the west in Knights Plaza is the Addition Financial Arena, The Venue, John Euliano Park, and the UCF Track and Soccer Complex. Also located in Knights Plaza are The Towers residence halls, housing 2,000 UCF students, including student-athletes.[16]

History

From 1979 to 2006, the Knights played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando. Located about 15 miles (24 km) from UCF's main campus, the stadium is also the home of the Citrus Bowl game, and numerous neutral site games. By the 2000s, the stadium had fallen into a dilapidated state. School officials were dissatisfied with the condition of the facility and lack of revenue generated from games. The stadium's capacity (65,000) was considered too large for the Knights, and the location off-campus was considered a significant factor in the inability to sustain a sizeable student section. When the university approached the city about renovations and new revenue-sharing measures, they were met with resistance.[17][18][19] While the city had expressed interest in renovating the Citrus Bowl with or without UCF's support, funding was seriously in doubt. The city was in the planning stages for a new arena, new performing arts center, and "creative village", with stadium renovations seemingly taking less priority.[20][21]

In early 2005, the university abandoned the efforts to renovate the Citrus Bowl, and conducted a feasibility study to construct an on-campus stadium.[22] Along with playing in a modern facility, and generating revenue, additional motivations included drawing more students to the games, a more intimate setting, and establishing game-day traditions on campus. With UCF's main campus one of the largest in the nation, building an on-campus stadium was also seen as a way to grow the university. In December 2005, the UCF Board of Trustees approved the construction of the new on-campus stadium.[23] The facility, initially known as UCF Stadium, was hoped to be ready for the 2006 season. However, construction was delayed due to concerns from local residents regarding potentially falling property values and noise levels from the stadium.

Construction broke ground on March 22, 2006. Two months later, it was announced that the Texas Longhorns would be the first opponent for the UCF Knights in the new stadium. The game, the first of three scheduled meetings between the schools,[24] was held September 15, 2007. A sellout crowd of 45,622 saw the Knights put a scare into the Longhorns before falling 35–32.[25][26]

Drinking fountain controversy

The stadium was originally built without drinking fountains. The university argued that the building code used when the stadium was designed and approved did not require the installation of drinking fountains. However, this claim turned out to be incorrect because the 2004 Florida building code (in effect in 2005, when the UCF Board of Trustees approved the stadium design) mandated that stadiums and other public arenas must have one water fountain for every 1,000 seats, or half that number of fountains if water was also available for sale.[27]

During the inaugural game against Texas, vendors ran out of water at halftime, leading to the hospitalization of 18 people for heat exhaustion. In order to correct the issue, UCF provided a free bottle of water to each person at the next game and immediately began work to install at least 50 drinking fountains throughout the stadium in order to comply with the 2004 building code requirement.[28]

Stadium details

During construction, the stadium's naming rights were sold to cable provider Bright House Networks, naming the facility Bright House Networks Stadium. In 2016, Bright House Networks was acquired by Charter Communications; in accordance with Charter's trade name for its cable services, the facility was renamed Spectrum Stadium in April 2017.[29]

At their spring game in 2018, UCF unveiled signage on Roth Tower to commemorate its conference championships, New Year's Six/BCS bowl wins, and their "National Championship" for the 2017 season.[30]

The short-lived Alliance of American Football (AAF) included the Orlando Apollos as one of its franchises with the Apollos playing at Bounce House during its inaugural 2019 season.[31] The AAF folded in April 2019 with its first season incomplete; the University of Central Florida had failed to invoice the AAF for the lease of its stadium facilities or expenses for staff, leading media to speculate that UCF had lost more than $1 million of revenue from the deal.[32]

Panoramic view of Bounce House during its inaugural game in September 2007

Spectrum's naming rights deal on the stadium expired in 2020, and UCF was unable to secure a new naming rights deal.[2] As a result, the stadium was officially renamed Bounce House on August 1, 2020.[2]

Renovations

The stadium was designed for a planned expansion to 65,000 seats. UCF plans to begin the expansion by expanding the Roth Tower with more suites and club seating, and also adding an additional 10,000 seats in a third level on the east side of the stadium, increasing the stadium's capacity to 56,000.[33]

The capacity for the 2015 season dropped by 1,117 seats when UCF removed seats on the east sidelines to construct the "Carl Black and Gold Cabana," which includes a bar, catered barbecue, and padded seats above the bar.[34][35] In 2017, private field-level cabanas were erected in the south endzone, adjacent to the new J. & J. Rosengren Lounge.[36] In 2018, additional field-level cabanas were added to the north endzone, as well as Loge cabana tables along the top rim of the grandstands.

In 2016, UCF removed its original scoreboard, located at the north end of the stadium, and replaced it with a full LED scoreboard measuring 114 ft x 36 ft.[37] One year later, UCF replaced the stadium's original auxiliary scoreboard, located at the south end of the stadium, and replaced it with a ribbon board that measures approximately 7 by 199 feet (2.1 m × 60.7 m).[38]

In 2017, the university sued the architects and contractors that designed and constructed the stadium. Cited in the lawsuit were claims of "defects and deficiencies" which ostensibly led to "premature wear of the steel," as well as visible rust issues.[39]

Just over two weeks before the 2019 UCF football season opener, the UCF athletic department announced that the entire season-ticket allotment was sold out for the first time in school history.[40] In addition, they created a formal waiting list for season tickets, also for the first time. In the press release, UCF athletic director Danny White teased a possible expansion of Bounce House in the near future if ticket demand remains high.

Attendance records
Knights Plaza, part of the Kenneth G. Dixon Athletics Village.

The highest attendance for games played at Bounce House against the Knights have included the South Florida Bulls, the Miami Hurricanes, and the South Carolina Gamecocks.

Rank Attendance Date Game result Notes
148,543October 17, 20099 Miami 27, UCF 7
247,795November 17, 201824 Cincinnati 13, 11 UCF 38College GameDay
347,605September 28, 201312 South Carolina 28, UCF 25
447,129November 24, 2017South Florida 42, 15 UCF 49War on I-4
546,805September 6, 200817 South Florida 31, UCF 24War on I-4
646,103November 3, 2007Marshall 13, UCF 47
745,952November 29, 2013South Florida 20, 17 UCF 23War on I-4
845,671September 10, 2011Boston College 3, UCF 30
945,622September 15, 20076 Texas 35, UCF 32Inaugural game
1045,510September 14, 2019Stanford 27, UCF 45

Postseason games
Rank Attendance Date Game result Notes
145,176December 1, 2018Memphis 41, 8 UCF 56AAC Championship Game
244,128December 1, 2007Tulsa 25, UCF 44C-USA Championship Game
341,433December 2, 201716 Memphis 55, 12 UCF 62 (2OT)AAC Championship Game
441,045December 4, 2010SMU 7, UCF 17C-USA Championship Game

The "Bounce House"

The stadium is also known as "The Bounce House"[41][42][43][44] because the stadium vibrates and shakes when fans jump in unison, most notably when Zombie Nation's song "Kernkraft 400" is played.[45] While many fans like this feature, some are uneasy with the bouncing. Stadium officials claimed the stadium was structurally sound, and an independent contractor confirmed that the bouncing will not damage the stadium and shorten its expected 50–year useful life. Still, a project was begun prior to the 2008 season to reinforce the stadium superstructure and mitigate the bouncing effect.[46]

While the bouncing has been greatly reduced by the stadium reinforcements, it is still noticeable - sometimes enough to shake TV cameras during televised games. For the 2010 Conference USA Football Championship Game, ESPN set up a camera position outside of the stadium to eliminate camera bounce caused by fans.[47]

On January 28, 2020, witness at the stadium reported minor shaking and swaying from the 2020 Caribbean earthquake.[48]

When the stadium's naming rights deal with Charter Spectrum (with whom Bright House Networks had merged) ended in 2020, UCF attempted to secure a new naming rights deal with RoofClaim.com. A 15-year, $35-million naming rights deal was vetoed by the Florida Legislature, as they had previously vetoed a similar naming rights deal they attempted to secure with Florida Atlantic University for their basketball arena.[49] Anticipating that they would be unable to secure a stadium naming rights deal, UCF Athletics announced on August 5, 2020, that the stadium would officially be named the "Bounce House" for the 2020 football season.[50]

See also

References

Notes

  1. "Football Facility Now Known as Spectrum Stadium". University of Central Florida. Retrieved April 12, 2017.
  2. Murphy, Brian (August 5, 2020). "UCF's Football Stadium Has a New Name". Black and Gold Banneret. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
  3. "Bright House Stadium Bio". Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  4. "Bright House Networks Stadium". UCF Athletics Association. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  5. "2015 UCF Football Media Guide". UCF Athletics Association. Retrieved August 5, 2015.
  6. "UCF blown away 27-7 vs. Miami Hurricanes". Central Florida Future. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2009.
  7. "Bright House Networks Stadium Featured in SportsTurf Magazine". UCF Athletics Association. Archived from the original on December 2, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  8. "Tons of steel, 427 toilets in UCF's new home". Central Florida Future. July 26, 2007. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  9. "UCF Trustees Approve Financing Plan, Groundbreaking for On-Campus Football Stadium". UCF Athletics Association. December 14, 2005. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
  10. "Student support for UCF remains abysmal". Central Florida Future. September 13, 2007. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 26, 2009.
  11. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  12. Steimle, Kevin; Breech, John (April 7, 2018). "Steve Spurrier announced as first coach and Orlando first host city for Alliance of American Football". CBSSports.com. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  13. Tenorio, Paul (April 2, 2012). "UCF exploring open-air bar in Bright House Networks Stadium". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on November 10, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2012.
  14. "UCF President John Hitt eager to open Wayne Densch Student Athlete Leadership Center". Orlando Sentinel. November 21, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  15. "Facts About UCF". UCF Office of Institutional Research. Archived from the original on April 15, 2012. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  16. "UCF Men's 2009-2010 Golf Yearbook". University of Central Florida. Retrieved November 13, 2010.
  17. "UCF president John Hitt: On-campus stadium a 'godsend'". Orlando Sentinel. January 15, 2011. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  18. Badger, Emily (April 28, 2004). "Stadium upgrades key to Orlando's BCS bid (Part 1)". The Orlando Sentinel. p. D1. Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. Badger, Emily (April 28, 2004). "Stadium upgrades key to Orlando's BCS bid (Part 2)". The Orlando Sentinel. p. D5. Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. Garcia, Jason; Schmadtke, Alan (January 9, 2005). "UCF Stadium could doom Citrus Bowl (Part 1)". The Orlando Sentinel. p. A1. Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. Garcia, Jason; Schmadtke, Alan (January 9, 2005). "UCF Stadium could doom Citrus Bowl (Part 2)". The Orlando Sentinel. p. A15. Retrieved September 17, 2019 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. "UCF gets stadium feasibility study". Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  23. "UCF Trustees Approve Financing Plan, Groundbreaking for On-Campus Football Stadium". University of Central Florida Athletics Association. December 14, 2005. Retrieved December 2, 2012.
  24. "UCF Football to Face Texas in New On-Campus Stadium in 2007 - 2005 national champs will be first opponent in new stadium". UCF Athletic Association. May 9, 2006. Archived from the original on March 18, 2008. Retrieved May 9, 2006.
  25. Hightower, Kyle (September 15, 2007). "Full Up: UCF Sells Out 1st On-Campus Game". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
  26. "Horns' McCoy, Charles team up to end UCF's upset bid". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 15, 2007. Retrieved September 15, 2007.
  27. Zequeira, Claudia; Zaragoza, Luis (September 22, 2007). "Code group: UCF didn't adhere to water rules". The Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 11, 2015.
  28. "UCF To Install Water Fountains in New Stadium". WESH. Archived from the original on January 14, 2009. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
  29. "Frost: Offense had their 'best day' in Wednesday scrimmage". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved May 8, 2017.
  30. Adelson, Andrea. "UCF AD sees promise fulfilled as Knights unveil championship banner". Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  31. Kevin Steimle, John Breech and. "Steve Spurrier announced as first coach and Orlando first host city for Alliance of American Football". cbssports.com. CBS Sports. Retrieved April 7, 2018.
  32. UCF loses over $1 million in stadium agreement with Apollos, AAF April 3, 2019.
  33. "Staying on Offense: $70M Sports Projects". UCF. May 4, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2010.
  34. Rovell, Darren (January 26, 2015). "Football, with touch of beach, at UCF". ESPN.com. Retrieved January 28, 2015.
  35. "UCF's East Side Club gets a new name, new six-figure title sponsor". Orlando Sentinel. August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 10, 2015.
  36. "Rosengren Lounge, Field Cabanas Open". UCFKnights.com. August 31, 2017. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  37. "UCF Athletics bringing in larger, brighter LED screens for fall". May 18, 2016. Retrieved October 6, 2016.
  38. "Bigger Boards". ucfknights.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  39. Sanklin, Mary (September 29, 2017). "UCF sues over defects to football stadium". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
  40. "UCF Sells Out 2019 Season Ticket Allotment". UCF Athletics. August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
  41. "UCF continues to study why its football stadium bounces". Orlando Sentinel. March 8, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  42. "Bright House Networks Stadium". Stadium Journey. 2012. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  43. "UCF Stadium Bounce House". WCTV. August 2, 2008. Archived from the original on December 30, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2013.
  44. "The Miami Hurricanes Will Beat UCF If..." Bleacher Report. October 16, 2009. Archived from the original on October 17, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2010.
  45. "Jumpy Fans Worry UCF". Orlando Sentinel. November 30, 2007. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
  46. Zaragoza, Luis (August 2, 2009). "UCF to Take Bounce Out of Stadium". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 25, 2008.
  47. "C-USA Football Championship Blog". Conference USA. December 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2011.
  48. Rice, Katie (January 28, 2020). "UCF's 'Bounce House' stadium shakes after earthquake near Jamaica". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved June 16, 2020.
  49. Fischer, Bryan (February 6, 2020). "Florida politicians reportedly torpedoed UCF stadium naming rights deal". NBCSports.com. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
  50. Murphy, Brian (August 5, 2020). "UCF's Football Stadium Has a New Name". Black & Gold Banneret. Retrieved September 1, 2020.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
Citrus Bowl		 Home of the
UCF Knights
2007–present		 Succeeded by
Current
Preceded by
Citrus Bowl		 Home of the
MEAC/SWAC Challenge
2014		 Succeeded by
Citrus Bowl
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