Kroger Field

Kroger Field, formerly known as Commonwealth Stadium, is a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, located on the campus of the University of Kentucky that primarily serves as the home field for the Kentucky Wildcats football team. The stadium is located at the corner of Alumni Drive and University Drive in Lexington. The playing surface is named C.M. Newton Grounds in honor of retired UK athletic director and former baseball and basketball player C.M. Newton. Built in 1973, it is the newest football stadium in the Southeastern Conference, as measured by date of original construction. The original capacity for the stadium was 57,800. In the stadium's first game, played on September 15, 1973, the Wildcats defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 31–26.

Kroger Field
C. M. Newton Grounds
Exterior of the stadium
Kroger Field
Location in Kentucky
Kroger Field
Location in the United States
Former namesCommonwealth Stadium (1973–2017)
Location1540 University Drive
Lexington, Kentucky 40506
Coordinates38°1′22″N 84°30′19″W
OwnerUniversity of Kentucky
OperatorUniversity of Kentucky
Capacity61,000 (2015–present)
62,093 (2014)[1]
67,942 (2009–2013)
67,606 (2003–2008)
67,530 (1999–2002)
55,453 (1998)
57,800 (1991–1997)
56,696 (1979–1990)
58,000 (1973–1978)
SurfaceS5 Synthetic Turf (2015–present)[2]
Kentucky bluegrass (1973–2014)
Construction
Broke groundJuly 23, 1972[3]
OpenedSeptember 15, 1973[4]
Renovated2015
Expanded1999
Construction cost$12 million
($69.1 million in 2019 dollars[5])
ArchitectHNTB
RossTarrant Architects[6]
General contractorHuber, Hunt & Nichols[4]
Tenants
Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA) (1973–present)

History

Renovations

Both ends of the stadium were enclosed in 1999 and 40 suites were added, 10 in each corner of the stadium, resulting in a symmetrical oval bowl seating 67,530. The total cost of the expansion was $27.6 million. Seating adjustments over the next decade brought capacity to 67,942. During the 1999 season, Kentucky's average home attendance for football games was 67,756. Attendance for the game against Tennessee that year was 71,022, which remained the record attendance until the Wildcats' 2007 game against Florida drew 71,024. For much of the next decade, Wildcat football games frequently attracted crowds in excess of 70,000.

The University of Kentucky announced an audio and video upgrade to the stadium in July 2011. These upgrades included two LED video boards each measuring approximately 37 feet (11 m) high by 80 feet (24 m) wide (2,960 square feet), making each display the 20th-largest scoreboard in the country. Combined, the 5,920 square feet (550 m2) make the new video boards one of the largest scoreboard systems in the country. Additionally, a new custom audio system and over 1,800 linear sq/ft of video ribbon board were implemented by September 10, 2011. The approximate cost of the upgrades totaled close to $6 million.

The stadium underwent a $110 million renovation in 2015. The renovation included a new press box, loge box seats, club seats, recruiting room, suites, concourses, bathrooms, lights, and exterior facade while reducing capacity to around 61,000. The project was completed before the start of the 2015 season. It was referred to as "The New Commonwealth Stadium". On May 1, 2017, the university, along with marketing partner JMI Sports, announced the stadium's name change to Kroger Field, part of a 12-year, $1.85 million per year naming rights deal with Cincinnati-based retailer Kroger. This agreement makes the University of Kentucky the first school in the Southeastern Conference to enter into a corporate partnership for the naming rights to their football stadium.[7]

In May 2017, Kroger Field was announced as the new site for Kentucky's high school football championship games. The event was moved from Western Kentucky University's Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium due to conflicts with WKU's hosting of two recent Conference USA championship games (2015 and 2016), which led to rescheduling of high school title games on short notice. The current contract with the state's high school sports governing body, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association, will run through the 2018 season. The 2017 championships will be the first held in Lexington since 1976.[8]

Since 1999, fireworks have been shot from atop the suites whenever the Wildcats take the field, as well as after every Wildcat score and win.

Interior 2008
Exterior 2008

Stadium records
Record description Record Record holder(s) Date Opponent Final Score
Most rushing yards, game 284 yds Lynn Bowden Jr. November 30, 2019 Louisville 45–13
Most passing yards, game 528 yds Jared Lorenzen October 21, 2000 Georgia 30–32
Most receptions, game 16 Craig Yeast November 14, 1998 Vanderbilt 55–17
Most receiving yards, game 269 yds Craig Yeast November 14, 1998 Vanderbilt 55–17
Longest run from line of scrimmage 88 yds Jalen Whitlow November 2, 2013 Alabama State 48–14
Longest pass play 91 yds Buck Belue^ to Amp Arnold^ October 25, 1980 Georgia 0–27
Longest field goal 54 yds Hap Hines^ October 26, 1996 Georgia 24–17
Longest Punt 86 yds Donnie Jones^ November 9, 2002 LSU 30–33
Longest Kickoff Return 100 yds Willie Shelby^
Tyrone Prothro^
Derrick Locke		 September 22, 1973
October 9, 2004
September 19, 2009		 Alabama
Alabama
Louisville		 14–28
17–45
31–27
Longest Punt Return 84 yds Rafael Little November 18, 2006 Louisiana-Monroe 42–40
Longest Interception Return 91 yds Greg Long September 5, 1981 North Texas State 28–6
Most Points Scored 77 Kentucky September 7, 2002 UTEP 77–17
Most overtimes 7* Kentucky November 1, 2003 Arkansas 63–71
Longest winning streak 16 Florida September 14, 2019 Kentucky 21-29

^ Denotes Non-Kentucky Player
* Tied the NCAA record for most overtimes

Pregame of 2005 Kentucky vs. Auburn game.

Concerts

The stadium hosted no concerts in its first 47 years of use, whether as Commonwealth Stadium or Kroger Field. The first concert was scheduled for 2020. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the concert was rescheduled for April 24, 2021. [9]

2021
Date Main performer(s) Tour / Concert name Tickets sold Total gross

notes

April 24 [10]Chris StapletonA Concert for Kentucky[11]

See also

References
  1. "2014 Kentucky Football Media Guide" (PDF). University of Kentucky Department of Athletics. Retrieved July 28, 2014.
  2. "University of Kentucky Selects UBU Sports Synthetic Turf for Their New Stadium Improvements". UBU Sports. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
  3. "Commonwealth Stadium 35th anniversary". Kentucky Sports Network. July 28, 2008. Retrieved September 4, 2012.
  4. "Commonwealth Stadium". University of Kentucky Department of Athletics. Archived from the original on September 3, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2012.
  5. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved January 1, 2020.
  6. http://www.rosstarrant.com/
  7. Smith, Jennifer (May 1, 2017). "After 44 years, Commonwealth Stadium has a new name: Kroger Field". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
  8. "Board of Control Addresses Championship Sites for Football, Girls' Basketball, Dance" (Press release). Kentucky High School Athletic Association. May 10, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  9. Patton, Janet. "Same time next year: Chris Stapleton concert at Kroger Field rescheduled". Kentucky.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  10. Patton, Janet. "Same time next year: Chris Stapleton concert at Kroger Field rescheduled". Kentucky.com. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
  11. Stunson, Mike (October 2, 2019). "Kentuckian Chris Stapleton to headline first concert at Kroger Field in Lexington". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
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