2011 VSU Football
Rogers Stadium “Home of the Trojans”
The Virginia State University football team has called Rogers Stadium home since the 1950 season. At 13,500 seats, Rogers Stadium is the largest football stadiums in NCAA Division II and in the CIAA. In addition to football, the CIAA Track and Field Championships are held every year in Rogers Stadium. Opened in 1950, and originally called the VSU Athletic Field, the stadium replaced Rogers Field, where the Trojans had played football since the formation of the formal team in 1902. The stadium was christened Rogers Stadium in 1951. The stadium is named in honor of William A. Rogers (at right), the first coach of the Trojans’ football team. VSU won the opening game in Rogers Stadium when the Trojans downed Bluefield State 25-7 on September 30, 1950. Booker Bradshaw scored the first touchdown in the history of the new stadium. Top 10 Rogers Stadium Crowds A record crowd of 32,000 packed Rogers Stadium for the Trojans’ match-up against CIAA arch-rival Virginia Union University on October 27, 1978.
Date Opponent 10.27.79 Virginia Union
Attendance 32,000
The structure, which sits at the Fourth Avenue entrance of the VSU campus, has seen several renovations over the years.
11.3.84
17,000
State-of-the-art lights were installed in the stadium in 2004, and new concession stands and restrooms were built in 2006. A renovated press box and Presidential Suites opened in 2007, and new coaches’ offices, locker rooms and weight rooms opened in 2008. In addition, the entire field is a wireless internet “hot spot,” so fans can log on to keep track of the game’s statistics.
Norfolk State
10.18.86 Howard
16,000
10.27.01 Virginia Union
15,532
10.30.99 Virginia Union
14,227
10.13.84 Howard
14,100
10.5.96
Knoxville
13,402
10.9.04
Rowan
13,281
10.10.05 Catawba
12,345
10.24.98 Winston-Salem State 11,307 New goalposts were installed for the first game of the 2008 season.
http://www.vsu.edu/pages/102.asp