VETERANS MEMORIAL STADIUM
Veterans Memorial Stadium
The Troy University football program unveiled a newly renovated, $18 million Veterans Memorial Stadium as the final piece of its Division I-A move in Fall 2003. The project, which took more than a year to complete, increased the facility’s seating capacity to 30,000, an increase of more than 12,000 seats.
A large-screen, end zone replay board was also installed, along with a stateof-the-art sound system.
Construction began on the project in July 2002 and was completed in time for the Trojans’ 2003 home opener against Southeast Louisiana on September 20.
The strength and conditioning and the sports medicine area was completed and opened in Fall 2004, completing the makeover for the stadium.
The stadium has seen tremendous growth and change during its 63-year existence. It was built for a mere $65,000 as Memorial Stadium in 1950 and seated just 5,000 spectators. Several renovations followed, including in 1998, when the facility moved from a 12,000-seat capacity to 17,500. Construction began in July 2002 to expand the capacity to 30,000, with the largest part of the project being a new six-story press box structure that houses 27 sky boxes, a state-of-the-art media hosting facility, a unique Trojan Stadium Club area that houses more than 1,000 guests and floors dedicated to sports medicine, academics, as well as strength and conditioning. As part of the construction, the Jesse H. Colley Track, which was housed at the stadium, was relocated - making the stadium a football-only venue. Also gone is the prescription athletic turf, replaced by “AstroPlay”, an artificial surface that closely resembles grass in feel and appearance. Troy became one of the first schools in the Deep South to install the turf. Troy upgraded the turf once again prior to the 2012 season with ProGrass, which is the same surface on Troy’s baseball field.
2013 TROY TROJANS // • 6 •
STADIUM FACTS Capacity...................................................................30,000 Surface................................................................ ProGrass Location....................................................Troy, Alabama First Game.................................................................. 1950 Opponent.................................................... SE Louisiana Score.........................................................................L, 7-18 All-Time Home Record............................. 266-112-10 Blakeney’s Home Record................................ 94-18-1 Most Points Scored......................................................76 Most Points/Opponent......................Concord, 1968
More recently, the playing surface at Veterans Memorial Stadium was named in honor of the Troy head coach Larry Blakeney for his dedication and success with the program; making the official name now - Larry Blakeney Field at Veterans Memorial Stadium.