Stambaugh Stadium, officially Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in
Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, whi ...
, United States, on the campus of
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University (YSU or Youngstown State) is a public university in Youngstown, Ohio. It was founded in 1908 and is the easternmost member of the University System of Ohio.
The university is composed of six undergraduate colleges a ...
. The stadium was built in 1982, and is primarily used for
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
. It is the home venue for the
Youngstown State Penguins football
The Youngstown State Penguins football team represents Youngstown State University in college football. Youngstown State currently plays as a member of the NCAA at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Divisi ...
team, a member of the
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...
(NCAA) at the
Division I Football Championship Division (FCS) level and the
Missouri Valley Football Conference
The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), formerly the Gateway Football Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivi ...
.
History
When it opened in 1982, Stambaugh had one large grandstand on the west side, with a seating capacity of approximately 17,000. During their time at Stambaugh, the football team has risen to become a power in FCS football, qualifying for
NCAA Division I Football Championship playoffs 12 times, advancing to the championship game on six occasions, and winning four national championships through the 2015 season. The stadium is also known by fans as the "Ice Castle".
The stadium's 25th Anniversary was celebrated during the 2007 season, and the top 25 players in the stadium's first 25 years were honored at a ceremony on September 15, 2007.
[Youngstown State University]
"Top 25 Players Represent Stadium's Storied 25-Year History"
YSUSports.com, Accessed March 4, 2011. Those players were:
:Tony Bowens (1987–90)
:Adrian Brown (1996–99)
:Pat Crummey (1998–2001)
:Pat Danko (1988–91)
:Harry Deligianis (1995–97)
:Drew Gerber (1990–93)
:LeVar Greene (1998–2001)
:Matt Hogg (1994–97)
:
Tim Johnson (1999–2000)
:Leon Jones (1992–95)
:Todd Kollar (1994–97)
:
Paul McFadden
Paul McFadden (born September 24, 1961) is a former American football placekicker in the National Football League. He gained recognition at the collegiate level as a kicker at Youngstown State University. McFadden became widely known for his ...
(1980–83)
:
Marcus Mason
Marcus Mason (born June 23, 1984 in Potomac, Maryland) is a former American football running back. He was the all time leading rusher in Maryland history. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007. He played colle ...
(2005–06)
:P.J. Mays (2000–02)
:Dave Roberts (1989–92)
:Jeff Ryan (1998–2001)
:Ian Shirey (1996–99)
:Dwyte Smiley (1996–99)
:Randy Smith (1991–94)
:Tamron Smith (1990–93)
:Paul Soltis (1987–89)
:Lester Weaver (1991–94)
:Paris Wicks (1979–82)
:
Jeff Wilkins
Jeffrey Allen Wilkins (born April 19, 1972), nicknamed "Money", is a former American football placekicker for the San Francisco 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles and St. Louis Rams of the National Football League (NFL). With the Rams, he won Super Bo ...
(1990–93)
:Jim Zdelar (1987–88)
Renovations
The stadium was upgraded and expanded prior to the 1997 athletic season with the addition of over 3,000 bleacher seats on the east side of the field, on the site of a practice field. In addition, a new press box was created and 14 additional luxury suites were built, along with a stadium club, which hosts the football team's weekly press conferences and is rented out for private events. Since 1997, the stadium's capacity is 20,630, making it the largest stadium in the
Missouri Valley Football Conference
The Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), formerly the Gateway Football Conference, is a collegiate athletic conference which operates in the Midwestern United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Championship Subdivi ...
.
[
In the summer of 2009, an auxiliary scoreboard was constructed in the south end zone, giving Stambaugh Stadium a scoreboard in each end zone. New reserved chairback seats were also installed during the 2009 season along with two new flagpoles next to the scoreboard in the north end zone, one for the Ohio flag and one for the United States flag.
]
Other uses
In addition to hosting football and soccer home games, Stambaugh is also the home of YSU's athletic offices, football locker rooms and weight rooms, racquetball courts, ROTC offices, and visitor locker rooms. From 1996–2012, Stambaugh Stadium was also the home field for the YSU women's soccer team.
See also
* List of NCAA Division I FCS football stadiums
The following is a list of current National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) football stadiums in the United States.
Conference affiliations reflect those for the comin ...
References
{{Youngstown
College football venues
Sports venues in Ohio
Sports in Youngstown, Ohio
Youngstown State Penguins football
Soccer venues in Ohio
College soccer venues in the United States
Buildings and structures in Youngstown, Ohio
Sports venues completed in 1982
Tourist attractions in Youngstown, Ohio
1982 establishments in Ohio