LaVell Edwards Stadium
LaVell Edwards Stadium, with its 64,045-seat capacity, huge video scoreboards and immaculate press boxes, is home to legendary BYU football.
Originally known as Cougar Stadium, the stadium was renamed with the retirement of legendary head football coach LaVell Edwards after the 2000 season.
Edwards Stadium was built in 1964 with a seating capacity of 45,000 (including temporary bleachers placed at each of the end zones). As a result of increased seating demands, BYU made yet another renovation in 1982, adding stands to the north and south end zones, lowering the field eight feet and removing the track surrounding the field (home to the 1967 and 1975 NCAA Track and Field Championships).
The stadium expansions increased the seating capacity to over 65,000. The crowd of 64,253 that gathered for BYU's first game in the expanded stadium on September 25, 1982 was reported at the time as "the largest gathering ever in Utah history." Since its expansion in 1982, the stadium has consistently ranked among the nation's top 25 in attendance.
Some of the stadium's well-known features include a box-bowl seating configuration, a grass playing surface and a four-level press box. The field is covered with a sand-based natural turf capable of draining eight inches of rain per hour. The well-kept grass field is consistently deemed one of the best in the country.
In 1996, a 23 x 31 foot video scoreboard wall, showing both live action and instant replays, was added above the stands by the south end zone. A new animation board and sound system was also added to the scoreboard above the north stands.
In 2003, the stadium was redesigned to include Cougar Club seating and the capacity is currently 64,045.
Besides the regular season football games, LaVell Edwards Stadium is also used for a variety of other purposes. Music concerts have been hosted there as well as the annual "Stadium of Fire", the July 4th Spectacular held as part of America's Freedom Festival.
LaVell Edwards Stadium is also the home of high school playoff games and the Rocky Mountain Band Competition every year.
The BYU Athletic Hall of Fame in the Cougar Club Room is located in LaVell Edwards Stadium. The room is used for pre- and post-game activities as well as for meetings and banquets during the year.
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Quick Facts
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Groundbreaking: October 1963
Opened: 1964
Expansion: 1982
Redesign: 2003
Renaming: Name changed from Cougar Stadium to LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2000
Capacity: 64,045
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