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LaVell Edwards Stadium, with its 63,725-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 at the conclusion of 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 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 expansion 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.
In 2003 BYU added a luxury "Club Seating" area to the east stands, taking the capacity of Edwards Stadium to 64,045. In 2010 BYU created additional wheelchair access inside the stadium, which reduced the capacity by 320 seats to 63,725.
THE FIELD
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.
VIDEO SCOREBOARD
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.
The bronze cougar was placed just outside the southwest gates of Cougar Stadium in 1974, just in time to witness BYU take on Utah State University. It was cast in Italy and sponsored by the classes of 1965 and 1969. Avard Fairbanks, who sculpted a handful of different pieces on campus, was the artist for the cougar. Cougar Stadium was renamed as LaVell Edwards Stadium in 2000.
BYU Fact Sheet:
Total Area Campus: 667.2 Acres
Sidewalk: 72 miles (12')
Road: 12.6 miles
Parking lots: 212 acres
Lawn surrounding buildings: 226 acres
Annual plantings: 280,000 varieties Trees: 16,000-18,000 - varies according to construction or damage - 877 different species)
Athletic Facilities: 27 acres - Football stadium seats: 65,000 - Baseball: 3,000 - Softball: 2,000 - Soccer: 2,140
Stream and Trail: 2500 ft. long 90000 pavers Volume: 80,820 gal Circulates: 820 gpm 98 Min to fill
Information courtesy of BYU Grounds Department Director Roy Peterman
