Reser Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium in the northwest United States, on the campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. It is the home of the Oregon State Beavers of the Pac-12 Conference, and opened 69 years ago in 1953 as Parker Stadium. It was renamed in 1999.[8][9]

Reser Stadium

Hosting Arizona State in 2012
Corvallis Location in the United States Show map of the United States Corvallis Location in Oregon Show map of Oregon
Former names	Parker Stadium (1953–June 1999)
Address	2600 SW Western Blvd
Location	Oregon State University Corvallis, Oregon, U.S.
Coordinates	44.559°N 123.281°W / 44.559; -123.281
Owner	Oregon State University
Operator	Oregon State University
Capacity	26,407 (2021–present) 43,363 (2017–2021)[1] 45,674 (2007–2015)[2] 43,300 (2005–2006) 35,362 (1990–2004) 40,593 (1967–1989) 33,000 (1965–1966) 28,000 (1958–1964) 25,000 (1953–1957)
Surface	FieldTurf (2005–present) AstroTurf (1999–2004) All-Pro Turf (1984–1998) AstroTurf (1969–1983) Natural grass (1953–1968)
Construction
Broke ground	September 1952
Opened	November 14, 1953; 68 years ago (1953-11-14)[3][4]
Renovated	2005, 2007, 2016, 2021-23
Expanded	1958, 1965, 1967, 2005
Construction cost	$1 million ($10.1 million in 2021[5]) $80 million (2005 renovation)
Architect	Moffatt, Nichol & Taylor[6] HNTB (renovations)
General contractor	Wall, Bertram and Sanford[7]
Tenants
Oregon State Beavers (NCAA) (1953–present)

As renovations take place to build a new southwest grandstand, the current seating capacity has been reduced to 26,407.[10] The FieldTurf playing field runs northwest to southeast, at an approximate elevation of 240 feet (73 m) above sea level,[11] with the press box above the grandstand on the southwest sideline.

History and use

From 1910 to 1953, the Beavers played their home games at Bell Field (now the site of the Dixon Recreation Center), and also played as many as four games a year at Multnomah Stadium (now Providence Park) in Portland.[9] In 1948, Oregon State president August L. Strand, athletic director Spec Keene, and Portland businessman Charles T. Parker (1885–1977)[12] met to plan a replacement for Bell Field. Parker, a 1907 alumnus,[9] kicked off the stadium fundraising campaign in 1949 and made significant contributions of his own.[9][13] In 1952, construction of the stadium began; for Parker's efforts and contributions, the stadium was named in his honor.[14] The first game was played on Homecoming, November 14, 1953, and the Beavers defeated Washington State 7–0.[3][9] At the time, it seated 28,000.[15]

Parker was renovated in 1958, 1965, and 1967, reaching a capacity of approximately 40,500 seats, but the architect's full intent never came to fruition.[16] The roof over the main southwest grandstand was approved in 1988,[17][18] and with the completion of the original Valley Football Center behind the northwest end zone, capacity was reduced to 35,362 in 1990; the roof and new press box were completed in 1991.

The stadium was renamed in June 1999 to honor Al and Pat Reser, owners of Reser's Fine Foods.[8][9] The couple both graduated from Oregon State in 1960,[19] and are major donors to the university and Beavers athletics,[8][20] though Al died at the age of 74 in 2010.[21] The Parker name is still honored at Parker Plaza,[8] located between Reser and Gill Coliseum, the site of many pregame activities.

The stadium is located on the southwest corner of the Oregon State campus at the intersection of SW 26th Street and SW Western Boulevard in Corvallis. In addition to football, intramural and club sports also use the facility occasionally.

Reser Stadium alternates with Autzen Stadium at the University of Oregon in hosting the rivalry game. Since 1954, the games in even-numbered years have been played in Corvallis, odd-numbered in Eugene.

Playing surface

Through the 1968 season, the stadium's playing surface was natural grass. AstroTurf was installed in 1969,[22] and replaced in 1974 and 1977.[23][24] The brand was switched to All-Pro artificial turf in 1984,[25][26] which was in place for 15 seasons,[26] replaced in 1999 with AstroTurf 12/2000. Infilled FieldTurf debuted in 2005,[27] and was replaced prior to the 2012 season.[20]

Expansion and upgrades

Through the 2004 season, the official capacity of the stadium stood at 35,362. In 2003 the Raising Reser campaign was initiated, which resulted in an increase of seating capacity to 43,300 for the 2005 season by way of constructing a new grandstand along the northeast sideline, with plans to eventually reach 55,000 seats through three phases of renovation.[20][27] "Phase Two" of the Raising Reser project was completed between the 2006 and 2007 football seasons; it enclosed the horseshoe in the southeast end zone with continuous seating in the corners. This addition raised total seating capacity to 45,674 and included the 150-by-30-foot (46 m × 9 m) ProStar Digital VideoPlus Display screen.[20]

During the planned Phase Three, the upper level will extend through the southwest grandstand.

The north end zone is also home to the Valley Football Center, which houses a large weight room, offices and meeting facilities, reserved primarily for coaches and administrators within the football program. In December 2014, Victory Through Valley, an expansion to the stadium and Valley Football Center was announced as part of $42 million in upgrades. The renovations were scheduled to begin in Fall 2015 and were completed by the beginning of the 2016 football season. Victory Through Valley upgrades included a new auditorium, coaches offices, team room, locker room, rehab facilities, and hall of fame. The new additions and upgrades have helped with recruiting, competitiveness, and functionality.

On February 4, 2021, renovations for the outdated 16,956-seat southwest grandstand were revealed to the public. [28] Construction began on December 1st, 2021, and will be completed in time for the 2023 football season. Although the renovation will lower Reser Stadium's total capacity to between 34,000 and 39,000, the new grandstand will be larger in size than its predecessor. [29] The grandstand is taller than the old southwest side, allowing seats to be much closer to the field. This design feature will result in a much louder Reser Stadium, despite the reduced capacity. The design of the top deck allows for future seating expansions. The renovation will also bring the completion of a full concourse to Reser Stadium, allowing fans to walk the entirety around the field uninterrupted. A planned walkway called "Beaver Street," which will feature unique concessions as well as other amenities, will be the heart of this concourse. Other things included in this renovation project include, replacing the current, crowded, small and old pressbox on the west side grandstand, increase in restrooms and concession areas, repurposing underutilized east side club seating, creating more loge boxes, premium spaces and suites, an improvement to the scoreboard, relocating the visitor's locker room (It currently resides in the basement of adjacent Gill Coliseum) and creating spaces via a public/private partnership that will allow for year-round use of the stadium. And not exactly a part of Reser Stadium, but still on the property, they will be building a Wellness Care Facility on the Southeast side of the stadium, for students, faculty, staff, and community members. And on the new west side grandstand they will be building a Student Welcome Center.[30]

Attendance records

Non-athletic uses

Apart from use from the Athletic Department, Reser Stadium is occasionally also used for various non-athletic events, particularly events such as commencement, held every June. This has allowed the stadium to hold notable speakers such as astronaut John Glenn.[36]

Gallery

See also

• List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Reser Stadium.

• Reser Stadium – Oregon State Beavers
• World Stadiums.com – photos – Reser Stadium
• 06 OSU vs Oregon Highlights at Reser Stadium on mreplay.com
• Oregon State University Libraries: Parker Stadium photos

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[fr] Reser Stadium