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Coordinates: 47°16′01″N 122°26′56″W / 47.267°N 122.449°W / 47.267; -122.449
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{{Short description|Stadium in Tacoma, Washington, US}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{infobox stadium
{{infobox venue
| name = Stadium Bowl
| name = Stadium Bowl
| image = File:Tacoma - Stadium High School pano 06.jpg
| image = Tacoma - Stadium High School pano 06.jpg
| image_size = 230
| image_size =
| caption = August 2014
| caption = Panoramic view from the south end in August 2014
| former_names = Tacoma Stadium
| former_names = Tacoma Stadium
| location = [[Tacoma, Washington]], U.S.
| location = [[Tacoma, Washington]], U.S.
|coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|47.267|-122.449|type:landmark|display=inline, title}}}}
| coordinates = {{nowrap|{{coord|47.267|-122.449|type:landmark|display=inline, title}}}}
| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=250|zoom=11|type=point}}
| opened = July 10, 1910
| opened = June 10, 1910
| owner = [[Tacoma Public Schools]]
| owner = [[Tacoma Public Schools]]
| surface = [[FieldTurf]]
| surface = [[FieldTurf]]
| architect = [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]]
| architect = [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]]
| tenants = <br>[[Stadium High School]]
| tenants = {{plainlist|
* [[Silas High School]]
* [[Stadium High School]]
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}}
| seating_capacity = 15,000
| seating_capacity = 15,000
}}
}}
{{Location map
|USA
|relief = 1
|label = <small>Tacoma</small>
|lat = 47.267
|long = -122.449
|caption = Location in the [[United States]]
|float =
|marksize = 5
|background =
|width = 230
⚫
}}
{{Location map
|USA Washington
|relief = 1
|label = <small>Tacoma</small>
|lat = 47.267
|long = -122.449
|caption = Location in [[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|float =
|position = bottom
|marksize = 5
|background =
|width = 180
}}
The '''Stadium Bowl''' (originally '''Tacoma Stadium''') is a 15,000-seat stadium in the [[Pacific Northwest|northwest]] [[United States]], located in [[Tacoma, Washington]]. The stadium is located next to Stadium High School with views of [[Commencement Bay]] and the [[Puget Sound]]. It was designed by [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web |title=Stadium Bowl – StadiumDB.com |url=http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/stadium_bowl_tacoma|access-date=January 23, 2021 |website=stadiumdb.com}}</ref> The stadium plays host to the [[American football]] teams for both [[Silas High School]] and [[Stadium High School]]. The stadium originally opened in 1910, and the adjacent high school would change its name to reference the Bowl.


The '''Stadium Bowl''' (originally '''Tacoma Stadium''') is a 15,000-seat stadium in the [[Stadium District, Tacoma, Washington|Stadium District]] of [[Tacoma, Washington]], United States. It is adjacent to [[Stadium High School]] and has views of [[Commencement Bay]] and [[Puget Sound]] from its open north end. The stadium was designed by [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]] and opened in 1910, primarily for use by the then-renamed Stadium High School and later [[Silas High School]].
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{{wide image|Tacoma - Stadium High School pano 01.jpg|550px|A panorama of the stadium and [[Stadium High School|adjacent high school]], with [[Commencement Bay]] in the background (2008)}}


The Stadium Bowl is designed for [[American football]] as well as [[track and field]] events. It has also hosted [[baseball]] and other sports in the past. The stadium originally seated 23,000, but was later reduced in capacity during renovations and restoration projects.
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== History ==
The stadium, designed by [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]], dates from 1910 and is in a location once known as [[Old Woman's Gulch]]. It was originally much grander than it is today, with a [[seating capacity]] of 32,000 compared to today's capacity of 15,000.


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==History==
The stadium is on an asymmetrical block bounded by North E Street (south); Tacoma High School and North 1st Street (east); North 3rd Street and North Stadium Way (originally Cliff Avenue) (west); and North Schuster Parkway, railroad tracks and Commencement Bay (north).
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[[File:Stadium High School showing crowd gathered for a speech in the Stadium Bowl, Tacoma, ca 1911 (WASTATE 657).jpeg|thumb|right|Crowd gathering at Stadium Bowl for a speech made by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] in 1911]]


The stadium was proposed in 1906 at the site of [[Old Woman's Gulch]] and designed by [[Frederick Heath (architect)|Frederick Heath]].<ref name="TDN-Dedication">{{cite news |date=June 9, 1910 |title=Magnificent Stadium is Complete |page=1 |work=[[Tacoma Daily News]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951423/magnificent-stadium-is-complete/ |via=[[Newspapers.com]] |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> It was originally built with a [[seating capacity]] of 23,486 and a total capacity of 32,000 that was later reduced to 17,000.<ref>{{cite news |date=April 29, 2015 |title=Looking Back |page=A2 |work=[[The News Tribune]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951517/looking-back-stadium-bowl/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref><ref name="Times-Smitten">{{cite news |date=October 14, 2003 |title=Stadium-smitten: The state's best high-school football stadiums |url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20031014&slug=smitty14 |work=[[The Seattle Times]] |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> The stadium is on an asymmetrical block bounded by North E Street (south); Tacoma High School and North 1st Street (east); North 3rd Street and North Stadium Way (originally Cliff Avenue) (west); and North Schuster Parkway, railroad tracks and Commencement Bay (north).
The stadium was originally built in 1909–1910 using [[Steam shovel|steam shovels]] and [[Sluice|sluicing]] to move more than 180,000 cubic yards (140,000 m<sup>3</sup>) down the edges of the gulch to create a flat playing field of 2.5 acres (10,000 m<sup>2</sup>). Wooden molds were built to cast [[concrete]] for 31 rows of stadium seating surrounding the playfield.<ref name=":2">Plaque outside the stadium, May 28, 1993. Consulted February 8, 2021.</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=TacomaHistory |date=October 3, 2017 |title=STADIUM |url=https://tacomahistory.live/2017/10/03/stadium/|access-date=February 17, 2021 |website=tacoma history |language=en}}</ref>


The stadium was built from 1909 to 1910 using [[steam shovel]]s and [[Sluice|sluicing]] to move more than {{convert|180,000|cuyd|m3}} down the edges of the gulch to create a flat playing field of {{convert|2.5|acre|ha}}.<ref name="TNT-Centennial">{{cite news |last=Callaghan |first=Peter |date=September 14, 2010 |title=The bowl's turn for a party |pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951595/the-bowls-turn-for-a-party/ A1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951602/the-bowls-turn-for-a-party-cont/ A14] |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951595/the-bowls-turn-for-a-party/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> Wooden molds were built to cast [[concrete]] for 31 rows of stadium seating (able to hold 11,000 spectators) surrounding the playfield.<ref name=":2">Plaque outside the stadium, May 28, 1993. Consulted February 8, 2021.</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=October 3, 2017 |title=STADIUM |url=https://tacomahistory.live/2017/10/03/stadium/|access-date=February 17, 2021 |website=Tacoma History |language=en}}</ref> It was dedicated on June 10, 1910, and was originally named Tacoma Stadium.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 10, 1910 |title=Tacoma's Great Stadium is Formally Dedicated |page=1 |work=[[The Tacoma Times]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951400/tacomas-great-stadium-is-formally/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> It cost $135,000 to construct<ref name="TDN-Dedication"/> (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{Inflation|US-GDP|135000|1910}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars).{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} One of its first major events held at the new stadium was a [[military tournament]] in late July with 32,000 spectators on the final night.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 30, 1910 |title=Greatest of All Nights at Stadium |page=1 |work=[[Tacoma Daily Ledger]] |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951292/greatest-of-all-nights-at-stadium/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref>
The original structure exceeded what the soil could support. A restoration project in the 1970s had to sacrifice roughly half of the [[seating capacity]] because of instability. This was followed by a further restoration allowing the stadium to reopen in 1985.
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[[File:Stadium High School showing crowd gathered for a speech in the Stadium Bowl, Tacoma, ca 1911 (WASTATE 657).jpeg|center|thumb|468x468px|Crowd gathering at Stadium Bowl for a speech made by President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] circa 1911]]


[[Floodlights]] were temporarily installed for a 1929 football game, the first to be played at night in the Pacific Northwest. It was home to several minor league sports teams and hosted football and baseball exhibitions for college and professional teams.<ref name="TNT-Centennial"/> The stadium was flooded and buried by a mudslide in 1932 and closed until 1935.<ref name="TNT-1985">{{cite news |last=Davison |first=Don |date=October 24, 1985 |title=The wandering is over: Stadium Bowl reopens |page=C4 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114952047/the-wandering-is-over-stadium-bowl/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> It later suffered major damaged in the [[1949 Olympia earthquake|April 1949]] and [[1965 Puget Sound earthquake|April 1965]] earthquakes that shook the Puget Sound region.<ref name="TNT-Centennial"/> The Stadium Bowl was condemned due to unsafe conditions, namely the cracked concrete,<ref>{{cite news |last=Winkler |first=Pat |date=January 11, 1959 |title=Memorial Group Urges Stadium Bowl Renewal; Outdoor Civic Auditorium Visualized as Goal |page=A11 |work=The Tacoma News Tribune and Ledger |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951836/memorial-group-urges-stadium-bowl/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> in 1949 but was later reopened in 1961 following the rebuilding of seated areas at a cost of $60,000.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 1, 1980 |title=Stadium Bowl, old and new |page=G8 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951750/stadium-bowl-old-and-new/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref><ref name="TNT-Floods">{{cite news |last=Nunnally |first=Derrick |date=November 18, 2015 |title=Stadium Bowl's flooding problems go way back, still hard to solve |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article45434787.html |work=The News Tribune |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref>
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== Notable events ==

Demolition of the original seating structure, which had deteriorated further and only had 6,000 usable seats, began in December 1977 ahead of a planned renovation project.<ref name="TNT-1978">{{cite news |last=Ripple |first=Bill |date=August 25, 1978 |title=No-frills fix-up for Stadium Bowl OKd |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114952123/no-frills-fix-up-for-stadium-bowl-okd/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> The [[Tacoma School District]] received a $2&nbsp;million federal grant for the renovation and initially approved a "no-frills" design with 15,000 seats and no floodlights;<ref name="TNT-1978"/> a state grant allowed for the floodlights to be re-added to the design plan, which also included [[locker room]]s under the stands.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 12, 1979 |title=New lighting OKd for Stadium Bowl |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114952253/new-lighting-okd-for-stadium-bowl/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pearson |first=Ted |date=August 28, 1980 |title=Two Tacoma stadiums have faces lifted |page=2 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114952288/two-tacoma-stadiums-have-faces-lifted/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> The 15,000-seat stadium reopened on August 23, 1980, with a two-day arts fair, [[soapbox derby]], and re-dedication ceremony.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 24, 1980 |title=Stadium reopens with sparse crowd but lively events |page=A11 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114952310/stadium-reopens-with-sparse-crowd-but/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref>

In October 1981, a burst [[storm drain]] washed away the [[scoreboard]] and the north [[end zone]] of the [[American football|football]] field.<ref name=":2" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Erickson |first=Jim |date=October 7, 1981 |title=Efforts to divert bowl water begun |page=A1 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114951864/efforts-to-divert-bowl-water-begun/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> The stadium reopened on October 23, 1985, following the installation of a new [[artificial turf]] surface and track that cost $725,000.<ref name="TNT-1985"/> The [[Tacoma Express]], a semi-professional American football team playing in the [[Minor League Football System]], moved to the Stadium Bowl for the 1990 season after being unable to afford to stay at the [[Tacoma Dome]].<ref>{{cite news |date=August 10, 1990 |title=Express $24,000 away from calling the dome home |page=D3 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114953318/express-24000-away-from-calling-the/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref> The team was folded by the league in September 1990 after playing without an owner for several weeks.<ref>{{cite news |last=Drowley |first=Doug |date=September 8, 1990 |title=League withdraws support of Express |page=C2 |work=The News Tribune |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/114953253/league-withdraws-support-of-express/ |via=Newspapers.com |accessdate=December 20, 2022}}</ref>

On October 10, 2015, Stadium bowl experienced a mass flooding due to improper drain management. Videos of the bowl flooding quickly went viral. The videos of the bowl flooding were so captivating that they were even featured on [[CNN]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Storm sends water rushing into school's football stadium - CNN Video |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/10/11/washington-tacoma-high-school-stadium-flooding.komo|access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref> Despite having multiple drains in the streets above the stadium, the drains became too overwhelmed with water, causing the flooding. The water eroded soil under the stadium's main stairwell, soaked the field-turf with water, mud, and debris, flooded the locker rooms used by home and away teams, and also caused a small trench to form on the Northern side of the stadium.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Lynn |first=Adam |date=October 12, 2015 |title=Flood damage knocks Tacoma's Stadium Bowl out of commission |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article38848689.html|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date= |website=The News Tribune}}</ref> The flooding would cause all subsequent sporting events at the stadium to be postponed, canceled, or relocated to nearby fields or schools.<ref name=":1" /> Officials decided to keep the stadium closed until early 2016, and football games would not return until the following September.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Football returns to Stadium High after flood |url=https://www.king5.com/article/sports/high-school/football-returns-to-stadium-high-after-flood/281-312751706|access-date=February 7, 2021 |website=king5.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

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==Notable events==

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[[File:Tacoma - Stadium High School pano 01.jpg|thumb|right|400px|A panorama of the stadium and [[Stadium High School|adjacent high school]], with [[Commencement Bay]] in the background (2008)]]
Stadium Bowl has hosted many memorable sporting events, concerts, and ceremonies including:
Stadium Bowl has hosted many memorable sporting events, concerts, and ceremonies including:


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* Ceremonies and battle reenactments for military figures such as [[John Pershing]] and [[Marshal Foch]]
* Ceremonies and battle reenactments for military figures such as [[John Pershing]] and [[Marshal Foch]]
* Baseball exhibitions for players such as [[Babe Ruth]] and [[Billy Sunday]]
* Baseball exhibitions for players such as [[Babe Ruth]] and [[Billy Sunday]]
* The [[Washington State Cougars football|Washington State Cougars]] of [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]] played a football game against team from [[Fort Lewis (Washington)|Camp Lewis]] at the stadium in [[1917 Washington State football team|1917]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Varnell |first=George M. |date=October 12, 1917 |title=Grid Curtain Goes Up in Northwest Saturday |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gMVXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NfQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6709%2C3316874|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 14, 1917 |title=Officers Held to Scoreless Tie |work=Spokesman Review |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zqhVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ruADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6447%2C5983212|url-status=live|access-date=February 16, 2021}}</ref>
* The [[Washington State Cougars football|Washington State Cougars]] of [[Pullman, Washington|Pullman]] played a football game against team from [[Fort Lewis (Washington)|Camp Lewis]] at the stadium in [[1917 Washington State football team|1917]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=Varnell |first=George M. |date=October 12, 1917 |title=Grid Curtain Goes Up in Northwest Saturday |work=Spokane Daily Chronicle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=gMVXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=NfQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6709%2C3316874|access-date=February 16, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=October 14, 1917 |title=Officers Held to Scoreless Tie |work=Spokesman Review |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=zqhVAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ruADAAAAIBAJ&pg=6447%2C5983212|access-date=February 16, 2021}}</ref>
** The [[Washington State Cougars football|Cougars]] also played [[1941 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] in December [[1941 Washington State Cougars football team|1941]]<ref name="srarrive2">{{cite news |date=December 6, 1941 |title=Washington State and Texas A. and M. arrive in Tacoma for big game |page=11 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MuQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6830%2C1403913}}</ref><ref name="srevgrbl2">{{cite news |date=December 7, 1941 |title=Washington State loses "Evergreen Bowl" to Texas A. and M. |page=2, sports |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fSlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MuQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6699%2C2142709}}</ref>
** The [[Washington State Cougars football|Cougars]] also played [[1941 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]] in December [[1941 Washington State Cougars football team|1941]]<ref name="srarrive2">{{cite news |date=December 6, 1941 |title=Washington State and Texas A. and M. arrive in Tacoma for big game |page=11 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=eSlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MuQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6830%2C1403913}}</ref><ref name="srevgrbl2">{{cite news |date=December 7, 1941 |title=Washington State loses "Evergreen Bowl" to Texas A. and M. |page=2, sports |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |agency=Associated Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fSlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MuQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6699%2C2142709}}</ref>
** Washington State hosted [[1948 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] on [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] weekend in [[1948 Washington State Cougars football team|1948]]<ref name="mbioffg2">{{cite news |date=November 27, 1948 |title=Mud battle in the offing for Washington State, Penn State |page=11 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nnlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=euUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6788%2C4517979}}</ref><ref name="pswnopp2">{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=William |date=November 28, 1948 |title=Penn State wins, 7-0, over Wash. State |page=27 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g2YcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jk4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3082%2C4662032}}</ref><ref name="pssurp2">{{cite news |last=Ashlock |first=Herb |date=November 29, 1948 |title=Sarboe & Co. safe; Penn State surprised |page=13 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6PJXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3488%2C5064756}}</ref>
** Washington State hosted [[1948 Penn State Nittany Lions football team|Penn State]] on [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] weekend in [[1948 Washington State Cougars football team|1948]]<ref name="mbioffg2">{{cite news |date=November 27, 1948 |title=Mud battle in the offing for Washington State, Penn State |page=11 |newspaper=The Spokesman-Review |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nnlWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=euUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6788%2C4517979}}</ref><ref name="pswnopp2">{{cite news |last=Jacobs |first=William |date=November 28, 1948 |title=Penn State wins, 7-0, over Wash. State |page=27 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=g2YcAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Jk4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3082%2C4662032}}</ref><ref name="pssurp2">{{cite news |last=Ashlock |first=Herb |date=November 29, 1948 |title=Sarboe & Co. safe; Penn State surprised |page=13 |newspaper=Spokane Daily Chronicle |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=6PJXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=XPYDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3488%2C5064756}}</ref>
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Stadium bowl and the connected [[Stadium High School|high school]] are well known for its unique and captivating design. This has led the bowl to make appearances in film, and is often highly ranked in lists that showcase high schools with the best architecture.
Stadium bowl and the connected [[Stadium High School|high school]] are well known for its unique and captivating design. This has led the bowl to make appearances in film, and is often highly ranked in lists that showcase high schools with the best architecture.


Most notably, Stadium high school was used as a filming location in the 1999 cult classic film, ''[[10 Things I Hate About You]].'' Renamed "Padua High School" in the movie, many scenes were filmed at the school. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involves [[Heath Ledger]]'s character serenading [[Julia Stiles]]' character while she is at soccer practice in the Stadium Bowl. While singing [[Frankie Valli]]'s "[[Can't Take My Eyes Off You]]", Ledger would run up and down the iconic stairs of the Bowl, making for one of the most memorable in the film.
Most notably, Stadium high school was used as a filming location in the 1999 cult classic film, ''[[10 Things I Hate About You]].'' Renamed "Padua High School" in the movie, many scenes were filmed at the school. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involves [[Heath Ledger]]'s character serenading [[Julia Stiles]]' character while she is at soccer practice in the Stadium Bowl. While singing [[Frankie Valli]]'s "[[Can't Take My Eyes Off You]]", Ledger ran up and down the iconic stairs of the Bowl.


Stadium Bowl was chosen in 2008 as one of the best [[high school football]] stadiums in the U.S. by [[ESPN]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 20, 2008 |title=Best stadiums to watch a high school football game |url=https://www.espn.com/highschool/rise/football/news/story?id=3653316|access-date=February 7, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
Stadium Bowl was chosen in 2008 as one of the best [[high school football]] stadiums in the U.S. by [[ESPN]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 20, 2008 |title=Best stadiums to watch a high school football game |url=https://www.espn.com/highschool/rise/football/news/story?id=3653316|access-date=February 7, 2021 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref>
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Stadium Bowl was listed on [[MaxPreps]] as one of "10 high school football stadiums to see before you die".<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2018 |title=10 high school football stadiums to see before you die - MaxPreps |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/news/kt-uJXB4cE-kXb0QvGEwig/10-high-school-football-stadiums-to-see-before-you-die.htm|access-date=February 17, 2021 |website=MaxPreps.com |language=en}}</ref>
Stadium Bowl was listed on [[MaxPreps]] as one of "10 high school football stadiums to see before you die".<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 27, 2018 |title=10 high school football stadiums to see before you die - MaxPreps |url=https://www.maxpreps.com/news/kt-uJXB4cE-kXb0QvGEwig/10-high-school-football-stadiums-to-see-before-you-die.htm|access-date=February 17, 2021 |website=MaxPreps.com |language=en}}</ref>


[[Sports Illustrated]] also listed [[Stadium High School|Stadium]] as one of the 13 must see high school football stadiums in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kramer |first=Jesse |title=13 incredible high school football stadiums |url=https://www.si.com/college/2016/05/10/high-school-football-stadiums-mckinney-texas|access-date=February 17, 2021 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref>
''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' also listed Stadium as one of the 13 must see high school football stadiums in the United States.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kramer |first=Jesse |title=13 incredible high school football stadiums |url=https://www.si.com/college/2016/05/10/high-school-football-stadiums-mckinney-texas|access-date=February 17, 2021 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |language=en-us}}</ref>


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==References==
== Flooding Problems ==
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{{reflist}}
Unfortunately, the stadium has dealt with numerous flooding incidents throughout its history that has put it out of commission and required repair.

In 1981 a burst [[storm drain]] washed away the [[scoreboard]] and the north [[end zone]] of the [[American football|football]] field.<ref name=":2" />

On October 10, 2015, Stadium bowl experienced a mass flooding due to improper drain management. Videos of the bowl flooding quickly went viral. The videos of the bowl flooding were so captivating that they were even featured on [[CNN]].<ref>{{Citation |title=Storm sends water rushing into school's football stadium - CNN Video |url=https://www.cnn.com/videos/us/2015/10/11/washington-tacoma-high-school-stadium-flooding.komo|access-date=February 17, 2021}}</ref>

Despite having multiple drains in the streets above the stadium, the drains became too overwhelmed with water, causing the flooding. The water eroded soil under the stadium's main stairwell, soaked the field-turf with water, mud, and debris, flooded the locker rooms used by home and away teams, and also caused a small trench to form on the Northern side of the stadium.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Lynn |first=Adam |date=October 12, 2015 |title=Flood damage knocks Tacoma’s Stadium Bowl out of commission |url=https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article38848689.html|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date= |website=The News Tribune}}</ref>

The flooding would cause all subsequent sporting events at the stadium to be postponed, canceled, or relocated to nearby fields or schools.<ref name=":1" /> Officials decided to keep the stadium closed until the spring of 2016, and football games would not return until the following September.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Football returns to Stadium High after flood |url=https://www.king5.com/article/sports/high-school/football-returns-to-stadium-high-after-flood/281-312751706|access-date=February 7, 2021 |website=king5.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

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== References ==
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==External links==
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Latest revision as of 23:15, 17 July 2024

Stadium Bowl
Panoramic view from the south end in August 2014
Map
Former namesTacoma Stadium
LocationTacoma, Washington, U.S.
Coordinates47°16′01″N 122°26′56″W / 47.267°N 122.449°W / 47.267; -122.449
OwnerTacoma Public Schools
Capacity15,000
SurfaceFieldTurf
Construction
OpenedJune 10, 1910
ArchitectFrederick Heath
Tenants

The Stadium Bowl (originally Tacoma Stadium) is a 15,000-seat stadium in the Stadium District of Tacoma, Washington, United States. It is adjacent to Stadium High School and has views of Commencement Bay and Puget Sound from its open north end. The stadium was designed by Frederick Heath and opened in 1910, primarily for use by the then-renamed Stadium High School and later Silas High School.

The Stadium Bowl is designed for American football as well as track and field events. It has also hosted baseball and other sports in the past. The stadium originally seated 23,000, but was later reduced in capacity during renovations and restoration projects.

History

[edit]
Crowd gathering at Stadium Bowl for a speech made by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1911

The stadium was proposed in 1906 at the site of Old Woman's Gulch and designed by Frederick Heath.[1] It was originally built with a seating capacity of 23,486 and a total capacity of 32,000 that was later reduced to 17,000.[2][3] The stadium is on an asymmetrical block bounded by North E Street (south); Tacoma High School and North 1st Street (east); North 3rd Street and North Stadium Way (originally Cliff Avenue) (west); and North Schuster Parkway, railroad tracks and Commencement Bay (north).

The stadium was built from 1909 to 1910 using steam shovels and sluicing to move more than 180,000 cubic yards (140,000 m3) down the edges of the gulch to create a flat playing field of 2.5 acres (1.0 ha).[4] Wooden molds were built to cast concrete for 31 rows of stadium seating (able to hold 11,000 spectators) surrounding the playfield.[5][6] It was dedicated on June 10, 1910, and was originally named Tacoma Stadium.[7] It cost $135,000 to construct[1] (equivalent to $3.19 million in 2023 dollars).[8] One of its first major events held at the new stadium was a military tournament in late July with 32,000 spectators on the final night.[9]

Floodlights were temporarily installed for a 1929 football game, the first to be played at night in the Pacific Northwest. It was home to several minor league sports teams and hosted football and baseball exhibitions for college and professional teams.[4] The stadium was flooded and buried by a mudslide in 1932 and closed until 1935.[10] It later suffered major damaged in the April 1949 and April 1965 earthquakes that shook the Puget Sound region.[4] The Stadium Bowl was condemned due to unsafe conditions, namely the cracked concrete,[11] in 1949 but was later reopened in 1961 following the rebuilding of seated areas at a cost of $60,000.[12][13]

Demolition of the original seating structure, which had deteriorated further and only had 6,000 usable seats, began in December 1977 ahead of a planned renovation project.[14] The Tacoma School District received a $2 million federal grant for the renovation and initially approved a "no-frills" design with 15,000 seats and no floodlights;[14] a state grant allowed for the floodlights to be re-added to the design plan, which also included locker rooms under the stands.[15][16] The 15,000-seat stadium reopened on August 23, 1980, with a two-day arts fair, soapbox derby, and re-dedication ceremony.[17]

In October 1981, a burst storm drain washed away the scoreboard and the north end zone of the football field.[5][18] The stadium reopened on October 23, 1985, following the installation of a new artificial turf surface and track that cost $725,000.[10] The Tacoma Express, a semi-professional American football team playing in the Minor League Football System, moved to the Stadium Bowl for the 1990 season after being unable to afford to stay at the Tacoma Dome.[19] The team was folded by the league in September 1990 after playing without an owner for several weeks.[20]

On October 10, 2015, Stadium bowl experienced a mass flooding due to improper drain management. Videos of the bowl flooding quickly went viral. The videos of the bowl flooding were so captivating that they were even featured on CNN.[21] Despite having multiple drains in the streets above the stadium, the drains became too overwhelmed with water, causing the flooding. The water eroded soil under the stadium's main stairwell, soaked the field-turf with water, mud, and debris, flooded the locker rooms used by home and away teams, and also caused a small trench to form on the Northern side of the stadium.[22] The flooding would cause all subsequent sporting events at the stadium to be postponed, canceled, or relocated to nearby fields or schools.[22] Officials decided to keep the stadium closed until early 2016, and football games would not return until the following September.[23]

Notable events

[edit]
A panorama of the stadium and adjacent high school, with Commencement Bay in the background (2008)

Stadium Bowl has hosted many memorable sporting events, concerts, and ceremonies including:

Appearances in media

[edit]

Stadium bowl and the connected high school are well known for its unique and captivating design. This has led the bowl to make appearances in film, and is often highly ranked in lists that showcase high schools with the best architecture.

Most notably, Stadium high school was used as a filming location in the 1999 cult classic film, 10 Things I Hate About You. Renamed "Padua High School" in the movie, many scenes were filmed at the school. One of the most memorable scenes in the movie involves Heath Ledger's character serenading Julia Stiles' character while she is at soccer practice in the Stadium Bowl. While singing Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You", Ledger ran up and down the iconic stairs of the Bowl.

Stadium Bowl was chosen in 2008 as one of the best high school football stadiums in the U.S. by ESPN.[31]

Stadium Bowl was listed on MaxPreps as one of "10 high school football stadiums to see before you die".[32]

Sports Illustrated also listed Stadium as one of the 13 must see high school football stadiums in the United States.[33]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Magnificent Stadium is Complete". Tacoma Daily News. June 9, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ "Looking Back". The News Tribune. April 29, 2015. p. A2. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Stadium-smitten: The state's best high-school football stadiums". The Seattle Times. October 14, 2003. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Callaghan, Peter (September 14, 2010). "The bowl's turn for a party". The News Tribune. pp. A1, A14. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Plaque outside the stadium, May 28, 1993. Consulted February 8, 2021.
  6. ^ a b "STADIUM". Tacoma History. October 3, 2017. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  7. ^ "Tacoma's Great Stadium is Formally Dedicated". The Tacoma Times. June 10, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
  9. ^ "Greatest of All Nights at Stadium". Tacoma Daily Ledger. July 30, 1910. p. 1. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b Davison, Don (October 24, 1985). "The wandering is over: Stadium Bowl reopens". The News Tribune. p. C4. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Winkler, Pat (January 11, 1959). "Memorial Group Urges Stadium Bowl Renewal; Outdoor Civic Auditorium Visualized as Goal". The Tacoma News Tribune and Ledger. p. A11. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ "Stadium Bowl, old and new". The News Tribune. June 1, 1980. p. G8. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ Nunnally, Derrick (November 18, 2015). "Stadium Bowl's flooding problems go way back, still hard to solve". The News Tribune. Retrieved December 20, 2022.
  14. ^ a b Ripple, Bill (August 25, 1978). "No-frills fix-up for Stadium Bowl OKd". The News Tribune. p. A1. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "New lighting OKd for Stadium Bowl". The News Tribune. January 12, 1979. p. A1. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ Pearson, Ted (August 28, 1980). "Two Tacoma stadiums have faces lifted". The News Tribune. p. 2. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Stadium reopens with sparse crowd but lively events". The News Tribune. August 24, 1980. p. A11. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Erickson, Jim (October 7, 1981). "Efforts to divert bowl water begun". The News Tribune. p. A1. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ "Express $24,000 away from calling the dome home". The News Tribune. August 10, 1990. p. D3. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ Drowley, Doug (September 8, 1990). "League withdraws support of Express". The News Tribune. p. C2. Retrieved December 20, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "Storm sends water rushing into school's football stadium - CNN Video". Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  22. ^ a b Lynn, Adam (October 12, 2015). "Flood damage knocks Tacoma's Stadium Bowl out of commission". The News Tribune.
  23. ^ "Football returns to Stadium High after flood". king5.com. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  24. ^ Varnell, George M. (October 12, 1917). "Grid Curtain Goes Up in Northwest Saturday". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  25. ^ "Officers Held to Scoreless Tie". Spokesman Review. October 14, 1917. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  26. ^ "Washington State and Texas A. and M. arrive in Tacoma for big game". The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 6, 1941. p. 11.
  27. ^ "Washington State loses "Evergreen Bowl" to Texas A. and M." The Spokesman-Review. Associated Press. December 7, 1941. p. 2, sports.
  28. ^ "Mud battle in the offing for Washington State, Penn State". The Spokesman-Review. November 27, 1948. p. 11.
  29. ^ Jacobs, William (November 28, 1948). "Penn State wins, 7-0, over Wash. State". Pittsburgh Press. p. 27.
  30. ^ Ashlock, Herb (November 29, 1948). "Sarboe & Co. safe; Penn State surprised". Spokane Daily Chronicle. p. 13.
  31. ^ "Best stadiums to watch a high school football game". ESPN.com. October 20, 2008. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  32. ^ "10 high school football stadiums to see before you die - MaxPreps". MaxPreps.com. September 27, 2018. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  33. ^ Kramer, Jesse. "13 incredible high school football stadiums". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
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