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Robertson Stadium

Coordinates: 29°43′19″N 95°20′57″W / 29.72194°N 95.34917°W / 29.72194; -95.34917
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Robertson Stadium
The Rob
Map
Former namesPublic School Stadium (1942–1958)
Jeppesen Stadium (1958–1980)
Robertson Stadium (1980–1999)
Location3874 Holman Street
Houston, TX 77004
Coordinates29°43′19″N 95°20′57″W / 29.72194°N 95.34917°W / 29.72194; -95.34917
OwnerUniversity of Houston System
OperatorUniversity of Houston
Capacity32,000
Record attendance37,981
32,119 (with present capacity)
SurfaceGrass
ScoreboardPhilips Vidiwall
Construction
Broke ground1941
OpenedSeptember 18, 1942
Renovated1960, 1970, 1999, 2006
Construction cost$650,000 USD
ArchitectHarry D. Payne
General contractorFretz Construction Company
Tenants
Houston Cougars (NCAA) (1946–1950; 1998—)
Houston Oilers (AFL) (1960–1964)
Houston Dynamo (MLS) (2006—)
East-West Shrine Game (NCAA) (2008–2009)

John O'Quinn Field at Corbin J. Robertson Stadium, often referred to as simply Robertson Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Houston located on the campus of the University of Houston. It is the home of the Houston Cougars football and women's soccer teams. The stadium also hosts home games for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer, which began play in the 2006 season.

The stadium hosted the Houston Oilers during the first five years of their existence from 1960 to 1964. On January 1, 1961, it hosted the American Football League Championship Game (for the 1960 title). The Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Chargers (24–16) to become the league's first champions. It was also the site for pro football's first ever double-overtime game on December 23, 1962. The Oilers lost to the Dallas Texans (20–17) in that year's AFL title game. This was the only overtime game in the 10-year history of the AFL.

As of 2006, the capacity of Robertson Stadium is 32,000. The stadium's record attendance in the current capacity was set at 32,119, when Houston hosted Texas State on September 4, 2010. That record was tied a week later when Houston hosted UTEP on September 10, 2010. It was the first time in school history the stadium has been sold out for two consecutive games.

In June 2010, the University of Houston announced its intention to raze Robertson Stadium, and build a new stadium at the same site.

History

Planning and construction

Construction of Robertson Stadium along with Jeppesen Gymnasium in 1941
West side stands at Robertson Stadium during a game

In March 1940 the Houston Independent School District (HISD) purchased the site for a stadium from the Settegast Estate for $75,550.16.[1] Another seven acres was acquired soon thereafter to bring the original site total to 59.7939 acres. The area of land is now bound by Holman Street, Wheeler Street, Scott Street, and Cullen Boulevard.

The stadium was then constructed as a joint project between HISD and the Works Progress Administration by the Fretz Construction Company.[2] Named the "Public School Stadium", it was completed in 1942, and had a seating capacity of 20,500. Public School Fieldhouse (later known as Jeppesen Gymnasium), a multi-purpose indoor arena which was constructed simultaneously, stood alongside. The stadium's first game was held before a crowd of 14,500 on September 18, 1942, when Houston's Lamar High School defeated Dallas' W. H. Adamson High School 27–7.

Early years

HISD football games continued to be played at the stadium when the Houston Cougars football team played their inaugural game in front of a crowd of 11,000 with Southwestern Louisiana (now known as Louisiana–Lafayette).[3] The University of Houston continued to host home football games there from 1946 to 1950 before moving to Houston Stadium in 1951 and then to the Astrodome in 1965. Prior to the 1957 football season, HISD changed policy at the stadium to disallow any teams with black students to play there despite this being previously allowed without issue.[4] In 1958, the school district renamed the stadium "Jeppesen Stadium" for school board member Holger Jeppesen, who had vigorously lobbied for its construction.

In 1960, the Houston Oilers began play as a charter member of the American Football League, and arranged to lease the stadium from HISD as their home stadium. The team was owned by Bud Adams, a wealthy Houston oilman who upgraded Jeppesen Stadium for professional football use. Part of Adams' upgrades were expanding the seating capacity to 36,000. This allowed for the largest attendance for the stadium ever of 37,981 when the Dallas Texans competed against the Oilers on December 23, 1962 for that year's AFL title game.[5] At this time HISD continued its use of the stadium with an average of ten games per week.[6] Making national headlines, the NAACP protested HISD's segregation policy in 1961, and formally asked players from the Oakland Raiders to refuse to play the Houston Oilers at Jeppesen Stadium in a regular-season game.[7] The Oilers remained at Jeppesen until 1964, when they moved into Rice Stadium.

In 1966, the University of Houston developed a master plan that emphasized the acquisition of the stadium.[1]

Renovations and current use

Corbin J. Robertson, former UH Board of Regents member and Athletics Committee Chairman, funded its renovation in 1970, and the stadium was bought for $6.8 million USD by the University of Houston.[8] In 1980, it was renamed "Robertson Stadium" in his honor.

The Philips Vidiwall with scoreboard as part of the South end zone at Robertson Stadium

Beginning with the 1994 season, the Houston Cougars football team began splitting their home schedule with the Astrodome and Robertson Stadium. The University of Houston ended its lease agreement to hold home football games at the Astrodome before the 1998 season, moving the entire home slate of games back to Robertson Stadium on campus for the first time since 1949. In 1996, adjacent Jeppesen Gymnasium, in need of heavy renovations, was demolished to make way for a new scoreboard. The stadium was heavily renovated in 1999 to bring it up to NCAA Division I-A (now Division I FBS) standards for football venues. The playing surface was lowered nine feet and the running track eliminated to facilitate the addition of new seating on the sidelines and end zones. A total of twenty luxury suites were also constructed above both sides of the stadium. The playing field itself was named in honor of Houston attorney John O'Quinn, a donor to the project, thus modifying its official name to "John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium".Rodney Griffin was the first official grounds keeper of the facility. [9]

On August 2, 2002, the NFL's Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys competed against each other in a scrimmage at Robertson Stadium.[10] It was the first public game for the Texans, which were an expansion team to the league.

File:Dynamo Earthquakes.JPG
Robertson Stadium during a Dynamo soccer game

Several improvements were made in 2006 thanks in part to a $1.7 million donation from the Houston Dynamo. The lighting system was upgraded and a new scoreboard and a Philips Vidiwall video screen was added. This was completed in August 2006 despite the fact that Houston Dynamo plans to vacate the stadium for their own soccer-specific stadium within the next three years.

With its current seating, the largest attendance for a single game at Robertson Stadium was set at 32,119, when Houston hosted Texas State on September 4, 2010 for the team's season opener. Prior to this, the record was 32,114, set on September 26, 2009 when the Cougars defeated the Texas Tech Red Raiders. This had been the first game the Cougars played as a nationally ranked team in 18 years.

The university hired the architecture firm of Leo A. Daly to assess the stadium and develop a plan for the long-term improvement of the facility. Plans were proposed to replace the end zone sections with an integrated bowl and add an upper deck that would increase capacity to 50,000, but with the athletic department changing leadership, a new feasibility study was conducted instead. This study, conducted by AECOM for four months, was concluded in June 2010 with an announcement by the university to raze Robertson Stadium, and rebuild a new stadium at the location.[11]

The 2009 Houston Cougars football team versus the Rice Owls during the Bayou Bucket Classic at Robertson Stadium
Robertson Stadium during the 2009 Bayou Bucket Classic

Events hosted

An aerial view of Robertson Stadium

The 1960 AFL Championship game and 1962 AFL Championship game were played at Robertson Stadium by the Oilers against the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Texans respectively.[12] On January 16, 1965, the 1964 AFL All-Star game was also held there.

The 1983 NCAA Track & Field Championship was held at Robertson Stadium prior to the removal of the track.[13]

On December 1, 2006, the stadium was host to the Conference USA Football Championship, and on November 10, 2007, the Dynamo defeated the Kansas City Wizards in the 2007 MLS Western Conference final. On January 19, 2008, the 83rd and 84th annual East-West Shrine Game was played at Robertson Stadium.[14] On March 8, 2008, the stadium hosted the inaugural Space City Classic, a Houston-area high school all-star game.

In 1972, ZZ Top, The Doobie Brothers & Willie Nelson performed at Robertson Stadium, in addition to The Beach Boys, Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young & The Allman Brothers in 1974.

Other concerts held at the stadium include Pink Floyd during their In The Flesh Tour & Alice Cooper in 1980.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Nicholson, Patrick (1977). In Time: An Anecdotal History of the First Fifty Years of the University of Houston. Houston, Texas: Pacesetter Press. p. 250. ISBN 0-88415-371-1.
  2. ^ "1941: Robertson Stadium". Fretz Construction Company. Retrieved 2009-10-05.
  3. ^ "2009 Houston Cougars Media Guide: All-Time Series Game-By-Game" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-09-13.
  4. ^ "Sports Shorts". The Daily Courier. 1957-09-25. Retrieved 2009-10-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "There's No Explaining Call". Toledo Blade. 1962-12-24. Retrieved 2009-10-05. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  6. ^ Fink, David (1974-11-29). "In The Beginning...And On and On Go Oilers". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2009-08-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "NAACP Asks Oakland to Honor Lines". Lawrence Journal-World. 1961-09-09. Retrieved 2010-03-28. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  8. ^ Nicholson, Patrick (1977). In Time: An Anecdotal History of the First Fifty Years of the University of Houston. Houston, Texas: Pacesetter Press. p. 458. ISBN 0-88415-371-1.
  9. ^ "John O'Quinn Field at Robertson Stadium". Houston Cougars athletics. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
  10. ^ "Texas tangle". Sports Illustrated. 2002-08-03. Retrieved 2009-08-10. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Campbell, Steve (2010-06-11). "UH ups the sports ante — by $160 million". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved 2010-06-13. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  12. ^ "Tennessee Titans - History: 1959-1969". Tennessee Titans. Retrieved 2008-10-09.
  13. ^ Blanchette, John (1983-06-02). "Cougs, 19 strong go for NCAA title". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2009-12-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  14. ^ "Football's Finest Hour Returns to the Bayou City" (PDF). East-West Shrine Game. 2008-10-21. Retrieved 2008-12-14.
  15. ^ "In The Flesh Animals Tour 1977". Brain Damage: Pink Floyd News Resource. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Robertson Stadium.
Events and tenants
Preceded by
first stadium
Astrodome
 Home of the Houston Cougars
1946–1950
1998— 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
first stadium
 Home of the Houston Dynamo
2006— 		Succeeded by
current
Preceded by
first stadium
 Home of the Houston Oilers
1960–1964 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Site of the East-West Shrine Game
2008–2009 		Succeeded by
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