Williams Stadium
| "The Bill" | |
 | |
| Former names | Willard May Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | 1972 University Boulevard, Lynchburg, Virginia 24502 |
| Coordinates | 37°21′14.4″N 79°10′30″W / 37.354000°N 79.17500°WCoordinates: 37°21′14.4″N 79°10′30″W / 37.354000°N 79.17500°W |
| Owner | Liberty University |
| Operator | Liberty University |
| Capacity |
19,200 (2010-Present) 12,000 (1989-2009) |
| Record attendance | 22,551 (9/19/15)[1] |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | May 8, 1989 |
| Opened | October 21, 1989 |
| Expanded | 2010 |
| Construction cost |
$18 million ($34.4 million in 2016 dollars[2]) |
| Architect | Haken/Corley and Associates of Raleigh, N.C. |
| General contractor | McDevitt & Street[3] |
| Tenants | |
| Liberty Flames (NCAA) (1989–present) | |
Arthur L. Williams Stadium is a 19,200 seat football stadium located on the campus of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA. The stadium was built in 1989 and plays host to Liberty Flames football, which is a part of the NCAA Division I - Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). A new field house has recently been constructed at the north end of the stadium. This new facility houses a new home locker room, coaches offices, meeting rooms and training facility as well as a 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) weight room. In the 2009 off season, Liberty University added a video scoreboard on the north end of the field. It is one of the largest in the FCS at 20 feet tall and 36 feet wide.[4] In September 2011, a ribbon video board was added to the facade of the upper deck; Williams Stadium thus became the first FCS football stadium to have a ribbon board.
The stadium was named in 1994 to honor Arthur L. Williams, Jr. who was a major contributor to the University.[5]
Expansion
Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. announced on August 28, 2009 a three phase addition to Williams Stadium. The plan was to increase the seating capacity of the stadium from 12,000 seats to 30,000 seats by 2015. The first phase of the construction included a five story press box and expanded the stadium by 7,200 seats. This was done by adding a second deck to the home side of the stadium and lengthening the east and west stands of the stadium. The seating capacity is currently 19,200. The estimated cost for the first phase of the project was $18 million. The new press tower was ready for Liberty's Oct. 2, 2010 home game against Savannah State. The tower includes 18 luxury suites, all of which were sold for the 2010 season.[6]
Phase two will add a mid deck to the student side, while phase three will complete a "horseshoe" around the south end zone, bringing the total capacity to 30,000. Williams Stadium has the potential to be expanded past 60,000 in the future.
References
- ↑ http://www.liberty.edu/flames/index.cfm?PID=10869&NewsID=15245&TeamID=9
- ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis Community Development Project. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
- ↑ http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=14874&TeamID=9
- ↑ http://www.liberty.edu/news/index.cfm?PID=18495&MID=9279
- ↑ "Williams Stadium - Quick Facts". Liberty University. Retrieved September 27, 2013.
- ↑ http://www.libertyflames.com/index.cfm?PID=10869&newsID=4225&TeamID=
