Cessna Stadium
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| Former names | Veterans Field (1946–1968) |
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| Location | 1845 E 21st Street N Wichita, Kansas 67260 |
| Owner | Wichita State University |
| Operator | Wichita State University |
| Capacity | 16,000 (1946–1968) 31,500 (1969–2002) 24,000 (2002–present) |
| Surface | grass |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | January 6, 1941 |
| Opened | September 21, 1946 |
| Renovated | 1969, 1996, 2002 |
| Construction cost | $100,000 $1,500,000 (1969) $1,800,000 (2002 renovation) |
| Tenants | |
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Wichita State Shockers (NCAA) Football (1946–1986) Men's track and field (1946–present) Women's track and field Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School football |
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Cessna Stadium is a 24,000 seat stadium in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located on the south side of 21st Street, east of Hillside, on the campus of Wichita State University in northeast Wichita.
Cessna is currently the home of the Shocker track and field team. Before the WSU football program was discontinued, the Shocker football team played home games at this stadium.
In the early days of Wichita State University, when it was known as Fairmount College, its first football field was located on the north side of 17th Street, immediately east of the current Henrion Hall, when it was the Henrion Gymnasium. In 1929, concrete bleachers were attached to the east side of the same building for football games.
In 1940, the school decided to build a new football stadium on the north side of campus at the current site on the south side of 21st Street. On January 6, 1941, ground was broken for Veterans Field, and by September 1942 the bowl was excavated, foundations were poured for the west stands, and a quarter of the west bleachers were completed, however construction was halted due to metal shortages during World War II. After the war ended, the bleachers were constructed in sections over time as funds were incrementally available. By mid-1946, stands were completed to a point where 6,000 seats were ready by the start of the 1946 football season. Veterans Field was finally completed before the start of the 1948 football season, with 15,000 seats and facilities for the press, concessions stands, and locker rooms. It was dedicated on November 25, 1948 during a football game with the University of Nevada. The stadium was dedicated to the members of the armed forces from Sedgwick County who served in World War II.
1n 1967, Wichita State started considering the expansion of Veterans Field. In 1968, faculty and students voted and approved the expansion by adding on top of the existing stands of Veterans Field. Cessna Aircraft Company pledged a donation of $300,000 for the proposed stadium, and it was renamed to Cessna Stadium. The cost of the expansion was $1.5 Million, and the school had a fund drive to raise the remaining money. Construction was started on February 7, 1969 and completed in September. It was one of the most modern and complete football facilities in the nation at the time of its completion.
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