Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium
| Rowdy Dowdy | |
 |
|
| Full name | Bagwell Field at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Ficklen Memorial Stadium (1963–1994) |
| Location | Blackbeard's Alley, Greenville, North Carolina 27858 |
| Coordinates | 35°35′47″N 77°21′55″W / 35.59639°N 77.36528°WCoordinates: 35°35′47″N 77°21′55″W / 35.59639°N 77.36528°W |
| Owner | East Carolina University |
| Operator | East Carolina University |
| Capacity | 50,000 |
| Surface | Tifton 419 Hybrid Bermuda |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1962 |
| Built | 1962-1963 |
| Opened | September 21, 1963 |
| Renovated | 1991 - $1.6 million in repairs and renovations, 2002, 2009-2010 |
| Expanded | 1967–1968 - increased seating capacity to 20,000 1977–1978 - increased seating capacity to 35,000 1996–1998 - increased seating capacity to 43,000 2010 - increased seating capacity to 50,000 |
| Construction cost | $283,387 ($2,234,553.41 in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | Dudley & Shoe |
| Tenants | |
| East Carolina Pirates (NCAA) (1963–present) | |
Bagwell Field at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium is the on-campus football facility for the East Carolina Pirates in Greenville, North Carolina. The official capacity of the stadium is 50,000, making it the third largest college stadium in North Carolina. The record attendance for the stadium was on September 20, 2014 against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with 51,082 in attendance. The stadium is also the site of Spring Commencement exercises for the University.
The initiative to build a new stadium was announced on October 7, 1961. On that day, President Leo Jenkins announced to a meeting of boosters, that a new stadium will be built to replace College Stadium. By 1962, over $280,000 was raised and Ficklen Memorial Stadium was built. The stadium was named for James Skinner Ficklen, the owner of Greenville's E.B. Skinner Tobacco Company. Skinner was a booster of the college, and established a scholarship fund in his name. The original stadium included permanent stands on the south side, a press box, and a lighting system. Ficklen Memorial Stadium opened on September 21, 1963 with a win against Wake Forest. The original seating capacity was 10,000.
The north side permanent seating was constructed in 1967 and 1968, increasing the capacity of the stadium to 20,000. The seats were designed by W.M. Freeman Associates from High Point, North Carolina. The exterior of the stadium was painted in 1970 by F.A. Miller Company. The lighting system was the next item that changed. The original lighting system was replaced with six towers outside of the stadium in 1975. The cost of the new lighting system was $450,000. L.E. Wooten company built the lighting system.
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