Groves Stadium
| Groves Stadium or "The Chapel" | |
 |
|
| Former names | Groves Stadium (1968–2007) |
|---|---|
| Location | 411 Deacon Blvd, Winston-Salem, NC 27105 |
| Coordinates | 36°7′50″N 80°15′17″W / 36.13056°N 80.25472°WCoordinates: 36°7′50″N 80°15′17″W / 36.13056°N 80.25472°W |
| Owner | Wake Forest University |
| Operator | Wake Forest University |
| Capacity | 31,500 |
| Surface |
FieldTurf: 2006 to present Natural grass: 1968 to 2006 |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | March 1967 |
| Opened | September 14, 1968 |
| Renovated | 1996, 2005-2008, 2011 |
| Construction cost |
$4 million ($27.5 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce (renovations) |
| Tenants | |
| Wake Forest Demon Deacons football (NCAA) (1968–present) | |
BB&T Field (the playing field contained in Groves Stadium) is a football field in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Wake Forest University Demon Deacons. The stadium opened in 1968 and holds 31,500 people. It is the smallest football stadium, by capacity, in both the ACC, and in all Power 5 conferences.
In September 2007, Wake Forest University and BB&T, which is headquartered in Winston-Salem, announced a 10-year deal to officially rename the stadium "BB&T Field" starting with the first 2007 home game against Nebraska. The deal is part of a larger development process to secure funds for stadium renovations and upgrades.
The former stadium name of Groves Field goes back to the original stadium at the original location of Wake Forest (Wake Forest, North Carolina). The old stadium was financed by Henry Groves, and when the school announced the move to Winston-Salem, he and his brother, Earl, decided to make a further contribution to the school to keep their name on any new stadium. After moving to Winston-Salem, many games were played in Bowman Gray Stadium while the project to build a new stadium met with many setbacks. It was not until 1966 that the final fundraising was done, and the stadium opened in September 1968, with the Deacons losing to old rival NC State. The former Groves Stadium became the home football field for Wake Forest High School and is today known as Trentini Stadium.
The current stadium consists of two bowed grandstands on either side of the field. The southeast endzone is known as "Deacon Hill," and is used for berm seating during games. The Bridger Field House, originally built in 1968 with the stadium, was demolished in early 1996 and rebuilt during the 1996 football season. It opened midway through the 1997 football season. The structure is located behind the northwest endzone. In the summer of 2006, the natural grass surface was replaced with FieldTurf.
The stadium is part of a larger complex east of the main campus at the corner of Deacon Boulevard and University Parkway, which includes Gene Hooks Field at Wake Forest Baseball Park and Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
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