Independence Stadium (Shreveport)
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| Former names | State Fair Stadium (1924–1981) |
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| Location | Shreveport, Louisiana |
| Coordinates | 32°28′32″N 93°47′31″W / 32.47556°N 93.79194°WCoordinates: 32°28′32″N 93°47′31″W / 32.47556°N 93.79194°W |
| Owner | City of Shreveport |
| Capacity | 49,565 |
| Surface | Field Turf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Renovated | 1930, 1934, 1950, 1973, late 1990s, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014 |
| Tenants | |
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Red River State Fair Classic (NCAA) (1924–89, 1999, 2001–2003, 2010–13, 2015–present) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1928–present; alternate) Shreveport Steamer (WFL) (1974–75) Independence Bowl (NCAA) (1976–present) Shreveport Pirates (CFL) (1994–95) Shreveport-Bossier Southern Knights (RFL) (1999) |
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Independence Stadium is a stadium owned by the city of Shreveport, Louisiana and is the home of the Independence Bowl.
Formerly known as State Fair Stadium, it is the site of the annual Independence Bowl post-season college football game, initially (1976) the Bicentennial Bowl. Before that, it was the home venue of the Shreveport Steamer of the short-lived World Football League (1974–75). It also served as a neutral site for the annual Arkansas–LSU football rivalry from 1924 to 1936. The 1924 game featured a silver football trophy as part of the dedication ceremonies for the new stadium.
The stadium is also host to numerous high school football games and soccer matches, since many schools in Shreveport lack an on-campus facility. Independence Stadium also hosted the LHSAA state football championship games in 2005 after the Louisiana Superdome suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina.
In 1994–95, Independence Stadium was home to the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League, which was undergoing U.S. expansion at the time.
In the late 1990s, the stadium capacity was expanded from approximately 40,000 to 50,832. In 2005, to meet accommodations of the upcoming Independence Bowl in 2006, the stadium went through a renovation to extend the capacity from 52,000 to 59,000. Then in 2008, the City of Shreveport created an entire new section of the stadium. This portion would allow the stadium capacity to be expanded only if need be. This expansion would put the total capacity at 63,000. This was part of a grand upgrading plan that improved all aspects of the facility, from concourses to playing surface.
In 2001, Independence Stadium hosted the inaugural year of the annual Port City Classic—an NCAA college football competition featuring Southern University of Baton Rouge, Louisiana—in an effort to revive the old State Fair Classic game. The classic spun-off separately from the fair the following year and became an early September game. Eventually it also hosted a contest between Louisiana Tech University of Ruston, Louisiana and Grambling State University of Grambling, Louisiana.
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