Joe Aillet Stadium
| "The Joe" | |
The press box and home stands at Joe Aillet Stadium
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| Former names | Louisiana Tech Stadium (1968–1972) |
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| Location | 1450 West Alabama Avenue Ruston, LA 71272 |
| Coordinates | 32°31′56″N 92°39′21″W / 32.53222°N 92.65583°WCoordinates: 32°31′56″N 92°39′21″W / 32.53222°N 92.65583°W |
| Owner | Louisiana Tech University |
| Operator | Louisiana Tech University |
| Capacity | 23,000 (1968–1988) 30,600 (1989–2013) 27,717 (2014) 28,019 (2015–present) |
| Surface | Grass (1968–2005) FieldTurf (2006–present) |
| Opened | September 28, 1968 |
| Tenants | |
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Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football (NCAA college football) 1968–present Lady Techster soccer team (2004–2008) |
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Joe Aillet Stadium (formerly Louisiana Tech Stadium) is a college football stadium in Ruston, Louisiana and the home field of the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs football team, which competes in Conference USA. The football stadium replaced the original Tech Stadium where the school's football program played its home games on campus until 1967.
Originally called Louisiana Tech Stadium, Joe Aillet Stadium opened in 1968 and was renamed for retired Louisiana Tech head football coach and athletic director Joe Aillet in 1972.
The stadium was built in 1968 with an original capacity of 23,318 as a replacement for the original "Tech Stadium" on the university's campus. The new football stadium was constructed on the northwest portion of the campus as part of a new athletic complex which included a 3,000-seat baseball stadium now known as J. C. Love Field at Pat Patterson Park, 10 lighted tennis courts, and a track and field complex now known as the Jim Mize Track and Field Complex.
The new stadium, known as Tech Stadium or Louisiana Tech Stadium at the time, hosted its first Louisiana Tech home football game on September 28, 1968 when quarterback Terry Bradshaw led the Bulldogs to a 35-7 victory over the East Carolina University Pirates.
After four seasons as Tech Stadium, the stadium was renamed Joe Aillet Stadium prior to the 1972 season in honor of Joe Aillet, the longtime head football coach and athletic director of Louisiana Tech who died on December 28, 1971. On November 11, 1972, the official dedication ceremonies of the newly renamed Joe Aillet Stadium were held during a home football game between Tech and Eastern Michigan.
The 1997 season saw the largest crowd in school history of 28,714 for a 17-16 victory by the Bulldogs over the Northeast Louisiana Indians.
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