Kroger Field
| C. M. Newton Grounds | |
 |
|
| Former names | Commonwealth Stadium (1973–2017) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1540 University Drive, Lexington, Kentucky 40506 |
| Coordinates | 38°1′22″N 84°30′19″W / 38.02278°N 84.50528°WCoordinates: 38°1′22″N 84°30′19″W / 38.02278°N 84.50528°W |
| Owner | University of Kentucky |
| Operator | University of Kentucky |
| Capacity | 61,000 (2015–present) 62,093 (2014) 67,942 (2009–2013) 67,606 (2003–2008) 67,530 (1999–2002) 55,453 (1998) 57,800 (1991–1997) 56,696 (1979–1990) 58,000 (1973–1978) |
| Surface | UBU-Intensity Series-S5-M Synthetic Turf (2015–present) Kentucky bluegrass (1973–2014) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 23, 1972 |
| Opened | September 15, 1973 |
| Renovated | 2015 |
| Expanded | 1999 |
| Construction cost |
$12 million ($64.7 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | HNTB |
| General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols |
| Tenants | |
| Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA) (1973–present) | |
Kroger Field, formerly known as Commonwealth Stadium, is a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, located on the campus of the University of Kentucky that primarily serves as the home field for the Kentucky Wildcats football team. The playing surface is named C.M. Newton Grounds in honor of retired UK athletic director and former baseball and basketball player C.M. Newton. Built in 1973, it is the newest football stadium in the Southeastern Conference, as measured by date of original construction. The original capacity for the stadium was 57,800. In the stadium's first game, played on September 15, 1973, the Wildcats defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 31–26.
Both ends of the stadium were enclosed in 1999 and 40 suites were added, 10 in each corner of the stadium, resulting in a symmetrical oval bowl seating 67,530. The total cost of the expansion was $27.6 million. Seating adjustments over the next decade brought capacity to 67,942. During the 1999 season, Kentucky's average home attendance for football games was 67,756. Attendance for the game against Tennessee that year was 71,022, which remained the record attendance until the Wildcats' 2007 game against Florida drew 71,024.
The University of Kentucky announced an audio and video upgrade to the stadium in July 2011. These upgrades included two LED video boards each measuring approximately 37 feet (11 m) high by 80 feet (24 m) wide (2,960 square feet), making each display the 20th-largest scoreboard in the country. Combined, the 5,920 square feet (550 m2) make the new video boards one of the largest scoreboard systems in the country. Additionally, a new custom audio system and over 1,800 linear sq/ft of video ribbon board were implemented by September 10, 2011. The approximate cost of the upgrades totaled close to $6 million.
The stadium underwent a $110 million renovation in 2015. The renovation included a new press box, loge box seats, club seats, recruiting room, suites, concourses, bathrooms, lights, and exterior facade while reducing capacity to around 61,000. The project was completed before the start of the 2015 season. It was referred to as "The New Commonwealth Stadium". On May 1, 2017, the university, along with marketing partner JMI Sports, announced the stadium's name change to Kroger Field, part of a 12-year, $1.85 million per year naming rights deal with Cincinnati-based retailer Kroger. This agreement makes the University of Kentucky the first school in the Southeastern Conference to enter into a corporate partnership for the naming rights to their football stadium.
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