Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
The Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium as seen from above.
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| Former names | Memphis Memorial Stadium (1965–1976) |
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| Location | 335 South Hollywood Street Memphis, Tennessee 38104 |
| Coordinates | 35°7′16″N 89°58′39″W / 35.12111°N 89.97750°WCoordinates: 35°7′16″N 89°58′39″W / 35.12111°N 89.97750°W |
| Owner | City of Memphis |
| Operator | Memphis Park Commission |
| Capacity | 59,308 (2013–present) 61,008 (2007–2012) 62,338 (2003–2006) 62,921 (1999–2002) 62,380 (1987–1998) 50,160 (1965–1986) |
| Surface |
FieldTurf 2005-2011 Grass 1965-2004 AstroTurf (end zones only 1995 for CFL games; entire field 2012–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1963 |
| Opened | September 16, 1965 |
| Expanded | 1987 |
| Construction cost | $3.7 million (original) ($28.1 million in 2017 dollars) $19.5 million (1987 renovations) ($41.1 million in 2017 dollars) |
| Architect | Yeates, Gaskill & Rhodes Bounds & Gillespie Architects (renovations) |
| Tenants | |
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Memphis Tigers (NCAA) (1965–present) AutoZone Liberty Bowl (NCAA) (1965–present) Tennessee Oilers (NFL) (1997) Memphis Mad Dogs (CFL) (1995) Memphis Maniax (XFL) (2001) Memphis Showboats (USFL) (1984–1985) Memphis Southmen (WFL) (1974–1975) Memphis Rogues (NASL) (1978–1980) |
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Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, originally Memphis Memorial Stadium, is a football stadium located at the former Mid-South Fairgrounds in the Midtown area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team. It has also been the host of several attempts at professional sports in the city, as well as other local football games and other gatherings.
The stadium was originally built as Memphis Memorial Stadium in 1965 for $3 million, as a part of the Mid-South Fairgrounds, then home to one of the South's most popular fairs, but now conducted in neighboring Desoto County, Mississippi. The fairgrounds also included the now-defunct Mid-South Coliseum (formerly the city's major indoor venue) as well as the now-closed Libertyland amusement park. It was dedicated as a memorial to the citizens of Memphis who had served in World War I, World War II, and the Korean War.
The facility was built partially as a way to bring the Liberty Bowl to a permanent home in Memphis (the game had started in Philadelphia, but because of poor attendance as a northern bowl, it left the city, playing one year in Atlantic City before settling in Memphis). The game was such a success for Memphis that the stadium was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1976. As originally built, the stadium was lopsided, with the southwest side being taller than the northeast side. A 1987 expansion brought it to its current, balanced configuration, although with a much greater hospitality building topping the northeast section. Its design is similar to that of old Tampa Stadium ("The Big Sombrero"), with the endzone grandstands being much shorter than the sidelines. The field, which had been natural grass since its inception, was replaced with a FieldTurf surface before the 2005 season; this was subsequently replaced with the modern version of AstroTurf.
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