Spartan Stadium, East Lansing
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| Former names | College Field (1923–1935) Macklin Field (1935–1948) Macklin Stadium (1948–1956) Spartan Stadium (1956–present) |
|---|---|
| Location | 1 Spartan Way East Lansing, MI 48824 |
| Coordinates | 42°43′41″N 84°29′5″W / 42.72806°N 84.48472°WCoordinates: 42°43′41″N 84°29′5″W / 42.72806°N 84.48472°W |
| Owner | Michigan State University |
| Operator | Michigan State University |
| Capacity | 75,005 (2005–present) 72,027 (1994–2004) 76,000 (1957–1993) 60,000 (1956) 51,000 (1948–1955) 26,000 (1935–1947) 14,000 (1923–1934) |
| Record attendance | 80,401 |
| Surface | Grass (2002–present) Astroturf (1978–2001) TartanTurf (1969–1977) Grass (1923–1968) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1923 |
| Opened | October 6, 1923 |
| Renovated | 2005, 2014 |
| Expanded | 1935, 1948, 1956, 1957, 2005 |
| Construction cost | $160,000 ($2.25 million in 2016 dollars) |
| Architect | Edwyn Bowd (1923 field) Orlie Munson (1957 stadium) HNTB Architecture (2004 expansion) |
| Tenants | |
| Michigan State Spartans (NCAA) (1923–present) | |
Spartan Stadium (formerly College Field, Macklin Field and Macklin Stadium) opened in 1923 in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It is primarily used for football, and is the home field of the Michigan State University Spartans. After the addition of luxury boxes and club seating in 2004–2005, the capacity of the stadium grew from 72,027 to 75,005—though it has held more than 80,000 fans—making it the Big Ten's sixth largest stadium.
In the early 1920s, school officials decided to construct a new stadium to replace Old College Field. The resulting stadium—the lower half of the current stadium—was ready in the fall of 1923 with a capacity of 14,000. Over the years, the stadium grew. In 1935, the seating capacity increased to 26,000 and the facility was dedicated as Macklin Field. John Macklin, football coach from 1911 to 1915, put Michigan State football on the map with a 29–5 record over five seasons with victories over big name programs such as Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, and Wisconsin. After admittance into the Big Ten in 1948, Michigan State increased stadium capacity to 51,000 and the field was renamed Macklin Stadium. With Spartan football attracting national attention under Clarence "Biggie" Munn and Hugh "Duffy" Daugherty, 9,000 seats were added in 1956. The following season upper decks were added to the east and west sides boosting the capacity to 76,000. That same season Michigan State dropped the name Macklin Stadium in favor of Spartan Stadium. The school plans to install permanent lights in 2017.[1]
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