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Jones AT&T Stadium
"The Jones"[1]
File:JonesATT.jpg
View of the West Side Stadium Building
Location Drive of Champions
Lubbock, Texas 79409
United States
Coordinates 33°35′28″N 101°52′22″W / 33.59111°N 101.87278°W / 33.59111; -101.87278Coordinates: 33°35′28″N 101°52′22″W / 33.59111°N 101.87278°W / 33.59111; -101.87278
Broke ground June 1947
Opened November 29, 1947[1]
Renovated 2003, 2009–2010
Expanded 1959, 1972, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2013
Owner Texas Tech University
Operator Texas Tech University
Surface FieldTurf (2006–present)
AstroTurf (1972–2005)
Natural grass (1947–1971)
Construction cost $400,000
($3.93 million in 2024 dollars[2])
Architect W. C. Hedrick[3]
Ellerbe Becket (renovation)[4]
Former names Jones SBC Stadium
(2000–2006)
Clifford B. & Audrey Jones Stadium (1947–2000)
Tenants Texas Tech Red Raiders - NCAA (1947–present)
Coaches All-America Game (1970-1976)
Capacity 60,862 (2013-present)
60,454 (2010-2012)
58,930 (2009)
52,882 (2005-2008)
53,702 (2003-2004)
51,389 (2002)
50,500 (1991-2001)
47,000 (1972-1990)
41,500 (1959-1971)
27,000 (1947-1958)

Jones AT&T Stadium (previously known as Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium and Jones SBC Stadium) is an outdoor athletic stadium on the campus of Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas, United States built in the style of Spanish Renaissance architecture. It is the home field of the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team of the Big 12 Conference.

History[]

Planning and funding[]

Clifford B. and Audrey Jones Stadium opened in 1947. The original seating capacity was 27,000.

Expansion[]

In 1959 the stadium's first expansion raised the seating to 41,500. The existing east stands were placed on railroad ties and moved 150 feet (46 m) further east, and the playing surface was lowered below street level, to accommodate the new lower bowl. It was expanded again in 1972 with new red, metal seats on the north side bringing capacity of 48,000.

Modernization[]

File:Jones stadium texas tech.jpg

View (looking south) at night in August 2010 with construction of the east side ongoing

On November 17, 1999, the school announced a $20 million donation by SBC for construction of a new press box and west side club seating building to raise capacity to 52,882.

The stadium name was changed to Jones SBC Stadium in 2000 due to a naming rights agreement with SBC Communications,[1] which funded a large part of the stadium's West Stadium Club expansion. On April 6, 2006, the facility officially changed names again, this time to Jones AT&T Stadium as a result of SBC's purchase of AT&T Corporation and adoption of AT&T as its new corporate name.[5]

In May 2009, it was announced an additional 6,100 seats would be added in the north-east and north-west end zones by mid-season.[6] The additional general admission seating was opened in the north end of the stadium on October 24, 2009, bringing capacity at that time to 58,930.[7] The new East Side Building expansion is complete, bringing the total amount of suites to 89 and seating capacity to 60,454.[8][9]

The largest renovation project to date was the $51.9 million, 175,000-square-foot (16,300 m2) press box that included luxury suites, club seating and decks for television cameras and the press. This added 2,000 seats and was completed during the 2003 season.

For 2006, the stadium was upgraded with a $2-million-dollar inner field wall that matches the traditional Texas Tech style brick façade. An inscribing of the Matador Song at the Double T in the north and south endzones was also added.

In February 2006, the university announced plans to add $60 million worth of upgrades including additional luxury suites, a 1,000-car parking garage, an upper deck, a facade on the east side of the stadium and more seating. The entire project was set to begin following the 2006 season but was cancelled.[10]

On August 7, 2008, the Texas Tech Board of Regents announced a $25 million expansion project.[11] The planned expansion added a Spanish Renaissance-themed façade to the east side of the stadium. In addition to the improvements to the exterior of the facility, the expansion added 1,000 general-admission seats, 550 club seats, and 26 suites.[12] Texas Tech allocated a total of $19 million to the expansion and added another $6 million through fund-raising initiatives.[13]

On November 20, 2008, university officials announced that the project's fundraising goal had been exceeded. Most of the money came from private donations, including a large contribution from AT&T and a $1M matching gift from Texas Tech System Board of Regents member, Larry Anders. A small amount of the funds was delegated to come from future ticket sales.[14] Groundbreaking ceremonies for the expansion took place on November 29, 2008.[15] Construction began following the 2008 season.[13]

In May 2009, the university confirmed that additional money raised in the initial fundraising would be going to expand the north endzone seating by an additional 6,100 seats. Overall from 1999 to 2009 the school spent $84 million for ongoing renovation and expansion to the stadium and the football program. In doing so, seating capacity increased by about 10,000 seats to a capacity of 60,454 seats.[8][9]

In January 2013, construction began adding another 368 seats in the north endzone, in addition to an observation deck that will hold 40. The $16 million dollar project also includes a significantly upgraded jumbotron with a new sound system, a Spanish Renaissance-themed colonnade, and a new north end zone concourse connecting the two stadium halves. Along with the other additions, 157 feet of ribbon board will be added on the north end zone, more than 160 linear feet in the northeast and northwest corners of the stadium, and 94 lineal feet in the south end zone over the athletic offices. The construction is scheduled to be completed before the beginning of the 2013 season.[16]

Features[]

File:Double T Scoreboard.jpg

Double T scoreboard

Scoreboard[]

The unique Double T scoreboard modeled in the fashion of Texas Tech's logo is emplaced on the roof of the athletic department offices in the south endzone was installed prior to the beginning of the 1978 season. The scoreboard has remained in place through multiple stadium renovations due to its iconic and symbolic value.[17] [18]

Playing surface[]

The playing field runs in the traditional north-south configuration and sits at an elevation of 3,215 feet (980 m) above sea level.[19]

When Jones AT&T Stadium opened in 1947, the playing field featured a grass playing surface until it was replaced with AstroTurf in 1971. In 2006, FieldTurf replaced the AstroTurf playing field.

Seating and tickets[]

After numerous renovations and expansions, Jones AT&T Stadium currently seats 60,862. The capacity makes the stadium the 44th largest college football stadium in the United States. Officially, Jones AT&T Stadium has the third-highest seating capacity of any college-specific venue in Texas behind Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin and Kyle Field in College Station, but when referred to by actual seating capacity the stadium drops to fifth behind San Antonio's Alamodome and Houston's Rice Stadium.[20]

There are 12,548 seats are designated for students between 13 sections.[21][22]

There were 46,546 season tickets were sold for the 2010 season, surpassing the previous season ticket record of 30,092 that were purchased prior to the start of the 2008 season.[22]

For the 2011 season, season tickets in the stadium's bowl range from a maximum of $429, to as low as $189. Only the highest priced season-tickets include personal seat license fees, which range from a maximum of $300, to as low as $100. Twenty sections do not require a PSL. Donations to the Red Raider Club, a fundraising organisation for the athletic department, ranging from a maximum of $300, to as low as $100, also are required to purchase season tickets in twenty-two of the stadium sections. Season tickets in the stadium's club level are $649. Eleven stadium sections do not require a seat-license fee or Red Raider Club donation.[23]

Jumbotron[]

File:2013 Jones AT&T Stadium Construction.jpg

Jumbotron construction underway in 2013

Due for completion prior to the commencement of the 2013 season, the $11 million dollar jumbotron mounted in the north endzone of the stadium is one of the largest in the country.[24] The high-definition jumbotron will measure 100 feet wide by 38 feet tall with 3,800 square feet of screen space, placing it at a ranking of 16th nationally by square footage in purely NCAA football stadiums. Additionally, the board ranks 3rd in the Big 12 Conference in square footage behind the University of Texas's Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium and the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.

The entire support structure measures 190 feet wide and 57 feet tall, making it the largest overall in the Big 12. The entire project includes 275 tons of steel above ground and 54 tons below ground, embedded in about 400 cubic yards of concrete. Six piers on each side of the structure plunge to a depth of near 50 feet.[24] The video board, with a pixel pitch of 16mm and 4 megapixels, will also include sound banks 38 feet tall and 16 feet wide. The video board will be covered with a matching Spanish Renaissance architecture facade.[24]

Usage[]

Coaches All-America Game[]

The Coaches All-America Game, a postseason college football all-star game that served as the concluding game of the college football season, was hosted at Jones AT&T Stadium from 1970-1975. The all-star game was sponsored by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and profits from ticket sales and television rights went to fund AFCA scholarships. Prior to the Coaches All-America Game relocating to Lubbock, from 1961 to 1965, War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo, New York, served as host and prior to relocating to Lubbock due to attendance issues, Atlanta Stadium hosted the game from 1966 to 1969. Lubbock won the bid to host the game over newer stadiums in larger cities, Memorial Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee and San Diego Stadium in San Diego, after the AFCA was convinced that Lubbock's advantages as a college town without competing entertainment would fill the stands with existing college football fans from West Texas.[25]

The first game held at Jones Stadium took place only 47 days after downtown Lubbock was hit by a tornado in 1970. The stadium's newly installed AstroTurf was unharmed, but some of the light towers on the west side—which had recently been fitted with extra lights for the color telecast of the All-America Game—were bent or snapped off.[26] Even with the surrounding circumstances, the inaugural Jones Stadium game drew 42,150 in attendance, a record attendance that broke set in any prior Coaches All-America Game in Buffalo or Atlanta. The game finally found success by an attendance standard, drawing 285,786 attendees over 7 years. By the time of the final Coaches All-America Game in 1976, more players declined to participate in the all-star game as rookies and NFL owners had little to gain, and much to lose due to injury risks. The AFCA reluctantly dropped the Coaches All-America Game, but continued to bestow All-America honors.[25]

Texas Tech Red Raiders[]

Neither the biggest nor the loudest, Jones Stadium and its crowd helped the Raiders pull off recent upsets of Texas and Oklahoma.

—Dave Curtis of Sporting News, [27]

The Texas Tech Red Raiders played their first game in Jones AT&T Stadium on November 29, 1947—a 14–6 win against the Hardin–Simmons Cowboys.[28] The Red Raiders have a posted a 326-156-13 (.672) record at Jones AT&T Stadium record through the 2010 season.[28] Dave Curtis, a writer for Sporting News listed the stadium as having the number one ranking amongst college stadiums in home field advantage.[27] The attendance record of 60,879, over the capacity of the stadium, was set during the 2012 season against the Texas Longhorns. The 2012 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team set a season average attendance record of 57,108, breaking the record set previously in 2010.[28][29] A 34-27 win over the Oklahoma Sooners on November 17, 2007, was the start of a 12 game winning streak, the longest Red Raider winning streak at Jones AT&T Stadium that lasted through October 24, 2009, with a 52-30 loss to Texas A&M Aggies. Texas Tech has gone undefeated at Jones AT&T Stadium in 14 seasons, with the most recent coming in 2005 and 2008.[28]

Attendance records[]

The 18 most attended Texas Tech football games at Jones AT&T Stadium:

Attendance Opponent Season
60,879 Texas Longhorns 2012
60,800 Oklahoma Sooners 2012
60,454 Oklahoma State Cowboys 2010
60,454 Texas Longhorns 2010
59,260 Iowa State Cyclones 2011
58,955 New Mexico Lobos 2012
58,416 Texas A&M Aggies 2011
57,733 Texas A&M Aggies 2009
57,528 SMU Mustangs 2010
56,333 Texas Longhorns 2008
56,168 Texas Longhorns 2006
55,755 Texas A&M Aggies 2005
55,667 Missouri Tigers 2010
55,664 Nevada Wolf Pack 2011
55,491 Texas A&M Aggies 2007
55,413 Texas Longhorns 2004
55,084 Weber State Wildcats 2010
55,038 Oklahoma Sooners 2007

[30]

Gallery[]

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 TexasTech.com - Jones AT&T Stadium
  2. Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
  3. Texas Tech University buildings
  4. Texas Tech University, Jones AT&T Stadium Renovation/Expansion
  5. "Jones AT&T Stadium. Delivered", TexasTech.com, April 6, 2006.
  6. Williams, Don (May 10, 2009). "Jones Takes Next Steps in Expansion". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/stories/051009/spo_438241960.shtml. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
  7. "Tickets Available In New North End Zone Seating". Texas Tech Athletics. November 1, 2009. http://www.texastech.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/100809aaa.html. Retrieved November 1, 2009.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Lineham, Courtney (September 5, 2010). "East Side of Jones AT&T Stadium Is Ready for Today's Kickoff". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/sports-/-red-raiders-/-football/2010-09-05/east-side-jones-att-stadium-ready-todays-kickoff. Retrieved September 5, 2010.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "2010 Media Supplement". Texas Tech University. http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/text/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2010FBmediasupplement.pdf. Retrieved August 6, 2010.
  10. Jones AT&T renovations put on hold
  11. Coleman, Adam. "Expansion of Jones AT&T Stadium Expected to Bring More Than Appeal". The Daily Toreador. http://media.www.dailytoreador.com/media/storage/paper870/news/2008/08/25/News/Expansion.Of.Jones.Att.Stadium.Expected.To.Bring.More.Than.Appeal-3402150.shtml. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  12. Williams, Don (August 28, 2008). "Tech Rallies Funding for Stadium's East Side". The Dallas Morning News. http://lubbockonline.com/stories/080708/spo_315089828.shtml. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  13. 13.0 13.1 "New Expansion Plan for Texas Tech Jones AT&T Stadium". KCBD. http://www.kcbd.com/Global/story.asp?S=8808300. Retrieved August 28, 2008.
  14. Hartz, Marlena (November 20, 2008). "Tech Stadium Expansion Set After Funding Goal Met". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/112008/loc_357959716.shtml. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
  15. McClure, David (November 19, 2008). "Fundraising Goals Reached for Jones AT&T Stadium Expansion". Texas Tech University. http://today.ttu.edu/2008/11/stadium-expansion-goals-reached/. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  16. McKee, Catherine (December 14, 2012). "Expansion on Jones AT&T Stadium to begin Jan. 2013". The Daily Toreador. http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/article_f2b5fb50-463b-11e2-af05-001a4bcf6878.html. Retrieved 2 January 2013.
  17. Hensley, Doug (10/15/97). "Doug Hensley - Double-T scoreboard on way out?". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/news/101697/064-7928.htm. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  18. Williams, Don (January 13, 2012). "Tech hopes next round of stadium improvements not far off". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2012-01-13/tech-hopes-next-round-stadium-improvements-not-far. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  19. Topographic map from USGS via Microsoft Research Maps
  20. Riceowls.com - Rice Stadium
  21. Texas Tech Student Tickets
  22. 22.0 22.1 Beal, Blayne (August 25, 2010). "Football Season Ticket Sales Break Record". Texas Tech Today. http://today.ttu.edu/2010/08/football-season-ticket-sales-break-record/. Retrieved August 26, 2010.
  23. Williams, Don (February 25, 2011). "Texas Tech Raises Football Season-Ticket Prices". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://amarillo.com/sports/2011-02-25/texas-tech-raises-football-season-ticket-prices. Retrieved February 26, 2011.
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 Williams, Don (March 29, 2013). "Tech stadium project on track for summer completion". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2013-03-29/tech-stadium-project-track-summer-completion. Retrieved 29 March 2013.
  25. 25.0 25.1 Ford, Mark (2003). "The Coaches' All-America Game". The Coffin Corner (Professional Football Researchers Association) 25 (2): 15–18. http://www.profootballresearchers.org/Coffin_Corner/25-02-978.pdf. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  26. Reed, William F. (April 6, 1970). "A Tornado With A New Twist". Sports Illustrated 33 (1): 16–17. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1083792/index.htm. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  27. 27.0 27.1 Hayes, Matt; Curtis, Dave (April 27, 2010). "SN10: College football's best home-field advantages". Sporting News. Archived from the original on June 6, 2010. http://www.webcitation.org/5zFeHk65J. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 "Jones AT&T Stadium". Texas Tech University. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. http://www.webcitation.org/61zdwodAD. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  29. Hoover, Brittany. "Texas Tech sets new single-season average attendance record". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/sports-red-raiders-football/2012-11-09/texas-tech-sets-new-single-season-average-attendance-record. Retrieved 21 February 2013.
  30. Texas Tech Red Raiders Top Northwestern to Win the TicketCity Bowl

External links[]

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