Peden Stadium - History

History

Serving Ohio University for eight decades, the facility, originally known as Ohio Stadium (not to be mistaken with the one in Columbus), was built at a cost of $185,000 and was completed in 1929. Often referred to as the 'Wrigley Field' of college football due to its intimate and picturesque setting, the stadium originally sat only 12,000 fans with grandstands on each side of the playing field. The first ever game at the venue featured a 14-0 Bobcats victory over archrival Miami University in front of a sellout crowd. Following the retirement of legendary Ohio football coach Don Peden in 1946, the stadium was renamed Peden Stadium. Although a smaller stadium, It was designed by Osborne Architects, who designed illustrious early Americana style brick composed sports venues such as Yankee Stadium.

The stadium has undergone several modifications through the years. In 1986, the seating capacity was increased to 19,000 with the addition of two new grandstands in the north end zone. Four years later, a five story tower, called the Peden Tower, was added to the stadium's west side. Today, this state-of-the-art facility houses press boxes, game day suites, football offices, athletic training facilities, team meeting rooms, a recruiting lounge, a ticket office, the football locker room, and Ohio Athletics' academic services and compliance departments. In 1999, a new 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) strength and conditioning center called The Carin Center was added to the ground level of Peden Stadium.

Several other historically memorable events have occurred at the Stadium, including a visit by then President Lyndon B. Johnson, as well as an event which featured a landing by helicopter on the 50-yard line by former President Eisenhower. The stadium has served as a venue for many visiting national collegiate teams including the Big Ten. A bronze life-sized sculpture of an OHIO Bobcat, commissioned by a well known naturalist artist, stands poised at the north of the stadium.

At the suggestion of Michael A Massa, an alumnus, Peden Stadium was formally designated an official Ohio Historical Site, and an Ohio Historical Marker was placed at the front of the stadium in August 2010.