Illinois Field

Infobox Stadium
stadium_name = Illinois Field
nickname =


location = near the intersection of 4th Street and Kirby Avenue, Champaign, IL
coordinates =
broke_ground =
opened = March, 1988
renovated =
expanded =
closed =
demolished =
owner = University of Illinois
operator =
surface = FieldTurf
construction_cost =
architect = Heery Fabrap
project_manager =
main_contractors =
former_names =
tenants = University of Illinois Baseball Team
seating_capacity = 1500 seats
3000 (with lawn seating)
dimensions = Left Field — 330 ft
Left Center Field — 370 ft
Center Field — 400 ft
Right Center Field — 370 ft
Right Field — 330 ft

Illinois Field is a baseball stadium that is home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini Baseball Team. It is located in the sports complex at the University of Illinois and is just south of Kirby Avenue, just west of where Kirby becomes Florida (i.e. the Champaign-Urbana border). It is a short distance east of the Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium.

History

Illinois Field was constructed at its current location in 1988. The first game played there was a victory for Illinois over Western Illinois on March 24, 1988. Prior to this, the home of Illinois Baseball, also known as Illinois Field, was located farther north on campus at the intersection of Wright Street and University Avenue which is now part of the engineering campus. That site had been used for various sporting events, including baseball, since 1884. Illinois Field. Retrieved March 3, 2008 from http://www.athletics.uiuc.edu/facilities/facilities/illinois_field/default.htm ] It was also the home of the Illini football team and other teams prior to the opening of Memorial Stadium in 1923. This version of Illinois field sat 17,000 at its largest. [ [http://www.athletics.uiuc.edu/renaissance/history/general.htm Illinois Renaissance | the Renovation of Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois ] ] [ http://uihistories.ncsa.uiuc.edu/buildings/illinoisfield.html#_ftnref1 ]

Several significant renovations have taken place since the new stadium was built. First, in 1996, the clubhouse was renovated and expanded to twice its original size. Second, in 1999, lights were added to allow for night games. Illinois also won the first night game in Illinois Field History on April 27, 1999 against Illinois State. Third, in 2007, the grass playing surface was replaced with a synthetic FieldTurf surface that mimics natural grass without the maintenance requirements.

While Illinois Field has served as the home field for the University of Illinois Baseball Team for the past 20 years, it has not always been an exclusive relationship. In 1994, Illinois shared the premises with the Champaign-Urbana Bandits, a minor league team in the short-lived Great Central League. As of September 2007, there has been discussion between the city of Champaign, the University of Illinois, and the Frontier League of expanding the field and to allow the sale of alcohol at games to accommodate for a new minor league franchise. However, these discussions are only in the very beginning stages and no definitive steps have been made one way or the other. [ [http://news-gazette.com/news/local/2007/09/25/cu_baseballfranchise_in_works The News-Gazette.com: C-U baseball franchise in works ] ] There are also plans to increase the seating capacity of the stadium in the future.

Illinois Field has hosted the Big Ten Baseball Tournament several years, most recently in 2005, but has never hosted a NCAA Regional or Super Regional.

Features

The Playing Field

As mentioned, Illinois Field has a FieldTurf playing surface which covers the entire playing field with the exception of the pitching mound. The field’s dimensions are symmetric with a distance down the lines of 330 feet, to the power alleys of 370 feet and to center field of 400 feet. There are also two batting cages and a bullpen with two mounds down each foul line. The dugouts for both teams are in-ground.

tands

The stadium part of Illinois Field features permanent, bleacher seating for 1500 spectators. These seats wrap around the foul territory behind home plate from the first-base bag to the third-base bag. Additional space for another 1500 spectators is available on the grass areas located down the foul lines. Temporary seating can also be installed in this area for big games or events, like the Big Ten Tournament. As mentioned above, there are also plans to expand the permanent seating available at Illinois Field.

Attendance Records:
*single game: 4,229 fans on April 15, 1995
*weekend series: 5,820 fans on April 21-22, 1990
*season average: 1,270 fans per game in 1990
*season: 17,722 fans in 2005

Clubhouse

Down the left field line at Illinois Field there is a building that serves as the clubhouse for the Illini team, coaches, and staff. The clubhouse contains space for a variety of functions for the team. The main feature, and purpose, of the clubhouse is the team locker room. Other parts of the clubhouse are a coaches’ locker room, training room and a player’s lounge that also serves as a recruiting lounge. The player's lounge also contains video equipment that allows players and coaches to watch previous at bats and entire games.

Press box

The press box, which seats 25 people, for Illinois Field sits above the permanent seating section behind home plate. This facility is used by any media members, VIPs and game day staff. There also is the capability to perform radio broadcasts, which often take place. The Wall of Fame, located behind the press box, honors past Illinois Baseball greats.

Concessions

As any athletic venue has, Illinois Field has a concession stand. The building for this feature stands behind the press box which creates a concourse-type area at the stadium. While the concession stand serves the typical ballpark food items, like hot dogs and nachos, there are also several cart vendors at various games that sell more of a specialty item. For apparel and other merchandise sales, a trailer is operated by a local sports apparel store during games.

References