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Brooks Stadium

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Coordinates: 33°47′34″N 79°01′03″W / 33.7929°N 79.0175°W / 33.7929; -79.0175
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This article is about the football stadium at Coastal Carolina University. For Coastal's baseball park, see Springs Brooks Stadium. For the baseball park in Kentucky, see J. Polk Brooks Stadium.

Brooks Stadium /
James C. Benton Field
Exterior view of the stadium in 2008
Brooks Stadium is located in South Carolina
Brooks Stadium
Brooks Stadium
Location in South Carolina
Brooks Stadium is located in the United States
Brooks Stadium
Brooks Stadium
Location in the United States
Address540 University Blvd
LocationConway, South Carolina
Coordinates33°47′34″N 79°01′03″W / 33.7929°N 79.0175°W / 33.7929; -79.0175
OwnerCoastal Carolina University
OperatorCoastal Carolina University
Capacity21,000 (2019–present)
15,000 (2017–2018)
9,214 (2012–2016)
9,112 (2010–2011)
7,322 (2006–2009)
6,408 (2003–2005)
SurfaceShaw Sports PowerBlade (teal) (2015–present)
Grass (2003–2014)
Construction
Broke groundJuly 30, 2002
OpenedSeptember 6, 2003; 21 years ago (September 6, 2003)
Renovated2017–2019
Expanded2010, 2017–2019
Construction cost$59 Million
ArchitectMcMillan Smith & Partners
General contractorHill Construction[1]
Tenants
Website
goccusports.com/brooks-stadium

Brooks Stadium is a 21,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Conway, South Carolina. It is home to the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers football team at Coastal Carolina University. The facility opened in 2003 and is named in honor of Coby Garrett Brooks and Boni Belle Brooks, children of Robert Brooks.[2] Brooks was a Loris, South Carolina native and was the chairman of Hooters of America, Inc. The stadium is notable for its teal artificial turf.[3]

History and renovation

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Home stands in 2007

While the current stadium dates only to 2003, the site has a considerably longer football history. In a 2020 interview, Coastal athletic director Matt Hogue, who began working at the school in 1997 as Coastal's basketball play-by-play announcer, told ESPN journalist Ryan McGee,

When I started working here, that was the location of Conway High School's football stadium. They decided to build a new stadium on their campus, so it left that lot open for us. But it sat there empty for seven or eight months between their last game and our groundbreaking, so it was completely overgrown with weeds and watermelons. . . . When we went out there to get ready for the groundbreaking ceremony, there were wild watermelons all over the place. So, we had to work around that.[4]

Groundbreaking for Brooks Stadium was held on July 30, 2002. Phase I of the stadium construction contained 6,408 seats, while the foundation and infrastructure of the stadium was designed to support future expansion to 20,000 seats.[5] The stadium was formally dedicated on September 6, 2003, as the Chanticleer football team opened its inaugural game vs. Newberry College in front of a crowd of more than 8,000. On October 7, 2006, the field was named James C. Benton Field to honor the family for a large donation they made to the Coastal athletics program earlier in the year.

2017–19 expansion

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Rendering of Brooks Stadium following expansion

Following the announcement of the university joining the Sun Belt Conference on September 1, 2015, Brooks Stadium underwent construction to expand the stadium to 20,000 seats. The NCAA requires FBS programs to maintain an average attendance of at least 15,000 over a rolling two-year cycle. The expansion project received approval from the state in November 2015, but construction was not expected to begin until January 2017. Coastal Carolina University officials set the project price tag at $38 million.[6] The committee also announced in February 2017 the lead architects for the expansion were Heery International, Inc. architectural firm and Stubbs Muldrow Herin architects.[7] McKnight Construction Company was awarded the project, and groundbreaking took place on March 21, 2017. Construction took place over two phases; the first phase expanded the stadium to the FBS-minimum 15,000 seats by expanding the sidelines and connecting them to the north end zone as well as expanding the press box side upper deck. It was completed in time for Coastal Carolina's season opener against UMass on September 2, 2017. Construction of phase II began in January 2018, and further expanded capacity to over 20,000 seats by adding premium seating and an upper deck to the west side.[8] Phase II was finished in August 2019.[9]

The Coastal Carolina (left) and Army football teams line up on the Stadium's teal turf during a game in 2022.

Marrio & Josh Norman Fieldhouse

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Adkins Fieldhouse, located in the north endzone in 2010 (Now the Marrio & Josh Norman Fieldhouse)

The $8.5 million fieldhouse opened at Brooks Stadium in June 2010. It was originally named for brothers Mark and Will Adkins (Coastal Carolina '89), who planned to donate $1.5 million to the project. The fieldhouse added 1,600 seats.

On November 3, 2018, it was announced that Josh Norman had donated a large amount of money to the athletic department and the Adkins Fieldhouse name changed to Marrio & Josh Norman Fieldhouse.

The Marrio & Josh Norman Fieldhouse also includes houses:

  • Football offices, meeting rooms, and football locker room
  • 13,000-square-foot (1,200 m2) Strength & conditioning center for all student-athletes
  • Men's and women's cross country and track & field offices
  • Men's and women's soccer offices
  • Men's and women's golf offices
  • Men's tennis office
  • Baseball office
  • Softball office
  • Sasser Athletic Hall of Fame

Attendance records

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Rank Attendance Date Game Result
1 22,104 September 21, 2024 Coastal Carolina 24, Virginia 43
2 21,324 October 28, 2023 Coastal Carolina 34, Marshall 6
3 21,224 November 3, 2022 Coastal Carolina 35, Appalachian State 28
4 21,165 September 3, 2022 Coastal Carolina 38, Army 28
5 19,294 September 7, 2024 Coastal Carolina 40, William & Mary 21
6 18,756 October 1, 2022 Coastal Carolina 34, Georgia Southern 30
7 18,674 October 2, 2021 #16 Coastal Carolina 59, Louisiana–Monroe 6
8 18,552 October 5, 2024 Coastal Carolina 45, Old Dominion 37
9 18,116 September 16, 2023 Coastal Carolina 66, Duquesne 7
10 17,697 September 10, 2021 #17 Coastal Carolina 49, Kansas 22

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Coastal Carolina University Stadium" (PDF). Hill Construction. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
  2. ^ "Football stadium at Coastal to be named for Brooks". Archived from the original on September 22, 2006.
  3. ^ McGuire, Kevin (January 25, 2015). "Coastal Carolina going with teal for new artificial turf". NBC Sports.
  4. ^ McGee, Ryan (October 29, 2020). "Coastal Carolina's long road to becoming college football's must-see attraction". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 29, 2020.
  5. ^ "Football stadium at Coastal to be named for Brooks". Coastal Carolina University. August 11, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
  6. ^ "Coastal Carolina committee approves $38M bonds for Brooks Stadium expansion". Coastal Carolina University. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  7. ^ "Brooks Stadium Additions" (PDF). Coastal Carolina University. Retrieved April 8, 2016.
  8. ^ "Coastal Has Football Stadium Expansion Groundbreaking Ceremony". Coastal Carolina University Athletics. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  9. ^ Blondin, Alan (August 8, 2019). "Expansion of Brooks Stadium is complete. What the new capacity and features mean for CCU". Myrtle Beach Sun News. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
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