Officially named California Memorial Stadium, Memorial Stadium is the current home for Cal football. It was opened in 1923, and currently seats 73,347 spectators.

	Capacity		73,347
	Opened		1923
	Owner		University of California, Berkeley
	Operator		University of California, Berkeley
	Surface		Momentum Turf
	Location		210 Memorial Stadium Berkeley, California 94720
	Construction cost		$1.4 million USD

The stadium was built with money raised from public contributions, as a memorial to the fallen of World War I. The chair of the architectural committee was John Galen Howard, the University’s chief architect, and his influence is evident in the stadium’s neoclassical motif. The stadium has no track, so the stands come right up to the football field. Currently the stadium sports a Momentum Turf surface, but has sported AstroTurf and natural grass. The Momentum Turf surface allows football practices and less popular sports to be held on the field year-round. Previously, football practices would be held at Witter Rugby Field.

The Hayward Fault passes under Memorial Stadium, where right-lateral strike-slip motion is shifting the northeast half of the building to the southwest at a rate of 1 cm/yr. Expansion joints have been placed in the walls of the stadium to maintain the integrity of the building. A 1998 seismic safety study at the Berkeley campus gave the stadium a “poor” rating (meaning that the building represents an “appreciable life hazard” in an earthquake), and estimated the cost of making the structure safe in an earthquake at $14 million.

In February 2005, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau announced plans to renovate Memorial Stadium, improving the existing facilities while providing new ones for various university departments and programs. The first phase of those rennovations took place during the spring and summer of 2006.

Traditionally, during most football games and especially during the Big Game against Stanford University, the hill overlooking the eastern side of the Stadium attracts spectators hoping to watch a game for free. The hill has become known as “Tightwad Hill” as a result.

(source .. wikipedia) reproduced under GFDL

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]

The ACC.com - The Official website of the Atlantic Coast Conference
NCAA - National Collegiate Athletic Association website
University of California, Berkeley
Cal Bears official website

[ Anything to add? Spotted an error? Click here to improve this entry ]