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This month, we look at a facility that really took shape over the summer
-- Rhodes Stadium! |
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 Faculty and staff got their first look at the new facility during a picnic in July.  Workers installed bells in the new bell tower on Aug. 29. |
By David Hibbard, director of news services This fall, Elon faculty and staff will be able to leave their offices, take a short stroll across campus and attend an Elon football game. That hasn't been possible for a long, long time. Games have not been played within walking distance of campus since the 1940s, when football was played at Comer Field, located across from the Elon fire station. And only one time, in Elon's first-ever game in 1909, has a football game actually been staged on Elon property. Since 1949, home games were played four miles from campus at Burlington Memorial Stadium. But Rhodes Stadium will change all that starting Sept. 15, when the Phoenix opens its new home with the inaugural game against Eastern Kentucky University. It seems the new facility at the north end of campus, which has a seating capacity of 8,250, has exceeded nearly everyone's expectations. From the 57-foot bell tower topped by a copper dome, to the main entrance -- an impressive arched, brick-and-stone colonnade with enclosed ticket booths -- the buzz around campus over the summer was about Rhodes Stadium. With restrooms and concession stands located within a short walk of every seat, the fans' needs were a prime consideration in the stadium's design, says Trip Durham, assistant director of athletics. "If you look at every aspect of this stadium, it's fan-friendly. Regardless of where someone is seated, I think everyone will have a great experience," he says. Seating for faculty and staff will be located in section 103, offering a close-up view of the action. (For ticket information and a stadium diagram, visit the Rhodes Stadium Web site.)  McKinnon
Field, named in honor of trustee Bob McKinnon '62 and his wife, Ray, will
be identical to the playing surface in many NFL stadiums. Work on the field
began in the fall of 2000 with the installation of more than 12,000 feet
of plastic pipe to assist with drainage. On top of this drainage network
came a four-inch blanket of stone, followed by a 12-inch root zone composed
of a blend of silica sand and peat moss. In May, this base was graded using
laser technology, in preparation for the installation of sod at the end
of June. Though Burlington Memorial Stadium served Elon well through the years, Alan White, director of athletics, says the dream of an on-campus stadium has persisted for many, many years. "The tailgating, the band playing, the whole atmosphere of a football Saturday in the fall will finally be here on campus," he says. "It's something that no matter how hard you try, you can't reproduce off campus." For head football coach Al Seagraves, the excitement of opening day builds with each practice session. "I'm sure I'm going to have chills up my spine and tears in my eyes taking the first team in there," says Seagraves. "It will be a phenomenal experience." |
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