By the numbers: 50 years of Commonwealth Stadium/Kroger Field as the home of UK football
As we approach the 50-year anniversary of Commonwealth Stadium, some important numbers for the University of Kentucky’s football stadium, now called Kroger Field:
2
The facility has gone by two different names. After 48 years at Stoll Field/McLean Stadium, Kentucky constructed its new football stadium, called Commonwealth Stadium, in time for the 1973 season. The name was changed to Kroger Field in time for the 2017 season.
2
UK has renovated Commonwealth Stadium twice. It enclosed both ends of the stadium and added 40 luxury suites, bringing capacity to 67,606, in 1999. UK renovated the stadium again in 2015, this time adding more luxury suites, loge box seats, club seats, a new press box, a recruiting room, additional bathrooms and new exterior facade. The renovation reduced capacity to 61,000.
2
UK has played on two different surfaces at the facility. Commonwealth Stadium opened with a grass field. A new Bermuda grass playing surface was installed in 2005. A field turf surface was installed as part of the 2015 renovation. New field turf was installed before the 2023 opener.
6
The number of opponents that were ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 when they played Kentucky at Kroger Field. Florida in 1997; LSU in 2007; Florida in 2009; Alabama in 2013; Mississippi State in 2014; Georgia in 2022. Kentucky was 1-5 against those six, the lone win being 43-37 in three overtimes against eventual national champion LSU on Oct. 13, 2007.
8
Eight head coaches have led the Cats at Commonwealth Stadium/Kroger Field. They are: Fran Curci (1973-81), Jerry Claiborne (1982-89), Bill Curry (1990-96), Hal Mumme (1997-2000), Guy Morriss (2001-02), Rich Brooks (2003-09), Joker Phillips (2010-12) and Mark Stoops (2013-present).
$9
The price of a Bud Light at UK’s 2023 season opener at Kroger Field. It was the first game in which alcohol was sold to the general public inside the stadium. Craft beers — Country Boy Brewing’s Cougar Bait and Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.’s Kentucky Tangerine Cream Ale — were available for $11.
48
Mark Stoops is 48-26 (64.9%) at home heading into Kentucky’s game against visiting Akron on Saturday. His predecessors’ records: Curci 29-23-1 (55.7%), Claiborne 32-19-3 (62.0%); Curry 21-22 (48.8%), Mumme 13-11 (54.2%), Morriss 5-8 (38.5%), Brooks 25-23 (52.1%) and Phillips 11-10 (52.4%).
48
UK’s largest margin of defeat at Commonwealth Stadium came when Tennessee whipped Bill Curry’s Wildcats 48-0 on Nov. 20, 1993.
60
Kentucky’s largest margin of victory at Commonwealth Stadium was a 77-17 romp over UTEP on Sept. 7, 2002, under head coach Guy Morriss.
67
The number of luxury suites at Kroger Field. Twenty suites are located in each end zone with 27 suites located on the south sideline.
100
The width in feet of the video boards at Kroger Field. UK first installed video boards as part of the 1999 stadium renovation. Audio and video upgrades were made in 2011 with two LED video boards measuring approximately 37-feet high by 80-feet wide. Ribbon boards were also added in 2011. The upgrades cost $6 million. Kentucky upgraded the video boards again in 2022 at a cost of $5 million. The new screens are 20 feet wider than the previous ones.
26,500
The smallest crowd in Commonwealth Stadium/Kroger Field history watched Kentucky beat Mississippi State 24-21 on Nov. 9, 1996. It was Bill Curry’s next-to-last home game as the UK coach. He had been fired on Oct. 20, 1996, one day after UK lost 41-14 at LSU but was allowed to finish out the season.
57,800
The original capacity for Commonwealth Stadium when it was built in 1973.
61,000
The current capacity of Kroger Field, as of the renovation in 2015.
63,543
The largest crowd in the current stadium configuration saw Kentucky lose to Georgia 34-17 on Nov. 3, 2018.
71,107
The largest crowd at Commonwealth Stadium watched Kentucky lose 52-24 to Georgia on Oct. 26, 2002.
$22.2 million
Kroger is paying UK $22.2 million over 12 years for Commonwealth Stadium to be called Kroger Field. The new agreement started with the 2017 season and runs through the 2028 campaign.
$27.6 million
UK spent $27.6 million on the 1999 renovation of the stadium.
$120 million
UK spent $120 million on the 2015 renovation of the stadium.
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