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Kroger Field
Stadium at the University of Kentucky / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Kroger Field, also known as Commonwealth Stadium, is a stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, located on the campus of the University of Kentucky that primarily serves as the home field for the Kentucky Wildcats football team. The stadium is located at the corner of Alumni Drive and University Drive in Lexington. The playing surface is named C. M. Newton Grounds in honor of the late UK athletic director and former baseball and basketball player C. M. Newton. Built in 1973, it is the newest football stadium in the Southeastern Conference, as measured by date of original construction. The original capacity for the stadium was 57,800. In the stadium's first game, played on September 15, 1973, the Wildcats defeated the Virginia Tech Hokies 31–26.
C. M. Newton Grounds | |
![]() The stadium during a night game, Kentucky v Georgia, 2012 | |
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Former names | Commonwealth Stadium (1973–2017) |
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Location | 1540 University Drive Lexington, Kentucky 40506 |
Coordinates | 38°1′22″N 84°30′19″W |
Owner | University of Kentucky |
Operator | University of Kentucky |
Capacity | 61,000 (2015–present)
Former capacity: List
|
Surface | S5 Synthetic Turf (2015–present)[2] Kentucky bluegrass (1973–2014) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | July 23, 1972[3] |
Opened | September 15, 1973; 50 years ago (September 15, 1973) [4] |
Renovated | 2015 |
Expanded | 1999 |
Construction cost | $12 million ($82.4 million in 2023 dollars[5]) |
Architect | HNTB RossTarrant Architects[6] |
General contractor | Huber, Hunt & Nichols[4] |
Tenants | |
Kentucky Wildcats (NCAA) 1973–present | |
Website | |
ukathletics.com/kroger-field |