| Spectrum Stadium | |
|---|---|
| "The Bounce House" | |
| |
| Location | 4465 Knights Victory Way Orlando, Florida 32816 |
| Broke ground | March 22, 2006[1][2] |
| Opened | September 15, 2007[3] |
| Renovated | 2015 (planned) |
| Owner | University of Central Florida |
| Operator | University of Central Florida |
| Surface | Bermuda grass[4] |
| Construction cost | $55 million[4] ($NaN in 2024 dollars[5]) |
| Architect | 360 Architecture[6] |
| Project Manager | Wharton-Smith[6] |
| Tenants | Central Florida Knights (NCAA) (2007–present) MEAC/SWAC Challenge (2014) |
| Capacity | 45,323[7] |
Spectrum Stadium, formerly Bright House Networks Stadium and sometimes referred to as "The Bouncehouse", is an American football stadium located in Orlando, Florida, on the main campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF). It is the home venue for the Central Florida Knights football team. The stadium was the first on-campus stadium in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I FBS to open in the 21st century, and was the second newest BCS stadium in the country.[8]
The stadium opened in 2007 with a seating capacity of 45,323.[6] The steel and brick clad stadium was designed by 360 Architecture and constructed in 18 months. UCF previously played their home games at the Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando.
The attendance record as of 2013 was 48,453, for an October 18, 2009 match-up against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes.[9] The stadium will undergo a renovation following the 2014 season to add a party deck to the east stands.[10]
Location[]
Knights Plaza, part of UCF's Athletic Village
Bright House Networks Stadium is located on the northern edge of the University of Central Florida's 1,415 acre (573 ha) main campus, which is approximately 13 miles (21 km) northeast of downtown Orlando and 55 miles (89 km) southwest of Daytona Beach.[11] The stadium is a part of UCF's Athletic Village and is bordered by McCulloch Road on the north side, Knights Plaza on the west side, and Orion Boulevard on the southern and eastern sides.
To the west in Knights Plaza is the CFE Arena, the indoor arena of UCF Knights basketball, and The Venue, home of the Knights volleyball program. Also located to the west, are Jay Bergman Field, the home field of Knights baseball, and the UCF Track and Soccer Complex. Also located in Knights Plaza are The Towers residence halls, housing 2,000 UCF students, including student-athletes.[12]
History[]
Construction and expansion[]
The UCF Knights made notable changes to its athletic programs and facilities in 2007. A newly developed "athletic village" on the north end of campus known as Knights Plaza was opened which consisted of new sports facilities, including the new UCF Arena, the new 45,323 seat Bright House Networks Stadium, a new softball complex, and the only Division I indoor football practice facility in the state.[13] This made UCF the first university to ever open a new stadium and arena during the same year, for the 2007–2008 season.[14]
Initially projected to have a cost of $40 to $45 million, the most recent cost estimates of Bright House Networks Stadium run as high as $55 million.[15] Construction of the new stadium was briefly delayed due to the concerns of local residents regarding potentially falling property values and noise levels from the stadium. The stadium was originally built without water fountains. The university argued that the building code used when the stadium was approved did not require water fountains.[16] However, this claim turned out to be incorrect. The 2004 Florida building code (in effect in 2005 when the UCF Board of Trustees approved the stadium design) mandated that stadiums and other public arenas must have one water fountain for every 1000 seats, or half that number of fountains if water were also available for sale.[17] During the opening game, vendors ran out of water at half time; 18 people were hospitalized for heat exhaustion during the game. In order to correct the issue, UCF provided a free bottle of water to each person at the next game, and immediately began work to install at least fifty water fountains throughout the stadium, in order to comply with the 2004 building code requirement.[18]
On August 8, 2006, UCF announced a fifteen-year, $15 million stadium naming rights deal with cable company Bright House Networks.[19] The stadium was designed for a planned expansion to 65,000 seats. Over the next 10 years, UCF plans to expand the Roth Tower with more suites and club seating, and also add an additional 10,000 seats in a third level on the east side of the stadium, increasing its capacity to 56,000.[20]
Knights football[]
- Main article: Central Florida Knights
The stadium as viewed from the student section
On May 9, 2006, it was announced that the Texas Longhorns would be the first opponent for the UCF Knights in the new stadium. The game, the first of three scheduled meetings between the schools,[21] was held September 15, 2007, and televised nationally on ESPN2 at 3:30 pm EDT (1930 UTC). A sellout crowd of 45,622 saw the Knights put a scare into the Longhorns before falling 35–32.[22][23]
Although the Knights lost their first on-campus home game, they finished the remainder of the stadium's inaugural season undefeated, including the Conference USA home opener against Memphis. The Knights hosted the 2007 C-USA Championship at their new stadium, defeating Tulsa 44–25 in front of a crowd of 44,128. In 2010, the Knights again hosted the C-USA Championship, defeating the SMU Mustangs 17–7 before a crowd of 41,045. The highest attendance for games played at Bright House Networks Stadium against the Knights have included the University of South Florida Bulls, the Miami (FL) Hurricanes, and in 2013, the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Attendance records[]
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48,543 | October 17, 2009 | 9 Miami (FL) 27, UCF 7 |
| 2 | 47,605 | September 28, 2013 | 12 South Carolina 28, UCF 25 |
| 3 | 47,129 | November 24, 2017 | South Florida 42, UCF 49 |
| 4 | 46,805 | September 6, 2008 | 17 South Florida 31, UCF 24 |
| 5 | 46,103 | November 3, 2007 | Marshall 13, UCF 47 |
| 6 | 45,952 | November 29, 2013 | South Florida 20, 17 UCF 23 |
| 7 | 45,671 | September 10, 2011 | Boston College 3, UCF 30 |
| 8 | 45,622 | September 15, 2007 | 6 Texas 35, UCF 32 |
| 9 | 45,510 | October 20, 2007 | Tulsa 23, UCF 44 |
| 10 | 44,665 | November 9, 2013 | Houston 14, 19 UCF 19 |
The "Bounce House"[]
The stadium has been referred to by some as "The Trampoline"[24] or "The Bounce House"[25] because the stadium flexes when fans jump during Zombie Nation's song "Kernkraft 400".[26] While many fans like this feature, some are uneasy with the bouncing. Stadium officials claimed the stadium was structurally sound, and an independent contractor confirmed that the bouncing will not damage the stadium and shorten its expected 50–year useful life. Still, a project was begun prior to the 2008 season to reinforce the stadium superstructure and mitigate the bouncing effect.[27] While the bouncing has been greatly reduced, it is still noticeable, and sometimes enough to shake TV cameras during televised games. For the 2010 Conference USA Football Championship Game, television presenterESPN2 set-up a camera position outside of the stadium to eliminate camera bounce caused by fans.[28]
Gallery[]
See also[]
- UCF Knights
- List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums
References[]
Notes
- ↑ "Tons of steel, 427 toilets in UCF's new home", Central Florida Future, 2007-07-26. Retrieved on 2009-07-26.
- ↑ UCF Trustees Approve Financing Plan, Groundbreaking for On-Campus Football Stadium. UCF Athletics Association (2005-12-14). Retrieved on 2011-10-10.
- ↑ "Student support for UCF remains abysmal", Central Florida Future, September 13, 2007. Retrieved on 2009-07-26.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Bright House Networks Stadium Featured in SportsTurf Magazine", UCF Athletics Association. Retrieved on 2009-07-26.
- ↑ Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–2008. Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. Retrieved December 7, 2010.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedgameday - ↑ Bright House Networks Stadium. UCF Athletics Association. Retrieved on July 26, 2009.
- ↑ Heinz Field, home to the Pitt Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers, opened in 2001, but is not on the University of Pittsburgh campus. Rentschler Field, home to the UConn Huskies, opened in 2003, but is not on the University of Connecticut campus. SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium opened in 2000, which was in the 20th century. Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium is the newest BCS stadium, opening in 2009.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedlargest - ↑ "UCF exploring open-air bar in Bright House Networks Stadium", April 2, 2012. Retrieved on November 9, 2012.
- ↑ Facts About UCF. UCF Office of Institutional Research. Retrieved on November 13, 2010.
- ↑ "UCF Men's 2009-2010 Golf Yearbook", University of Central Florida. Retrieved on November 13, 2010.
- ↑ Nicholson Fieldhouse. UCF Athletics Association. Retrieved on August 3, 2009.
- ↑ Convocation Center Update CFE Arena
- ↑ "Graduate fellows, assistants to get tuition waivers", Central Florida Future, May 29, 2006. Retrieved on May 29, 2006.
- ↑ "UCF Says No Water Fountains For You", YouTube.com. Retrieved on September 18, 2007.
- ↑ “Code group: University of Central Florida didn't adhere to drinking water rules,” Orlando Sentinel, September 22, 2007).
- ↑ "UCF To Install Water Fountains in New Stadium", WESH. Retrieved on September 18, 2007.
- ↑ "UCF Bright House Networks Stadium", Central Florida News 13.
- ↑ Staying on Offense: $70M Sports Projects. UCF (May 4, 2010). Retrieved on December 8, 2010.
- ↑ "UCF Football to Face Texas in New On-Campus Stadium in 2007 - 2005 national champs will be first opponent in new stadium", UCF Athletic Association, May 9, 2006. Retrieved on May 9, 2006.
- ↑ Hightower, Kyle. "Full Up: UCF Sells Out 1st On-Campus Game", September 15, 2007. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
- ↑ Associated Press. "Horns' McCoy, Charles team up to end UCF's upset bid", ESPN.com, September 15, 2007. Retrieved on September 15, 2007.
- ↑ "Jumpy fans worry UCF", November 30, 2007. Retrieved on December 19, 2010.
- ↑ The Miami Hurricanes Will Beat UCF If.... Bleacher Report (October 16, 2009). Retrieved on December 19, 2010.
- ↑ Zaragoza, Luis. "Jumpy Fans Worry UCF", November 30, 2007. Retrieved on November 30, 2007.
- ↑ Zaragoza, Luis. "UCF to Take Bounce Out of Stadium", August 2, 2009. Retrieved on August 25, 2008.
- ↑ C-USA Football Championship Blog. Conference USA (December 2008). Retrieved on January 1, 2011.
External links[]
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