California Memorial Stadium

California Memorial Stadium
California Memorial Stadium[1]
Strawberry Canyon
View northwest, with Sather Tower in the distance
Map
Berkeley is located in the United States
Berkeley
Berkeley
Location in the United States
Berkeley is located in California
Berkeley
Berkeley
Location in California
Address210 Stadium Rim Way
LocationUniversity of California
Berkeley, CA 94720[2]
Coordinates37°52′16″N 122°15′3″W / 37.87111°N 122.25083°W / 37.87111; -122.25083
Public transitBus interchange Bear Transit from
Bay Area Rapid Transit Downtown Berkeley:  O   R 
Bus interchange AC Transit:
F, 36, 51B, 52, 79
OwnerUniversity of California
OperatorUniversity of California
Capacity52,428 (expandable to 62,467 without tarps) (2024–present)[3]
SurfaceFieldTurf (2017–present)[4]
Matrix Turf (2012–2017)
Momentum Turf (2003–2010)
Grass (1995–2002)
AstroTurf (1981–1994)
Grass (1923–1980)
Construction
Broke groundDecember 1922
(site clearing)
July 1, 1923[5]
OpenedNovember 24, 1923;
100 years ago (1923-11-24)
September 1, 2012;
12 years ago (2012-09-01)
(renovation)
Construction cost$1,437,982 (1923)
$321 million (2011)
ArchitectJohn Galen Howard[5]
Baker & Carpenter[5]
George E. Cunningham[5]
General contractorClinton Construction Company[5]
Tenants
California Golden Bears (NCAA)
(1923–present)
Website
calbears.com/california-memorial-stadium
California Memorial Stadium
LocationBet. Piedmont Ave., Stadium Rim Way, Canyon Rd., Bancroft Way and Prospect St., Berkeley, California
Built1922
Architectural styleNeoclassicism, Modernism
NRHP reference No.06001086[6]
BERKL No.287
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 27, 2006
Designated BERKLJune 1, 2006

California Memorial Stadium, also known simply and commonly as Memorial Stadium, is an outdoor college football stadium on the west coast of the United States, located on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California. It is the home field for the California Golden Bears of the Atlantic Coast Conference (beginning in the fall of 2024).

Opened in 1923, the venue currently seats around 63,000 for football;[7] its playing field runs northwest to southeast at an approximate elevation of 410 feet (125 m) above sea level.[8] It has been named one of the top college football stadiums by various publications,[9][10] and it was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on November 27, 2006.[6][11]

Memorial Stadium was funded from public contributions, as a memorial to Californians who lost their lives in World War I (1917–18). 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. In addition to its unique architecture, the stadium's position at the foot of the Berkeley Hills provides top row spectators with panoramic views of San Francisco Bay and west side viewers with views of the Berkeley Hills and Strawberry Canyon. This has earned it a reputation as one of the most scenic venues in college football.

Traditionally, during all football games and especially during the Big Game against Stanford, the hill overlooking the eastern side of Memorial Stadium attracts spectators hoping to watch a game for free, earning the nickname "Tightwad Hill".

  1. ^ "FTX Field at California Memorial Stadium". University of California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved 2021-10-31.
  2. ^ "California Memorial Stadium". www.visitberkeley.com. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  3. ^ "2024 Cal Football Info Guide" (PDF). University of California, Berkeley Athletics. Retrieved October 1, 2024.
  4. ^ "New Playing Surfaces at Memorial, Haas". University of California, Berkeley Athletics. 8 June 2017. Retrieved June 8, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e "California Memorial Stadium (Berkeley, California) Historic Landscape Report" (PDF). University of California. March 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-06-17. Retrieved August 22, 2012.
  6. ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  7. ^ "Memorial Stadium". University of California, Berkeley. Archived from the original on March 8, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2007.
  8. ^ "MSRMaps". MSRMaps. 1996-01-07. Retrieved 2012-10-03.
  9. ^ Newcomb, Tim (2018-07-24). "The Top 25 College Football Stadiums". Popular Mechanics. Archived from the original on 2018-12-03. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  10. ^ "Top 10 College Football Stadiums". NBC Sports. 2011-08-23. Archived from the original on 2018-04-30. Retrieved 2019-07-16.
  11. ^ "11.10.2005 – History of Memorial Stadium". berkeley.edu. Retrieved March 5, 2015.