Ross–Ade Stadium is a

stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...

West Lafayette, Indiana West Lafayette () is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States, about northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister cit ...

, on the campus of

Purdue University Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and ...

. It is the home field of

Purdue Boilermakers football The Purdue Boilermakers football team represents Purdue University in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. Purdue plays its home games at Ross–Ade Stadium on the campus of Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana ...

. The stadium was dedicated on November 22, 1924, and named in honor of Purdue alumni

George Ade George Ade (February 9, 1866 – May 16, 1944) was an American writer, syndicated newspaper columnist, and playwright who gained national notoriety at the turn of the 20th century with his "Stories of the Streets and of the Town", a column that ...

and

David E. Ross David Edward Ross (August 25, 1871 – June 28, 1943)Kelly, Fred C. David Ross, Modern Pioneer: A Biography. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1946. Print. was a Purdue University graduate who helped advance the university through his generous donations an ...

. On December 6, 2019, it was announced that the new name for the playing surface is Rohrman Field at Ross–Ade Stadium.

History

The stadium was built in 1924 to replace

Stuart Field Stuart Field was a stadium at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, United States. It was the home field of the Purdue Boilermakers football team from 1892 until 1924 when Ross–Ade Stadium opened. Purdue's baseball team continued to pl ...

, which had been hosting Purdue football since 1892. It is named in honor of Purdue alumni

and

, the principal benefactors. In 1922 Ade and Ross bought of land for the site of the new stadium. They also provided additional financial support for construction of the facility. Ross–Ade Stadium opened on November 22, 1924, with a

seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...

of 13,500—roughly corresponding to the lower portion of the current facility's west grandstand---and standing room for an additional 5,000 people.Ross-Ade Stadium
, Purdue Official Athletic Site. A series of additions and renovations pushed the

to almost 68,000 (70,000 with standing room). In 2001,

began a $70 million renovation, including widening both aisles and seats, which led to a reduced

of 62,500. The first game and first win came in the

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China hold ...

Homecoming Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni or other former members of an organization to celebrate the organization's existence. It is a tradition in many high schools, colleges, and churches in the United States, Canada and Liberia. ...

dismantling of the

Indiana Hoosiers The Indiana Hoosiers are the intercollegiate sports teams and players of Indiana University Bloomington, named after the colloquial term for people from the state of Indiana. The Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Ath ...

. The largest crowd ever to see a game in Ross-Ade is 71,629 against Indiana on November 22, 1980. In summer 2017, Ross–Ade Stadium installed permanent stadium lights. In March 2019 it was announced that a memorial for Superfan Tyler Trent, who died on January 1, 2019, at the age of 20 from

osteosarcoma An osteosarcoma (OS) or osteogenic sarcoma (OGS) (or simply bone cancer) is a cancerous tumor in a bone. Specifically, it is an aggressive malignant neoplasm that arises from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin (and thus a sarcoma ...

, a type of bone cancer, would be placed at Student Section Gate entrance in his honor. On December 6, 2019, it was announced that due to a $15 million gift, the new name of the facility is Rohrman Field at Ross–Ade Stadium. On September 4, 2021, the Boilermakers opened their 97th season in the 500th game at Ross-Ade with a 30-21 win over Oregon State.

Renovations

In the spring of 2000, it was announced that Ross–Ade would undergo a three-phase renovation, beginning the following year. A breakdown of each phase is as follows:

Phase I (2001–2003)

*Replace the 50-year-old Woodworth Memorial Press Box, located on the west side of the stadium, with a four-story pavilion, housing the Shively Media Center, 34 luxury suites, and a 200-seat indoor club level *Add outdoor club seats with exclusive access to the pavilion's suites *Expand the main concourse *Add new bathrooms and concession stands *Add a new “grand staircase” to the south end of the stadium *Replace all concrete and benches.

Phase II (TBA)

*Add an upper deck to the east side of stadium

Phase III (TBA)

*Add upper deck to north bend of stadium, connecting east upper deck and Pavilion While originally thought that both Phases II and III would be solely dependent upon future ticket sales, former Athletic Director Morgan Burke indicated in early 2009 that the project may move forward in the near future, regardless of season ticket sales.

Additional proposals

There has been a desire expressed by both former head coach

Joe Tiller Joseph Henry Tiller (December 7, 1942 – September 30, 2017) was an American football player and coach. He was the head coach at the University of Wyoming from 1991 to 1996 and Purdue University from 1997 to 2008, with a career record of know ...

and Burke to remove seating in the south end zone to use the land for alternative purposes. Tiller and subsequently the school's architectural department, has proposed using the land for football administrative offices and locker rooms. Burke has proposed shaping the land into a landscaped hill, providing lush views of campus scenery. Ultimately, these bleachers were removed in the summer of 2014, with restorative work performed on the concrete foundation on which the bleachers sat.

Other renovations

*In 2004, a limestone and brick tunnel was dedicated to the memory of the 17 football players, coaches, alumni, and fans who died in the 1903

Purdue Wreck The Purdue Wreck was a railroad train collision in Indianapolis, Indiana, on Saturday, October 31, 1903, between two special trains that killed 17 people, including 14 players of the Purdue University football team. Team captain and future Indiana ...

in Indianapolis. *In June 2006, the

Kentucky bluegrass ''Poa pratensis'', commonly known as Kentucky bluegrass (or blue grass), smooth meadow-grass, or common meadow-grass, is a perennial species of grass native to practically all of Europe, North Asia and the mountains of Algeria and Morocco. Altho ...

was replaced by

Bermuda grass ''Cynodon dactylon'', commonly known as Bermuda grass, is a grass found worldwide. It is native to Europe, Africa, Australia and much of Asia. It has been introduced to the Americas. Although it is not native to Bermuda, it is an abundant invasiv ...

. The Prescription Athletic Turf system is still in use. *In July 2006,

Action Sports Media Action may refer to: * Action (narrative), a literary mode * Action fiction, a type of genre fiction * Action game, a genre of video game Film * Action film, a genre of film * ''Action'' (1921 film), a film by John Ford * ''Action'' (1980 fil ...

announced a ten-year partnership with Purdue, helping finance the installation of a new state-of-the-art Daktronics video board, priced at $1.7 million, and sideline advertising panel. The new technology was installed in time for the start of the 2007 season. *In June 2014, the south end-zone bleachers, which seated 6,100 spectators, were removed to avoid necessary safety upgrades and in preparation for proposed renovations. The area was converted to a patio area for fans to enjoy a more party like atmosphere. There were several tables set up with a large concessions tent anchor the middle of the area. This is the first time a regular game attendee could purchase alcohol.

Night games at Ross-Ade Stadium

Temporary lights (1–7) *October 18, 1986: Ohio State L 11–39 *September 10, 1994: Toledo W 51–17 *September 21, 1996: West Virginia L 6–20 *October 1, 2005: Notre Dame L 28–49 *October 6, 2007: Ohio State L 7–23 *September 26, 2009: Notre Dame L 21–24 *October 1, 2011: Notre Dame L 10–38 *September 14, 2013: (21) Notre Dame L 24–31 Under permanent lights (4–5) *September 8, 2017: Ohio W 44-21 *October 28, 2017: Nebraska L 24-25 *August 30, 2018: Northwestern L 27-31 *September 15, 2018: Missouri L 37-40 *October 20, 2018: (2) Ohio State W 49-20 *September 14, 2019: TCU L 13-34 *September 4, 2021: Oregon State W 30-21 *September 1, 2022: Penn State L 31-35 *October 15, 2022 Nebraska W 43-37

References

External links

*
Playing Surface ReplacementPurdue e-archives 1925 DebrisImages of 1949 stadium expansion
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ross-Ade Stadium College football venues Purdue Boilermakers football American football venues in Indiana Purdue University campus 1924 establishments in Indiana Sports venues completed in 1924