Glass Bowl facts for kids
Glass Bowl Stadium facing northwest, 2004
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 Glass Bowl Stadium
Location in Ohio
Glass Bowl Stadium
Location in the United States
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| Former names | University Stadium (1937–1945) |
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| Location | 3044 N. Glass Bowl Dr. Toledo, Ohio 43606 |
| Coordinates | 41°39′25″N 83°36′49″W / 41.65694°N 83.61361°W |
| Owner | University of Toledo |
| Operator | University of Toledo |
| Capacity | 8,000 (1937–1939) 11,500 (1940–1948) 12,800 (1949–1965) 15,900 (1966–1970) 18,210 (1971–1989) 26,248 (1990–2000) 26,038 (2001–present) |
| Record attendance | 36,852 (2001 vs Navy) |
| Surface | Field Turf (2008–present, replaced in 2016) AstroTurf (1975–2007) Grass (1937–1974) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1936 |
| Opened | September 27, 1937 |
| Renovated | 1990, 2016 |
| Expanded | 1940, 1949, 1966, 1971, 1990 |
| Construction cost | $313,558 USD ($6.38 million in 2022 dollars ) $18 million (renovation) ($40.3 million in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | SSOE, Inc. (renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| Toledo Rockets (NCAA) (1937–present) Glass Bowl Game (NCAA) (1946–1949) Ohio Cannon (RFL) (1999) |
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The Glass Bowl is a cool stadium in Toledo, Ohio. It's mostly used for American football games. It's the home field for the University of Toledo Rockets football team. You can find it on the university's Bancroft campus, near the Ottawa River. This stadium is special because it mixes old and new styles. It still has its original stone walls around the field, even after many upgrades.
Contents
The Story of the Glass Bowl
The stadium was first called University Stadium. It was finished in 1937. It cost about $313,558 to build. This project was part of the Works Progress Administration. When it first opened, it had seats for 8,000 people. There were two main seating areas along the sides.
At the south end, there was a grassy hill. At the north end, two stone towers stood tall. These towers are still there today. In the early years, they even served as temporary homes for the football team!
After World War II, the stadium got a makeover. Many parts of it were updated with glass. Because of this, and because Toledo is known for its glass industry, the stadium was renamed the Glass Bowl in 1946. More seats were added in 1966. The stadium grew even more after the Toledo Rockets won 35 games in a row from 1969 to 1971. This brought the seating capacity up to 18,500.
In 1999, a team called the Ohio Cannon played some games here. The Glass Bowl also hosted the 2001 MAC Championship Game. In 2023, it hosted the Italian Bowl, which is the final game of the Italian Football League season. It hosted the Italian Bowl again in the summer of 2025.
Stadium Upgrades and Changes
The biggest expansion happened in 1990. A second level of seats was added to both sides of the field. This $18.5 million renovation also brought many new features. These included a three-story press box and 45 fancy luxury suites. A Stadium Club with 400 seats was also built. The new press box was a huge improvement. The old one was very small and could only fit about 50 people.
More improvements came later. A video scoreboard was added to the north end zone in 1999. In 2008, the playing field was updated to a Field Turf surface. A brand new video board was installed in 2010.
In 2016, the stadium had another $3.5 million renovation. The field turf was replaced again. Other changes included updates to the outside of the stadium. Concession stands, restrooms, locker rooms, and ticket booths were also improved.
Amazing Crowds at the Glass Bowl
The Glass Bowl has seen some huge crowds! The biggest crowd ever for a University of Toledo football game was 36,852 people. This happened on October 27, 2001, when the Rockets played against the United States Naval Academy.
Top 10 Attendance Records
- 36,852 vs. Navy (2001)
- 36,502 vs. Northern Illinois (2001)
- 34,950 vs. Minnesota (2001)
- 34,900 vs. Marshall (2000)
- 33,040 vs. Indiana State (1994)
- 32,726 vs. Weber State (2000)
- 31,981 vs. Bowling Green (2004)
- 31,711 vs. Pittsburgh (2003)
- 31,458 vs. Bowling Green (1994)
- 31,369 vs. Bowling Green (1982)
Cool Features of the Stadium
In 1961, the University of Toledo got a real MIM-3 Nike Ajax rocket! The Army gave the missile to the school. This one-ton rocket has fins and a booster. It can fly at super-fast speeds. Today, it sits on a 14-foot pole outside the Glass Bowl. It's pointed right at the 50-yard line of their rival, Bowling Green's Doyt Perry Stadium!
The Glass Bowl is also used for other fun events. It has hosted monster truck rallies and concerts. Many graduation ceremonies also take place here.
See also
- List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums
