Image: Bobcat Stadium detail - Montana State University - Bozeman, Montana - 2013-07-09

Description: Looking southwest at a detail shot of Bobcat Stadium (Martel Field) on the campus of Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana. Originally named Reno H. Sales Stadium, the football venue was constructed in 1973 to replace Gatton Field (built in 1930). The total cost was $500,000. Sales was a member of the first MSU football team in 1897. An engineer, he was the chief geologist for Anaconda Copper for four decades. Sales donated heavily to Montana State, and was known as "Mr. Bobcat" for his boosterism. The stadium was renovated in 1998 for $12 million and renamed "Bobcat Stadium." In 2002, MSU defeated the University of Montana in football for the first time in 16 years. Fans tore down one of the goal posts and brought it to the Crystal Bar -- a famous downtown Bozeman watering hole. In 2004, a renovation removed the goal posts, and one was donated to Crystal Bar. When MSU defeated UM again in 2005, fans tore down the goalposts and one was carried off to the Rocking R Bar -- another downtown Bozeman pub. The stadium was enlarged in 2011. Half of the $10 million renovation was paid for with private funds. Improvements included the addition of 7,200 seats in the south end zone, new visiting team and referee locker rooms, renovated restrooms, an 18-by-37-foot screen in the north endzone, a new scoreboard, and night-time floodlights. The floodlights brought the stadium up to NCAA standards, allowing night games there to be televised. The new stadium opened on September 10, 2011, for a game against UC-Davis. The stadium has 17,777 seats, but capacity may be expanded by removing seats and establishing SRO areas and by adding temporary bleachers in the north endzone. A stadium attendance record of 20,767 was established on August 30, 2012, during the stadium's first night-game -- in which MSU played Chadron State. The stadium playing field is named Martel Field, Bozeman construction executive Bill Martel who helped complete it. The MSU Track and Field Complex was completely renovated in 2003. Included in the renovations were a new running oval, new pole vault runway and pit, new long/triple jump runways and pits, new high jump surface, and new javelin surface. Three years later, a new throwing area was added to the south end of the complex, and a cage added for hammer and discuss throwers. Permanent bleachers, a press box, and renovations to the throwing areas were added in 2012.
Title: Bobcat Stadium detail - Montana State University - Bozeman, Montana - 2013-07-09
Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23165290@N00/9379782523/
Author: Tim Evanson
Usage Terms: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0
License: CC BY-SA 2.0
License Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0
Attribution Required?: Yes