Audrey J. Walton Stadium (Central Missouri)

Audrey J. Walton Stadium is a stadium in Warrensburg, Missouri. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the University of Central Missouri. The stadium holds 12,000 people and opened in 1928 originally being called West Campus Field.[2]

Audrey J. Walton Stadium overlooking the Northwest corner
Audrey J. Walton Stadium
at Vernon Kennedy Field
Audrey J. Walton Stadium overlooking the Northeast corner
Former namesWest Campus Field, Vernon Kennedy Field
LocationWarrensburg, Missouri 64093
OwnerUniversity of Central Missouri
OperatorUniversity of Central Missouri
Capacity12,000
SurfaceGrass: 1928–2004
Sprinturf: 2005–present
Construction
Broke ground1928
OpenedSeptember 28, 1928[1]
Renovated2005
Expanded1995, 2004, 2014
Tenants
Central Missouri Mules (NCAA) (1928–present)

It is named for Audrey J. Walton (wife of Walmart co-founder James "Bud" Walton) who donated $1 million in 1995 toward the building of a new 5,800 capacity grandstand to replace the original grandstand. The field is named Kennedy Field after Vern Kennedy, who was a baseball pitcher who attended Central. The stadium itself was referred to as Vernon Kennedy Field from 1954 until 1995.[3]

The Central Missouri website says the first night college football game in Missouri occurred on October 11, 1929 in which the Mules lost 27-0 to Missouri Valley College.[4]

The largest attendance at the stadium was on October 8, 2011, when 14,377 attended a game between Central and Northwest Missouri State University. It was the largest attendance at any MIAA facility. [5] The previous record was another game between Central and Northwest on November 6, 2010 when 13,096 fans watched Northwest kick a last second field goal to defeat the Mules. [6]

References
  1. "Audrey J. Walton Stadium at Vernon Kennedy Field". University of Central Missouri Athletics.
  2. http://ucmathletics.com/documents/2015/8/6/%5B%5D/2015UCM_FBGuide_to_web.pdf?id=1714
  3. http://www.ucmathletics.com/sports/2012/7/18/GEN_0718122251.aspx?tab=waltonstadiumkennedyfield
  4. http://www.ucmathletics.com/sports/2012/7/18/GEN_0718122251.aspx?tab=waltonstadiumkennedyfield
  5. "University of Central Missouri Athletics - Walton Stadium/Kennedy Field". Ucmathletics.com. Retrieved 2015-09-05.

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