Jump to content

Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium

Coordinates: 29°28′02.9″N 98°28′12″W / 29.467472°N 98.47000°W / 29.467472; -98.47000
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium
Map
Location4301 Broadway Street
San Antonio, Texas 78209
Coordinates29°28′02.9″N 98°28′12″W / 29.467472°N 98.47000°W / 29.467472; -98.47000
OwnerUniversity of the Incarnate Word
OperatorUniversity of the Incarnate Word
Capacity3,000 (2008–2009)
6,000 (2010–present)
Record attendance6,498
November 17, 2016
vs. Houston Baptist
SurfaceFieldTurf Classic HD
Construction
Broke groundJanuary 17, 2008[1]
OpenedSeptember 1, 2008
Expanded2010 (Added 3,000 seats to present 6,000 capacity)[2]
Tenants
University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals (NCAA)

Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium is a stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is the home field for the men's and women's soccer, track and field, and American football teams of the University of the Incarnate Word. The stadium currently seats 6,000 people. It is named after Tom Benson and his wife Gayle. Record stadium attendance of 6,498 was recorded in a game vs Houston Baptist on November 17, 2016.[3]

History

[edit]

Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium officially opened on campus on September 1, 2008. A special grand opening ceremony was held when the Bensons, along with more than 2,000 Cardinals fans and athletes declared the facility ready for action. Benson and his family long have been ardent supporters of Incarnate Word and provided the necessary funds to start up the University's football program. A San Antonian himself, Benson was the owner of professional football's New Orleans Saints until his passing in 2018.

Renovations

[edit]

Benson Stadium now has permanent seating for 6,000 spectators after the 2010 addition of the north bleachers. Atop the original south seating areas are six suites while the north side stands have two press boxes for media and game operations, including a permanent home for KUIW Internet Radio and UIWTV. In May 2018, the original Hellas Matrix artificial playing surface was replaced with FieldTurf's Classic HD surface.[4]

Features

[edit]

An eight-lane, Sport Track 300 surface track surrounds the field and is an all-weather surface in nature. Accompanying the track are also three jumping pits. Located behind the west endzone is the stadium's Daktronics scoreboard which has a 20 feet (6.1 m) by 10 feet (3.0 m) video screen where Cardinals fans get the latest information about their team as well as a viewing of the game itself.

Adjoining the football field is the Benson Fieldhouse. A 16,000-square-foot (1,500 m2) facility housing a weight room, athletic training facility, locker rooms, team meeting areas and coaches offices.


Attendance records

[edit]
Rank Attendance Date Game Result
1 6,498 November 17, 2016 Incarnate Word 28, Houston Baptist 26
2 6,325 August 29, 2009 Incarnate Word 42, Monterrey Tech 39
3 5,746 November 5, 2016 Incarnate Word 10, Southeastern Louisiana 30
4 5,667 October 15, 2011 Incarnate Word 38, Texas A&M–Kingsville 41
5 5,643 November 3, 2018 Incarnate Word 43, 21 Sam Houston State 26
6 5,412 September 25, 2010 Incarnate Word 9, 5 Texas A&M–Kingsville 37
7 5,323 September 30, 2017 Incarnate Word 20, Abilene Christian 45
8 5,322 October 8, 2016 Incarnate Word 48, 2 Sam Houston State 63
9 5,229 September 5, 2015 Incarnate Word 18, Texas A&M–Kingsville 16
10 5,001 October 14, 2017 Incarnate Word 33, Lamar 24
11 4,999 October 28, 2017 Incarnate Word 31, Nicholls State 38
12 4,798 September 24, 2016 Incarnate Word 35, 24 McNeese State 42
13 4,755 September 22, 2012 Incarnate Word 0, 25 West Texas A&M 24
14 4,652 November 11, 2017 Incarnate Word 10, 3 Central Arkansas 56
15 4,558 October 25, 2014 Incarnate Word 21, 11 McNeese State 41
16 4,522 September 1, 2012 Incarnate Word 19, Texas College 12
17 4,430 November 16, 2017 Incarnate Word 28, Prairie View A&M 42
18 4,402 November 14, 2015 Incarnate Word 21, Lamar 28
19 4,400 September 3, 2016 Incarnate Word 22, Texas A&M–Kingsville 31
20 4,122 November 16, 2013 Incarnate Word 0, Angelo State 7

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2009 Football Media Guide" (PDF).
  2. ^ "Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium". Archived from the original on 2016-05-16. Retrieved 2014-07-31.
  3. ^ "Football vs Houston Baptist on 11/17/2016 - Box Score".
  4. ^ "Methodist Healthcare System and Metropolitan Methodist Hospital Commit to Second-Largest Gift in UIW Athletics History". 5 March 2018.