Drake Stadium

Drake Stadium, one of the finest track and field facilities in the world, has been home to the UCLA track and field team since 1969. In October 2019, the track at Drake Stadium was named the Betsy and Rafer Johnson Track in honor of legendary Bruin track star and humanitarian, Rafer Johnson, and his wife, Betsy. Rafer passed away in December 2020. The stadium took on a new look in1999 when it was transformed into a state-of-the-art soccer/track and field facility, adding the Frank W. Marshall Field at Drake Stadium. The stadium provides seating for 11,700 spectators. The cost of the project was $1.5 million and was made possible by a lead gift from Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy. All the money was raised from private funds; no state money was utilized. The stadium received a state-of-the-art Mondo surface in January 2014, the first phase of a multi-phase renovation plan. The blue Mondo surface placed at Drake Stadium was the latest generation of Mondo and the same surfacing used at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. UCLA also reconfigured its shot put area and expanded the high jump area. Phase two included an upgrade to the upper main gate to the facility, the placement of a UCLA track and field recognition area, and the installation of a new state-of-the-art video scoreboard. Entry upgrades highlight the stadium’s namesake, Ducky Drake, and integrates the facility architecturally with the UCLA campus aesthetics. The recognition plaza, which lies outside the main entry to Drake Stadium, recognizes Bruin track and field All-America selections, national champions, Olympic medalists, world champions and world record holders. The recognition area, known as Legacy Lane, highlights the rich Bruin history of men’s and women’s track and field and focuses on the legends of Bruin track and field. Since its inaugural meet on Feb. 22, 1969, Drake Stadium has been the site of numerous championship meets, including the National AAU in 1976-77-78, the Pacific-8 Championships in 1970 and 1977 and the California CIF High School meet in 1969-7177. In 1988, Drake Stadium hosted the Pacific-10 Track and Field Championships, and in 1994, the facility hosted the first-ever California-Nevada Championships. Drake Stadium again hosted the Pacific-10 Track and Field Championships in 1996 and 2005 and the Pac-12 Championships in 2015. The stadium also has been the home for UCLA women’s track teams since 1975. It was the site of the National Collegiate T&F Championships (the AIAW) in 1977. In 1973, it was officially named Drake Stadium in honor of a legend at UCLA, Elvin C. “Ducky” Drake, who had been associated with his alma mater as a student-athlete, track coach and athletic trainer for over 60 years. Drake died in Los Angeles of a heart attack on Dec. 23, 1988. He was 85.