b r O O k s s ta d I u m at t d s P O r t s C O m P l e x
QUICK FACTS ORIGINAL COST: $11.6 million BENTON FIELD: • •
Natural grass from 2003-2014 Added Powerblade SD Teal Turf in 2015
ORIGINAL BUILDING TIME FRAME: • • •
Construction Started – March 2002 Groundbreaking – July 30, 2002 Opening Game – Sept. 6, 2003
General Contractor: Hill Construction Architects: McMillan Smith & Partners
STADIUM CAPACITY THROUGH THE YEARS 2003 2006 2010 2012 2017 2019
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6,408 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7,322 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9,102 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9,214 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15,000 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20,000
The Coastal Carolina University football stadium officially opened as playoff game against Western Illinois. The game marked the first Brooks Stadium on Sept. 6, 2003, for the inaugural home game of the postseason game played in Brooks Stadium. Chanticleer football program. Scoring a touchdown with just seconds left On Feb. 15, 2013, the women’s lacrosse team opened its inaugural on the clock, the Chanticleers defeated Newberry College 21-14. season on its new home field inside Brooks Stadium. The women’s With a gift from the late businessman Bob lacrosse program became the 18th Division I Brooks, the stadium was named in honor of sports program for the Chanticleers. Brooks’ children Coby Garrett and Boni Belle. The The facility underwent a major transformation in $2 million gift was among the largest gifts ever the spring of 2015 as Benton Field went from made to the University. natural grass to artificial teal turf ... or “The Brooks, who grew up on a farm in Loris, S.C., Surf Turf.” The first pieces of Powerblade SD turf was the CEO and founder of Eastern Foods, Inc., were laid on April 2, and the project was completed creators of the Naturally Fresh line of products, and later that month. The project had a budget of chairman of Hooters of America, Inc. He also $1.2 million. created Hooters Air Charter Airline, the National Brooks Stadium was designed and built with the Golf Association Hooters Tour, and the Hooters capability to expand from its inception. That origiProCup Series, a series of short-track races in nal design is coming to fruition as Coastal emsmall towns throughout the Southeast and Midbarked on another two-phase expansion in the west. Brooks passed away in 2006. spring of 2017 that brought the capacity to approxPhase I of the stadium construction included imately 20,000. 6,408 seats, while Phase II added almost 1,000 The first phase boosted the seating capacity at additional seats prior to the 2006 season. The third 15,000 and included adding seats to both corners phase of Brooks Stadium was completed in 2010 of the end zone nearest the field house, expanding when approximately 1,600 seats were added dithe sections closest to the field on both sides torectly behind the north end zone. Affectionately reward the scoreboard, and expanding the upper ferred to as the Chantourage section, the seating deck on the east side to match the length of the Brooks (left) joined by then CCU President Ron directly in front of the field house was designated lower deck. Ingle on opening night of Brooks Stadium in 2003. as the student section in 2011. Prior to the 2019 season, a second level and Brooks Stadium has been ranked among the top premium suites were completed on the west side stadiums in the nation in attendance based on capacity. In 2010, the to increase the capacity to 20,000. The cost of the two-phase project was Chanticleers hosted a first-round NCAA Division I Football Championship $31.8 million.
2021 Gameday Illustrated
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