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Byrd Stadium

Byrd Stadium is the home stadium of the University of Maryland Terrapins football team as well as the men's and women's lacrosse and soccer teams. The facility is named after H. C. Byrd , a multi-sport athlete, football coach and university president in the first half of the 20th century.

Byrd Stadium, constructed at a cost of $1 million, opened September 30, 1950. For four decades, Byrd Stadium consisted of a horseshoe-shaped bowl with capacity of 34,680. However, temporary bleachers could also be brought in to raise the capacity to over 50,000. In 1991, the five-story Tyser Tower, featuring luxury suites and an expanded press area, was completed on the south side of the stadium, as well as the Gossett Football Team House adjacent to the east endzone. In 1995, the stadium's capacity was raised to 48,055 though the addition of an upper deck on the north side of the stadium. In November 2001, temporary bleachers were brought in for an addition 3,000 of seating capacity. Those bleachers remain to this day. In 2002, a full-color video scoreboard was added in the east endzone and an expansion of the Gossett Football Team House was begun. The athletic department hopes to parlay the success of the Ralph Friedgen era into a stadium expansion that will increase capacity to 65,000 in the next several years. Byrd Stadium's attendance record is 58,973 set November 1, 1975 in a game featuring the #14 Terps and #9 Penn State.

Last updated: 10-25-2005 00:40:22
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