Byrd Stadium, home of the
University of Maryland Terrapins for over six decades, has been the home to
many good Maryland teams. After playing at old Byrd
Stadium for 25 years, the University of Maryland decided to build a
new state of the art football complex for their team in the late
1940s. Built in 1950, Byrd Stadium opened on September 30, 1950
when the Terrapins played Navy before a huge crowd of over 43,000. The
stadium was named after Harry Cliff Byrd, President of the University
of Maryland from 1935 to 1954.
When it opened in 1950, Byrd Stadium had a capacity of
34,860 but temporary bleachers often led to huge crowds. A single tier
grandstand in a horseshoe shape enclosed the gridiron. By the late
1980s, Maryland decided to expand Byrd Stadium. After the 1990 season,
the Tyson Tower, a five tier building containing the press box and luxury suites was
constructed on the south side of the stadium. By the 1996 season, a
12,000 seat upper deck was added bringing the seating capacity to
48,000.
Today, Byrd Stadium has a capacity of
54,000. In 2006 a $50 million expansion project was approved to
continue to enlarge Byrd Stadium. Completed by the 2008 season,
this project added 60 luxury suites,
a 150 seat president deck, 560
covered seats and 2,000 seats. In August 2006, the University of Maryland sold the
naming rights to Chevy Chase Bank (acquired by Capital One) for $20 million over 25 years. The
stadium is known as Capital One Fieldd at Byrd Stadium. Future plans call for
8,000 seats to be added to the west side of the stadium and replacing
the grass field to artificial turf.
Byrd
Stadium
Today, Byrd Stadium has a capacity of
54,000. In 2006 a $50 million expansion project was approved to
continue to enlarge Byrd Stadium. Completed by the 2008 season,
this project added 60 luxury suites,
