The stadium was originally named
Perry Shorts Stadium in honor of R. Perry Shorts, a Saginaw banker who was a 1900 graduate and a generous donor. The stadium, which originally seated approximately 20,000 spectators, was dedicated on November 4, 1972, when the Chippewas defeated
Illinois State University, 28–21, before a Homecoming crowd of nearly 17,000. In June 1983, CMU's board of trustees voted to rename the facility Kelly/Shorts Stadium in honor of
Kenneth "Bill" Kelly, who coached the Chippewa football team to a 91–58–2 record from 1951 to 1966.
Renovations A $28 million expansion project following the 1997 season added 10,000 seats to the stadium, increasing its capacity to 30,199. A two-tiered press box, locker room, and nine guest suites also were included in the expansion project. The original artificial turf, the first to be used in the state of Michigan, has been replaced three times, most recently in 2016 when it was changed from
Astroturf to
FieldTurf. Permanent lights were installed before the 2006 season, making it the last stadium in the Mid-American Conference to do so. ==Features==