After a record crowd came to the Utes' previous home,
Cummings Field, to see Utah play
Utah State on
Thanksgiving Day 1926, a drive began for a larger and more modern stadium. While the
state house unanimously approved a loan from the state in order to build a new stadium, the
state senate adjourned before taking it up. To get around the problem, the U of U formed a stadium trust that issued tax-free bonds for the new stadium. The stadium was also funded in part by selling tickets to two home games for the next 10 years. Total cost came to $133,000. The stadium, originally named
Ute Stadium, opened in 1927 with a
seating capacity of 20,000. The first
college football game was a 40–6 Ute victory over
Colorado Mines on October 1. It was dedicated three weeks later on October 22 with a 20–13 victory over
Colorado. On hand was
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of
Sweden. For 20 years, a giant pile of dirt stood in the north end zone. In 1947, 10,000 seats were added in the north end, turning the stadium into a
horseshoe. After the 1971 season, health club pioneer
Robert L. Rice donated $1 million towards the stadium's first major facelift. 2,500 seats were added in the south end zone, and the bleachers were replaced with chairback seats. The old grass surface was replaced with
AstroTurf. The dressing rooms were also remodeled, and the running track was removed. The renovated stadium was dedicated in Rice's honor with the start of the 1972 season. In 1982, the field was lowered 9.5 feet, and new seats were built along the sidelines and on the south end. After the 1994 season, the turf was replaced with SportGrass, a natural grass surface grown on top of a layer of artificial turf. For many years, the stadium also doubled as an
amphitheater during the summer. Although it was noted as one of the more intimate venues in
college football, it had become somewhat antiquated by the 1980s. By then, very few Division I-A stadiums remained by then that used timber as a major part of its construction. ==Pro football==