Aggie Memorial Stadium, American football stadium in Las Cruces, United States
Aggie Memorial Stadium is an outdoor American football stadium on the campus of New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Opened in 1978, it has a seating capacity of 28,853 and an artificial turf field aligned north-northwest to south-southeast at an elevation of 3,980 feet. Designed by alumnus Craig Protz, the stadium was built by moving excavated earth to the sides to support the upper level, with a street-level concourse dividing the lower and upper bowls.
Aggie Memorial Stadium opened on September 16, 1978, when the Aggies beat UTEP 35–32. It replaced the 1950 Memorial Stadium, which seated 12,155 and was dedicated to New Mexico A&M students who died in the Spanish–American War, World War I and World War II. The new stadium, dedicated to alumni who served in the Korean and Vietnam Wars, was built for $4 million over 18 months with state legislature funding.
Since November 2017, Onate High School (renamed Organ Mountain High School in 2021) and Centennial High School have played each other at the stadium, joining the annual November meeting of Mayfield and Las Cruces high schools. The stadium also hosted the university's commencement ceremonies during the 2005–06 renovation of the Pan American Center.
The field runs north-northwest to south-southeast at 3,980 feet (1,215 m) above sea level. Two 100-foot-wide gaps behind the end zones mean the east and west stands are not linked at field level; a bridge over the north ramp, added before the 2006 season, lets fans cross between sides. The main entrance and locker rooms are at the north end.
The lower bowl was dug out and that excavated earth was piled at the sides to support the upper deck, so the two tiers are separated by a street-level concourse. Two 100-foot gaps behind the end zones once forced fans to leave and re-enter to switch sides; a bridge over the north ramp, built before the 2006 season, now links east and west.
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