Independence Stadium is a stadium owned by the city of Shreveport, Louisiana and is the home of the Independence Bowl.
Formerly known as State Fair Stadium, it is the site of the annual Independence Bowl post-season college football game, initially (1976) the Bicentennial Bowl. Before this, it was the home venue of the Shreveport Steamer of the short-lived World Football League (1974-75). It also served as a neutral site for the annual Arkansas–LSU football rivalry from 1925-1936.
The stadium is also host to numerous high school football games and soccer matches, since many schools in Shreveport lack an on-campus facility. Independence Stadium also hosted the LHSAA state football championship games in 2005 after the Louisiana Superdome suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina.
In 1994-95, Independence Stadium was home to the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League, which was undergoing US expansion at the time.
In the late 1990s, the stadium capacity was expanded from approximately 40,000 to 50,832. In 2005 to meet accommodations of the upcoming Independence Bowl in 2006 the stadium went through a renovation to extend the capacity from 52,000 to 59,000. Then in 2008 the City of Shreveport created a entire new section of the stadium. This portion would allow the stadium capacity to be expanded only if need be. This expanse put the total capacity at 63,000 This was part of a grander upgrading plan that improved all aspects of the facility, from concourses to playing surface.
Independence Stadium was considered as a possible playing site for the New Orleans Saints during the 2005 National Football League season due to Hurricane Katrina, but Shreveport eventually lost out to the San Antonio Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, and Louisiana State University's Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. However, Independence Stadium eventually was chosen to host the Saints' first preseason home game for the 2006 season while the Louisiana Superdome prepared for its grand re-opening. Field Turf was installed on the stadium's playing surface in 2010.
In 2010, A Texas UIL Playoff games was played featuring Mesquite Horn HS and the technical host Longview. Longview won 28-14.
In 2011, Independence Stadium will host the inaugural year of the annual Port City Classic: an NCAA college football competition between Louisiana Tech University of Ruston, LA and Grambling State University of Grambling, LA.
The south end zone of the stadium borders Interstate 20.
Famous quotes containing the words independence and/or stadium:
“... we’re not out to benefit society, to remold existence, to make industry safe for anyone except ourselves, to give any small peoples except ourselves their rights. We’re not out for submerged tenths, we’re not going to suffer over how the other half lives. We’re out for Mary’s job and Luella’s art, and Barbara’s independence and the rest of our individual careers and desires.”
—Anne O’Hagan (1869–?)
“The final upshot of thinking is the exercise of volition, and of this thought no longer forms a part; but belief is only a stadium of mental action, an effect upon our nature due to thought, which will influence future thinking.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)