Illinois Field
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MTD Illinois Field, June, 2015 | |
  Illinois Field Location in Illinois  Illinois Field Location in the United States | |
| Former names | Proano Stadium (1988–1991) |
|---|---|
| Address | 1601 E. Kirby Avenue Champaign, Illinois 61820 |
| Coordinates | 40°05′49″N 88°13′47″W / 40.096869°N 88.229796°W |
| Public transit | MTD |
| Owner | University of Illinois |
| Operator | University of Illinois |
| Type | Stadium |
| Event | Baseball |
| Capacity | 1,500 seats 3,000 (with lawn seating) |
| Record attendance | 5,214 |
| Field size | LF: 330 ft (100.6 m) LC: 370 ft (112.8 m) CF: 400 ft (121.9 m) RC: 370 ft (112.8 m) RF: 330 ft (100.6 m) |
| Surface | FieldTurf |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1987 |
| Opened | 24 March 1988 |
| Renovated | 1999 |
| Architect | Heery Fabrap |
| Tenants | |
| Illinois Fighting Illini (NCAA) (1988–present) Big Ten baseball tournament (1998, 2005) Champaign-Urbana Bandits (GCL) (1994) | |
Illinois Field is a baseball venue in Champaign, Illinois, home to the University of Illinois Fighting Illini baseball team. It is located in the sports complex at the University of Illinois near the Champaign-Urbana border. It is a short distance east of State Farm Center and Memorial Stadium.
Illinois Field was constructed at its current location in 1988. The first game played there was a victory for Illinois over Western Illinois on March 24, 1988. Prior to this, the home of Illinois baseball was located farther north on campus at the intersection of Wright Street and University Avenue, which is now part of the engineering campus. That site, also known as Illinois Field, had been in use since 1884.
Illinois Field was originally known as Proano Stadium, after University of Illinois graduate Lou Proano. Proano was the then-CEO of a major cutlery company.[1] However, the university was forced to rename the stadium Illinois Field in 1991 after Proano filed for bankruptcy.[2]
Several significant renovations have taken place since the new stadium was built. First, in 1996, the clubhouse was renovated and expanded to twice its original size. Second, in 1999, lights were added to allow for night games. Illinois also won the first night game in Illinois Field history on April 27, 1999 against Illinois State. Third, in 2007, the grass playing surface was replaced with a synthetic FieldTurf surface that mimics natural grass without the maintenance requirements.[2]
While Illinois Field has served as the home field for the University of Illinois Baseball Team for the past 20 years, it has not always been an exclusive relationship. In 1994, Illinois shared the premises with the Champaign-Urbana Bandits, a minor league team in the short-lived Great Central League.[2] In 2007, the city of Champaign, the University of Illinois, and the Frontier League discussed expanding the field and to allow the sale of alcohol at games to accommodate for a new minor league franchise.[3] The talks quickly ended.[4]
Illinois Field hosted the 2015 Men's NCAA Regional where the local Fighting Illini won the championship, and the 2015 Super Regional. Additionally, Illinois Field has served as the location for two Big Ten baseball tournaments, in 1998 and 2005.[5]
