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'California Memorial Stadium', commonly known as 'Memorial Stadium', is the current home venue for California Golden Bears football. It was opened in 1923. Currently it seats 75,662^[1] spectators and was designed to support American Football.
The stadium was built with money raised from public contributions, as a memorial to Californians who lost their lives in World War I. The chair of the architectural committee was John Galen Howard, the University's chief architect, and his influence is evident in the stadium's neoclassical motif. In addition to its unique architecture, Memorial Stadium's position at the foot of the Berkeley hills provides top row spectators with panoramic views of San Francisco Bay and west side viewers with views of the Berkeley Hills and Strawberry Canyon. This has earned it a reputation as one of the most scenic venues in college football.
The stadium has no track, so the stands come right up to the football field. (The lowest central seating views on the West side can be blocked by the standing visiting team reserve members.) Currently the stadium sports a Momentum Turf surface, but has previously sported both AstroTurf and natural grass. The Momentum Turf surface allows football practices and less popular sports to be held on the field year-round. Previously, football practices would be held at Witter Rugby Field. The surface is also marked for international soccer, but this allows little reserve room beyond the official lines.

The Hayward Fault passes under Memorial Stadium, where right-lateral strike-slip motion is shifting the northeast half of the building to the southwest at a rate of 1 cm/yr. Expansion joints have been placed in the walls of the stadium to maintain the integrity of the building. A 1998 seismic safety study at the Berkeley campus gave the stadium a "poor" rating (meaning that the building represents an "appreciable life hazard" in an earthquake), and estimated the cost of making the structure safe in an earthquake at $14 million.
In February 2005, Chancellor Robert Birgeneau announced plans to renovate Memorial Stadium, improving the existing facilities, adding a sports complex and providing new facilities for various university departments and programs as part of a huge development program for the east campus area. The first phase of the renovations were slated to take place during the spring and summer of 2006 but were stopped by a court injunction due to three lawsuits against the project. A small group of tree-sitters occupied the oak grove on the west side of the stadium beginning on the "Big Game" day in November, 2006. Extensive seismic modifications will be required if life safety is to be addressed (see Hayward Fault Zone for possible solutions).
Traditionally, during most football games and especially during the Big Game against Stanford University, the hill overlooking the eastern side of the Stadium attracts spectators hoping to watch a game for free. The hill has become known as "Tightwad Hill" as a result.
The Oakland Raiders moved a 1973 home game against the defending Super Bowl champion Miami Dolphins from their regular home stadium, the Oakland Coliseum, to Memorial Stadium to draw a larger crowd (the Oakland Coliseum seated just over 50,000 fans at the time). The Raiders ended the Dolphins' 18-game winning streak with a 12-7 victory on four field goals by George Blanda.

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External links

References

1. Memorial Stadium

External links

★ The Campaign for Student Athletes California Memorial Stadium

★ Stadium information in Berkeley Architectural Heritage website

★ California Engineer - see Fall 2005 issue

★ Calbears.com