The John and Ann Rhoads Softball Stadium (frequently shortened to Rhoads Stadium) is a college softball stadium located on the campus of the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It serves as the home field of the Alabama Crimson Tide softball team and is located on the corner of Peter Bryce Boulevard and Campus Drive on the northeast corner of campus. The Crimson Tide's all-time record at Rhoads Stadium is 316–50 (.863). It is the largest softball stadium affiliated with an individual university with an official capacity of 3,940.[1] After they played their first season at Sokol Park and at Bowers Park for both the 1998 and 1999 seasons, the Crimson Tide opened Rhoads Stadium on February 23, 2000, with a 7–1 victory over the UAB Blazers.[2][3]
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| Full name | John and Ann Rhoads Softball Stadium |
|---|---|
| Former names | Alabama Softball Complex (2000–2010) |
| Location | 321 5th Avenue Tuscaloosa, Alabama |
| Coordinates | 33°12′48″N 87°31′49″W / 33.213343°N 87.530383°W |
| Owner | University of Alabama |
| Operator | UA Athletics |
| Capacity | 3,940 |
| Field size | Left Field: 200 ft Center Field: 220 ft Right Field: 200 ft |
| Surface | Natural grass |
| Scoreboard | Video board and full box score LED scoreboard by Daktronics |
| Construction | |
| Opened | February 23, 2000 |
| Construction cost | $2.2 million |
| Architect | Rosser International |
| General contractor | N. C. Morgan Construction |
| Tenants | |
| Alabama Crimson Tide Softball (NCAA) 2000–present | |
John L. Rhoads was a graduate of the University of Alabama and a long-time partner at accounting firm Ernst & Ernst. He died in 2001.[4]
Events hosted edit
While the general use of the Rhoads Stadium is the regular season home of the Crimson Tide, it has also played host to a number of different events including multiple post season NCAA and SEC tournaments, as well as marquee exhibition games.
Post season tournaments edit
Attendance edit
As the program has continued to grow, attendance at Rhoads Stadium has continued to increase. In 2010, the Crimson Tide established a new single season, NCAA attendance record with 63,271 fans in attendance over the course of their 28 home dates.[6] Their record was subsequently broken by Arizona in 2011 when the Wildcats saw 72,545 fans in attendance over the course of their 28 home dates.[6] Prior to the 2012 season, Rhoads Stadium saw its capacity increase to 3,940, and Alabama reached that capacity for the first time on April 14, 2012, in a 7–5 win against South Carolina to set a new school, single-game attendance record.[7] These attendance records are more easily reached given the only softball stadium with more capacity in the United States is the ASA Hall of Fame Stadium (the home stadium of the NCAA Softball World Series).[1]
External links edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Rhoads Stadium". University of Alabama Athletics. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ Deas, Tommy (February 21, 1999). "Nomadic team: Alabama softball will finally have a permanent home". The Tuscaloosa News. p. D12. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ Deas, Tommy (February 24, 2000). "Tide triumphs in home opener". The Tuscaloosa News. p. C1. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ "2018 Alabama Business Hall of Fame Inductees Named". ua.edu. University of Alabama Culverhouse College of Business. July 18, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
- ^ https://rolltide.com/documents/2020/1/30/wsb_media_guide.pdf [bare URL PDF]
- ^ a b National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). "Annual Team Home Attendance Champions" (PDF). 2012 Softball Records. NCAA.org. Retrieved June 26, 2012.
- ^ "Walk-off heroics from Reilly-Boccia propels softball to 7–5 win". RollTide.com. University of Alabama Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. April 14, 2012. Retrieved June 26, 2012.