Illinois Wesleyan Stadium, built on the site of Wilder Field on the north edge of campus, has been used for University athletic contests for over 100 years. Since the spring of 1893, Wilder Field has been available for use by students, who had contributed $500 toward its purchase price at that time. The field was named for Rev. William Henry Wilder, Illinois Wesleyan's president from 1888-97 and the first IWU alumnus to serve as president of the University. According to research done in May 2000 by sports information director B.B. Branton of the University of the South, the IWU football field is the fifth oldest in the nation, behind Williams [Mass.] (1875), Wesleyan [Conn.] (1881), Sewanee [Tenn.] and Amherst [Mass.] (1891).
In 1937 ground was broken for a community stadium on Wilder Field under the sponsorship of IWU, the Bloomington Association of Commerce, and several city athletic associations. Funds for the project were obtained through the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal agency, and, given the depressed economic times in America, construction of the stadium was considered unprecedented. It took four years for completion of the $200,000 project, which seats 3,500 spectators.
Renovation completed in 2000 has made significant improvements to the field and stadium. The renovation provided the football field with new sod and drainage tiles, a new watering system, a new crown, and moved the field 10 yards to the east to avoid the curve of the new track. A small visitors locker room was built under the stadium bleachers, where the Titans use the original locker room space underneath the stadium for its pre-game meetings, and there is a "Titan Wall", which is signed by former IWU football players.
The 2000 renovation has also returned lights to the football and track venue. Day games only have been played at the Stadium since 1973, when the original lights were removed, but a night game will be played in 2002. The renovation has also made the stadium handicap accessible for fans and has doubled the size of the press box.
|
