Sept. 4, 2008
LEXINGTON, Ky. – An historical marker commemorating Stoll Field, where the first football game in the Southern United States was played nearly 130 years ago, was dedicated Thursday morning. The field later played host to UK Wildcats football until the completion of Commonwealth Stadium in the 1970s.
The marker program is a joint venture of the UK Student Development Council and the Historical Marker Committee. Each year, the Student Development Council raises money from graduating students to provide a marker, which functions as UK ‘s version of a Senior Gift. The senior class selects a marker from choices provided by the Historical Marker Committee. The UK Historical Markers are published in an annual marker guide for the state of Kentucky and are listed with the Kentucky Historical Society. Previous markers have included Dr. Thomas D. Clark, Lyman T. Johnson and the Main Building.
“Stoll Field has had a very interesting history. Once, it was truly a field and later it was used for military barracks,” said Deirdre Scaggs, university archivist. “Despite its past, Stoll Field’s strongest connection may be with UK athletics’ history and the countless football games that were played on the grounds.”
On one side, the marker reads, “STOLL FIELD: In 1880 the first college football game ever played in the South was held here at what was eventually named Stoll Field. It was dedicated in 1916 at the Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt game and was named in honor of alumnus and long-term Board of Trustees member Judge Richard C. Stoll. The field was the setting of early football games and an integral part of student life. – Class of 2007.”
The other side reads, “MCLEAN STADIUM: This field, which once pastured President Patterson’s cows, was used for military training during WWI and in 1924 it held McLean Stadium. It was named for Price McLean, an engineering student who was fatally injured in a football game in 1923. McLean Stadium was the site of Kentucky football games until they were moved to Commonwealth Stadium in 1973 – Class of 2007.”
“There are many places on campus where I can feel UK ‘s history, but few that inspire as many images in my mind,” said Scaggs. “Current students may only see Stoll Field as a place for marching band practice, and I hope that the placement of this marker will reveal the historical significance of a portion of our campus landscape.”
Stoll Field was used for all UK football games until the completion of Commonwealth Stadium in 1973. Emmett “Buzz” Burnam, current director for undergraduate diversity recruitment at UK, was on the last team to play on Stoll Field.
“I vividly remember in 1970 looking inside our defensive huddle on a key third down play against a nationally ranked Kansas State football team and hearing our defensive captain saying in the huddle, ‘This is why you came to UK to play in front of 40,000 fans at Stoll Field, let’s show the people that we can defend our house!'” said Burnam. “During my era, Stoll Field became ‘our house,’ and even though we lost more games than we won, we always defended ‘our house’ and the other teams didn’t leave Stoll Field without a fight!”
