End Of An Era At Austin Peay As Stadium Demolition Begins

The original Governors Stadium was built in 1946 to be used by Montgomery County high schools, originally named Municipal Stadium. Austin Peay played there many years and bought the facility in 1993. Credit: Blake Farmer / WPLN

A World War II-era football stadium built on the campus of Austin Peay State University is coming down to make way for a more attractive facility.

Long-time coach Richard Brown watched Wednesday as a backhoe tore down the concrete bleachers. He coached at the Clarksville school – off and on – since the 1960s. But he says the 2001 season played in the old Governors Field was the most memorable.

“When that bunch of non-scholarship kids had a winning season for the first time in 17 years. Little kids come here on their own.”

Austin Peay is hoping a new $19 million stadium with skyboxes and club-level seating will help recruit more talent to the team.

The facility may also attract more students to the university who are looking for the big-school football experience. And school officials see a correlation between extracurriculars and the classroom.

“Participation, be it as an student or student athlete, equates to better retention rates and has a significant impact on student success,” Austin Peay President Tim Hall said in a statement.

Construction of the 10,000-seat stadium will begin immediately with plans to be finished in time for the 2014 season.

The new stadium isn’t really any larger than the old one, but it does include new features that fans have come to expect, like video billboards. Credit: APSU