Rynearson Stadium

Rynearson Stadium
The Factory
	Rynearson Stadium Location in Michigan Rynearson Stadium Location in the United States
Location	799 N. Hewitt Rd; Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Coordinates	42°15′21″N 83°38′50″W / 42.25583°N 83.64722°W
Owner	Eastern Michigan University
Operator	Eastern Michigan University
Capacity	26,188 (2008–present); 22,227 (1974–1991); 15,500 (1969–1973)
Surface	FieldTurf (gray) (2014–present); FieldTurf (green) (2005–2013); Astroturf (1991–2004); Natural Grass (1969–1990)
Construction
Broke ground	1968
Opened	September 27, 1969
Expanded	1974, 1992
Construction cost	$1.4 million (approximate); ($11.6 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	HNTB (renovations)
Tenants
	Eastern Michigan Eagles (NCAA) (1969–present); Detroit Wheels (WFL) (1974)

Rynearson Stadium, nicknamed "The Factory", is a stadium in Ypsilanti, Michigan. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the Eastern Michigan University Eagles. Currently, the stadium has seating for 30,200 people. The stadium is located on the school's west campus, just south of the Huron River.

History

The stadium held its first game on September 27, 1969, when EMU upset the University of Akron, 10–3. It originally consisted of two opposite sideline stands around the field and running track. It is one of only two stadiums in the MAC which shares its football field with a running track (UB Stadium being the other). The stadium was named for the late Elton J. Rynearson Sr., who coached football at Eastern Michigan for 26 seasons. His teams compiled a record of 114–58–15. In one six-year period, from 1925–30, Rynearson’s teams won 40 games, tied two, and lost just four.

The largest attendance for an EMU game at Rynearson Stadium was 26,188 (87% of capacity), on November 28, 2008, for a 56–52 win over Central Michigan.^[2]

The stadium has also hosted high school football games.

Renovations

In 1992, the seats were expanded south from each grandstand but not connected, giving the stadium the look of an unfinished horseshoe. This was done to conform to the new Division I-A rules for minimum stadium size. Originally a grass field, the field has been artificial since 1991 and was upgraded to FieldTurf in 2005. More recently, the original FieldTurf was replaced prior to the 2014 season by a new gray FieldTurf surface. This made Rynearson Stadium only the third Division I FBS stadium with a non-traditional field color (after Albertsons Stadium at Boise State) and the sixth college football stadium overall with this feature.^[3] Lighting was added in 1974, partially due to the Detroit Wheels of the World Football League using the stadium as their home field.

In 2024, as part of a $1 million donation by former EMU football player Maxx Crosby and his wife and ex-soccer player Rachel Crosby, the playing field was renamed Crosby Field.^[4]^[5]

References

^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
^ "Eastern Michigan University 2010 Media Guide". p. 132. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2010-11-10.
^ "EMU Installing Gray FieldTurf Surface at Rynearson Stadium" (Press release). Eastern Michigan University Athletics. June 17, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
^ "Maxx Crosby Commits $1 Million to EMU Athletics". Eastern Michigan Eagles (Press release). October 30, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2024.
^ "RSVP Now For A Special Evening on Crosby Field". Eastern Michigan Eagles (Press release). June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.

External links

Listen to this article (2 minutes)

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Media related to Rynearson Stadium at Wikimedia Commons

Rynearson Stadium at EMUEagles.com

[inflation-US-1] 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.

[2] "Eastern Michigan University 2010 Media Guide". p. 132. Archived from the original on 2013-02-02. Retrieved 2010-11-10.

[3] "EMU Installing Gray FieldTurf Surface at Rynearson Stadium" (Press release). Eastern Michigan University Athletics. June 17, 2014. Retrieved June 23, 2014.

[4] "Maxx Crosby Commits $1 Million to EMU Athletics". Eastern Michigan Eagles (Press release). October 30, 2023. Retrieved June 22, 2024.

[5] "RSVP Now For A Special Evening on Crosby Field". Eastern Michigan Eagles (Press release). June 9, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024.

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v t e Eastern Michigan University
Located in: Ypsilanti, Michigan
Academics	Graduate School Honors College
Campus	EMU University sites University history Buildings on campus EMU Historic District Campus safety
Student life	EMU Student Center EMU housing WEMU WQBR The Eastern Echo
Facilities	Building list Halle Library Olds-Robb Rec/IM McKenny Hall Pease Auditorium Brinkerhoff–Becker House Sherzer Observatory George Gervin GameAbove Center Rynearson Stadium Bowen Field House Oestrike Stadium Eagle Crest
Athletics	Eastern Michigan Eagles Athletic bands Swoop Football Men's basketball Women's basketball Baseball Men's cross country Wrestling Gymnastics Swimming and diving Track and field Wrestling (former)
People	EMU presidents Kim Schatzel Notable faculty and alumni
Founded: 1849 Students: 23,419 Endowment: 67.2 million

v t e Eastern Michigan Eagles football
Venues	Normal Field (1927–1936) Briggs Field (1937–1968) Rynearson Stadium (1969–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Central Michigan Central Michigan, Western Michigan: Michigan MAC Trophy
Culture & lore	Marching band Swoop
People	Head coaches NFL draftees Statistical leaders
Seasons	1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024

v t e Football stadiums of the Mid-American Conference
Current stadiums	InfoCision Stadium–Summa Field (Akron) Scheumann Stadium (Ball State) Doyt Perry Stadium (Bowling Green) University at Buffalo Stadium (Buffalo) Kelly/Shorts Stadium (Central Michigan) Rynearson Stadium (Eastern Michigan) Dix Stadium (Kent State) Yager Stadium (Miami) Brigham Field at Huskie Stadium (Northern Illinois) Peden Stadium (Ohio) Glass Bowl (Toledo) Waldo Stadium (Western Michigan)
Future stadiums	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium (UMass; joining in 2025)
Championship	Ford Field

History

Renovations

See also

References

External links