It's a sad day in the Ville. Louisville football's home for almost 50 years is being torn down tomorrow. I know it doesn't look like much, considering it's old rickety minor league baseball stadium, but it was home, and there were many great memories there over the years. Memories such as beating Texas, Brett Favre's hail mary, Farm Aid, the 1st Thunder Over Louisville, high school state championships. Not to mention the Louisville Redbirds.

It will be missed.

http://www.wave3.com/2019/01/22/demoliti...l-stadium/

Is anything planned for the spot?

Also, topper you should post this in the stadium thread on the main board.

Well, it's probably best Wilkie didn't have to see this...

(01-23-2019 10:30 AM)TexanMark Wrote:  Is anything planned for the spot?

Also, topper you should post this in the stadium thread on the main board.

Good idea, just posted it.

There's been discussion of building an outdoor ampitheater or concert venue, but nothing official. It's located on the state fair ground, next to Freedom Hall, so there's a lot of space.

Neat little tidbit of trivia. Old Cardinal Stadium (FKA Fairgrounds Stadium), hosted the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl between Florida State & Oklahoma State. It was only FSU's 4th bowl appearance, they lost 6-15.

(01-23-2019 02:13 PM)TopperCard Wrote:  Neat little tidbit of trivia. Old Cardinal Stadium (FKA Fairgrounds Stadium), hosted the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl between Florida State & Oklahoma State. It was only FSU's 4th bowl appearance, they lost 6-15.

ACC schools are more interconnected than people realize.

I'd be all for a bowl game in Louisville over one in Chicago. Sure Wrigley Field is cool but the chance for a day in the 40's or 50's is much greater in Louisville around Christmas time.

I wonder if I could get a set of those seats for my Louisville room. Would love to have four of them from the Old Stadium.

(01-23-2019 06:57 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  I wonder if I could get a set of those seats for my Louisville room. Would love to have four of them from the Old Stadium.

I wish our game was earlier in the season...the weekend before Thanksgiving is problematic for me. I'll keep you posted if I can make it this Fall

(01-23-2019 07:41 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  

(01-23-2019 06:57 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  I wonder if I could get a set of those seats for my Louisville room. Would love to have four of them from the Old Stadium.

I wish our game was earlier in the season...the weekend before Thanksgiving is problematic for me. I'll keep you posted if I can make it this Fall

Let us know. We would love to see y’all this fall

(01-23-2019 06:57 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  I wonder if I could get a set of those seats for my Louisville room. Would love to have four of them from the Old Stadium.

Supposedly this is possible. I heard on local talk radio that seats can in fact be purchased. I assume a little googling around on the subject will dig up the details. I have no idea how that was supposed to happen.

(01-23-2019 02:13 PM)TopperCard Wrote:  Neat little tidbit of trivia. Old Cardinal Stadium (FKA Fairgrounds Stadium), hosted the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl between Florida State & Oklahoma State. It was only FSU's 4th bowl appearance, they lost 6-15.

Wow. I had no idea. Thanks for sharing.

(01-23-2019 11:30 PM)Pervis_Griffith Wrote:  

(01-23-2019 02:13 PM)TopperCard Wrote:  Neat little tidbit of trivia. Old Cardinal Stadium (FKA Fairgrounds Stadium), hosted the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl between Florida State & Oklahoma State. It was only FSU's 4th bowl appearance, they lost 6-15.

Wow. I had no idea. Thanks for sharing.

I didn't either. Interesting

UC tore that place down many times...

[rim shot]

(01-24-2019 10:10 AM)nole Wrote:  

(01-23-2019 11:30 PM)Pervis_Griffith Wrote:  

(01-23-2019 02:13 PM)TopperCard Wrote:  Neat little tidbit of trivia. Old Cardinal Stadium (FKA Fairgrounds Stadium), hosted the 1958 Bluegrass Bowl between Florida State & Oklahoma State. It was only FSU's 4th bowl appearance, they lost 6-15.

Wow. I had no idea. Thanks for sharing.

I didn't either. Interesting

I read a little more about this bowl today. Supposedly, it was created in an attempt to get Kentucky to play Alabama (in Bear Bryant's first year there). UK's players voted it down citing the treatment they received by fans in Louisville. This clearly shows the long history of UK football and being snowflakes.

So Florida State played Oklahoma State in front of a raucous crowd of slightly more than 3100. Yikes.

Quote:A few years later, in 1958, the city of Louisville, in an effort to spur the local economy and boost interest in football, initiated the Bluegrass Bowl to be played at Fairgrounds Stadium next door to Freedom Hall. With the chamber of commerce leading the way and strong support from Kentucky Gov. Happy Chandler, a strong effort was made to lure Notre Dame, even though the Irish had a no-bowl policy back then. The city was seeking to take advantage of its connection to Paul Hornung, who had played high school football at Louisville Flaget.

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Making no headway, the Bluegrass Bowl committee looked toward Lexington, where the Wildcats had just defeated Tennessee 6-2 (UK’s Calvin Bird scored all of the game’s points; touchdown and safety for UT) to finish a mediocre 5-4-1. Their opponent, it was reported, was to be Alabama, which was now coached by the Bear, after a brief stint at Texas A&M. The game was never made, as once again the Wildcat team voted not to play in a game 70 miles up the road. The University of Louisville, even though they had the likes of Johnny Unitas and Lenny Lyles in that era, was never really considered for the game. The Bluegrass Bowl and the city of Louisville were stuck with a football game scheduled for Dec. 13, 1958.

Finally, Florida State and Oklahoma State agreed to play. With no dollar guarantees to the teams, credit needs to be given to the bowl committee for arranging a TV contract with ABC. Promoters were expecting 12,000 to 15,000 fans, but with tickets priced at $6.50, nothing was a sure thing. And on top of that, an additional 25 cents was required to park.

On a frozen field, with temperatures in the midteens, a paid attendance of just over 3,000 showed up and saw Oklahoma State win 15-6. With a reported $18,132 in income from the game, it didn’t take decision makers long to declare the Bluegrass Bowl one-and-done.

https://www.bgdailynews.com/sports/blueg...963f4.html

(01-23-2019 06:57 PM)CardinalJim Wrote:  I wonder if I could get a set of those seats for my Louisville room. Would love to have four of them from the Old Stadium.

Just found out you can, $50 per seat. Details below, planning to get one or two myself.

http://www.kyvenues.com/stadium-seats.html

Thanks for the info guys.
I appreciate it.

Another interesting tidbit.

The very first football game played in Old Cardinal Stadium was an NFL exhibition game between the Philidelphia Eagle and the Baltimore Colts in 1956. Former Louisville QB Johnny Unitas played for the Colts at that time, although he was not yet the starter.

Where did UL play its games before Cardinal Stadium?