 The stadium in 1978 | |
 Interactive map of Rice Stadium | |
| Former names | Ute Stadium (1927–1971) |
|---|---|
| Location | 451 South 1400 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112  United States |
| Coordinates | 40°45′36″N111°50′56″W / 40.76000°N 111.84889°W /40.76000; -111.84889 |
| Owner | University of Utah |
| Operator | University of Utah |
| Capacity | 32,500 (1972–1997) 30,000 (1947–1971) 20,000 (1927–1946) |
| Surface | SportGrass (1995–1997) AstroTurf (1972–1994) Natural grass (1927–1971) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | February 1, 1927[1] |
| Opened | October 1, 1927 |
| Closed | 1997 |
| Construction cost | US$133,000 ($2.41 million in 2024 dollars[2]) |
| Tenants | |
| Utah Utes (NCAA) (1927–97) | |
Robert Rice Stadium was an outdoor athletic stadium inSalt Lake City,Utah, located on the campus of theUniversity of Utah. Originally opened in 1927 asUte Stadium, it was the home of theUtah Utesfootball team. Renamed forRobert L. Rice in 1972, it was almost completely demolished after the 1997 season to make way for the Utes' current home,Rice-Eccles Stadium, which occupies the same physical footprint.
After a record crowd came to the Utes' previous home,Cummings Field, to see Utah playUtah State onThanksgiving Day 1926, a drive began for a larger and more modern stadium. While thestate house unanimously approved a loan from the state in order to build a new stadium, thestate senate adjourned before taking it up. To get around the problem, the U of U formed a stadium trust that issued tax-free bonds for the new stadium. The stadium was also funded in part by selling tickets to two home games for the next 10 years. Total cost came to $133,000.[3]
The stadium, originally namedUte Stadium, opened in 1927 with aseating capacity of 20,000. The firstcollege football game was a 40–6 Ute victory overColorado Mines on October 1. It was dedicated three weeks later on October 22 with a 20–13 victory overColorado.[4] On hand wasCrown Prince Gustaf Adolf ofSweden.[3] Originally, the stadium was built oftimber andconcrete, with earth-fill.[5]
For 20 years, a giant pile of dirt stood in the north end zone. In 1947, 10,000 seats were added in the north end, turning the stadium into ahorseshoe.
After the 1971 season, health club pioneerRobert L. Rice donated $1 million towards the stadium's first major facelift. 2,500 seats were added in the south end zone, and the bleachers were replaced with chairback seats. The old grass surface was replaced withAstroTurf. The dressing rooms were also remodeled, and the running track was removed. The renovated stadium was dedicated in Rice's honor with the start of the 1972 season. In 1982, the field was lowered 9.5 feet, and new seats were built along the sidelines and on the south end. After the 1994 season, the turf was replaced with SportGrass, a natural grass surface grown on top of a layer of artificial turf.[5]
For many years, the stadium also doubled as anamphitheater during the summer.[3]
Although it was noted as one of the more intimate venues incollege football, it had become somewhat antiquated by the 1980s. By then, very few Division I-A stadiums remained by then that used timber as a major part of its construction.
Several pro football preseason games were played at Ute Stadium.
After Salt Lake City was awarded the2002 Winter Olympics in 1995, it soon became obvious that Rice Stadium was not adequate to be the main stadium. With this in mind, the athletic department decided to completely overhaul the facility to bring it up to modern standards. After the 1997 season, virtually all of the old stadium was demolished to make way forRice-Eccles Stadium. The bleachers built in the south end zone in 1982 were all that remained of the old stadium until they were demolished after the 2019 season to make room for an expansion.
| Attendance records | |||||
| Rank | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance | |
| 1 | November 20, 1982 | BYU | L 17–12 | 36,250 | |
| 2 | November 17, 1984 | #3BYU | L 24–14 | 36,110 | |
| 3 | September 13, 1986 | San Diego State | L 37–30 | 35,982 | |
| 4 | November 23, 1996 | #8BYU | L 37–17 | 35,378 | |
| 5 | September 24, 1994 | Wyoming | W 41–7 | 34,607 | |
| 6 | November 19, 1988 | BYU | W 57–28 | 34,216 | |
| 7 | November 19, 1994 | #20BYU | W 34–31 | 34,139 | |
| 8 | November 22, 1986 | BYU | L 35–21 | 34,128 | |
| 9 | August 30, 1997 | Utah State | L 21–14 | 33,804 | |
| 10 | November 17, 1990 | #5BYU | L 45–22 | 33,515 | |
| 11 | November 21, 1992 | BYU | L 31–22 | 33,348 | |
| 12 | October 3, 1986 | Air Force | L 45–35 | 33,281 | |
| 13 | October 4, 1985 | Wyoming | W 37–20 | 33,248 | |
| 14 | September 24, 1988 | Hawaii | L 48–20 | 32,892 | |
| 15 | October 29, 1994 | UTEP | W 52–7 | 32,620 | |