O'Brien Field (Charleston)
O'Brien Field is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Charleston, Illinois.[3] It is home to the Eastern Illinois University Panthers football and track and field teams. O’Brien Field is name after Maynard O'Brien who coached football and track at Eastern Illinois University.[4] The stadium features a nine-lane track and in 2004 an artificial turf field was installed. In 2009 a state of the art scoreboard was installed on the north end of the field with a video board and new sound system.
Former names | Lincoln Field |
---|---|
Location | 100 Grant Avenue Charleston, IL 61920 |
Coordinates | 39°28′50″N 88°10′52″W |
Owner | Eastern Illinois University |
Operator | Eastern Illinois University |
Capacity | 10,000 |
Record attendance | 12,600 November 9, 1980 (vs. Northern Iowa) |
Surface | Hellas Fieldturf |
Construction | |
Broke ground | 1968[1] |
Opened | 1970 |
Renovated | 1999 |
Construction cost | $1.7 million[2] |
Architect | Atkins, Barrow & Graham, Inc.[2] |
Tenants | |
Eastern Illinois Panthers (NCAA) (1970–present) |
The stadium served as the summer home for the former St. Louis Cardinals football team in 1976 and 1977 and again from 1982–87.
The record attendance for O'Brien Field was 12,600 on November 9, 1980 vs. Northern Iowa. The all-time Win-Loss-Tie record at O'Brien Field is 178-95-3 as of the end of the 2019 football season.
The stadium also plays host to the IHSA State Finals in track and field every year.
O’Brien Home Records
Home Records | |
Year | Record |
---|---|
1970 | 1-4 |
1971 | 4-1 |
1972 | 0-5 |
1973 | 2-4 |
1974 | 3-2 |
1975 | 2-1-2 |
1976 | 3-3 |
1977 | 1-3 |
1978 | 7-0 |
1979 | 4-3 |
1980 | 7-0 |
1981 | 5-1 |
1982 | 7-0 |
1983 | 5-1 |
1984 | 4-2 |
1985 | 5-1 |
1986 | 7-1 |
1987 | 3-2 |
1988 | 4-2 |
1989 | 6-0 |
1990 | 3-2 |
1991 | 4-1 |
1992 | 4-1 |
1993 | 1-2-1 |
1994 | 4-2 |
1995 | 6-0 |
1996 | 3-2 |
1997 | 4-1 |
1998 | 3-3 |
1999 | 4-1 |
2000 | 5-0 |
2001 | 5-1 |
2002 | 5-0 |
2003 | 3-3 |
2004 | 3-2 |
2005 | 4-2 |
2006 | 5-1 |
2007 | 3-2 |
2008 | 3-2 |
2009 | 3-2 |
2010 | 1-4 |
2011 | 1-4 |
2012 | 5-0 |
2013 | 6-1 |
2014 | 3-2 |
2015 | 3-2 |
2016 | 2-3 |
2017 | 3-2 |
2018 | 2-3 |
2019 | 0–5 |
Totals 50 Years |
178-95-3[5] .650 |
O’Brien Attendance
Attendance | |||||
Year | Games | Total Attendance | Average Attendance | Highest Game Attendance | Lowest Game Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | 5 | 35,030 | 7,006 | 10,731 | 3,740 |
2003[6] | 6 | 29,413 | 4,902 | NA | NA |
2005[7] | 6 | 37,094 | 6,182 | NA | NA |
2006[8] | 6 | 38,690 | 6,448 | NA | NA |
2007[9] | 5 | 37,058 | 7,411 | 9,861 | 3,083 |
2008[10] | 5 | 25,447 | 5,089 | 7,996 | 1,919 |
2009[11] | 5 | 38,847 | 7,769 | 11,271 | 3,509 |
2010[12] | 5 | 28,343 | 5,669 | 8,007 | 4,311 |
2011[13] | 5 | 37,937 | 7,587 | 9,111 | 6,157 |
2012[14] | 5 | 35,681 | 7,136 | 9,154 | 5,319 |
2013[15] | 7 | 56,086 | 8,012 | 11,569 | 3,850 |
2014[16] | 5 | 32,476 | 6,496 | 9,169 | 2,170 |
2015[17] | 5 | 28,387 | 5,677 | 8,104 | 1,438 |
2016[18] | 5 | 29,067 | 5,813 | 7,907 | 3,054 |
2017[19] | 5 | 24,750 | 4,950 | 8,176 | 2,828 |
2018[20] | 5 | 26,715 | 5,343 | 7,670 | 2,149 |
2019[21] | 5 | 24,413 | 4,883 | 7,055 | 3,170 |
Attendance records
The following are the highest attendances at O’Brien Field as of the end of the 2019 NCAA football season. [22]
Rank | Attendance | Date | Game result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 12,600 | Nov. 9, 1980 | Eastern Illinois 14, Northern Iowa 9 |
2 | 12,547 | Nov. 5, 1983 | Eastern Illinois 12, Southwest Missouri 3 |
3 | 12,425 | Nov. 13, 1982 | Eastern Illinois 73, Kentucky State 0 |
4 | 12,000 | Nov. 3, 1979 | Eastern Illinois 21, Youngstown State 49 |
5 | 11,856 | Nov. 1, 1986 | Eastern Illinois 64, Winona State 0 |
6 | 11,628 | Oct. 27, 2001 | Eastern Illinois 52, Tennessee State 49 |
7 | 11,569 | Oct. 19, 2013 | Eastern Illinois 55, Southeast Missouri 33 |
8 | 11,485 | Nov. 7, 1987 | Eastern Illinois 27, Southern Illinois 32 |
9 | 11,469 | Sept. 28, 2013 | Eastern Illinois 42, Eastern Kentucky 7 |
10 | 11,321 | Oct. 31, 1998 | Eastern Illinois 21, Tennessee State 27 |
References
- "Nostalgia Surrounds O'Brien" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
- "Illinois January 21". Engineering News-Record. New York City: McGraw-Hill. 182 (1): 38. 1969.
- "O'Brien Field". eiupanthers.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- "O'Brien Field" (PDF). p. 140. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- "2018 EIU Football Media Guide page 140" (PDF). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
- "2003 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2005 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2006 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2007 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2008 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2009 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2010 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2011 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2012 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2013 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2014 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2015 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2016 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2017 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2018 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- "2019 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
- "O'Brien Field Top Ten Home Attendance" (PDF). p. 132. Retrieved April 15, 2020.