Hancock Whitney Stadium
Hancock Whitney Stadium is a 25,450-seat multi-purpose stadium on the campus of the University of South Alabama in Mobile, Alabama. It is the home of the South Alabama Jaguars football program, starting with the 2020 season. The stadium replaced Ladd–Peebles Stadium, a city-owned all-purpose stadium located some 9 miles (14 km) from the campus where the school had played its football games since 2009. The stadium carries the name of Hancock Whitney, a bank holding company headquartered in Gulfport, Mississippi, while its playing surface is designated as the Abraham A. Mitchell Field, named after a substantial donor to the program. Hancock Whitney Stadium is located on the west part of the South Alabama campus near the football field house, practice fields, and Jaguar Training Center, which is the largest covered practice facility in the state of Alabama.
History
Construction on Hancock Whitney Stadium started on August 6, 2018, and cost $78 million. The stadium opened with on September 12, 2020, with a college football game against the Tulane Green Wave. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, capacity for the opener and all other 2020 games was capped at 6,000 spectators to allow for social distancing.
Hancock Whitney Stadium serves as home of the Senior Bowl, a postseason college football all-star game, since the 2021 edition. The game had previously been held at Ladd–Peebles Stadium for nearly 70 years. Since the 2021 edition, Hancock Whitney Stadium has also served as home of the 68 Ventures Bowl, a postseason college bowl game, following 22 years at Ladd–Peebles.
Facility features
- 11 Suites
- 42 Loge boxes
- Terrace standing room with drink rails (that can convert into a concert stage)
- Ample concourse room
- Up to 96 points-of-sale for concessions
- Musco LED lighting (ability to create light show)
- Daktronics high definition video board (top 40 in the country)
- Daktronics high definition ribbon boards and sound system
Year by year
South Alabama Jaguars | |||
Season | Average Crowd | Largest Crowd | Home Record |
2020 | 5,449 | 6,000 | 2-4 |
2021 | 16,083 | 20,156 | 4-2 |
2022 | 16,646 | 25,450 | 5-1 |
2023 | 17,190 | 23,478 | 4-2 |
Total | 15–9 (.625) |
Attendance records
Rank | Attendance | Date | Game Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 25,450 | October 20, 2022 | South Alabama 6, Troy 10 |
2 | 23,478 | October 17, 2023 | South Alabama 55, Southern Miss 3 |
3 | 20,156 | September 4, 2021 | South Alabama 31, Southern Miss 7 |
4 | 18,369 | September 23, 2023 | South Alabama 30, Central Michigan 34 |
5 | 17,939 | September 24, 2022 | South Alabama 38, Louisiana Tech 14 |
6 | 16,764 | October 2, 2021 | South Alabama 18, Louisiana 20 |
7 | 16,709 | October 28, 2023 | South Alabama 20, Louisiana 33 |
8 | 16,089 | October 14, 2021 | South Alabama 41, Georgia Southern 14 |
9 | 15,559 | August 31, 2024 | South Alabama 38, North Texas 52 |
10 | 15,459 | October 15, 2022 | South Alabama 41, Louisiana-Monroe 34 |
References
- ^ "Hancock Whitney Stadium". Issuu. 17 April 2019. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ "Football Facilities".
- ^ "Facilities".
- ^ "2020 Football Schedule". University of South Alabama Athletics. Retrieved March 9, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Creg (August 7, 2020). "South Alabama imposes limit of 25% capacity at Hancock Whitney Stadium this season". AL.com. Archived from the original on December 9, 2020.
- ^ Stephenson, Creg (March 4, 2020). "Senior Bowl to be played at South Alabama's Hancock Whitney Stadium beginning in 2021". AL.com. Retrieved March 6, 2020.
- ^ "LendingTree Bowl Moving to Hancock Whitney Stadium". LendingTreeBowl.com. 2021-11-12. Archived from the original on 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Hancock Whitney Stadium". University of South Alabama Athletics. Retrieved October 14, 2021.