Entering its 68th season as home of the Governors football and track & field programs, Governors Stadium will open 2014 following the completion of a massive $16.9 million renovation that replaced the west side grandstands with a new structure that includes state-of-the-art amenities for student-athletes, coaches and fans as well as skyboxes, club-type seating and new chairback seating.
Governors Stadium originally was named Municipal Stadium when it opened in 1946 due to its construction by the City of Clarksville. The city owned and operated the facility while permitting the University use of the stadium for an annual sum. That arrangement lasted until 1970 when the city conveyed title to one-third of the stadium to the State for the university and signed a cooperative agreement with Austin Peay State University, Montgomery County (to which it also gave one-third of the stadium's title) and the city to form the Municipal Stadium Authority to operate and maintain the facility.
Following the 1993 season, the University agreed to purchase Municipal Stadium from the Stadium Authority and Montgomery County. With the purchase, the University installed a new playing surface and, more importantly, changed the name of the facility to Governors Stadium.
| Quick Facts |
| Football Playing Surface |
Artifical Turf
(FieldTurf XT) |
| Track Running Surface |
|
| Permanent Seating Capacity |
10,000 |
1st Game at
Municipal Stadium |
1946 |
Dedicated as
Governors Stadium |
Sept. 1, 1993 |
Since 1993, the University has made several updates to the facility, replacing the playing surface in 1993, 2004 and in 2014 while adding a new scoreboard and video board combination on the stadium's south end in 2007.
However, the greatest change to the facility since its construction was approved in 2012 when the Tennessee Building Commission approved a $16 million renovation project. That project saw the stadium's west grandstand razed and replaced with a four-story structure that includes state-of-the-art amenities for student-athletes, staff and fans.
New football offices, training rooms and locker rooms will occupy the first floor. The second floor includes meeting rooms and an additional weight room. The third and fourth levels will provide club seating and 13 skyboxes. The skyboxes will offer tiered stadium-type seating with up to 22 seats per capacity. The 8,000-square-foot Club Level will seat 386, and is designed to offer catered meals on football game days and will feature a private pouring room at game level.
The south end of the stadium will feature a large concourse area for corporate displays and product placement at select games. There will be space for future expansion.
In a separate project, the stadium's east grandstands, while not razed, were renovated to move the stadium's in-game operations into the press box. In addition, space under the grandstands was renovated for the university's track and field program.
| Governors Stadium Timeline |
| 1946 |
Municipal Stadium Opens with seating capacity of 5,500 |
| 1970 |
University gains one-third controlling interest in Municipal Stadium and the stadium is renovated, adding AstroTurf artifical surface to the football field and installing an eight-lane Tartan track surface. |
| 1976 |
Host OVC Track & Field Championships for the first time with Austin Peay winning its only men's track and field title |
| 1993 |
University purchases Municipal Stadium, renames it Governors Stadium and installs Stadia Turf surface |
| 2004 |
Stadium and track surfaces replaced with Polytan artificial surfaces (Mega Grass football surface)
Governors Stadium hosts 2004 OVC Track & Field Championships |
| 2006 |
The NFL's Tennessee Titans use Austin Peay facilities for summer training camp |
| 2007 |
Daktronics scoreboard and video display installed in south end zone. |
| 2013 |
Tennessee Board of Regents approves $16.9-million stadium renovation project to replace west grandstand, renovate east grandstand and replace both the football and track surfaces. |
| 2014 |
New Governors Stadium facilities open
Stadium to host 2014 OVC Track & Field Championships |
Governors Stadium Map
