Kroger Field

Kroger Field is a football stadium on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky. It primarily serves as the home field of the Kentucky Wildcats football team, which competes in the Southeastern Conference. The venue occupies the corner of Alumni Drive and University Drive and is owned and operated as part of the university's athletics facilities. The stadium opened in 1973 under the name Commonwealth Stadium, replacing the university's earlier football venue, Stoll Field/McLean Stadium. Its original capacity was 57,800, and the first game took place on September 15, 1973, when Kentucky defeated Virginia Tech 31–26. The facility was notable as a large modern football stadium for the university and, by date of original construction, became the newest football stadium in the Southeastern Conference. A major expansion in 1999 enclosed both ends of the stadium and added 40 suites, producing a symmetrical oval bowl with seating for approximately 67,530 spectators. Later seating changes increased the listed capacity to 67,942. The venue regularly drew crowds above 70,000 during the late 1990s and much of the following decade. Kentucky's home attendance record at the stadium was set in 2007, when 71,024 spectators attended the game against Florida. The stadium received substantial technology improvements in 2011, including two large LED video displays, a custom audio system, and video ribbon boards. A much larger $110 million renovation was completed before the 2015 football season. That project added or upgraded the press box, suites, club and loge seating, recruiting areas, concourses, restrooms, lighting, and exterior façade. The redesigned facility, sometimes described as the New Commonwealth Stadium, reduced capacity to approximately 61,000 while emphasizing premium seating, team operations, recruiting, and the spectator experience. On May 1, 2017, the University of Kentucky and its marketing partner JMI Sports announced a naming-rights agreement with Cincinnati-based supermarket company Kroger. The deal renamed the stadium Kroger Field and was reported as a 12-year agreement valued at $1.85 million per year. It made Kentucky the first Southeastern Conference school to adopt a corporate naming-rights partnership for its football stadium. Commonwealth Stadium remains an important historical name for the venue. Beyond Kentucky football, Kroger Field has hosted Kentucky High School Athletic Association football championship games since 2017. The championships moved to Lexington after scheduling conflicts affected their previous venue at Western Kentucky University. The stadium also hosted its first concert in 2022, after a concert originally planned for 2020 was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crow. Further modernization has continued. A 2022 athletics facilities project installed larger video boards and upgraded the adjacent Nutter Field House. The playing surface was replaced with new turf in 2023, and a 2024 project added video ribbon boards and LED stadium lighting capable of supporting coordinated light shows during breaks and after scores. The venue therefore functions not only as a football ground but also as a branded university athletics and event facility.

Kroger Field opened in 1973 as Commonwealth Stadium on the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington. It was built to provide the Kentucky Wildcats football program with a larger, modern home venue than its predecessor, Stoll Field/McLean Stadium. The inaugural game was played on September 15, 1973, with Kentucky defeating Virginia Tech 31–26. The original seating capacity was 57,800. The stadium's first major expansion came in 1999. Both open ends were enclosed, and 40 suites were added, with ten suites placed in each corner. The work created a more symmetrical oval bowl and increased capacity to approximately 67,530. Later seating adjustments raised the listed capacity to 67,942. The late 1990s and 2000s were periods of particularly strong attendance, with many games drawing more than 70,000 people. The 1999 Kentucky–Tennessee game attracted 71,022 spectators, and the attendance record was subsequently raised to 71,024 for the 2007 Kentucky–Florida game. In July 2011, the university announced an audio and visual modernization program. Two large LED video boards, a custom sound system, and more than 1,800 linear square feet of video ribbon board were installed. These improvements made the venue's in-game presentation substantially more capable and supported a more contemporary fan experience. The most extensive renovation in the stadium's history was completed before the 2015 season at a reported cost of $110 million. The project added a new press box, loge boxes, club seats, suites, and a recruiting room, while also upgrading concourses, bathrooms, lighting, and the building's exterior. The redesign reduced capacity to roughly 61,000 but shifted the facility toward improved hospitality, recruiting, operations, and premium seating. The renovated building was informally referred to as the New Commonwealth Stadium. The facility entered a new commercial phase in 2017. On May 1 of that year, the University of Kentucky and JMI Sports announced a naming-rights agreement with Kroger, the Cincinnati-based supermarket company. Commonwealth Stadium was renamed Kroger Field. The reported agreement ran for 12 years at $1.85 million per year and was described as the first corporate football-stadium naming partnership by a Southeastern Conference school. The name connects a university-owned athletics venue with a regional consumer brand while retaining Commonwealth Stadium as a historical reference. Kroger Field expanded its event role in 2017 when it became the Lexington site for Kentucky High School Athletic Association football championship games. The move followed scheduling problems at Western Kentucky University's stadium, where other championship events had created short-notice conflicts. The 2017 championships marked the first time the state finals had been held in Lexington since 1976. Although the stadium had not hosted a concert during its first 47 years, its first concert was eventually held on April 24, 2022. The event featured Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crow after a planned 2020 concert had been postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Modernization continued in the 2020s. A 2022 athletics facilities program added larger video boards measuring approximately 37 feet high by 100 feet wide and upgraded the adjoining Nutter Field House. In 2023, the playing surface was replaced with new turf. A further $7 million upgrade in 2024 installed new video ribbon boards and LED stadium lights. The lighting system allows the venue to stage coordinated light shows during breaks and after scores, extending the facility's presentation capabilities beyond conventional game illumination. Kroger Field remains primarily a football stadium but also serves as a site for school championships, concerts, university functions, and hospitality experiences.

• 2024

  Lighting and ribbon-board upgrade

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  New LED stadium lights and video ribbon boards improve event presentation and enable coordinated light shows.

• 2023

  Playing surface replaced

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The stadium receives a new turf surface.

• 2022

  First concert at the stadium

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The venue hosts its first concert, featuring Chris Stapleton, Willie Nelson, and Sheryl Crow.

• 2022

  New video boards installed

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Larger video boards are installed as part of a broader University of Kentucky athletics facilities project.

• 2017

  Renamed Kroger Field

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The stadium adopts the Kroger Field name under a corporate naming-rights agreement.

• 2017

  KHSAA championships move to Lexington

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Kroger Field begins hosting Kentucky high school football championship games.

• 2015

  Completion of major renovation

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  A $110 million renovation upgrades premium seating, team and recruiting spaces, concourses, restrooms, lighting, and the exterior façade.

• 2011

  Audio and video modernization

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The stadium receives large LED video boards, a custom audio system, and video ribbon boards.

• 1999

  Major expansion and enclosure

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Both ends are enclosed and 40 suites are added, creating a larger oval bowl with capacity of approximately 67,530.

• 1973

  Commonwealth Stadium opens

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  The University of Kentucky opens the stadium with an original capacity of 57,800.

• 1973

  First football game

  [1]Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org

  Kentucky defeats Virginia Tech 31–26 in the stadium's inaugural game on September 15.

A major Southeastern Conference college football venue positioned around Kentucky Wildcats athletics, premium spectator amenities, university recruiting, and large-scale event hosting.

• College football · 1973

  Kentucky Wildcats football

  Kroger Field's primary offering is live home football for the University of Kentucky Wildcats. The facility provides general admission seating, premium clubs, suites, media areas, team operations, recruiting spaces, modern video presentation, and event lighting for Southeastern Conference competition and other university football games.

• High school sports events · 2017

  KHSAA football championships

  Since 2017, the stadium has hosted Kentucky High School Athletic Association football championship games. This use broadens the venue's role beyond University of Kentucky athletics and makes it a statewide championship site in addition to its regular college football schedule.

• Entertainment venue · 2022

  Concert and live-event hosting

  Kroger Field can be configured for large live events, including concerts. Its first concert took place in 2022 after a 2020 event was postponed during the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the venue's ability to support entertainment programming outside the football calendar.

• 2017

  Adoption of a corporate naming-rights partnershipStrategy

  Background

  The University of Kentucky sought a commercial naming arrangement for its football stadium in partnership with JMI Sports.

  Action taken

  The university renamed Commonwealth Stadium Kroger Field under a reported 12-year agreement with Kroger.

  Aftermath

  The agreement made Kentucky the first Southeastern Conference school reported to have a corporate naming-rights partnership for its football stadium.

  Annual naming-rights payment. $1.85 million per year (Reported 12-year agreement announced in 2017)

  Source

• 2015

  Completion of comprehensive stadium renovationOther

  Background

  The university modernized the aging stadium to improve spectator amenities, recruiting infrastructure, premium seating, and operations.

  Action taken

  A reported $110 million renovation added and upgraded the press box, suites, club and loge seating, recruiting room, concourses, restrooms, lighting, and exterior façade.

  Aftermath

  The renovated venue opened for the 2015 season with capacity reduced to approximately 61,000 and a stronger emphasis on premium hospitality and athletics operations.

  Renovation cost. $110 million (2015 renovation)

  Source

1. 1Kroger Fielden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Kroger Field — University of Kentucky Athleticsukathletics.com