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,[1] 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.[1] Hancock Whitney Stadium is located on the west part of the South Alabama campus near the football field house,[2] practice fields, and Jaguar Training Center, which is the largest covered practice facility in the state of Alabama.[3]
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.[4] 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.[5]
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.[6] 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.[7]
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
Attendance records
| Rank | Attendance | Date | Game Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25,450 | October 20, 2022 | South Alabama 6, Troy 10 |
| 2 | 20,156 | September 4, 2021 | South Alabama 31, Southern Miss 7 |
| 3 | 17,939 | September 24, 2022 | South Alabama 38, Louisiana Tech 14 |
| 4 | 16,764 | October 2, 2021 | South Alabama 18, Louisiana 20 |
| 5 | 16,089 | October 14, 2021 | South Alabama 41, Georgia Southern 14 |
| 6 | 15,459 | October 15, 2022 | South Alabama 41, Louisiana-Monroe 34 |
| 7 | 15,237 | September 9, 2023 | South Alabama 35, Southeastern Louisiana 17 |
| 8 | 15,204 | September 18, 2021 | South Alabama 28, Alcorn State 21 |
| 9 | 15,101 | September 3, 2022 | South Alabama 48, Nicholls 7 |
| 10 | 15,043 | October 30, 2021 | South Alabama 31, Arkansas State 13 |
References
- ^ a b "Hancock Whitney Stadium". Issuu. 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. Retrieved 2021-12-04.
- ^ "Hancock Whitney Stadium". University of South Alabama Athletics. Retrieved October 14, 2021.