Providence Park

Providence Park (formerly Jeld-Wen Field; PGE Park; Civic Stadium; originally Multnomah Stadium; and from 1893 until the stadium was built, Multnomah Field)[1] is an outdoor soccer venue located in the Goose Hollow neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. It has existed in rudimentary form since 1893, and as a complete stadium since 1926. Providence Park is currently the oldest facility to be configured as a soccer-specific stadium for use by a MLS team, and is one of the most historic grounds used by any United States professional soccer team.

Providence Park
View from the southwest corner, 2015
Providence Park is located in Portland, Oregon
Providence Park
Providence Park
Location in Portland
Providence Park is located in Oregon
Providence Park
Providence Park
Location in Oregon
Providence Park is located in the United States
Providence Park
Providence Park
Location in the United States
Former namesMultnomah Field (1893–1926)[1]
Multnomah Stadium (1926–1965)
Civic Stadium (1966–2000)
PGE Park (2001–2010)
Jeld-Wen Field (2011–2014)
Address1844 SW Morrison
LocationPortland, Oregon
Coordinates45°31′17″N 122°41′30″W
Public transitTram interchange TriMet MAX Light Rail
■ Red Line
■ Blue Line
at Providence Park
Local Transit SW 18th & Morrison: 18, 63
OwnerCity of Portland
OperatorPeregrine Sports, LLC
Capacity25,218
Field size110x75 yards[2]
SurfaceFieldTurf Revolution
Construction
Broke groundMay 6, 1926[3]
OpenedOctober 9, 1926[4]
Renovated1956, 1982, 2001, 2011, 2019
Construction cost$502,000
($8.3 million in 2022 dollars[5])

Other:

List
    • $36 million (2010 renovation)
      ($46.8 million in 2022 dollars[5])
    • $85 million (2018–19 renovation)[6]
      ($97.3 million in 2022 dollars[5])
ArchitectA. E. Doyle
Morris H. Whitehouse & Associates
General contractorHansen-Hammond Company[7]
Tenants
List
Website
timbers.com/providencepark

Two professional soccer teams, the Portland Timbers of MLS and Portland Thorns FC of NWSL, use the facility as their home pitch. The stadium has been host to several major United States soccer events including national team matches, Soccer Bowl '77, the 1999 and 2003 FIFA Women's World Cups, the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the 2014 MLS All-Star Game, the 2015 NWSL Championship Game, and MLS Cup 2021. Providence Park has been the home of the Portland Timbers since 1975.

The Portland-based Multnomah Athletic Club was founded in 1891 and soon constructed the stadium for their amateur sports teams beginning in 1893. In 1926, the facility was expanded into a complete stadium, including the upper seating bowl and the wooden benches which can still be found in the park. In 1956, the stadium was renovated in earnest for the first time to reflect its growing usage in the community. In 1966 the City of Portland purchased the park and renamed it Civic Stadium.

It was renovated in 2001 to accommodate the Timbers and the Portland Beavers, while the naming rights of the stadium were purchased by Portland General Electric and it was renamed PGE Park. In 2011, the park underwent renovations again, this time so it could accommodate the Portland Timbers MLS franchise and a year later the stadium name rights were sold, this time to Jeld-Wen (Jeld-Wen Field). In 2014, the name was changed again to Providence Park after Providence Health & Services bought the naming rights.[8]

A 2019 expansion raised the capacity to 25,218 and added a multi-level facade to the East End. The Portland Timbers have sold out every single game at Providence Park since moving to MLS in 2011, and the Thorns set a single-game National Women's Soccer League attendance record in August 2019 with a sell-out crowd of the same capacity.[9] In 2019, both clubs ranked among the top ten in attendance among professional soccer teams (men's or women's) in the United States and Canada.[9]

Description

Providence Park is an outdoor soccer stadium which houses the MLS Portland Timbers and NWSL Portland Thorns. The stadium is owned by the City of Portland, and is managed by Peregrine Sports, LLC, the entity that owns the Timbers and Thorns.

The stadium sits on a rectangular block bounded by Southwest Morrison Street, Southwest 18th Avenue, the Multnomah Athletic Club building and Southwest Salmon Street, and Southwest 20th Avenue.[10][11]

The Multnomah Athletic Club, an athletic club in downtown Portland which originally constructed the venue, stands next door; the windows of the north side of the club's building overlook the field.

The Interstate 405 freeway in Portland is also known locally as the Stadium Freeway and travels near the stadium. In addition, the Providence Park MAX Light Rail station is across the street. The property slopes significantly downhill from the south end to the north end, with the result that the playing surface sits well below street level. The elevation at street level is approximately 110 feet (35 m) above sea level.

History
Civil War Game held at Multnomah Stadium in 1908
The stadium photographed from the street in 1930
Aerial view of the stadium in 1940

Since 1893, the site had been home to Multnomah Field, which consisted of sports fields with various grandstands.[12][13] Before the MAC developed the site as an athletic field, it was a large Chinese vegetable garden, supplying produce to much of Portland.[14] In 1912, the distinctive Multnomah Athletic Club, which currently borders the south end of the stadium, was constructed. The overarching stadium was completed in 1926 for $502,000, and named "Multnomah Civic Stadium" after the club.[15]

The site was used for college football (including seven Civil War games between the University of Oregon and Oregon State University), cricket matches and greyhound racing. Well into the 1960s, most significant football games hosted by Oregon and Oregon State were held at this site because of its capacity. Oregon played in 107 games at Multnomah/Civic Stadium between 1894 and 1970. The University of Washington played all its road games against Oregon and Oregon State at Multnomah Field/Multnomah Stadium until 1966 (OSU) and 1967 (Oregon). The site also hosted the Portland Rose Festival.[12]

In 1956, the Portland Beavers moved to the stadium after their original field, Vaughn Street Park, was condemned. After two attempts for a new domed stadium in Delta Park were defeated by voters in 1964,[16][17] the city looked to purchase what was already in existence. In 1966, the Multnomah Athletic Club sold the stadium for $2.1 million to the city of Portland, which renamed it "Civic Stadium".[12][15][18] The city government rejected several proposed renovation plans, including construction of a 57,000-seat domed stadium,[19] and adding a second deck supported by helium-filled balloons.[20] Prior to the 2011 MLS season, the stadium was renamed "Jeld-Wen Field" from "PGE Park", in a partnership with Klamath Falls-based company Jeld-Wen. Jeld-Wen is a manufacturer of windows and doors, leading to the stadium's nickname, "The House of Pane." In 2014, the stadium was renamed "Providence Park" after a partnership with Providence Health & Services was announced.[8]

Kerry Tymchuk, executive director of the Oregon Historical Society, summarized the stadium's history: "Providence Park has been home to some of the most iconic moments in Oregon sports history. It also ranks with such classic venues as Wrigley Field and Fenway Park as a stadium that has stood the test of time and that is uniquely part and parcel of the city in which it resides. ... Portland is a city that prides itself on its uniqueness. While many major cities have chosen to replace historic sports stadiums with modern domes or complexes, Portland has chosen to retain much of the original architecture and charm of one of architect A.E. Doyle's most beloved creations."[21]

1956
Providence Park in 1956, showing the baseball field

The first major renovation to Providence Park after its full construction in 1926 came in 1956, when the Portland Beavers moved to what was then called "Multnomah Stadium", from the dilapidated cross-town Vaughn Street Park. For the first time, permanent East End seating was constructed, as well as a large ticketed section in the southeast corner of the stadium. The East End seats were all constructed above an outfield wall, and box seats were built in the stadium for the first time. Along with the expansion came the demolition of the greyhound racing track, which was constructed in 1933.[22]

1982

In November 1980, Portland voters passed a ballot measure that provided the city (who had owned the stadium since 1966) with a much-needed $9.5 million to improve the foundation, concourse and replace the roof.[23] The money allowed the city to replace the aging roof, adding an extended roofline out of laminated Oregon timber. The new roof covered a much higher percentage of seats and included the construction of a new press box, which was finished by winter 1982.

2001

In November 2000, the Portland City Council authorized bonds to finance a renovation of then-Civic Stadium.[24] A $38.5 million renovation took place in 2001, upgrading the seating and concourse area, and adding new luxury suites and club seats. The renovation improved the structural soundness of the facility by adding over 750 tons of steel, and introduced a new sound system. The renovation also included some retro-features, such as a manually operated scoreboard. At that point, PGE bought the naming rights and it became "PGE Park".[18]

The 2001 renovation also removed the remaining seats along 18th Avenue and added in the first electronic video board in the park, modernizing the park for soccer and minor-league baseball.[25] The stadium was temporarily expanded for the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup with bleachers along the east and south ends to bring soccer capacity from 19,556 to over 28,000. A grass surface was also installed for the tournament over the existing NeXturf artificial surface.[26][27]

2011
Soccer game at Providence Park in May 2014

In July 2009, after attempts to both find a new home for an MLS franchise and identify a site for a new home for the Portland Beavers, the Portland City Council approved a $31 million renovation to make PGE Park ready for the 2011 Major League Soccer season, by reconfiguring the stadium primarily for soccer and football.[28][29] The decision led to the departure of the Beavers.

A presentation to the Portland Design Commission indicated that 5,000 seats would be added, bringing capacity to about 22,000, but with only about 18,000 available for use on a regular basis.[30]

The renovation met Major League Soccer standards, introduced a new playing surface, which shifted west and north, and added space on the east and south sides, with new seating areas and new amenities. The Lighthouse Impact 16 main video screen was designed by Anthony James Partners and features over 74 square meters (800 sq ft) of LED video. A Lighthouse B10 pitchside display runs the length of the East End and portions of the north and south ends and is over 152 meters (499 ft) long.[31] As the project was nearing completion, it was revealed to be $5 million over budget, making the total cost of the renovation $36 million.[32] The agreement between the city and Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson meant that Paulson was responsible for any cost overruns larger than $1 million.

The newly renovated stadium made its début on April 14, 2011, when Major League Soccer's Timbers defeated the Chicago Fire, 4–2.[33] The announced attendance at Timbers games in 2011 was 18,627, a sell-out.

A few thousand seats were added for two games late in the 2011 season. About 2,000 seats were opened up for the 2012 season, bringing capacity up to 20,438. Following the 2012 season in which the Timbers' average attendance was 20,438, during the 2012–13 off-season the Timbers widened the pitch for the 2013 season, adding 2 yards (1.8 m) on each side to achieve a width of 74 yards (68 m).[34] The team widened the pitch by another yard in 2014, for a total pitch size of 110 by 75 yards (101 m × 69 m).[2]

Providence Park's east stands during a Thorns match in May 2018 (left), and after expansion in May 2023 (right)

2019

In April 2017, the Portland Timbers unveiled a US$85 million renovation plan which would add roughly 4,000 new seats to the East End.[35] Timbers' President of Business Mike Golub stated that "We felt it was imperative to see how we could transform the stadium and add capacity to both meet the demand that we have for tickets and also position the club to be viable and competitive for years to come", referencing the Timbers' current season ticket waitlist of approximately 13,000. The renovation was privately funded and brought the stadium to a capacity of 25,218, which was the 4th-highest of any soccer-specific venue in MLS.

The club partnered with Portland-based Allied Works Architecture to design the expansion,[36] and began construction in late 2017,[37] with the goal of having the renovated stadium ready in late May or early June of the 2019 MLS season.[38][36]

The expanded Providence Park opened for the first time on June 1, 2019, as the Timbers hosted LAFC, selling out the capacity of 25,218. Included in the $85 million renovation were the addition of three decks of new seats, two new video boards and a modern edge-to-edge roof, as well as updated LED lighting throughout the park.[39] The lowest tier of the new addition is a premium seating section named Tanner Ridge, a reference to Tanner Creek under the stadium, and includes separate food and beverage options from the rest of the stadium.[40]

The renovated stand on the East End was the largest single seat expansion in Providence Park history. The vertically stacked stand resembles the Boca Juniors' stadium La Bombonera and was inspired by Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. The new stands also resemble an original, unrealized design from 1926 for the stadium that shows 2-story stands.[41][42] White seats in the added upper decks spell out "SC USA", a reference to Portland's NASL-era nickname of "Soccer City USA."[43] This added to existing seats in the east stand that spell out "PORTLAND".

In 2019, Timbers and Thorns ownership were in discussions with Portland mayor Ted Wheeler about replacing the artificial turf at Providence Park with real grass. A real grass field could make Providence Park more attractive for hosting international soccer matches.[44] As of 2023, Providence Park is the only soccer-specific stadium in MLS that doesn't use real grass.[45] It is also the only current or planned soccer-specific NWSL venue to use an artificial surface, and one of two NWSL venues, along with Seattle's Lumen Field, to use an artificial surface. The NWSL moved its neutral-site 2021 championship match from Portland to Lynn Family Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky, a grass venue, after players publicly complained about the artificial surface and early kickoff time.[46]

Current tenants

The stadium is currently home to the Portland Timbers of MLS, which the stadium has hosted in all of the club's iterations since 1975, and the Portland Thorns FC of NWSL since 2013. Starting in 2022, the facility is also the home turf for the Oregon Onyx of the Western Ultimate League and the Portland Nitro of the American Ultimate Disc League.

Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers hosted their first match at the stadium on May 2, 1975, against the Seattle Sounders. It was the first professional soccer match ever hosted at Providence Park.[47] The club would get their first win just 5 days later on May 7, 1975, with Peter Withe scoring the first ever home Timbers goal in a 1–0 victory over Toronto Metros-Croatia. The Timbers were immediately successful at the stadium, only losing once during 1975 and setting the Timbers home attendance record of 33,503 in the NASL semifinals against the St. Louis Stars on August 17, 1975.[48]

The team played at Providence Park (then called Civic Stadium) until 1982 before folding. However, they helped develop the soccer culture in Portland and the passionate fans at the park that still remain today.[49]

The Portland Timbers were reborn in 1985, continuing to play at Civic Stadium. The club used the stadium during their time in the Western Soccer Alliance and the American Professional Soccer League until 1990.

View of the stadium and supporters during a Timbers match in March 2013

A new Portland Timbers franchise was founded in 2001 and began to use the park again for its home games. The naming rights were sold to PGE and the stadium became known as PG&E Park. A $38.5 million renovation was completed to allow for a more comfortable soccer experience.[50] Around this time, the Timbers established themselves as one of the best-drawing teams in the A-League, averaging attendance above 5,000 in each of their four years of existence. As they moved to the USL, the club became more successful, going unbeaten at home in the 2007 regular season. In 2008, the club averaged 8,567 home fans, the second-highest in the USL First Division. In 2009, Portland was selected to become a Major League Soccer franchise, and in the same year the Timbers went unbeaten for a USL-record 24 matches in a row.

In 2011, the stadium was renovated to provide Portland with a premier location to watch the Timbers play in Major League Soccer as well as fit the standards required by the league.[51] The $36 million renovation modernized the stadium, added a high-tech video board and added new seating and amenities.[32] The park was renamed Jeld-Wen Field after Klamath Falls-based windows and doors company Jeld-Wen purchased the naming rights.

Portland Timbers v Columbus Crew match, March 2016

The stadium officially opened for Major League Soccer play on April 14, 2011, when the Timbers defeated the Chicago Fire, 4–2, before a sellout crowd of 18,627.[33] This was the first time top-level American soccer had been played in the city of Portland since August 22, 1982.[52]

Jeld-Wen Field was the site of the first Timbers playoff home game in their MLS history, defeating arch-rival Seattle 3–2 on November 2, 2013. This allowed the Timbers to win 5–3 on aggregate and clinch the two-game series, advancing to the Conference finals. In 2014, the stadium was renamed Providence Park after Providence Health & Services bought the naming rights.[8] Home victories over the Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Dallas in the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs provided a launch pad to the Timbers winning the 2015 MLS Cup. In 2018, Portland hosted two rounds of playoffs at Providence Park, rewarding the home support with crucial results as the Timbers defeated Seattle and Sporting Kansas City to advance to the MLS Cup Final. The Timbers defeated Minnesota United FC and Real Salt Lake in the 2021 MLS Cup Playoffs, which helped the Timbers advance to and host the 2021 MLS Cup Final, the first time Providence hosted the MLS championship game.

After the completion of the 2019 renovation, capacity at the park increased to 25,218.[53] The Timbers played their first game at the park on July 1, 2019, against LAFC, selling out the expanded sections.

The Timbers have sold out every home game to date since their transition to MLS in 2011.[54] Providence Park has been consistently cited as one of the best American soccer stadiums and as one of the best places to see Major League Soccer.[55][56][57] MLS writer Charles Boehm described Timbers games at Providence Park "one of North American soccer's greatest spectacles" in 2019.[57]

Portland Thorns FC
Portland Thorns match at Providence Park in 2016

The Thorns played their first season in the National Women's Soccer League in 2013, playing in Providence Park. The team's first home match on April 21 provided the club its first victory, a 2–1 win over Seattle Reign FC.[58] In addition to setting a new league record for attendance, the opening day crowd of 16,479 was bigger than any single-game attendance from Women's Professional Soccer, the last women's national league before the NWSL.

Portland won the NWSL Championship in 2013 and 2017, using home victories in the playoffs to propel them to the titles. Providence Park also hosted the 2015 NWSL Championship Game, where FC Kansas City defeated Seattle Reign FC, 1–0, to win the championship. It also hosted the 2021 NWSL Championship, where Portland also won the championship against NJ/NY Gotham FC 6–5 on penalties, with both teams scoring 1–1 in regulation.

The Thorns have had the highest average attendance in the league in each of their first seven seasons, and set a league attendance record of 25,218 at an August 11, 2019 match against the North Carolina Courage.[59][60]

Former tenants

In 1933, pari-mutuel betting was legalized in Oregon, and by May 23 of that year the Multnomah Kennel Club hosted its first greyhound race on the stadium's new track. The Kennel Club maintained its headquarters at the stadium until 1956, when the track was removed.[61]

The Portland Beavers minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) had played some games at Multnomah Field during 1905 when their Vaughn Street Park was temporarily reconfigured to host a track and field event. They moved into Multnomah Stadium in 1956 after over a half century at Vaughn Street, a wooden ballpark which was soon demolished. The sod from the field at Vaughn Street was transferred to the new venue; Civic Stadium installed artificial turf in 1969.

Before the city purchased the stadium, it was owned by the Multnomah Athletic Club

From 1973 to 1977 the independent Portland Mavericks of the Northwest League played their home games at the stadium. Actor Kurt Russell was an infielder for the Mavericks.[62] The Beavers returned to Portland in 1978 until 1993 when they were moved out of the city again. The Class A Portland Rockies were established in 1995 and played at the park until 2000 when they were moved and renamed the Tri-City Dust Devils. In 2001, the Albuquerque Dukes were moved to Portland and renamed the "Beavers" marking the third time the franchise would occupy the park for their home games.

As a baseball venue, the stadium had an unorthodox south-southeast alignment, with home plate in the northwest corner (20th and Morrison) of the property.

After it was announced that Major League Soccer was moving a franchise to Providence Park (then known as PGE Park) the Beavers had to start looking for a new stadium. However, the plan never came to fruition and team owner Merritt Paulson put the Beavers up for sale. The club's major-league parent, the San Diego Padres, purchased the team, which moved to Tucson, Arizona as the Tucson Padres. The team played its final game at the stadium on September 6, 2010.[63][64]

The stadium hosted the USFL's Portland Breakers, as well as the Portland Storm and Portland Thunder of the WFL.

Soccer has been hosted at Providence Park since the original Portland Timbers were founded in the original North American Soccer League in 1975. Various iterations of the team have called the stadium home, including the 1980s version in the Western Soccer Alliance and the 2000s version in the USL First Division before the MLS club was formed.

From 2008 to 2017, Providence Park was used as home for the Timbers U23s of the USL2, a development platform for the club. Following the 2017 season, the Portland U23s moved to Salem, OR.

During the last few months of the 2020 MLS season, Providence Park hosted home matches for Vancouver Whitecaps FC after COVID-19 cross-border restrictions imposed by the Canadian government prevented the team from playing matches in Canada.[65]

Events

Soccer
Soccer game in the USL years, viewing the old configuration of the East End

On August 28, 1977, the stadium was site of the North American Soccer League Soccer Bowl '77 between the New York Cosmos and the Seattle Sounders, the last official game of the legendary Pelé. The Cosmos won the championship.

On September 7, 1997, the stadium hosted a World Cup soccer qualifying match between the United States men's national team and Costa Rica. A raucous capacity crowd of 27,396 saw the U.S. squad win, 1–0, on a goal by Tab Ramos in the 79th minute. A loud and knowledgeable stadium fully cheering on the USMNT in Portland created an atmosphere that "took years for any other American city to match".[66]

Providence Park has hosted the United States men's national team on 4 different occasions. Outside of tournament play in the 1998 World Cup qualifying and the 2013 Gold Cup, the stadium has hosted two friendlies: on April 4, 1985, against Canada (a 1–1 draw), and on May 28, 1998, against Kuwait (a 2–0 win).[67]

The stadium was the site of four group matches in the 1999 Women's World Cup. The stadium also hosted two group matches, two quarterfinals, and both semifinals in the 2003 Women's World Cup.

Providence Park hosted the 2014 MLS All-Star Game.[68][69] Following the conclusion of the game, an incident between Caleb Porter, the manager of the Portland Timbers and the MLS All-Stars, and Pep Guardiola, the manager of Bayern Munich, drew headlines.[70] Guardiola refused to shake hands with Porter following the match and the two exchanged words, with Guardiola walking off the pitch angrily.

On December 11, 2021, Providence Park hosted the 2021 MLS Cup after the Timbers won the Western Conference Final over Real Salt Lake and are the highest seed remaining. The stadium saw a total attendance of 25,218 spectators.

Date Winning Team Result Losing Team Tournament Spectators
August 28, 1977United States New York Cosmos2–1United States Seattle SoundersSoccer Bowl '7735,548
April 4, 1985 United States1–1 CanadaInternational Friendly4,181
September 7, 1997 United States1–0 Costa Rica1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)27,396
May 24, 1998 United States2–0 KuwaitInternational Friendly25,343
June 23, 1999 Russia women5–0 Japan women1999 FIFA Women's World Cup17,668
 China women7–0 Ghana women
June 24, 1999 North Korea women3–1 Denmark women1999 FIFA Women's World Cup20,129
 Germany women6–0 Mexico women
September 28, 2003 Ghana women2–1 Australia women2003 FIFA Women's World Cup19,132
 China women1–0 Russia women
October 2, 2003 Germany women7–1 Russia women2003 FIFA Women's World Cup20,012
 Canada women1–0 China women
October 5, 2003 Germany women3–0 United States women2003 FIFA Women's World Cup27,623
 Sweden women2–1 Canada women
September 22, 2011 United States women3–0 Canada womenWomen’s International Friendly18,570
November 28, 2012 United States women5–0 Republic of Ireland womenWomen’s International Friendly10,092
July 9, 2013 Costa Rica3–0 Cuba2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup18,724
 United States6–1 Belize
August 6, 2014United States Canada MLS All-Stars2–1Germany Bayern Munich2014 MLS All-Star Game21,733
October 15, 2015United States FC Kansas City1–0United States Seattle Reign FC2015 NWSL Championship13,264
September 22, 2018United States North Carolina Courage3–0United States Portland Thorns FC2018 NWSL Championship21,144
December 11, 2021United States New York City FC1–1
(4–2 pen.)		United States Portland Timbers2021 MLS Cup25,218

College football
A night football game at Providence Park (then known as Multnomah Stadium) in the 1950s

Known as Multnomah Stadium at the time, the venue was formally dedicated on Oct. 9, 1926, as the University of Washington's football team beat the University of Oregon, 23–9, with more than 24,000 fans in attendance.[51]

The Providence Park all-time college football attendance record was set on October 18, 1930 as 35,266 fans watched the Oregon Ducks defeat their rival the Washington Huskies by a score of 7–0.[61]

On 7 different occasions the Oregon–Oregon State football rivalry game was held at Providence Park, with the last time being in 1952, where the Beavers beat the Ducks 22-19.[71]

Both Oregon and Oregon State regularly played games, especially against nearby Washington, at Providence Park up until the 1960s and 1970s. At the time, the stadium could hold or draw more fans than the schools' home fields, so it was a logical space for high-stakes games. The Ducks last played in Providence on September 12, 1970, defeating the University of California 31-24. The Beavers played in Portland all the way up until 1986, with their last game until 2022 being a 49-0 blowout loss to #15 UCLA on November 1, 1986.[72]

Providence Park, then known as Civic Stadium, was home to many generations of high-octane offense from the Portland State Vikings, including from 1975 to 1980 when Mouse Davis, the "godfather" of the run and shoot offense and Portland State Football Hall of Famer, was the head coach of PSU.[73] While coaching at Civic, he led the PSU football program to a 42–24 record over six seasons while averaging 38 points and nearly 500 yards of offense per game. PSU led the nation in scoring three times.[73] The unique passing game made stars out of Davis' two main quarterbacks, June Jones and Neil Lomax. In 1975, Jones threw for a Division II record 3,518 yards. Davis' next quarterback, Lomax, set NCAA records of 13,220 yards and 106 touchdowns in 42 games. Under Davis' direction, Portland State set 20 NCAA Division II offensive records[73] in addition to the Vikings being named the NCAA's all-time point producers in 1980, scoring 541 points in 11 games for 49.2 points per game, along with 434.9 yards passing and 504.3 yards of total offense per game.

2015 Oregon High School State Football Championship between Jesuit High School and West Linn High School

During a November 9, 1980 game, Lomax threw for seven first-quarter touchdowns against Delaware State, which the Vikings won 105–0.[51]

On October 27, 2007, the stadium hosted the highest-scoring game in modern NCAA football history, when the Weber State University Wildcats defeated the PSU Vikings, 73–68, a combined point total of 141 points. This point total eclipsed the previous NCAA record of 136 points, set in a 1968 Division III game, and the previous Division I record of 133 points, set in 2004.[74] While this record lasted only two weeks, and has been surpassed four times in all, it remained the highest-scoring game involving NCAA Division I teams until 2018, when Texas A&M defeated LSU in a 74–72 seven-overtime game. Coincidentally, Mouse Davis was the offensive coordinator for Portland State at the time, returning to Providence Park under the head coaching of Jerry Glanville.

Oregon State played FCS Montana State in Providence Park on September 17, 2022, due to OSU's Reser Stadium being under construction. It was the first game in the stadium hosted by an FBS team since the Beavers last did it in 1986.[75] The Beavers won the game 68–28.

Baseball
A baseball game in 1974

Given that the stadium's primary purposes originally were track and field, football, and dog racing, it had somewhat odd dimensions for baseball. Due to the curving northern stands, foul territory along the third base line was much larger than that along the first.

During the 1970s, the Jantzen swim wear company had a 3D model of the Jantzen girl attached to the left field wall in its baseball configuration. The Jantzen girl was in play because it was below the top of the wall and it was hit a couple of times over the years.[76][77] The Jantzen girl was removed from the outfield wall during renovations and is now on display in the concourse under the west stands.

Portland Beavers baseball game in 2009

On May 27, 1991, the stadium received national attention when Vancouver Canadians outfielder Rodney McCray, while attempting to catch a fly ball, crashed through a wooden advertisement behind the warning track in right-center field; a real-life version of an incident in the fictional book and film, The Natural. While McCray failed to make the out, he only suffered scrapes and bruises and remained in the game. Highlight reels of that play ran for weeks on cable channels such as CNN and ESPN. On August 12, 2006, the Beavers commemorated the event with a Rodney McCray Bobblehead Night, passing out bobbleheads of McCray to fans and renaming right-center field "McCray Alley".[78]

In the mid-1990s the stadium was planned to be the home of the yet-to-be named Portland team, a charter franchise of the United League (UL) which was planned to be a third league of Major League Baseball (MLB).

On July 15, 2009, the stadium hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game, with the International League stars defeating the Pacific Coast league, 6–5. The game was attended by 16,637 fans, the largest crowd for a Triple-A All-Star game since 1991, and the third largest at the time.[79] Portland's Chad Huffman won the Home Run Derby.[80]

Concerts

While on a four-day tour of the Pacific Northwest, September 2, 1957, Elvis Presley performed in one of the first three outdoor stadium rock concerts in music history. Presley had held the second ever in Vancouver, BC, Canada just a few days earlier, on September 1, 1957, at Empire Stadium, his first being at the Cotton Bowl, in Dallas, TX, on 11 October 1956. The concert created mass hysteria and an estimated 14,600 people attended the concert.[81][82]

In a November 8, 2013 interview with the Portland Business Journal,[81][82] Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson expressed his desire to host summer concerts at the stadium.

Date Artist Opening act(s) Tour / Concert name Attendance Notes Revenue
September 2, 1957Elvis Presley--——
June 13–14, 1970Big Brother and the Holding Company--——
July 28, 1984The Beach Boys--——
June 2, 1985Jimmy Buffett-Sleepless Knights Tour——
July 29, 1986Bob Dylan & Tom Petty-True Confessions Tour——
August 30, 1986The Monkees-20th Anniversary Tour——
August 14, 1987David Bowie-Glass Spider Tour——
August 21, 1992Jimmy Buffett-Recession Recess——
September 25, 1992Johnny Cash--——
July 5, 1994James Taylor--——
September 4, 1994Spin DoctorsCracker and Gin Blossoms-——
April 4, 1995Sarah McLachlan--——
July 1, 1995Village People--——
September 15, 1995Van HalenBrother CainThe Balance "Ambulance" Tour——
July 14. 1996Crosby, Stills & NashChicago-——
June 19, 1998Sinéad O'Connor--—Lilith Fair
June 19, 1998K's Choice--—Lilith Fair
June 19, 1998Sarah McLachlan--—Lilith Fair
June 19, 1998Erykah Badu--—Lilith Fair
June 19, 1998Indigo Girls--—Lilith Fair
June 19, 1998Natalie Merchant--—Lilith Fair
June 19, 1998Billie Myers--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Beth Orton--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Luscious Jackson--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Bijou Phillips--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Sandra Bernhard--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Mýa--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Sarah McLachlan--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Sixpence None the Richer--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Sheryl Crow--—Lilith Fair
July 11, 1999Liz Phair--—Lilith Fair
June 1, 2005Def LeppardBryan AdamsRock 'N Roll Double Header Tour——
June 7, 2005Joan Jett--——

Art and design
Main entrance with stadium as Providence Park

Providence Park's outside walls are covered with naturally-grown ivy.[83] The entrance billboard used to announce dates and future games is a deliberate retro replica of the old scoreboard that used to be in the same location.[83]

Multiple art installations and sculptures line the outside plazas of Providence Park. Those include Facing the Crowd, a series of two bronze sculptures, and You Are Here, an artistic rendition of a 12-foot wide log ring with historical artifacts of Portland's past embedded inside.

In 2010, Providence Park was a filming location of Season 2 of the television series Leverage. The episode depicts a fictional Massachusetts (where the series was set) minor league team also known as the Beavers.[84]

The IFC show Portlandia references Providence Park multiple times throughout the series and the lead characters Peter (Fred Armisen) and Nance (Carrie Brownstein) attend a Timbers match in a 2012 episode, bringing along a home-made sign to root for the club.[85]

Providence Park was added to the stadium rotation in the FIFA video game series for the first time in September 2020, beginning with FIFA 21.[86] Providence became the sixth Major League Soccer stadium added to the game, and the addition allowed for the access of all three Cascadia clubs' home stadiums for the first time. The Thorns' inclusion in FIFA 23 also made Providence Park one of four NWSL venues featured in the game.[87]

Feral cat colony

Since approximately 1985, the field has been home to a feral cat colony,[88] which may have been at the park before the current stadium opened in 1926.[89] There are an estimated 12–19 cats in the colony,[88] referred to as "living rat traps".[90] After a construction worker killed a feral cat in 2000,[89] the park enlisted the Feral Cat Coalition of Oregon to assist the animals during construction efforts and to run a trap-neuter-return program.[88] The cats are discussed in Chuck Palahniuk's travelogue of Portland, Fugitives and Refugees.[88][89]

  • An aerial view of the stadium in 1974
    An aerial view of the stadium in 1974
  • PGE Park, 2008
    PGE Park, 2008
  • Interior view, 2015
    Interior view, 2015
  • The stadium in 2016
    The stadium in 2016
  • Gate D entrance, 2022
    Gate D entrance, 2022

See also

References
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