O'Brien Field (Charleston)

O'Brien Field is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Charleston, Illinois.[3] It is home to the Eastern Illinois University Panthers football and track and field teams. O’Brien Field is named after Maynard O'Brien who coached football and track at Eastern Illinois University.[4] The stadium features a nine-lane track and in 2004 an artificial turf field was installed. In 2009 a state of the art scoreboard was installed on the north end of the field with a video board and new sound system.

O'Brien Field
Former namesLincoln Field
Location100 Grant Avenue
Charleston, IL 61920
Coordinates39°28′50″N 88°10′52″W
OwnerEastern Illinois University
OperatorEastern Illinois University
Capacity10,000
Record attendance12,600
November 9, 1980
(vs. Northern Iowa)
SurfaceHellas Fieldturf
Construction
Broke ground1968[1]
Opened1970
Renovated1999
Construction cost$1.7 million[2]
ArchitectAtkins, Barrow & Graham, Inc.[2]
Tenants
Eastern Illinois Panthers (NCAA) (1970–present)

The stadium served as the summer home for the former St. Louis Cardinals football team in 1976 and 1977 and again from 1982 to 1987.

The record attendance for O'Brien Field was 12,600 on November 9, 1980, vs. Northern Iowa. The all-time record for the Panthers football team at O'Brien Field is 178–95–3 as of the end of the 2019 season.

The stadium also plays host to the IHSA State Finals in track and field every year.

Home records
Home Records
Year Record
1970 1-4
1971 4-1
1972 0-5
1973 2-4
1974 3-2
1975 2-1-2
1976 3-3
1977 1-3
1978 7-0
1979 4-3
1980 7-0
1981 5-1
1982 7-0
1983 5-1
1984 4-2
1985 5-1
1986 7-1
1987 3-2
1988 4-2
1989 6-0
1990 3-2
1991 4-1
1992 4-1
1993 1-2-1
1994 4-2
1995 6-0
1996 3-2
1997 4-1
1998 3-3
1999 4-1
2000 5-0
2001 5-1
2002 5-0
2003 3-3
2004 3-2
2005 4-2
2006 5-1
2007 3-2
2008 3-2
2009 3-2
2010 1-4
2011 1-4
2012 5-0
2013 6-1
2014 3-2
2015 3-2
2016 2-3
2017 3-2
2018 2-3
2019 0–5
2020 1–2
2021 0–4
Totals
52 Years		 180-103-3[5]
.635

Attendance
Attendance
Year Games Total attendance Average attendance Highest game attendance Lowest game attendance
2002 5 35,030 7,006 10,731 3,740
2003[6] 6 29,413 4,902 NA NA
2005[7] 6 37,094 6,182 NA NA
2006[8] 6 38,690 6,448 NA NA
2007[9] 5 37,058 7,411 9,861 3,083
2008[10] 5 25,447 5,089 7,996 1,919
2009[11] 5 38,847 7,769 11,271 3,509
2010[12] 5 28,343 5,669 8,007 4,311
2011[13] 5 37,937 7,587 9,111 6,157
2012[14] 5 35,681 7,136 9,154 5,319
2013[15] 7 56,086 8,012 11,569 3,850
2014[16] 5 32,476 6,496 9,169 2,170
2015[17] 5 28,387 5,677 8,104 1,438
2016[18] 5 29,067 5,813 7,907 3,054
2017[19] 5 24,750 4,950 8,176 2,828
2018[20] 5 26,715 5,343 7,670 2,149
2019[21] 5 24,413 4,883 7,055 3,170
2020^ 3 3,846 1,282 1,312 1,252

^Low attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Attendance records

The following are the highest attendances at O’Brien Field as of the end of the 2019 NCAA football season.[22]

Highest attendances at O’Brien Field
RankAttendanceDateGame result
1 12,600Nov. 9, 1980Eastern Illinois 14, Northern Iowa 9
2 12,547Nov. 5, 1983Eastern Illinois 12, Southwest Missouri 3
3 12,425Nov. 13, 1982Eastern Illinois 73, Kentucky State 0
4 12,000Nov. 3, 1979Eastern Illinois 21, Youngstown State 49
5 11,856Nov. 1, 1986Eastern Illinois 64, Winona State 0
6 11,628Oct. 27, 2001Eastern Illinois 52, Tennessee State 49
7 11,569Oct. 19, 2013Eastern Illinois 55, Southeast Missouri 33
8 11,485Nov. 7, 1987Eastern Illinois 27, Southern Illinois 32
9 11,469Sept. 28, 2013Eastern Illinois 42, Eastern Kentucky 7
10 11,321Oct. 31, 1998Eastern Illinois 21, Tennessee State 27

See also

References
  1. "Nostalgia Surrounds O'Brien" (PDF). Eastern Illinois University. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  2. "Illinois January 21". Engineering News-Record. New York City: McGraw-Hill. 182 (1): 38. 1969.
  3. "O'Brien Field". eiupanthers.com. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  4. "O'Brien Field" (PDF). p. 140. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  5. "2018 EIU Football Media Guide page 140" (PDF). Retrieved May 29, 2019.
  6. "2003 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  7. "2005 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  8. "2006 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  9. "2007 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  10. "2008 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  11. "2009 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  12. "2010 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  13. "2011 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  14. "2012 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  15. "2013 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  16. "2014 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  17. "2015 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  18. "2016 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  19. "2017 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  20. "2018 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
  21. "2019 NCAA Football Attendance" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  22. "O'Brien Field Top Ten Home Attendance" (PDF). p. 132. Retrieved April 15, 2020.


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