Story Links
*October 18, 1931--Virginia plays VMI in Scott Stadium dedication game in the fifth game
of the 1931 season. With a capacity of nearly 22,000, the stadium was the gift of Frederic
William Scott and Elisabeth Strother Scott, and was dedicated in the memory of his parents,
Frederic Robert Scott and Frances Branch Scott.
*1974–Stadium undergoes major renovation, including the installation of new aluminum
seating and restoration of the facility’s brickwork and concrete surfaces. In addition, a
synthetic Astroturf playing surface is installed to replace natural grass.
*1980–Virginia opens the stadium’s upper decks for the first time in the fall, creating
12,000 additional seats. A new press box–named in memory of longtime UVa athletic director
Captain Norton Pritchett–and a President’s box are also constructed.
*1981–Virginia replaces original artificial playing surface with new Astroturf field.
*October 9, 1982–UVa plays its first night game at Scott Stadium against defending
national champion Clemson. Portable lights were trucked in from Iowa for the game.
*1983–A permanent lighting system is installed before the start of the season.
*1985–Bryant Hall, a dining and locker room facility located in the south end zone of
the stadium, is completed for the start of the season at a cost of nearly $3 million. The
building is named in honor of J.C. Herbert Bryant, a 1932 Virginia graduate and one of the
principal benefactors of the structure.
*1988–New Astroturf is installed in Scott Stadium before the start of the 1988 season.
It replaced the old artificial surface which had been there since 1981.
*November 3, 1990–A stadium-record crowd of 49,700 attends Virginia’s nationally-
televised game with Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers entered the game with a perfect 7-0 record and
were ranked number one in the nation by The Associated Press. Virginia lost to the 16th-ranked
Yellow Jackets 41-38.
*September 2, 1995–Virginia dedicates its new natural grass playing field–David A.
Harrison III Field–at UVa’s first home game of the season against William & Mary. The field is
named after David A. Harrison III of Hopewell, Va., who pledged $5 million to support the UVa
football program. Harrison Field replaced artificial turf which was first installed at
Scott Stadium in 1974.
*November 2, 1995–Virginia hosts Florida State in the first-ever Thursday night game in
Charlottesville. Playing in front of a sell-out crowd and a national television audience, the
Cavaliers defeated the second-ranked Seminoles 33-28. Florida State became the highest-
ranked team to ever fall to the Cavaliers.
*June 14, 1997–Representing the largest single monetary gift in school history at that
time, UVa alumnus and former Cavalier football player Carl W. Smith pledges $25 million to his
alma mater. The University announces that the bulk of Smith’s gift–$23 million–will be
used toward funding the expansion and enhancement of Scott Stadium, ultimately increasing
its seating capacity to 60,000 by the year 2000.
*1998–Virginia unveils ‘Hoo Vision, a new state-of-the-art videoboard, at its home
opener against Maryland on September 12. Located in the north end of the stadium, `Hoo Vision
was installed to replace UVa’s electronic scoreboard. In conjunction with this project, the
north end hillside seating area was moved 30 feet closer to the playing field during the summer
of 1998. Terraced levels, created with granite steps going down the middle of the
hillside, were added to make the area more safe and accessible.
*1999–The lower level of the south bowl, including new locker rooms, is finished before
UVa’s 1999 home opener vs. Wake Forest on September 18.
*2000–The Carl Smith Center, home of David A. Harrison III Field is dedicated during
UVa’s 2000 season opener against Brigham Young on September 2. The final phase of the stadium
renovation project included the completion of the Virginia Football Hall of Fame (left). Located on the second level of new Bryant Hall at the Carl Smith Center, the exhibit is open to
the public and showcases the football program’s rise to prominence into the 21st century.