Independence Stadium (Shreveport)
The stadium from the South end zone, December 2011 | |
| Former names | State Fair Stadium (1924–1981) |
|---|---|
| Address | 3301 Pershing Boulevard |
| Location | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 32°28′32″N 93°47′31″W / 32.47556°N 93.79194°W |
| Owner | City of Shreveport |
| Capacity | 50,000 |
| Surface | Field Turf |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1924 |
| Renovated | 1930, 1934, 1950, 1973, late 1990s, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014 |
| Architect | Samuel G. Weiner |
| Tenants | |
| Red River State Fair Classic (NCAA) (1924–89, 1999, 2001–2003, 2010–13, 2015–16) Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (1928–2012; alternate) Shreveport Steamer (WFL) (1974–75) Independence Bowl (NCAA) (1976–present) Shreveport Steamer (AFA) (1978–81) Shreveport Americans (AFA) (1982–83) Shreveport Pirates (CFL) (1994–95) Shreveport Knights (RFL) (1999) Shreveport Rafters FC (NPSL) (2018) | |
Independence Stadium is an outdoor football stadium in Shreveport, Louisiana. Formerly known as State Fair Stadium and Fairgrounds Stadium, the municipally owned stadium is the site of the annual Independence Bowl post-season college football game, first held in 1976 as the Bicentennial Bowl. It was also the home venue of the Shreveport Steamer of the short-lived World Football League from 1974 to 1975 and the Shreveport Pirates of the Canadian Football League from 1994 to 1995.
The stadium is also host to numerous high school football games and soccer matches, since many schools in Shreveport lack an on-campus facility. Independence Stadium also hosted the LHSAA state football championship games in 2005 after the Louisiana Superdome suffered heavy damage from Hurricane Katrina. The stadium also hosts concerts and other events.