Today's Tidbit... NFL and College Football Stadiums in 1956
Today's Tidbit... NFL and College Football Stadiums in 1956
One of the critical differences between NFL and college stadiums is their longevity. Upon reaching middle age, cities demolish and replace NFL stadiums, while colleges typically remodel their stadiums. The second difference in days gone by was that NFL teams commonly played in stadiums built for baseball. Most college stadiums were purpose-built for football, perhaps having a running track.
The differences are seen in the 1956 Philip Morris Football Guide, which included diagrams of all twelve NFL stadiums and thirty-five assorted college stadiums. (Two stadiums served both NFL and college teams.) None of the twelve NFL teams in 1956 play in the same stadium today, and three no longer play in the same city. However, each college remains in the same city, and nearly two-thirds (25 of 38) play in the same stadium.
Check out the stadium diagrams below and note the horrible sight lines for football in the old baseball stadiums. (Click on the images to enlarge.)
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Great stuff!!! What’s interesting is how many pro teams were playing in baseball stadiums. I notice Washington was playing at Griffith stadium. I guess they got their stadium when DC (now RFK) was built and of course the Nats didn’t want to play there which I think was a factor in their move to Minnesota. Also the 1963 NFL championship was played in Wrigley. Was that the last NFL championship played in a baseball stadium? I’ve read that Rozelle wanted the game moved to Soldier Field but Halas wouldn’t go along. It was a different world. Keep up the great work!!!
This is a great find!