View source for Independence Stadium (Shreveport)

{{Short description|Stadium owned by the city of Shreveport, Louisiana}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = Independence Stadium
| former_names = State Fair Stadium (1924–1981)
| address = 3301 Pershing Boulevard
| city = 
| image = [[File:Independence Stadium.jpg|300px]]
| caption = The stadium from the South end zone, December 2011
| country = 
| location = [[Shreveport, Louisiana]], U.S.
| coordinates = {{coord|32|28|32|N|93|47|31|W|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}
| pushpin_map = USA Louisiana#USA
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in Louisiana##Location in the United States
| opened = 1924
| architect = Samuel G. Weiner
| renovated = 1930, 1934, 1950, 1973, late 1990s, 2001, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2014
| surface = [[FieldTurf]]
| owner = City of Shreveport
| capacity = 50,000
| tenants = [[Red River State Fair Classic]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1924–89, 1999, 2001–2003, 2010–13, 2015–16)<br>[[Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football|Louisiana Tech Bulldogs]] (1928–2012; alternate)<br>[[Shreveport Steamer]] ([[World Football League|WFL]]) (1974–75)<br>[[Northwestern State Demons football|Northwestern State Demons]] (NCAA) (1975)<br>[[Independence Bowl]] (NCAA) (1976–present)<br>[[American Football Association (1977–1983)|Shreveport Steamer]] ([[American Football Association (1977–1983)|AFA]]) (1978–81)<br>[[American Football Association (1977–1983)|Shreveport Americans]] ([[American Football Association (1977–1983)|AFA]]) (1982–83)<br>[[Shreveport Pirates]] ([[CFL USA|CFL]]) (1994–95)<br>[[Shreveport Knights]] ([[Regional Football League|RFL]]) (1999)<br>[[Shreveport Rafters FC]] ([[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]]) (2018)
| seating_capacity = 49,565<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://campingworldindependencebowl.com/about-us/game-facts/|title=Camping World Independence Bowl}}</ref>|
}}

'''Independence Stadium''' is an outdoor [[American football|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 in sports|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 [[Louisiana High School Athletic Association|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.

== History ==
The stadium first opened in 1924, and hosted the annual [[Arkansas–LSU football rivalry]] as a neutral site that year. The game featured a silver football trophy as part of the dedication ceremonies for the new stadium.<ref>{{cite web|title=Silver Football to Be Given Winner of L.S.U.–Arkansas Game|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/image/v2%3A138FFE8785E79426%40EANX-13D0B1C1B1FA6F91%402423999-13CF03740246D27C%4019-13D1161160C60B90%40?p=AMNEWS|work=Baton Rouge State-Times (p. 20)|date=August 1, 1924}}</ref> It would host the game again several times until 1936.

From 1978 to 1983, Independence Stadium was home to the city's two teams in the [[American Football Association (1977–1983)|American Football Association]], the Shreveport Steamer (with naming rights purchased from the defunct WFL team) and the Shreveport Americans. It hosted the AFA's first championship game, 1978's American Bowl I, which the Steamer won 17–14 over the San Antonio Charros.<ref>{{cite news |title=Steamer |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/117174411/the-shreveport-journal/ |access-date=24 January 2023 |work=The Shreveport Journal |date=15 September 1978 |pages=7}}</ref>

{{stack|[[File:Shreveport September 2015 012 (Independence Stadium).jpg|thumb|290px|The exterior of Independence Stadium in 2015]]}}

In 2001, Independence Stadium hosted the inaugural year of the annual Port City Classic—an NCAA college football competition featuring [[Southern University]] of [[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]]—in an effort to revive the old [[Red River State Fair Classic|State Fair Classic]] game. The [[List of black college football classics|classic]] spun-off separately from the fair the following year and became an early September game.<ref>{{cite web|title=Southern Yearly Results|url=http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/s/southern/2000-2004_yearly_results.php|work=cfbdatawarehouse.com|access-date=November 7, 2016|archive-date=April 2, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160402013339/http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/active/s/southern/2000-2004_yearly_results.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> Eventually it also hosted a contest between [[Louisiana Tech University]] of [[Ruston, Louisiana|Ruston]] and [[Grambling State University]] of [[Grambling, Louisiana|Grambling]].

Independence Stadium was considered as a possible playing site for the [[New Orleans Saints]] during the 2005 [[National Football League|NFL]] season due to [[Hurricane Katrina]], but Shreveport eventually lost out to the [[Alamodome]] in [[San Antonio]], Texas, and [[Louisiana State University]]'s [[Tiger Stadium (Baton Rouge)|Tiger Stadium]] in [[Baton Rouge]]. However, Independence Stadium eventually was chosen to host the Saints' first preseason home game for the 2006 season while the [[Louisiana Superdome]] prepared for its grand re-opening. [[FieldTurf]] was installed as the stadium's playing surface in 2010. It had been natural grass before that from the opening of the stadium.

In 2010, a Texas [[University Interscholastic League]] playoff game was played featuring [[John Horn High School|Mesquite Horn high school]] and the technical host Longview.  Longview won, 28–14. The first time Texas teams met in Louisiana for a playoff game was in 2006 when [[Texas High School]]  from Texarkana topped Dallas Highland Park with quarterback [[Ryan Mallett]]. That game also was hosted at Independence Stadium.

==See also==
*[[List of soccer stadiums in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [http://www.shreveportla.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/31 Independence Stadium] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160907014644/http://www.shreveportla.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/31 |date=2016-09-07 }}

{{Independence Bowl navbox}}
{{NCAA Division I FBS bowl game stadium navbox}}
{{Southeastern Conference football venue navbox}}
{{Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football navbox}}
{{Northwestern State Demons football navbox}}
{{Shreveport Pirates}}
{{Louisiana college football venues}}
{{Shreveport, Louisiana}}
{{Music venues of Louisiana}}

[[Category:Independence Bowl]]
[[Category:College football venues in Louisiana]]
[[Category:NCAA bowl game venues]]
[[Category:Canadian Football League venues]]
[[Category:Canadian football venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Shreveport, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Soccer venues in Louisiana]]
[[Category:High school football venues in Louisiana]]
[[Category:High school football venues in the United States]]
[[Category:Music venues in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Shreveport Pirates]]
[[Category:Shreveport Steamer]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1924]]
[[Category:1924 establishments in Louisiana]]