Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium
Stadium Biography

    Pittsburg State University plays its home football games at Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium, generally recognized as one of the finest venues in NCAA Division II.
    Affectionately referred to as “The Pitt” by Gorilla players and fans, Brandenburg Field/Carnie Smith Stadium provides one of the strongest home field advantages in college football.
    Entering the 2005 campaign, Pittsburg State has won 99 of its last 105 regular season home games, posting a 99-5-1 record (.948) over the last 20 seasons.
    The Gorillas have won 72 percent of their home games during the 81-year history of the facility, with a 295-110-12 all-time home record since the facility opened in 1924.
    PSU’s home field advantage strengthened in 2001 with the completion of a $5.7 million expansion project to Carnie Smith Stadium. With the improvements, all made possible by private funding, an additional 2,700 seats were added to Carnie Smith Stadium, including new club seating on both the East and West stands. The stadium capacity grew from 5,611 permanent seats to 8,343.
    Additionally, 16 luxury sky boxes were added to the East side of the stadium. New restroom, concession stand and ticket booth facilities were created, an elevator, handicap accessability and other ADA improvements were made.
    Both the home and visitor locker room facilities underwent major improvements, and a new media room was added to the East side for PSU players and media personnel to utilize.
    An additional eight luxury sky boxes will be added to the West side of the stadium in time for the 2006 season.

    The facility was originally named Brandenburg Stadium, in honor of William Aaron Brandenburg, the first president of the University. It was built in 1923 with volunteer labor and money donated by students, alumni, faculty and citizens of Pittsburg.

   In 1987, the University announced that the field would continue to bear the name of PSU’s first president, but the stadium would be called Carnie Smith Stadium, in honor of the legendary PSU football coach who led the Gorillas to two NAIA national championships (1957 and 1961) and six conferences titles during his tenure from 1949-66.

    Construction of the facility began with volunteer labor during the summer of 1923, after a successful fund drive raised the necessary $100,000 to build the stadium. To insure its completion by the start of the 1924 season, PSU faculty members were required to help work up to eight hours per week.

    On October 11, 1924, the first varsity football game was played at the new facility between PSU (known as Kansas State Teachers College) and Baker University, in front of approximately 4,000 fans. The team didn’t disappoint all of those who worked so hard to build the new facility, earning a 6-0 victory. KSTC went on to post a 7-0-1 record that year earning the Kansas Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) title under head coach Garfield W. Weede.