History
Built just south of State Gym, State Field hosted its first game on September 25, 1915, with 5,000 seats. Repeated expansions brought it to 35,000 by 1966, and it was renamed in 1938 for Clyde Williams, the former coach and athletic director.
The Cyclones played there until 1975, when they moved to a new stadium south of campus. The old field was razed in 1978, and Eaton and Martin residence halls were later built on the land.
Why it matters: Iowa State's football home for six decades.
Timeline
- September 25, 1915First game[2]
Iowa State hosted the first football game at State Field.
- October 1938
Renamed for coach and athletic director Clyde Williams.
- 1975
The Cyclones moved to Cyclone (now Jack Trice) Stadium.
- 1978
The stadium was demolished between June and November 1978.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Eaton Hall and Martin Hall residence halls (2002 and 2004)[1,2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Iowa State Cyclones | NCAA · 1915–1975 |
|---|
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Other names | State Field (1915–1938) |
|---|---|
| Location | Sheldon Avenue, Iowa State University campus, Ames, Iowa[1] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Track & field |
| Level | NCAA |
| Opened | September 25, 1915[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | 1975[1,2] |
| Demolished | 1978[1,2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Original capacity | 5,000[1,2] |
| Final capacity | 35,000[1,2] |
| Construction cost | About $32,000[1] |
| Owner / operator | Iowa State University |
| Closure | Iowa State moved to the larger Cyclone Stadium in 1975. |
Documented details
- Clyde Williams was the first player west of the Mississippi to earn All-American honors (third team, 1900).[2]
Sources
- Clyde Williams Field, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, construction cost, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened
- Clyde Williams Field: Iowa Time Machine, September 25, 1915, Notes on Iowa. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, current land use, demolished, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia's History of Iowa State Cyclones football says the field was completed and named in 1914; the stadium article and Notes on Iowa give 1915 opening and a 1938 renaming.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.