Equipment Staff Football Equipment Department Facts Mike Morris Head Equipment Manager 1,560-square foot equipment room in the Williams Football Operations Center Equipment Island Player cubbies to pick up laundered gear Three 50-pound washers Three 100-pound dryers 24-foot truck with Flames and Nike logo which takes equipment to each road game Gear Boss by Wenger Storage System which is portable for travel Nine Student Mangers Extra equipment trunks for games and practice 500 pounds of laundry per day in season Chris Brown Assistant Equipment Manager LibertyFlames.com 19 Williams Stadium Williams Stadium opened its doors on Oct. 21, 1989, when the Flames Prior to the start of the 2006 season, Liberty unveiled its newest addi- hosted the Tigers of Towson State. After giving up a 42-yard field goal early tion to the Williams Stadium complex as the Williams Football Operation in the first quarter, Liberty scored 31-unanswered points to thrill the then Center was completed in the north end of the stadium. The state-of-the-art record-setting Homecoming crowd of 12,750 fans with a 37-19 victory. 48,000-square foot football-only facility, brought all of Liberty football The 2006 season was one for the record books, as the Flames aver- under one roof for the first time in the history of the program. aged a school-record 11,128 fans during the season, ranking No. 13 in Construction for the Football Operations Center was made possible the nation as Williams Stadium was filled 92.7 percent of its capacity. On because of a generous donation of $4.5 million dollars by the Art Williams Oct. 14, 2006, a Liberty and Big South Conference record-setting 15,631 Foundation. The Art Williams Foundation is no stranger to those familiar fans filed into the on-campus facility for the Homecoming game against with the Flames football program. Liberty’s football stadium underwent a William & Mary. A season-record 66,765 fans attended the six home name change during the 1994 season. The now 18-year-old facility dates during the course of the year. That is nearly 11,000 more fans than became “Williams Stadium” in honor of A.L. Williams, a major contributor the previous record of 55,990, set in 1990, a year the Flames played to the University. seven home games. In 1998, the field received a face lift with the old sand-filled artificial On Nov. 4, 2006, the Flames defeated Western Carolina, 21-0 at surface being pulled up and a new stadium turf being laid down. An addi- Williams Stadium. The contest marked a historic day in school annals, as tional facelift took place during the summer of 2006 when the playing sur- the 8,286 fans in attendance at the afternoon game pushed the Flames face was redone and FieldTurf was installed. FieldTurf is the latest synthe- over the 1,000,000 mark in home attendance since the inception of the sized playing surface and it is appearing all over the country, including program in 1973. Ford Field in Detroit, where Super Bowl XL was played in 2006. Entering the 2007 season, the Flames have won nearly two-thirds of Seating capacity at Williams Stadium is 12,000 with seating on the their home games, posting a 60-37 record at Williams Stadium. Liberty west side of the field accommodates 6,336 fans, and the east stands has recorded 15 seasons with a winning home record since the stadium seating 5,664. opened, including a perfect 5-0 record in 1992. A modern press box rests above the west stands and comfortably seats The stadium is located on Liberty’s main campus, near the site of the 25 working members of the media. In the summer of 1990, Liberty added old football practice fields. The stadium seats 12,000, with the capabili- lights to give the Flames the option of playing night games and provide a ties for future expansion. For the 2007, luxury season suites will be added facility for local high schools to use for evening contests. During the 1995 to the concourse on the press box side. The suites are a climate-con- season, a new concession area was constructed at the bottom of the trolled environment which includes a second-story, press box to aid in game-day concession sales. open-air observation deck with tent covering, and Haken/Corley and Associates were the architects who designed the sta- each unit seats up to 48 people. dium. The stadium contractor was McDevitt & Street of Raleigh, N.C. When the stadium was constructed, a field McDevitt & Street built Atlanta’s Fulton County Stadium, the Diamond house, located at the south end of the stadi- (baseball facility) located in Richmond, Va., the Dean E. Smith Center in um, was built, providing the Chapel Hill, N.C., and the Durham Bulls’ minor league baseball park. In football program with an on-cam- 1990, McDevitt & Street also completed the Vines Center on Liberty’s pus facility, including a spacious main campus for use by the basketball and volleyball teams. team locker room, an equipment room and a training facility. Stadium Quick Facts Williams Stadium Single Game Attendance Records Name:: Williams Stadium Siitte:: On the Liberty University main campus near the main entrance and Attendance Date W-L Result adjacent to the Hancock Athletic Center. 15,631 10/14/06 L LU 13, William & Mary 14 Capaciitty:: 12,000 12,623 10/3/98 W OT LU 28, Charleston Southern 21 Consttructtiion:: Steel and Concrete 12,431 10/11/97 L OT LU 27, Hampton 33 Conttracttor:: McDevitt & Street of Raleigh, N.C. 12,431 10/11/97 L OT LU 27, Hampton 33 Archiittectt:: Haken/Corley and Associates of Raleigh, N.C. 12,316 10/8/94 L LU 7, Delaware State 22 Ground Breakiing Ceremony:: May 8, 1989 12,273 10/4/03 W LU 31, VMI 28 Datte off Compllettiion:: October 1989 12,056 10/21/06 L LU 24, Gardner-Webb 27 Faciilliittiies:: A field house, complete with a locker room, equipment room and trainingtraining room,room, isis locatedlocated atat thethe northnorth endend ofof thethe stadium.stadium. AA presspress boxbox isis 12,050 10/27/90 W LU 37, Samford 10 locatedlocated aboveabove thethe westwest bleachers.bleachers. VisitingVisiting teamsteams areare providedprovided aa teamteam 12,021 10/2/99 W LU 38, Johnson C. Smith 2 room in the stadium’s south end zone. 12,016 9/3/94 W LU 52, Concord 0 Pllayiing Surfface:: FieldTurf - The end zones are blue with a white line bordering thethe fieldfield andand thethe school’sschool’s logologo isis displayeddisplayed inin colorcolor inin thethe middlemiddle ofof thethe 12,000 10/2/93 L LU 30, North Carolina A&T 38 field.field. 20 2007 Liberty Flames Football Williams Football Operations Center Opened prior to the 2006 season, this 48,000-square foot building is a state-of-the-art facility that brings all operations for the football team under one roof for the first time in the history of the program. The bottom floor houses specially-designed weight training equipment in a spacious weight and conditioning area, while the second floor (at ground level) includes the team’s locker room, academic lab, equipment room and a cutting-edge athletic training facility. The top floor houses both coaching staff and administrative offices, numerous video and conference rooms and a uniquely-designed viewing room which overlooks the North end zone at Williams Stadium, where members of the Flames Club can enjoy several pre-game festivities. Donor Room Overlooking Williams Stadium Construction for the Williams Football Operations Center was made possible due to a generous donation of $4.5 million dollars by the Art Williams Foundation. The Art Williams Foundation is no stranger to those familiar with the Flames football program, as the football stadium is named in honor of Arthur L. and Angela Williams, major contributors to Liberty University. The football stadium was given the name Williams Stadium, which it still bares today. The Williams Football Operations Center is just one of several facets of the redesign of the program and is helping to usher in a New Era of Liberty Football. Academic Lab Weight Room Training Room LibertyFlames.com 21 Flames Hours Before Kickoff Fans flood Liberty Mountain and University Boulevard to partake in the tailgating tradition Two Hours To Kickoff 25 Minutes To Kickoff The Flames Club offers premium pre-game dining in the Donor Room The Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band parades down University of the Williams Football Operations Center prior to stadium Boulevard into Williams Stadium from the Fine Arts Hall opening to general public 22 2007 Liberty Flames Football GameGame DayDay 10 Minutes To Kickoff Five Minutes To Kickoff The Spirit of the Mountain Marching Band performs the National Anthem Pre-game festivities include the game ball being delivered via the sky from a parachutist Three Minutes To Kickoff Game Time The Flames emerge from their locker room, while The Spirit of Fans pack into Williams Stadium to create an the Mountain electrifies the crowd with a rousing version of incredible college football experience “2001: A Space Odessy” followed by “Fan the Flames” LibertyFlames.com 23 Athletic Facilities Williams Stadium Wrestling Complex Tolsma Indoor Track Center Inside the Vines Center Vines Center 24 2007 Liberty Flames Football When looking at the success of an athletics program, one aspect which needs to be considered is the quality of its facilities. Student-athletes involved in Liberty University’s athletics program have the opportunity to showcase their talents in a number of fine athletic facilities.