Missouri Southern State Football
Facilities/Directions
Fred G. Hughes Stadium
Fred G. Hughes Stadium is now in its 29th year as the Home of the Lions. The $1.7 million stadium was built in 1975 at no cost to the taxpayers of the State of Missouri, as financing was accomplished entirely through student fees and private contributions.
The first college football facility in the state to have an artificial-turf playing field, Hughes Stadium was outfitted with a brand new playing surface in 2003. Sprinturf, a Wayne, Pa. based company was contracted to replace the artificial surface in early 2003. Sprinturf, a leading synthetic turf company, is the innovator and patent holder of the first all rubber infill synthetic grass system. Vertically integrated, Sprinturf designs, manufactures, installs and services synthetic grass systems that look, feel and play like natural grass. Gone are the days of rug burns from previous artificial surfaces.
Sprinturf has installed its product at several locations, including the University of Montana and Youngstown State, as well as a new surface at Auburn.
The new turf at Hughes Stadium was installed in conjunction with a new all-weather surface on the facility's track as part of an $820,000 project. The Lion Pride Restoration Project, kicked off in 2002, raised almost $1 million in private and corporate donations to complete the project. The stadium project not only included new football and track surfaces, but also new, single-pole light standards installed further back from their previous locations.
The new turf at Hughes Stadium replaced a BaspoGrass-S surface, a sand-filled turf, that was utilized since 1988. AstroTurf graced the Hughes playing surface for its first 13 years.
The stadium has a seating capacity of 7,000. The west grandstand seats nearly 4,700 fans, including a section for the handicapped, while the east grandstand has seating for approximately 2,300 spectators.
The first game at the stadium was played on Sept. 6, 1975, as the Lions defeated Emporia State University 20-13. The facility was formally dedicated two weeks later on Sept. 20, and Southern was again victorious, beating the University of Missouri-Rolla 26-6.
After winning five of seven home games that initial season, the Lions have enjoyed great success while playing on the "turf." In 28 seasons of play at Hughes Stadium, Southern has compiled an impressive 89-51-3 record for a .622 winning percentage.
Southern's longest home win streak is 11 games. That string began on Oct. 11, 1975, and continued two years later until Oct. 29, 1977, when nationally-ranked Kearney State College (now University of Nebraska-Kearney) handed the Lions a 27-23 homecoming loss.
In addition to Lions football, Hughes Stadium is home to Southern's cross country and track & field squads. The facility has hosted Missouri Class 1A, 2A, and 5A Football Championships and various regional and national youth cross country and track & field meets.
The stadium is named in honor of Fred G. Hughes, who was the president of the College's Board of Regents at the time the facility was built. It was designed by the architectural firm of Allgeier, Martin, and Associates of Joplin.
DIRECTIONS:
From Fayetteville, AR: HWY 71 North - continue north when HWY 71 becomes HWY 249. Continue on HWY 249 to Newman Rd. Go West on Newman Rd. to Duquesne Rd. and the Missouri Southern campus.
From Kansas City: HWY 71 South to Webb City; follow signage - South on Madison Ave. (which becomes Range Line Rd. at Joplin City Limits) to Newman Rd.; East on Newman Rd. approximately 1.5 miles to the Missouri Southern campus.
From Springfield: I-44 West, follow signage at Exit 11B; North on HWY 249 to Newman Rd. Go West on Newman Rd. to Duquesne Rd. and the Missouri Southern campus.
From Tulsa, OK: I-44 East to Joplin, exit on Range Line Rd. (exit 8B); north on Range Line Rd. to Newman Rd.; East on Newman Rd. approximately 1.5 miles to the Missouri Southern campus.
