The FIFA fever is on, and for the historically inclined minds, it is time to review the important stadiums that play significant roles in propagating a nation’s football history. One such stadium is Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, located in Canton, Ohio, which was earlier known by the name Faucett Stadium. So, if you want to know some interesting details about this stadium, stay tuned with this article!
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Hall of Fame village complex
If you are a sports fan, you have undoubtedly heard about the Hall of Fame Village Complex in Canton, Ohio.
While in the surrounding area of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Museum is a famous tourism spot that covers around 200 acres of land.
Along with the newest addition – Play Action Plazza and the retail promenade, the village comprises ForeverLawn Sports Complex and Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
So, this is an excellent place to visit if you want a total package of events surrounding games. The village also hosts numerous other events, festivals, and concerts besides championships and tournaments. So, all of these ensure a gala time if you ever plan to visit this place!
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium
So, let’s now turn our attention to the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.
Named after a prominent American Businessman, Tom Benson was the owner of the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. The stadium was built in 1938. However, till 2015, the name of the stadium was Fawcett Stadium. John A. Fawcett was a former education board member in Canton.
It was renamed after Tom Benson in 2016 following his donation of $11 million to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The stadium hosts the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game.
Apart from that, it is also the home field for Canton McKinley High School’s football teams. It has a history of serving as the home field for many other educational institutes, such as Walsh University and Malone University.
Can you have a wild guess regarding the construction cost of the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium? Initially home to 15,000 audience seats, it took around $500,00 to construct the stadium from 1937 to 1939. Well, that is a lot. But, the time-tested stadium has witnessed many cheers, applauses, and cries in a football match that makes the price worth it.
A brief history
In its initial phase, five Canton area high school teams, namely Canton Timken Trojans, GlenOak Golden Eagles, Lehman Polar Bears, Lincoln Lions, and McKinley Bulldogs, played their football matches in Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. Malone University had their bid on the field till 2018.
Presently, the field serves as the home field for Walsh University and McKinley Senior High School. The stadium hosted nearly all the football state championship matches between 2017 and 2018.
The stadium underwent several phases of changes in its nearly 100 years of existence. Before finally changing to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium, another name-change event was in 1997.
The Canton Community donated $4.3 million to undergo restructurings in the stadium. Do you want to know what new elements were added to the stadium as part of this renovation? Here is a list:
- A refurbished press box
- Wooden seats with vinyl caps
- New electrical services
- Sound system
- Lighting
- New scoreboard featuring a graphics display screen
- New facilities for the locker room
- State-of-the-art Astroturf that also included a rubber base.
The new name included the terms Pro Football Hall of Fame Field.
2002 marks the year when The Sporting News marked the Benson stadium as the top-rated venue for high school football in America.
Women’s Football Alliance signed a deal to host its championship weekend at the stadium.
In 2022, the United States Football League also hosted its match at this stadium.
Thus, different players and teams from different corners of the United States of America flock to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium to host and play their matches.
The final reconstruction
The final phase of the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium renovation occurred between 2015 and 2016. It was when Tom Benson donated $11 million for the reconstruction and development of the stadium.
Thus, the initial phase of renovation began after the conclusion of the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game. However, the final step was scheduled to start once the Hall of Fame Game of 2016 ended. But, something astonishing happened in Tom Bensen Hall of Fame stadium football history. The game was called off as the field was deemed unacceptable, followed by applying improper paints to create the Hall of Fame logo!
Tom Benson Hall of Fame seating chart
Now that all the stories of its construction and reconstruction are over let’s get to the final section. Do you know about the Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium seating chart? In total, there are about 23,000 seats. There are mainly six types of seats available.
West End Zone Event Terraces
These open-air spaces overlook the field and accommodate around 50 to 265 guests. These are 5 in number and are also appropriate for casual parties.
Sky Level Terrace
This terrace also overlooks the stadium, and its stage is above the press box of Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium. It has seats for around 250 guests.
Standard Suites
The standard suites provide that if someone wants to enjoy the luxury of a private viewing. It can accommodate around 8 to 32 guests.
Luxury Suites
Equipped with flat-screen TVs, magnificent sight lines, premier seating, and premium catering, each suite can house 18 to 20 guests.
VIP Lounge
This area can house up to 50 guests
Premium & Club Seating
Around 400 guests can sit in this zone, providing cushioned seats and a club lounge known for being a luxury.
Final Thoughts
So, spread over an area covering 28,000 square feet, this magnificent stadium space has featured in the imagination of many football fans for decades. If any of you here is a football fanatic, you might want to visit the field once!
