50 years later, The Rock is still ‘one big party’

Despite The Citadel’s upset to Appalachian, the game was more than about winning and losing — Kidd-Brewer Stadium turned 50 years old.

Previously named Conrad Stadium, the stadium opened on September 15, 1962.

Weslyn Snuggs, 1986 alumna who helps work the funnel cake stand, remembered her fondest memory of The Rock as the football games.

“It was something everybody went to, it was one big party,” Snuggs said.

The stadium today is nothing like it was in the 1980s when Snuggs attended, she said.

Then, the stadium could fit a maximum of 15,000 people.

Current Kidd-Brewer Stadium has a 24,050 seat capacity.

Another alumnus, Thomas Jackson, class of 1989, helped work the concessions during game days.

“It was a lot smaller but the crowds were still packed,” Jackson said. “We didn’t have any national championships but it was all good.”

Jackson said the stadium was almost twice as big as it used to be and fans should be on the lookout for more seating in the future.

Mike Flynn, assistant athletic director, said although there was no official date, it was on their minds.

“It started out as a 10,000 seat facility back in 1962,” Flynn said. “A lot of the changes have come in the past couple of years. As demand requires, we’d be looking to increase capacity.”

The goal, in the future, is to add more seats, but there are no firm plans or timetable, he said.

Story: ANDREW CLAUSEN, Intern News Reporter