Memorial Stadium ( Champaign ) Memorial Stadium is a football stadium located in Champaign , Illinois , in the United States , on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign . The stadium is dedicated as a memorial to the Illinois men who died in World War I and World War II . The stadium is primarily used as the home of the University ' s football team . Construction . In the early 1920s , the old football stadium , Illinois Field , was deemed inadequate . There was some sentiment for retaining the site , but it was too congested to expand the stadium adequately , so a new site was selected , in a largely undeveloped area at the south end of the campus . Memorial Stadium was completed in 1923 at a cost of US $ 1 . 7 million . The general contractor of the project was English Brothers of Champaign , who are in business to this day . The name was chosen in honor of the dead from World War I . The original construction was financed with donations from University students , alumni , and others . At the time , the stadium consisted of double - decked stands on the east and west sidelines . The single - decked horseshoe around the south end zone was later completed , and temporary bleachers stand in the north end zone . Heavy rain during the construction resulted in a bulldozer sinking into the field . It was decided that the expense of removing the bulldozer would have been greater than leaving it buried under the field . It remains there today . General history . The first game played in the partially completed stadium was the Chicago - Illinois game on November 3 , 1923 , where Illinois won 7 - 0 . Dedication . The stadium is dedicated to the men and woman of the University of Illinois that gave their lives serving in World War I . In 2002 , the stadium dedication was extended to those who died in World War II . There are a total of 200 columns on the east and west sides of the stadium . 183 columns display one name of a University of Illinois alum that lost their lives in the first war ( 182 men and 1 woman ) . The stadium was officially dedicated on October 18 , 1924 , on which the University football team played a homecoming game against the University of Michigan . On way to a 39 – 14 Illini victory , Red Grange scored six touchdown s in one of the greatest single - game performances in football history . Capacity . The seating capacity of the stadium ' s permanent seating , including the north end zone bleachers , is 60 , 600 . This number was reduced from 62 , 872 when it was announced on 12 April 2011 that 2 , 200 south endzone bleacher seats added in 1982 would be removed . The 62 , 872 number had been reduced from 69 , 000 as part of the Illinois Renaissance program which was completed in 2008 . The east main holds approximately 18 , 000 with the east balcony adding 10 , 000 . The west main holds less than 13 , 000 on the first level plus 5 , 000 in the balcony . The south end zone " horseshoe " holds nearly 9 , 800 ( 12 , 000 before the removal of the aforementioned 2 , 200 seats ) , while the north bleachers add 5 , 000 more seats . The stadium ' s highest single event attendance was 78 , 297 , for a football game against the University of Missouri in 1984 . 2008 " Illinois Renaissance " renovation . A massive renovation project was unveiled for Memorial Stadium in the fall of 2005 . The “ Illinois Renaissance ” project began after the completion of the 2006 football season , and was completed just days before the 2008 season began . The concourse areas on all four sides of the stadium were improved with better concession and restroom facilities . Additionally , the concourse areas were connected all the way around the stadium for easier passage between the east and west stands . A permanent , 5 , 000 - seat structure has been built on the north end of the stadium , and the existing scoreboard and video replay screen was moved to the south endzone . The south horseshoe is planned to be filled in down to field level , and will completely connect the east and west stands . The horseshoe improvements increased seating to 14 , 000 seats behind the south end zone . The capacity of the west stands will be significantly reduced in order to build a large press box and luxury suite area at the top of the balcony . The new boxes will be three levels tall and will extend the entire length of the field . The new capacity of the stadium after the renovation will be 62 , 143 . This $ 100 million project will be largely paid for by sales of the stadium ’ s new suites and luxury seating in the west stands . Controversy has arisen over the decision to move the bulk of the student section to the north side of the stadium . Some student overflow seating is set aside on the north end of the east stands . The location may hamper the view of the student section when the ball is at the south end of the field . Critics of the plan suggest this is a move to sell the seats currently occupied by the student section at a higher price to the general public . The planners assert that they are trying to make the field noise louder and cater to the student ' s needs by giving them separate concessions and amenities . The renovated stadium was rededicated at the 2008 season home opener against Eastern Illinois University on September 6 , 2008 .