State Field/CAS

[IdahoJack]

I was reading the history of CAS and it mentioned that it replaced 'State Field.' Does anyone have any historical info or pictures of State Field or pictures of the construction of CAS?

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: State Field/CAS

I was reading the history of CAS and it mentioned that it replaced 'State Field.' Does anyone have any historical info or pictures of State Field or pictures of the construction of CAS?

State Field was replaced with the track facility when CAS opened. That's the area just north of the Printing and Rural Journalism building and west of Briggs Library, if that helps. It just had bleachers on the south side as I recall (was there in the 50's when I was at SDSU).

[BitsTD]

Re: State Field/CAS

State Field was replaced with the track facility when CAS opened. That's the area just north of the Printing and Rural Journalism building and west of Briggs Library, if that helps. It just had bleachers on the south side as I recall (was there in the 50's when I was at SDSU).

Isn't that Sexauer Field?

[Nidaros]

Re: State Field/CAS

Last season played at State Field was 1961 without lights, all day games. The 1961 team was co-champs of the NCC, and featured the late Joe Thorne at full back. It was a great time to be a Jack.

State field was all wood bleachers both sides with endzone bleachers for Hobo Day games. I watched games there from 1953 to the last game in 1961. Most of the Jackrabbit yearbooks 1961 and back have pictures of State Field and their crowds. The north and south bleachers had maybe 20 to 30 rows, not sure, and ran the length of the field and were enclosed on the backside. I believe the enlcosed part was not used much except for storage and it had build in restrooms on the north side. CAS was a big improvement for players and fans alike believe me. The field itself was maintained and other than track events in the spring, it held up pretty as I recall. I can recall sprinklers running most of the summer months. The track that is currently at Sexauer Field was still very much there when it was State Field. Also there is part of the press box still remaining at Sexauer, and it was a double decker, but nothing fancy during the heyday of State Field.

It was a great place in some respects. Check College on the Hill, but I believe the field opened in 1913. A lot of football was played at State Field.

Thats as much as I recall.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: State Field/CAS

Thanks Nidaros, for additional info...my recollection of the bleachers was indeed hazy. I didn't remember the north side bleachers...just the south side and end zones. And I didn't take the time to research it. State Field became Sexauer Field when football left and the track was improved at least partially with funds from the Elmer Sexauer family. (Old joke...do you have a Sexhauer in Brookings...Nope, but we do have coffee breaks.)

[crjack]

Re: State Field/CAS

I went to a few games at State Field with my dad when I was a kid. The legendary Ralph Ginn was the coach and I remember seeing Joe Thorne play. He was later killed in Viet Nam. Tom Brokaw paid tribute to him in one of his books, recalling him as an opponent in high school.

When construction on Coughlin-Alumni was being finalized, there was a newspaper picture of two Jackrabbit three-sport athletes, Doug Peterson and future Detroit Lion Wayne Rasmussen, using some kind of machine to burn in the seat numbers on the wooden seats.

[Nidaros]

Re: State Field/CAS

Thanks Nidaros, for additional info...my recollection of the bleachers was indeed hazy. I didn't remember the north side bleachers...just the south side and end zones. And I didn't take the time to research it. State Field became Sexauer Field when football left and the track was improved at least partially with funds from the Elmer Sexauer family. (Old joke...do you have a Sexhauer in Brookings...Nope, but we do have coffee breaks.)

Jack#1fan:

Your welcome, but to totally honest, I did know why the field naming had changed to Sexauer Field. The Sexauer gift kept the track going for a few decades, but it looks like it needs another major face lift that I doubt will happen. Seems like the field and track facility is to be relocated some where down the road. I wonder then what will happen to Sexauer field.

I also remember the concession stand that had something like Picadilly Circus label on it. I was located west of the south stand and in the corner of the fenced in portion. I looked through yearbooks for a picture of it not anc could not find it. That also disappeared when the CAS open up and often wonder what happen to it. I assume it was sold on a surplus property sale in the 1960's. As I recall it looked like a wagon that might have belonged to a circus. As you well recall the lettermen ran the concessions for all events. The concessions were a source of scholarship money.

[Jacks#1Fan]

Re: State Field/CAS

I believe the campus master plan reserves the space now occupied by old Sexauer Field, for future needs of the College of Agriculture. Indeed, there is no update planned.

The field house that is on the Athletic Department's wish list (to be built adjoining or adjacent to the new Dykhouse Student Athlete Center) will include an indoor track (300 meter currently in the plans) and that will be the track facility of the future. In the meantime, SDSU shared in some of the funding for the improvement of the track at Brookings High School, which is just being finished. It will include a new track surface, and a nice set of stands with a press and scorer facility at the top. In all reality, it becomes a practice facility for the Jacks, since they will probably never hold more than one track meet of any kind in Brookings in any year (track is all "meets" around the country now for D-I competition).