# Univ of Minnesota Football Orientated East-West? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 18, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223 "2010-09-18T22:12:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2010, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/1 "2010-09-18T22:12:09Z")
Watching the Minnesota Golden Gopher game against USC the shadows are indicated the endzones are East and West Side of the playing field. Looking at the [wiki entry](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TCF_Bank_Stadium) for the TCF Bank stadium, it says: > [@](#): > > On December 7, 2006, the university announced that the stadium’s field would be laid out in an east-west configuration, with the open end of the stadium facing campus. To my knowledge, all major stadiums, when specifically designed for Football, have the end zones on the North and South side of the field. Anyone know of any other stadium, specifically designed for Football, with the endzones on the East and West? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/2 "2010-09-19T02:38:42Z")
It only holds 11,000 and it was built in 1930, but Houck Stadium, at Sotheast Missouri State University, has always had an east/west orientation. Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is on a northwest/southeast orientation. Granted, they seem the exceptons, though. ---
**Author:** ![Cyberhwk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7993a0/32.png) [@Cyberhwk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyberhwk)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/3 "2010-09-19T02:55:13Z")
Oklahoma State’s [Boone Pickens Stadium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boone_Pickens_Stadium) - Stillwater, Oklahoma ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/4 "2010-09-19T15:42:59Z")
Cleveland Browns Stadium (and Cleveland Stadium before it) is laid out on line running from south west to north east, basically at a 45 degree angle from the usual north-south configuration. This led to a tense moment a a coach’s press conference once when the Browns’ coach Butch Davis said that the team needed runners who ran “north south” and a smart aleck reporter pointed out that a back running north-south would go out of bounds. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/5 "2010-09-19T18:10:25Z")
> [@Cyberhwk](#): > > Oklahoma State’s [Boone Pickens Stadium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boone_Pickens_Stadium) - Stillwater, Oklahoma And what a lovely stadium it is! Especially now that the newly filled in West End Zone blocks the late afternoon sun. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/6 "2010-09-19T19:12:52Z")
> [@zamboniracer](#): > > Cleveland Browns Stadium (and Cleveland Stadium before it) is laid out on line running from south west to north east, basically at a 45 degree angle from the usual north-south configuration. This led to a tense moment a a coach’s press conference once when the Browns’ coach Butch Davis said that the team needed runners who ran “north south” and a smart aleck reporter pointed out that a back running north-south would go out of bounds. Do the Browns share a stadium with the Indians? IMO, SW to NE is the worst configuration for a football field, particularly as the days get shorter in October and November and the sun gets lower in the sky. PSU’s configuration at SE to NW makes much more sense. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/7 "2010-09-19T19:49:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Do the Browns share a stadium with the Indians? Not any more. The old Municipal Stadium was home to both of them, but then the Indians moved to Jacobs Field, the Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Ravens, and the stadium was torn down and rebuilt for the Browns’ revival. It’s possible that they deliberately made the new stadium in the same orientation as the old one, as part of the effort at appeasing the fans that it’s the same stadium. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/8 "2010-09-20T01:49:51Z")
I’m not entirely sure that the old Municipal Stadium was built either for football or baseball. I think it’s more likely that, like the Los Angeles Coliseum (which was also adapted for both baseball and football) and Soldier’s Field in Chicago, the city fathers just wanted a really big stadium that could be used for a lot of different things. Also, like Soldier’s Field, it’s more aesthetically pleasing to run the long axis along the lake, rather than at an angle to it. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/9 "2010-09-20T02:07:34Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > > [@zamboniracer](#): > > > > Cleveland Browns Stadium (and Cleveland Stadium before it) is laid out on line running from south west to north east, basically at a 45 degree angle from the usual north-south configuration. This led to a tense moment a a coach’s press conference once when the Browns’ coach Butch Davis said that the team needed runners who ran “north south” and a smart aleck reporter pointed out that a back running north-south would go out of bounds. > > Do the Browns share a stadium with the Indians? > IMO, SW to NE is the worst configuration for a football field, particularly as the days get shorter in October and November and the sun gets lower in the sky. > > PSU’s configuration at SE to NW makes much more sense. Sadly, the sun shining in players’ eyes isn’t much of problem in Cleveland in November. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/10 "2010-09-20T02:13:05Z")
University of Washington’s Husky Stadium is basically laid out east-west, with a slight northwest to southeast tilt. It is famously open on the west end so you can see Lake Washington and the mountains in the distance. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/11 "2010-09-20T02:38:06Z")
> [@fiddlesticks](#): > > University of Washington’s Husky Stadium is basically laid out east-west, with a slight northwest to southeast tilt. It is famously open on the west end so you can see Lake Washington and the mountains in the distance. Wouldn’t the mountains be to the east? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/12 "2010-09-20T02:40:47Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > > [@fiddlesticks](#): > > > > University of Washington’s Husky Stadium is basically laid out east-west, with a slight northwest to southeast tilt. It is famously open on the west end so you can see Lake Washington and the mountains in the distance. > > Wouldn’t the mountains be to the east? :dubious: D’oh! ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/13 "2010-09-20T04:44:08Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m not entirely sure that the old Municipal Stadium was built either for football or baseball. I think it’s more likely that, like the Los Angeles Coliseum (which was also adapted for both baseball and football) and Soldier’s Field in Chicago, the city fathers just wanted a really big stadium that could be used for a lot of different things. At the time it was built, Cleveland was making a bid for the Olympics. Needless to say, it wasn’t successful. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2010, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/14 "2010-09-20T13:40:42Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > I’m not entirely sure that the old Municipal Stadium was built either for football or baseball. I think it’s more likely that, like the Los Angeles Coliseum (which was also adapted for both baseball and football) and Soldier’s Field in Chicago, the city fathers just wanted a really big stadium that could be used for a lot of different things. > > At the time it was built, Cleveland was making a bid for the Olympics. Needless to say, it wasn’t successful. That Olympic bid thing isn’t true. The 1932 games had been awarded to LA before ground was broken for Cleveland Stadium. [wikipedia link.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Stadium) ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2010, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/univ-of-minnesota-football-orientated-east-west/554223/15 "2010-10-24T01:59:18Z")
Clemson Stadium is in a mostly East-West configuration.