UT Campus Holds Sporting History

Many visitors and students walk around The University of Tampa’s Pepin Stadium without realizing that they are treading on what use to be Tampa’s first athletic field and stadium, built in 1899, known as Plant Field. This lesser known fact is that Henry B. Plant was not just the initiator of the Tampa Bay Hotel, but was also responsible for creating this sports mecca as a means of entertainment for his guests.

Plant Field attracted large crowds and was used for many different community events, including the South Florida Fair, political campaigns, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show, The Confederate Veterans Reunion, and for many years, it was the ending location for the Gasparilla Parade. However, Plant Field’s original purpose was to provide a gathering spot for hotel guests to enjoy sports entertainment, such as horse racing, car racing, baseball and football.

One of the first sporting events to be introduced to Plant Field was horse racing in the late 1890s. During that time period, horse racing was a prime source of entertainment for most citizens. Horse races prominently occurred during the South Florida Fair. Years later the track was altered to facilitate a racing track for cars.

Plant Field’s racing track, also known as Tampa Speedway, was opened on Feb. 3, 1921 and was measured to be a half-mile dirt oval. The dirt-track races were sponsored by the International Motor Contest Association. Races were occasionally held each year during the South Florida Fair until the mid-1970s.

Baseball also became a sporting hot spot at Plant Field in the late 1890s. The baseball field was referred to as the Tampa Bay race track diamond because it was created inside the field of the track. Plant Field was known for being the spring training home for many major league teams. The first team to use the field as their spring home was the Chicago Cubs in 1913. Thereafter, several teams used the field, including the Boston Red Sox in 1919. The Boston Red Sox had one of the most memorable games in April 1919 when legendary team member Babe Ruth hit his longest home run, which was recorded to be 587-feet. The ball’s landing spot is commemorated by a green plaque on the Sykes College of Business grounds.

Football was born on Plant Field on New Year’s Day 1926 when the Chicago Bears defeated the Tampa Cardinals by the score of 17-3. This event also went down in history as the first professional football game to be played in Tampa. Football games were played in the Tampa Bay race track diamond field. Games occurred more frequently at Plant Field from 1933 to 1936 when UT football players used it for their home games.

In 1933, the University of Tampa formally replaced the Tampa Bay Hotel and during that time baseball and football became the more prevalent sports amongst the students at Plant Field. Tony Ippolito, class of 1950, was on the informal football team in 1946 and said that the football games were well attended. “It was an event on Saturday nights,” said Ippolito. “Everyone looked forward to it, it was the best thing.”

Micki Bailey, class of 1956, said that the crowds for the baseball and football games were large and enthusiastic. For the football games, she said that people dressed to impress by wearing suits and other clothes that were in style at the time. According to Bailey, women got dressed up for the events.  “We wore nylons with the seam and with garter belts.”

Argy Anthony, class of 1962, attended one of UT’s football games and said it was an “awesome” experience. Anthony mentioned that the Spartans football team was well respected and popular during his time at UT.

Anthony, as well as Ipplito and Bailey, agreed that the Plant Field’s activities did not interfere with their studies whilst at UT. “I just felt it was beautiful and we should share,” said Bailey.

In 1971, Plant Field and all that it encompassed was granted possession to UT by the university’s Board of Trustees. After gaining possession of the field, UT periodically began to build newer facilities that have now replaced this landmark in order to build a sports haven for the university’s students. Plant Field was later renamed after its sponsors, Arthur Pepin and Ed Rood, as the Pepin-Rood Stadium.

The most recent renovation to this historic site occurred in 2002, when the Pepin-Rood grandstand was demolished and replaced by a newer one that we see today. Eventually the new grandstand was solely named as Pepin Stadium and the track and field as Rood Field. The stadium now has a soccer, softball and baseball field, as well as a running track which rests on the old Plant Field grounds. Newer sports facilities have also been created around the campus to accommodate sports such as swimming, basketball, tennis, lacrosse and volleyball.

Presently there are several renovated structures from Plant Field that remain intact, including a number of exhibition buildings, some of which have been replaced by Walker Hall classrooms. Another intact structure is one of the main entrances to Plant Field. This opening is located across from ResCom and Brevard housing and is next to the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies building. The entrance has two towers, with the east tower being taller than the west tower. Both have pointy, copper dome roofs that are spread apart by an elevated row of concrete. Next time you see or walk under that structure, allow your mind to travel back in time and think of the thousands of people who went through that entrance to attend the many activities Plant Field offered. And remember as you frolic on and around the sports field you could very well be walking on the exact spot that Babe Ruth hit his record breaking home run.