Williams Stadium at Liberty University is a well-known and central place on campus that has undergone significant changes over the years.
Construction on the stadium broke ground in May 1989, and the first game was played later that year, Oct. 21. Before then, Liberty’s football team did not have a home stadium. It was not until 1994 that the stadium was given its official name, Williams Stadium, by founder Jerry Falwell.
Falwell was close friends with Arthur L. Williams and his wife Angela, and the couple contributed to the university to cover costs of its growth in a time of financial need. Starting in 1977, Williams donated $60 million over a 15-year period. His donations reduced debt, while giving the school a financial foundation from which to build.
“(Falwell) wanted to have the ability to name the stadium after (Williams) just to bring recognition to what he had done to help Liberty grow from that small Bible college in the ‘70s to what it has become today,” Associate Athletic Director of the Office of Strategic Communications Todd Wetmore said.
Wetmore began his time as a student in 1983 and has worked at Liberty for 27 years, giving him a firsthand view of the stadium’s growth.
An expansion came in 2010 increasing the seating from 12,000 to 19,000 to stay within the capacity requirements of the NCAA before the team moved to the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level.
This expansion included the building of the Williams Stadium West Tower which houses the press box, 18 luxury suites, a club pavilion and concessions offices for athletics administration. This level, named Carter Tower, was named in 2018 after Worth Harris Carter Jr., a Liberty Athletics donor.
“In the last four or five years, we’ve added quite a few different amenities around the stadium that kind of just added to the game day atmosphere,” Wetmore said.
These amenities include the individual suites for booster club members and outdoor cabanas in the end zones for people to be closer to the field but still have their own individual area.
Wetmore said that what makes the stadium unique is not the concourse, refreshments or amenities, but rather the fans who fill the seats.
“We have heard from many people around the country that our student section is different,” Wetmore said. “Our students are a little bit more respectful. They’re cheering for the Flames. They really bring out the energy, but they certainly keep it in a much more family-friendly atmosphere and living out what this school is all about, and it really makes game day special for student-athletes.”
While the stadium draws a big crowd, it is not finished yet. According to Wetmore, there are plans in place to make the game day experience even more enjoyable. These plans include expanding the concourse, adding more premium seating areas and concession areas to keep fans from missing the game due to long lines.
Outside of football, the stadium has become a centerpiece of Liberty. The university showcases what God has done by hosting Commencement, the largest event of the school year, in the stadium. This year the university anticipates 70,000 guests at Commencement, according to Liberty News.
Thanks to the friendship between Falwell and the Williams family, today the stadium is enjoyed by thousands of students and visitors each year.
Atkinson is a feature reporter for The Liberty Champion.