| Welcome to
Ladd-Peebles Stadium, Mobile's finest outdoor
sports facility. Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been
the centerpiece of sports in Mobile since 1948.
It all began on October 2, 1948 when the University
of Alabama battled Vanderbilt to a 14-14 tie.
First known as Ernest F. Ladd Memorial Stadium,
the stadium was originally financed by local interests
and without public tax money. The project
was a joint effort by civic leaders and public
officials. Chairman of the undertaking was
J. Finley McRae, President of Merchants National
Bank. His vision was to build the Stadium as
a permanent memorial to his mentor, Ernest F.
Ladd. Mr. Ladd was his predecessor as Bank
President and had passed away in 1941. In
1997 the stadium was renamed Ladd-Peebles Stadium
to honor E. B. Peebles, Jr. Mr. Peebles is a civic
leader credited with revitalizing the Senior Bowl.
Since the
Alabama-Vanderbilt game over 50 years ago, Ladd-Peebles
Stadium has been the home to Mobile's major outdoor
events. National celebrities such as Ed Sullivan
and Mobile-native Jimmy Buffet have performed
in front of thousands inside the stadium while
festivals, high school graduations, marching
band expositions, circuses, car shows, boxing matches
and concerts have all taken place on the grounds. |
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But over
the years, one thing has been constant
at Ladd-Peebles Stadium -- FOOTBALL! Alabama,
Auburn, and Southern Mississippi, as well as NFL
teams, have held regular season and exhibition
games at the stadium. For over 50 years,
Ladd-Peebles Stadium has been the home of the
Senior Bowl. Annually the City of Mobile and
the Stadium play host to NFL coaches, scouts and
administrative staff personnel. The Bowl
features the nations top collegiate senior
football players. Ladd-Peebles Stadium is
also the home of the Gulf Coast Classic which has
been played here for over 30 years. It
features Alabama State University and a variety of
opponents such as Jackson State University,
Southern University and Grambling. In 1999
the stadium began to host a NCAA sanctioned Bowl
game. Now known as the GMAC Bowl, it
features teams from Conference USA and the Mid
American Conference. It has rapidly risen to
national prominence and in 2004 was the 6th rated
Bowl according to Fox Sports. In late 2007
the University of South Alabama officially
announced the start of a football program.
The university will play their home games at the
stadium. The first home game will be
played in the 2009 season.
High school
games are a weekly occurrence during the Fall
months and every December the stadium hosts the
Annual Alabama - Mississippi High School All-Star
Classic. It features the top graduating
seniors from the two states rich in football
tradition. Founded in 1988 the game has
become the top high school football event in the
southeast and one of the top rated games in the
nation. NFL players Steve McNair, Willie
Anderson, Eric Moulds, Deuce McAlister, and
Jamarcus Russell played
in the game.
Today, the
stadium is one of the City of Mobile's valuable
assets. It is debt free and has a replacement
value of approximately $90 million. With a
seating capacity of 40,646, Ladd-Peebles Stadium
is the fourth-largest stadium in the state of
Alabama and the largest outdoor facility on the
Gulf Coast from Tallahassee, FL., to New Orleans,
LA.
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