Kidd Brewer Stadium: The Heart of Appalachian State Football

Kidd Brewer Stadium, a 30,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Boone, North Carolina, stands as the home of the Appalachian State Mountaineers football team. Affectionately nicknamed "The Rock," the stadium is more than just a venue for games; it's a symbol of the university's rich history, traditions, and unwavering spirit. Kidd Brewer stands 3,333 feet (1,016 m) above sea level.

From College Field to Conrad Stadium: The Early Years

Before "The Rock," the Mountaineers played at College Field from 1928 to 1961. College Field was Appalachian State University's college football stadium in Boone, North Carolina. In 1962, a new era began with the opening of Conrad Stadium on September 15. Named in honor of William J. Conrad, a former university trustee and R. J. Reynolds executive, the stadium was originally constructed with 10,000 permanent seats.

A significant milestone arrived on October 3, 1970, when the Mountaineers and Elon staged the first game on artificial turf in the Carolinas, making Conrad Stadium the first venue in either North or South Carolina to embrace this innovation.

Growth and Transformation: The Rise of "The Rock"

The stadium's seating capacity was expanded to 18,000 following the 1978 season. In recognition of his contributions to Appalachian football, Conrad Stadium was renamed Kidd Brewer Stadium on September 3, 1988. Brewer, a Winston-Salem native, served as head football coach of the Mountaineers from 1935 to 1938, compiling a 30-5-3 overall mark in his four seasons at the helm of the Apps. Brewer departed from coaching to enlist in the United States Navy during World War II and served as secretary and assistant to United States Senators Josiah Bailey and William B. Umstead. Brewer began a political career in 1956, filing to run for lieutenant governor and finishing third in a field of five nominees. Brewer completed just four months of his sentence before his release, and in 1964, he ran for governor unsuccessfully.

Completion of an extensive renovation and restoration project on the original 10,000 seats in 1995 readjusted the seating capacity to 16,650. A then-state-of-the-art "AppVision" video board was added in 1999 and enlarged prior to the 2001 campaign.

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Modernization and Expansion: A State-of-the-Art Facility

Following the 2006 season, the press box was removed to make way for a new 100,000-square-foot (9,290 m2) stadium complex. The complex houses state-of-the-art strength and conditioning and athletic training facilities to benefit all 20 of Appalachian's varsity sports, as well as extensive locker rooms, academic, office and meeting space for ASU student-athletes, coaches and administrators. An additional 4,400 seats were added to the east side stands prior to the 2008 season, which brought the total seating capacity to 20,150. The addition of the new seats was completed in time for the home opener against Jacksonville on September 6, 2008.

In 2009, the Kidd Brewer Stadium complex was completed prior to the home opener against McNeese State. Total seating capacity for 2009 was increased to 21,650 with the opening of the additional premium seating, which includes the 18 luxury suites and 500 club seats in the Yosef Club and Chancellor's Box areas. Prior to the 2011 season, temporary bleachers were installed behind the North Endzone. The additional 1,500 seats brought capacity to 23,150. The temporary section was further expanded prior to the 2012 season, which brought capacity to 24,050.

In 2016, 2,500 seats were installed in the North end zone, replacing the previous bleachers, along with additional concession stands. In 2017, plans were announced for a new video board and ribbon boards to be installed in August. The new board would be around three times as large as the former screen. The work was completed in time for the 2017 season. In 2018, App State approved a new north end zone expansion, replacing Owens Field House. The building adds around 1,000 seats to the stadium. It also accommodates a wide variety of athletics and academic uses.

Memorable Moments and Traditions

Kidd Brewer Stadium has been the site of numerous unforgettable moments in Appalachian State football history. Appalachian carried a 30-game home winning streak, the longest in Division I at the time, before losing to the Georgia Southern Eagles on October 20, 2007. The Miracle on the Mountain took place at Kidd Brewer Stadium on October 12, 2002, and was selected as the "ABC Sports Radio Call of the Year". On December 1, 2018, Appalachian State played in and won the first ever Sun Belt Championship Game, hosting the Ragin' Cajuns of University of Louisiana at Lafayette at Kidd Brewer Stadium. On September 21, 2019, the Mountaineers defeated North Carolina. On December 7, 2019, Appalachian State also played in and won the second ever Sun Belt Championship Game, again hosting the Ragin' Cajuns of University of Louisiana at Lafayette at Kidd Brewer Stadium.

Beyond football, Kidd Brewer Stadium has also hosted other events like a Luke Combs concert in 2021, a Dierks Bentley concert in 2012, a Mary Chapin Carpenter concert in 1999 and more.

The Legacy of Kidd Brewer

Kidd Brewer's impact on Appalachian State extends far beyond the stadium that bears his name. An All-American quarterback at Duke before his hiring at App State, Brewer began his coaching tenure in 1935 and remained head coach through the 1938 season, according to the Appalachian Football 2009 Media Guide. Brewer's 1937 squad is best remembered for going unbeaten and unscored upon during the regular season, outscoring opponents 206-0 before losing a postseason game to Southern Miss, 7-0.

A Home Field Advantage

Through its history, the Appalachian State football program has won some 661 games, claimed three NCAA Championships, and appeared in either a bowl game or, alternatively, the Division I FCS playoffs, some 35 times. The Mountaineers have 22 conference championships and have one of the nation's best home field advantages by winning percentage. Over its 60-year history, Kidd Brewer Stadium, also known as “The Rock,” has become one of the most intimidating venues for opposing football programs to compete in.

The Mountaineers led the FCS in average attendance throughout the 2007, 2008, and 2010 seasons.

Rivalries and Championships: Defining Moments

Appalachian State's football program has a rich history of rivalries and championships. Known as Deeper than Hate, Appalachian State enjoys a fierce Sun Belt Conference rivalry with Georgia Southern. This rivalry has been described by many as "the best rivalry in the Group of Five". Nicknamed The Old Mountain Feud, Appalachian State competes in a rivalry with fellow Appalachian mountain-based public university Marshall. The rivalry game was played annually 1977-1996. From 1986 to 1996 the Southern Conference foes won at least a share of the conference title a combined eight times. The rivalry resumed annual play in the 2020 season and is set to continue as Marshall joins Appalachian State in the Sun Belt Conference East Division in 2022. Known as the Battle for the Old Mountain Jug, Appalachian State played Western Carolina in a regional rivalry game from 1932 to 2013.

Appalachian has won three national championships in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, at the time, the highest division in college football to hold a playoff tournament to determine its champion. Appalachian State has won 22 conference titles, 16 outright and six shared. Before leaving the Southern Conference in 2014, the Mountaineers had won 10 conference titles, placing them second in the league's history.

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The Mountaineers' Rise to FBS

The Mountaineers competed in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) from its founding in 1978 to 2013. They won three straight national championships from 2005 to 2007, the first FCS team to do so since the playoffs began in 1978. Appalachian is also the first Division I program to win three consecutive national championships since Army accomplished the feat from 1944 to 1946, and the first Division I school in the modern era to claim three straight undisputed national titles. When FCS Appalachian State defeated No. 5 Michigan in 2007, it was the first time an FCS team had defeated any ranked FBS program.

Appalachian State moved on from FCS to FBS in 2014, and has already enjoyed AP Top 25 rankings during several of its seasons (e.g., 2018, 2019, 2020) in FBS. The Mountaineers finished the 2019 season with a final AP poll ranking at No. 19 (and Coaches No.

The Coaching Legacy

Appalachian State began playing organized football in 1928. The coach that first year was Graydon Eggers. Kidd Brewer was the head coach of the Mountaineers from 1935 to 1938, leading the team to two postseason bowl games. Appalachian found continued success under coach E. C. Duggins (1947-50 and 1952-55). Mike Working served as the 16th head football coach in Appalachian State football history from 1980 to 1982. Under Working, the Mountaineers compiled a record of 13-18-2 and never were able to sustain consistency. Mack Brown was hired as Appalachian State's head coach in 1983, his first such role. Following Brown's departure, Appalachian State promoted assistant coach Sparky Woods to head coach. Appalachian State won the first of nine Southern Conference championships in 1986 under Woods, who also led the Mountaineers into the playoffs for the first time that year. Arkansas assistant coach Jerry Moore was hired as the Mountaineer's 19th coach in 1989. Moore is the winningest coach in conference history, and under his leadership the Mountaineers won seven conference championships. On December 2, 2012, after a first-round home playoff loss to Illinois State, athletics director Charlie Cobb announced that Moore would not return for the 2013 season. On December 14, 2012, Scott Satterfield was named head coach of the Appalachian State football program. Satterfield had spent 15 seasons as an assistant in the Mountaineers program. On December 4, 2018, Scott Satterfield was confirmed to be the next head coach of the Louisville Cardinals football program. Assistant Head Coach Mark Ivey would be named interim Head Coach and would go on to coach the Mountaineers for the 2018 R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl win over Middle Tennessee State University Blue Raiders, 43-13. Shawn Clark was hired as the 22nd head coach in program history on December 13, 2019. Clark, a 1998 graduate of the university, played under Moore and coached under Satterfield as well as Drinkwitz. Shawn Clark started the 2023 Appalachian State season 3-4, with a double overtime lose to UNC-Chapel Hill and two games by a field goal to end the game versus Wyoming and Coastal Carolina. The Mountaineers rebounded winning their next five games including defeating previously undefeated James Madison University while College GameDay was on campus. Clark earned a spot in the Sun Belt Conference title game in Troy, Alabama. Shawn Clark led Appalachian State to its 7th bowl win in the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl 13-9 over Miami (OH). Dowell Loggains was hired as new head coach on December 7, 2024.

From Tragedy to Triumph: The 2007 Michigan Upset

On September 1, 2007, the Appalachian State football team traveled to Ann Arbor to play their season opener at the University of Michigan. A sellout crowd of over 109,000 fans packed Michigan Stadium, becoming the largest crowd to ever witness an ASU football game. Appalachian State beat AP No. 5 ranked Michigan 34-32, becoming the first FCS team to ever defeat a ranked FBS team.

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