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The Blue Oval

Drake Stadium

Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA, home of Drake. Capacity 14,557. Opened October 10, 1925.

Drake Stadium in Des Moines, IA
Drake Stadium, Des Moines, IAPhoto: U.S. Navy photo by James Woods, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
14,557
Opened
1925
Surface
FieldTurf
Roof
Open air
Elevation
912 ft
Home team
Drake
Drake here
79–⁠36–⁠1 games on file since 2003

Since it opened: Drake is 217–⁠128–⁠11 in home games from the 1925 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2003 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Drake Stadium by season, 2006 to 20260k5k10k15k20k2006: 4,314 a game over 7 games; biggest 10,1072007: 10,216 a game over 1 games; biggest 10,2162008: 2,311 a game over 2 games; biggest 2,8092009: 2,184 a game over 2 games; biggest 2,5412010: 2,566 a game over 5 games; biggest 3,6282011: 2,770 a game over 6 games; biggest 4,2152012: 3,175 a game over 6 games; biggest 4,1582013: 3,187 a game over 6 games; biggest 5,0682014: 3,701 a game over 5 games; biggest 7,2482015: 2,411 a game over 5 games; biggest 3,3262016: 2,163 a game over 6 games; biggest 3,1582017: 2,183 a game over 5 games; biggest 3,3322018: 1,840 a game over 5 games; biggest 3,0112019: 2,232 a game over 5 games; biggest 3,0602021: 3,344 a game over 3 games; biggest 6,0392022: 2,126 a game over 5 games; biggest 2,9642023: 2,481 a game over 5 games; biggest 3,5262024: 3,188 a game over 4 games; biggest 4,5682025: 2,978 a game over 5 games; biggest 4,0072026: 3,127 a game over 1 games; biggest 3,12720062011201620212026

Biggest crowds on file

10,216Northern Iowa at Drake2007
10,107Northern Iowa at Drake2006
7,248Des Moines at Drake2014
6,039Valparaiso at Drake2021
5,263San Diego at Drake2006

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Snow on game day

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Drake’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Opened
October 10, 1925
Architect
RDG Planning & Design (2005 renovation)
Surface over the years
FieldTurf
Renovated
2005

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Drake Stadium (Drake University).

From above

50 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 140 by 200 meters (450 by 670 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Recent games here

Oct 17, 2026Marist 27, Drake 22
Oct 3, 2026Drake 30, Dayton 22
Aug 27, 2026South Dakota Mines 38, Drake 35
Nov 22, 2025Drake 17, Morehead State 10
Nov 8, 2025St. Thomas (MN) 20, Drake 13
Oct 18, 2025Drake 45, Davidson 0
Oct 4, 2025Drake 41, Valparaiso 0
Aug 28, 2025Drake 41, Upper Iowa 7
Nov 16, 2024Morehead State 29, Drake 20
Nov 2, 2024Drake 19, Marist 0
Oct 12, 2024Drake 27, Butler 17
Sep 28, 2024Drake 30, San Diego 28