Robert W. Plaster Stadium has anchored Missouri State University athletics in Springfield, Missouri since it opened on September 19, 1941, as a Works Progress Administration project built for just $60,000. Known over the decades as SMS Stadium, then Briggs Stadium, and later the Plaster Sports Complex, the venue has grown from a modest 8,500-seat bowl into a modern 17,500-seat facility that serves as the home of Missouri State Bears football.
The facility was first named for Robert W. Plaster, chairman of Lebanon, Missouri-based Evergreen Investments, in 1991, when it became the Plaster Sports Complex following a major renovation. A further renovation completed in 2014 removed the stadium’s old running track, repositioned the playing field, installed a new Sport Turf surface, and gave the venue its current name, Robert W. Plaster Stadium, the same year it set the attendance records that still stand today.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Missouri State Bears football (NCAA)
- Location: Springfield, Missouri
- Opened: September 19, 1941
- Renamed: Robert W. Plaster Stadium in 2014
- Capacity: 17,500
- Surface: Sport Turf
- Original cost: About $60,000 (a 1941 WPA project)
- Record attendance: 18,386, set September 13, 2014 vs. North Dakota
From WPA Project to Plaster Sports Complex
The stadium’s roots trace back to the Great Depression, when it was built in 1941 as SMS Stadium through a Works Progress Administration program for a cost of only about $60,000. It carried an original capacity of 8,500 seats for nearly a quarter-century before a 1965 expansion pushed capacity to 10,000.
The venue was renamed Briggs Stadium in 1970 to honor Arthur Briggs, the school’s all-time winningest coach, before a 1991 renovation funded by Robert W. Plaster added a new upper deck, luxury suites, and artificial turf, giving the facility its Plaster Sports Complex name through 2013.
A 2014 Overhaul and a New Name
A 2014 renovation removed the stadium’s running track and repositioned the field, raising capacity to its current 17,500 seats and giving the venue its present name, Robert W. Plaster Stadium.
That same renovation season produced the stadium’s all-time attendance record, as 18,386 fans packed the stands on September 13, 2014 to watch Missouri State defeat North Dakota 38-0, a mark that still stands as the largest crowd in the stadium’s history.
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Robert W. Plaster Stadium FAQs
Who plays at Robert W. Plaster Stadium?
The Missouri State Bears football team has called the stadium home since it opened in 1941.
How many people does Robert W. Plaster Stadium hold?
The stadium currently seats 17,500 fans, following a 2014 renovation that reshaped the field and seating bowl.
Why is it called Robert W. Plaster Stadium?
It honors Robert W. Plaster, chairman of Evergreen Investments, who funded a 1991 renovation that led to the facility first being named the Plaster Sports Complex; a 2014 renovation gave it its current name, Robert W. Plaster Stadium.
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