FIU Stadium

The FIU football and track and field teams train and competes at the newly renovated FIU Stadium on the University Park campus.

Opened in the fall of 1995 at a cost of more than $3 million, the stadium is situated on land that straddles the university and Miami-Dade County-owned Tamiami Park. Highlights of the facility include permanent seating for some 7,000 spectators, restrooms, concession stands, a new field house and lights for night competition.

As upgrades to the facility, the university invested another $825,000 for the installation of its state-of-the-art AstroPlay artificial playing surface. Billed as a new concept in turf systems, it is a grass-like, non-abrasive, polyethylene fiber matrix that is filled with special rubber granules. Field drainage is superb.

Temporary improvements like scoreboards on either end of the playing field, a message center, sound-system enhancements, a press box and a skybox will be added to increase spectator involvement and comfort.

Besides FIU athletics, the site remains a primary venue for high school football and track competitions and special events. Several of the university's commencement ceremonies, homecoming festivities and concerts have all taken place within the stadium.

As a track and field venue, FIU Community Stadium's GTE Rack 4000 track is a red polyurethane/rubberized surface that runs east-west and meets Olympic standards. The eight-lane 400-meter all-weather track includes two long jump and triple jump pits, high jump and pole vault areas and a water barrier for the steeplechase.

Golden Panther Arena

Since the opening of Golden Panther Arena on February 1, 1986, opponents have quickly discovered that winning basketball games in South Florida is no easy task. It began early in 1986, while FIU was still a Division II program.

A full array of activities has taken place since this 94,000 square foot multi-purpose facility was dedicated. Sporting events, concerts, banquets, trade shows, graduation and convocation ceremonies and other University and community events have all been accommodated.

Home to the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation, Golden Panther Arena’s second-floor offices serve professors, coaches and support staff.

The Arena was the summer home of the NBA’s Miami Heat for three years. Twice, Golden Panther Arena hosted rookie tournaments featuring the Heat and three other NBA organizations.

The main court is a Cincinnati Robbins perma-cushion maple wood basketball floor and is made up of some 19,000 square feet of wood. Four retractable basketball backboards allow for the floor to be divided into two practice courts, while Hydra Goal II portable basketball standards are used for intercollegiate competition. Nevco scoreboards are found at either end. Halophane high intensity lights provide one of the finest and brightest facilities in all of South Florida. The Arena has an overall seating capacity of some 5,000.

Support areas on the first floor include an equipment room, training room, and 876 lockers in six different, full-service dressing rooms. Academic space in the building includes three classrooms, and physiology, computer and kinesiology laboratories. Additionally, there are four, four-wall, fully-air conditioned racquetball courts with a spectator viewing area for recreational and tournament usage.

University Park Stadium

Florida International plays all its home games at the renovated baseball stadium, University Park Stadium on the campus of University Park. The Golden Panthers will enjoy playing in their third year at the stadium after spending the 2000 season in Homestead while renovations were being made to University Park to complete phase two of the three-phase process to upgrade the facility.

Some $3.5 million from student trust funds were used to complete the first two stages and over $100,000 was raised by head coach Danny Price and his staff to erect one of the finest all-weather batting cages in the state.

On February 26, 2002, a sold-out crowd of 2,473, the largest home crowd ever in the program's 29-year history, saw FIU defeat defending national champion Miami, 7-1.

The second phase of construction included many features which make it one of the finest collegiate baseball stadiums in the state and Sun Belt Conference. Among its current features are: an additional 1,000 seats making the total capacity 2,000, player and coaches' locker rooms, a training room, renovated home and visitor dugouts, additional concession stands and laundry facilites.

The next stadium project will include a meeting room, officies for the coaching staff, and a renovated, climate-controlled media area equipped for television and radio. Construction is expected to begin after the conclusion of this season.

The playing surface is natural grass and the symmetrical field has dimensions of 325 feet down the line, 375 feet in the power alleys, and 400 feet to straightaway center field.