Football facilities have come a long way since their humble beginnings of the early 20th century. Here’s a look at what is taking place at American Athletic Conference stadiums
 
There’s no way that the spectators who attended Cincinnati’s game against Ohio in November of 1901 could have dreamed about what would come to transpire on the site that was then known as Varsity Field.
 
Things were obviously different 114 years ago. The game of football was less than 40 years old by any measure, and much younger than that when you consider many of the elements that have evolved into today’s game.
 
Games were played then in humble, if not modest environments. Essentially, the Varisty Field grounds consisted of a grass field and wooden bleachers.
 
The game itself was more primitive in nature as well. Cincinnati’s first game on its home field was largely unremarkable – Ohio won, 16-0. Cincinnati picked up its first win of the season the following week, 10-0 over Hannover – in a game that gained more attention from the fact that Cincinnati halfback James Kirkpatrick was “probably fatally injured” while suffering damage to his spinal column, according to newspaper accounts.
 
So it is with a nod to those early teams and players that Cincinnati unveils the latest incarnation of its home facility – on the same grounds as those 1901 contests, by the way – as Nippert Stadium becomes one of the gems in college football.
 
It’s not just fans from the early 20th century who would have a hard time recognizing Cincinnati’s home field now. Even 25 years ago, Cincinnati’s quarterback was asked by Bill Koch, then of the Cincinnati Post, about the prospect of playing in front a large Homecoming crowd against Memphis State.
 
“It covers the stadium so you don’t have to look at it,” was the reply.
 
Now, the stadium will be the centerpiece – quite literally – of Cincinnati’s campus. Nippert’s location in the heart of the campus was always one of its most interesting features. But now, it is a true jewel and a point of pride for students and faculty.
 
Beginning this season, Nippert Stadium will number 40,000 seats, encompassing four levels, which includes one for suites, another for patio suites and a third for scholarship club seats. A facility which previously had practically no premium seating will now boast more than 50 indoor and outdoor suites. A state-of-the-art press box will be able to house 100 media members.
 
Additionally, concourses have been widened and equipped with modern restrooms and concession facilities. Skywalks will connect the stadium with the Varsity Village area.
 
“They've put together what's going to be, and will be for a long time, the best on-campus and prettiest on-campus stadium that you'll see,” head coach Tommy Tuberville told UCBearcats.com. “And I've been in most of them around the country.”
 
The first game in the newly refurbished Nippert Stadium will be Sept. 5, when Cincinnati hosts Alabama A&M. It will be the latest in a string of American Athletic Conference playing facilities that have either been introduced or renovated in recent years.
 
Most notably, Houston and Tulane played in entirely new home stadiums last season, and both have proven to be transformational to their respective campuses.
 
Houston unveiled TDECU Stadium Aug. 29, 2014, as the Cougars’ new 40,000-seat venue hosted Texas-San Antonio. The facility includes 5,000 premium seats, including 26 suites, 42 loge boxes and 766 club seats. The stadium was designed to provide a clear showcase of the Houston skyline and was oriented so that the comfort of fans and student-athletes were affected minimally by sun and shade.
 
Yulman Stadium brought college football back to the Tulane campus for the first time since 1975, after the Green Wave had played the previous three decades in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Now, instead of making the trek across New Orleans to get to the Superdome, Tulane students have a 30,000-seat stadium in their backyard – a move that has exponentially increased the student presence at Green Wave games.
 
Beyond the remodeled Nippert Stadium and the two new facilities, American Athletic Conference schools are still coming up with innovative ways to enhance the fan experience.  UCF, for example, will introduce the East Side Club to Bright House Networks Stadium for the 2015. season.
 
The East Side Club will be a 10,000-square-foot beach-themed social area and lounge located between the 30-yard lines that will include an open-air sun deck.
 
East Carolina has commissioned a feasibility study on the 50,000-seat Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium to identify ways to improve what is already one of the best game-day environments in college football – a project that will investigate the possibility of adding premium seats and improved technology.
 
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis was renovated in 2011 to include new lighting, new video boards, a new playing surface and upgrades to luxury boxes.
 
Gerald J. Ford Stadium at SMU, which was completed in 2000, is a relatively new facility, but has already been improved upon to maintain its state-of-the-art status. A 233-seat Hall of Champions Club and suites were completed in time for the Mustangs’ entry to the American Athletic Conference, and the locker rooms and team rooms were upgraded in 2011.
 
Finally, Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium – the home of The American’s newest entrant – has completed the last of four phases of renovations that will be in place for the 2015 season. Specifically, the venue’s recruiting suites, hospitality facilities, scoreboards and locker rooms have been upgraded, making Annapolis a special place to see a college football game.
 
It’s a long way from wooden bleachers on Varsity Field.