Bobby Bowden Field at Pete Hanna Stadium has been home to the Samford football team since 1958, one year after the campus was moved from East Lake to its present site. The field was officially dedicated to Bobby Bowden during the team’s game against ETSU in 2021. The stadium was renamed as Pete Hanna Stadium at halftime of the team's contest with Furman in 2023.
The stadium was originally named F. Page Seibert, for the late Daytona Beach, Fla., businessman who donated money for the completion of the stadium in 1961 with the addition of stands on the west side. Originally, the stadium had the current gatehouse and seating on the east side. The stadium was renamed in 2023 for Samford alum and donor Pete Hanna.
Over the years, the stadium has seen some memorable football, including the Bobby Bowden era (1959-62), a one-loss season in 1971 and the Terry Bowden era, which ended with a 14-game Bulldog winning streak in the stadium.
The first game was played Friday, Sept. 26, 1958, with Samford losing to Sewanee, 21-0. Bobby Bowden brought Samford (then known as Howard College) its first win at Seibert on Oct. 3, 1959, as the Bulldogs defeated the Tennessee Tech “B” team, 34-0. The first win against varsity competition came two weeks later when the Bulldogs defeated Millsaps, 26-0.
Seibert Stadium has undergone numerous improvements during the past few years. In 2019, a brand new state-of-the-art video board was installed in the north end zone of the stadium. Before the 2009 season, the Cooney Family Field House was opened in the South end zone of the stadium. The facility includes locker rooms, training rooms, meeting rooms and coaches offices for Samford’s football program. A second-level terrace overlooks Seibert Stadium. An unfinished third level provides for future university expansion. The facility was renamed the Sullivan-Cooney Family Field House in 2014, honoring former head coach Pat Sullivan and his wife, Jean.
In fall 2005, the original grass surface was replaced with an LSR Blade Synthetic Surface. The surface was replaced in 2013 with a Hybrid Mono/XP by Warner Athletic Construction.
The four-level Bashinsky Press Tower was completed before the 1989 season. This Georgian-Colonial structure contains complete facilities for print and electronic media on the third level, reserved seating for 51 guests on the second level, and a concession stand and restroom facilities on the ground floor. A partially covered film deck is located atop the facility, and an elevator serves all levels. The press tower was completely renovated prior to the 2021 season.
When the press tower was originally built, more than 200 theatre-type reserved seats were added in front of the press tower, bringing the seating capacity to 6,700. The seats were replaced in 2021 at the same time the press tower was renovated.
