Carnie Smith Stadium rises from the west edge of Pittsburg like a monument to small-town determination. It isn’t the biggest arena in Kansas, but few carry a story as deep. The red and gold seats overlook a field that has seen more than a century of triumphs, heartbreaks, and homecoming parades. On crisp autumn days, when the band’s first notes echo off the stands, you can feel the history press close — a blend of old leather helmets, marching cadence, and community pride.
Pittsburg State’s football tradition began in 1908, just a few years after the university itself opened. At the time, it was known as the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School, and football was less spectacle than test of will — played on rough fields with handmade gear. Through the decades, the Gorillas grew from a teachers’ college team into one of the most respected programs in small-college football.
Their home stadium was built in 1923 and originally called Brandenburg Stadium, named for President William Aaron Brandenburg, who championed athletics as an extension of education and character. In 1987, it was renamed Carnie Smith Stadium in honor of one of the university’s most beloved coaches. Smith led the Gorillas from 1949 to 1966, posting an extraordinary record and instilling a tradition of discipline and grit that still defines the program. Under his leadership, Pittsburg State won two NAIA National Championships (1957 and 1961) and became known across the region for hard-nosed, blue-collar football that mirrored the spirit of the town itself.
The stadium has grown with the program. Major renovations in the 2000s modernized the facility, adding the Robert W. Plaster Center, Brown Pavilion, and expanded seating — pushing capacity to more than 11,000. The press box glints in the Kansas sun, and from its top row you can see the outline of Pittsburg’s old smokestacks in the distance — reminders of the industrial past that forged both the city and its team.
Pittsburg State reached the height of its national fame under Coach Chuck Broyles, who led the Gorillas from 1990 to 2009. Broyles’ teams became legends in NCAA Division II, claiming the 1991 National Championship and making multiple title-game appearances throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. During those years, PSU was a powerhouse — often leading the nation in attendance and producing professional-caliber athletes despite its small-school status.
Among its notable alumni are:
Dennis Franchione, former head coach at Texas A&M, TCU, and Alabama, who began his coaching career at PSU.
Brian Moorman, NFL punter and two-time Pro Bowler with the Buffalo Bills, known for his athleticism and charitable work.
John Brown, a record-setting wide receiver who carried his speed from Pittsburg State to the NFL, playing for teams including the Arizona Cardinals and Buffalo Bills.
Carnie Smith himself, whose name still stands over the stadium entrance — a testament to a coach who built more than a team; he built a legacy.
The Gorillas’ mascot — unique among all of college sports — captures their essence: fierce, focused, impossible to ignore. On game days, the stadium becomes a meeting ground for alumni, miners’ grandchildren, and new students alike. The red and gold banners flutter against the bleachers, and the chants of “Go Rillas!” ripple out toward the prairie.
For all its trophies and national titles, what endures most is the connection between the school and the community. Pittsburg doesn’t just host its team — it lives through it. The Gorillas are as much a civic identity as an athletic one, linking a century of students, educators, and families in one ongoing tradition of pride and perseverance.
Carnie Smith Stadium stands not merely as a venue, but as a chronicle — brick by brick, season by season — of what happens when a small Kansas town believes in itself.