Built in 1993, Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium was the first of its kind and became the model that programs across the country emulated. For 26 seasons, the sport's original mecca stood as a historical setting to watch some of the best softball in the nation.

After just over a quarter century of dominance, the legendary stadium underwent a complete renovation from foul pole to foul pole, transforming the iconic venue into a state-of-the-art modern facility with modern amenities for fans and players alike.

The 2019 updates included brand new infield bleachers, including 100 additional seats, backed by a two-level, enclosed press box. Shade structure down both baselines and off the press box will provide cover from the Tucson sun for the majority of the infield seating.

For the players, widened dugouts with a restroom on both the home and visiting sides will improve the gameday experience. Also included in the renovations were new bullpens as well as a new outfield wall.

The 2019 renovations pair with the Lapan Family Center, Arizona's state-of-the-art team room and locker room erected in 2015, make Arizona's softball facility the standard, just as it was in year 1 in 1993.

Additional fan amenities include a renovated concourse, with a brand new entrance area and updated concession stands and restrooms. Pole-free netting will provide fans with improved sightlines from all infield seats.

Whether they come out to the tune of 3,541 for an exhibition pitting Team USA against Arizona, or for a Wildcats’ regular-season game, the Arizona fans have proved themselves as some of the best in the country.

In 2017, the stadium’s all-time attendance reached surpassed the 1,000,000 mark. The stadium opened in 1993 with 8,808 fans attending 12 home dates. Now, nearly three decades later, Hillenbrand has attracted over 50,000 fans in eight of the last nine seasons.

One reason for the stadium’s appeal obviously is the Cats’ typical home success. UA has played to a 742-100 record at home (entering 2020). That’s 89 victories in every 100 games. In 2002, UCLA snapped a remarkable 70-game home field winning streak the Cats had built, which remains the national record.

That fan support underscores the attraction of UA softball and its home field, named in honor of the late Rita Hillenbrand, sister of the late Wildcat benefactor William G. Hillenbrand and his wife, Doby (Delores D.). The couple financed the stadium and initial landscaping project, and the Hillenbrand family has continued to contribute funds to support Arizona softball and Wildcat athletics.

The family has provided tremendous support for a number of UA athletic programs through gifts to develop and support the UA’s aquatic center, the baseball stadium and Arizona’s football program. Another focal point in daily Wildcat athletics is the John W. Hillenbrand Meeting Center, named in memory of Bill’s late father. That facility gave the athletics department a main auditorium, a half dozen classrooms and meeting rooms, and various office spaces used for the athletics department’s mentoring programs and its Commitment to Athletes’ Total Success (C.A.T.S.) program.

The NCAA has found the facility to be a quality site for postseason play as well, with The University of Arizona playing host to NCAA Regionals in 22 of the stadium’s 27 years of existence. National television networks have also found the Wildcats and the stadium to be attractive to their audiences for a number of broadcasts since the facility was built for the 1993 season, including 100s of nationally televised contests in the last 10 years. All games attract a solid contingent of fans, area television and print reporters.

Hillenbrand Stadium and its success in helping bring Division I collegiate softball into increased national focus made it a national model in the early 1990s for dynamic softball programs. As on-campus college softball facilities go, it had elite status for several years until it engendered considerable copying. Today, major universities around the country are putting their teams in facilities with style and substance.

But Hillenbrand maintains one special feature, which makes it second to none — the infield, outfield and foul territories provide a top playing surface. Tucson’s climate and round-the-year maintenance keep the facility in game-ready condition more than 300 days per year. Aside from the .900 home winning percentage, Arizona and visiting teams alike enjoy the facility for its playing surface. In 2004 and again in 2008, the infield was rebuilt with new clay and soil composition.

The University of Arizona softball program moved into the facility for the 1993 season and went out and proved it was equal to the trappings by winning consecutive NCAA championships and leading the nation in attendance in 1994 and 1995. UA added another back-to-back NCAA title splurge in 1996 and 1997, a sixth title in 2001, and the most recent back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. The outfield wall is festooned with those and other championship banners. UA also has won 10 conference titles since moving into Hillenbrand Stadium. The Cats also led the nation in attendance for three years from 2000-2002. Arizona has led the nation in attendance five of the past 13 seasons.