The most heavily-used outdoor facility on campus, according to HSU Facilities Management, Humboldt State’s Redwood Bowl received a much-needed resurfacing during the summer of 2011.  Redwood Bowl is employed by recreational sports programs, including intramurals, Kinesiology and other department classes, football team practice and games, commencement, special events and general student use.

The project was partially funded through a grant secured from the California Integrated Waste Management Board, which fosters recycling, waste reduction, and product reuse. The new artificial surface was manufactured by Shaw Sportexe, a company that has been in business for 20 years and has completed 700 synthetic field installations at high schools, universities and professional facilities. Redwood Bowl’s surface is the same product installed at the San Francisco 49ers’ training facility in Santa Clara. 

Redwood Bowl has been the Lumberjacks football team’s home venue since Sunday, Oct. 8, 1946, when the Lumberjacks hosted the Stanford University JV squad, defeating Humboldt State 20-0. Two weeks later, when Stanford's varsity played its first game of the season against UCLA, eight of the "JV" starters against the Lumberjacks were varsity starters. Stanford had been secured for the dedication game in Redwood Bowl to ensure a large crowd. No attendance figures are available, however. 

Lights were installed the following year after local merchants complained of a downturn in Saturday afternoon business because of the crowd draw.  In the spring of 1947, lights were purchased from a firm in Iowa for $2,000, with another $1,000 for switches and wiring. Alumnus Bunny Hadley of Flash Electric donated the labor to wire the field, and poles were donated by a lumber operator. Payment for the remainder of the work, including leasing a crane and operator, was through a $4,000 loan secured through Bank of America and paid off out of student fees over the next several years.

Prior to the construction of Redwood Bowl, Humboldt State played most of it’s home games in Eureka’s Albee Stadium. That changed when newly appointed Director of Athletics and Head Football Coach Joseph Forbes arrived in Arcata during the summer of 1946.

“Correspondence assured me that Redwood Bowl would be ready for the football season and this was my introduction to state policy in construction, as the field was not even planted until June,” Forbes said in his “Athletic History of Humboldt State College.” In September, the bleachers were constructed by students under the direction of the local carpenter’s union and redwood bark was placed over the rocks on the track to prevent injury to football players.