Walk onto the field at the Butler University football stadium—better known to anyone who actually spends time on the north side of Indy as the Bud and Jackie Sellick Bowl—and you’ll feel it. That weird, heavy sense of history. It isn't just a patch of turf where the Bulldogs play non-scholarship Pioneer Football League games. It is a literal bowl of concrete and brick that has survived the wrecking ball for nearly a century.
Honestly, most people get this place wrong. They think it's just the "other" building next to the famous Hinkle Fieldhouse. They’re wrong.
Built back in 1928, this stadium was originally designed to hold 36,000 people. Think about that for a second. In the late 20s, Butler was positioning itself to be a national powerhouse, a Midwestern juggernaut that could rival the Big Ten. It was originally called the Butler Bowl, and for a few decades, it actually lived up to that massive ambition. But history is messy. Now, the capacity is closer to 5,500. It’s smaller, tighter, and infinitely more interesting because of that shrinkage.
The Massive Ambition of the Original Butler University Football Stadium
When you look at the Sellick Bowl today, you're looking at a fragment. The original architect, Fermor Spencer Cannon, didn't do things small. He envisioned a coliseum. When it opened, it was the 1.0 version of a "mega-stadium." In its early years, it didn't just host Butler games; it was a neutral site for massive high school matchups and even professional exhibitions.
But here is the thing: maintaining a 36,000-seat concrete monster is expensive. By the mid-20th century, the university realized they had more seats than fans. It was awkward. Imagine a high school play being performed in a Broadway theater—the energy just leaks out of the room. So, they did something radical. They started scaling back.
The renovation history here is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. In 2010, and then again with the major 2017 upgrades, the school leaned into the "boutique" feel. They removed the massive bleachers that used to tower over the end zones. They brought the fans closer. They turned a cavernous, aging relic into one of the most intimate environments in the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS).
Why the "Bowl" Name Actually Matters
You’ll hear older alumni call it the Butler Bowl. Newer students call it the Sellick Bowl.
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The name change happened around 2017 to honor Bud and Jackie Sellick, longtime donors who basically kept the athletic department’s heart beating. But "Bowl" is the operative word. Because the field is sunk into the earth, the acoustics are bizarrely good. When the Butler band starts playing, the sound doesn't just drift away into the Indianapolis skyline. It bounces off the brick walls of Hinkle and stays trapped on the field. It’s loud. It’s gritty.
The Hinkle Connection and the Brick Aesthetic
You can't talk about the Butler University football stadium without talking about its older brother standing right next door. Hinkle Fieldhouse is the "Cathedral of Basketball," and the football stadium shares its DNA. They both use that same earthy, orange-toned brick.
There is a specific aesthetic here that you don't get at modern stadiums like Lucas Oil downtown. At Lucas Oil, everything is glass, steel, and expensive nachos. At the Sellick Bowl, you’re sitting on benches that feel like they’ve seen some things. You can see the back of the Fieldhouse from your seat. It creates this campus "corridor" that feels like a time capsule from 1930.
Tony Hinkle, the legend himself, didn't just coach basketball. He was the head football coach for nearly 30 years. He paced these sidelines. He coached through the transition of Butler football from a major regional player to a more focused, academic-heavy program. When you walk the sidelines today, you’re literally walking where a Hall of Famer spent half his life.
The Move to the Pioneer Football League
Let’s talk about the level of play. Butler is in the Pioneer Football League (PFL). This is unique. The PFL is the only mid-major football-only conference that doesn’t offer athletic scholarships.
Wait—no scholarships?
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Yeah. Every player out there is playing for the love of the game, or more accurately, they’re playing because they’re high-achieving students who wanted the "Division I experience" without the semi-pro lifestyle of the SEC. This changes the vibe of the stadium. It’s not corporate. You don’t have 18-year-olds with $50,000 NIL deals. You have guys who will be your accountants or doctors in five years.
Recent Upgrades: From Grass to "The New Era"
For the longest time, the Butler Bowl was a grass field. And not always good grass. In the rainy Indiana autumns, it would turn into a mud pit. While that’s fun for nostalgic "old-school" football fans, it was a nightmare for the players' ACLs and the equipment managers' laundry budgets.
The 2010 renovation was the game-changer. They installed synthetic turf, which allowed the field to be used for more than just five or six Saturdays a year. Now, the men’s and women’s soccer teams call it home too. This was a survival move. In modern college athletics, you can't have a massive piece of real estate sitting idle 300 days a year.
- 2010: Installation of the first synthetic turf and a new scoreboard.
- 2013: Expansion of seating on the west side to improve the "home" atmosphere.
- 2017: The massive Sellick gift led to the formal renaming and major cosmetic and functional overhauls.
They also added a press box that doesn't look like a temporary construction trailer. It’s actually functional now.
What to Expect If You Actually Go
If you’re planning to visit the Butler University football stadium, don’t expect a jumbotron the size of a suburban house. That’s not what this is.
Parking is a bit of a nightmare. Because the stadium is tucked into a residential neighborhood and squeezed against the Holcomb Gardens and the canal, you’re going to be walking. My advice? Park in the garage over by the pharmacy building and walk through campus. It’s a beautiful stroll, especially in October when the leaves are turning.
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The food is standard stadium fare—hot dogs, popcorn, maybe some local brew if the regulations allow for that specific game. But the real draw is the "DAWG WALK." Watching the team come down the stairs and through the brick corridors is a rite of passage.
Surprising Facts You Won't Find on the Ticket Stub
- Olympic Trials: Believe it or not, the stadium hosted the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Trials for track and field. Some of the greatest athletes in American history have run on this ground.
- The Canal: The Indianapolis Central Canal runs right behind the stadium. If a kicker has a particularly bad day (or a really, really powerful leg), a ball could theoretically end up in the water.
- The "Hinkle" Shadow: During late afternoon games, the shadow of Hinkle Fieldhouse creeps across the field like a sundial. It’s a photographer’s dream and a quarterback’s nightmare for visibility.
The Reality of Being a Small Stadium in a Big City
Butler football has to compete with the Colts, the Pacers, and a massive racing culture. It’s easy to get lost. But the Sellick Bowl succeeds because it doesn't try to be "pro." It doesn't have the "pump-up" music blasting at 110 decibels every three seconds.
It’s a place for people who like the sound of pads popping and the smell of real grass nearby (even if the field itself is turf now). It’s one of the few places left where you can get a front-row seat for Division I sports for the price of a movie ticket.
The stadium has faced criticism, too. Some fans miss the "big" feel of the old 30,000-seat configuration. There’s a segment of the fan base that wishes Butler would jump to a scholarship-granting conference. But honestly? The current setup works. It’s sustainable. In an era where college sports are becoming increasingly "corporate," there’s something genuinely refreshing about a stadium that knows exactly what it is.
Actionable Insights for Your Visit
If you're heading to the Butler University football stadium this season, keep these practical tips in mind to maximize the experience:
- Check the Wind: Because the stadium is a "bowl" and sits near the canal, the wind can swirl unexpectedly. If it’s 50 degrees downtown, it’ll feel like 40 degrees on the bleachers. Bring a blanket.
- Arrive Early for Hinkle: You can usually walk into the Hinkle Fieldhouse lobby even on football game days. Go see the "Hoosiers" movie memorabilia before heading to the gridiron.
- Visit Holcomb Gardens: Directly adjacent to the stadium is one of the hidden gems of Indianapolis. It’s a massive garden with a lake and a bridge. It’s the perfect spot for a post-game debrief.
- Seating Strategy: Sit on the west side if you want the sun at your back. If you sit on the east side during an afternoon game, you'll be squinting until the fourth quarter.
The Sellick Bowl isn't just a sports venue. It’s a survivor. It represents a time when Indianapolis was just starting to find its identity as a sports town. Whether you're a die-hard Bulldogs fan or just a stadium nerd, this place deserves a spot on your bucket list. It’s proof that sometimes, getting smaller is the only way to get better.