Renamed for Robert L. Rice in 1972, it was almost completely demolished after the 1997 season to make way for the Utes' current home, Rice-Eccles Stadium, which occupies the same physical footprint.

The stadium was also funded in part by selling tickets to two home games for the next 10 years.

After the 1971 season, health club pioneer Robert L. Rice donated $1 million towards the stadium's first major facelift.

By then, very few Division I-A stadiums remained by then that used timber as a major part of its construction.

With this in mind, the athletic department decided to completely overhaul the facility to bring it up to modern standards.

The bleachers built in the south end zone in 1982 were all that remained of the old stadium until they were demolished after the 2019 season to make room for an expansion.