Originally known as Cougar Stadium, the stadium was renamed with the retirement of legendary head football coach LaVell Edwards at the conclusion of the 2000 season.
Edwards Stadium was built in 1964 with a seating capacity of 45,000 (including temporary bleachers placed at each of the end zones). As a result of increased seating demands, BYU made another renovation in 1982, adding stands to the north and south end zones, lowering the field eight feet and removing the track surrounding the field (home to the 1967 and 1975 NCAA Track and Field Championships).
The stadium expansion increased the seating capacity to over 65,000. The crowd of 64,253 that gathered for BYU's first game in the expanded stadium on September 25, 1982 was reported at the time as "the largest gathering ever in Utah history."
Since its expansion in 1982, the stadium has consistently ranked among the nation's top 25 in attendance.
Some of the stadium's well-known features include a box-bowl seating configuration, a grass playing surface and a four-level press box.
In 2003 BYU added a luxury "Club Seating" area to the east stands, taking the capacity of Edwards Stadium to 64,045. In 2010 and 2011 BYU created additional wheelchair access inside the stadium, which reduced the overall capacity to 63,725 in 2010 and 63,470 in 2011.