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Gerald J. Ford Stadium

Gerald J. Ford StadiumLocation in TexasShow map of TexasGerald J. Ford StadiumLocation in the United StatesShow map of the United States
Location	5801 Bush Avenue Dallas, TX 75205
Coordinates	32°50′11.92″N 96°47′2.38″W / 32.8366444°N 96.7839944°W / 32.8366444; -96.7839944
Owner	Southern Methodist University
Operator	Southern Methodist University
Capacity	32,000
Surface	FieldTurf
Construction
Broke ground	September 10, 1999
Opened	September 2, 2000
Construction cost	$42 million ($74.3 million in 2023 dollars)
Architect	Ellerbe Becket
General contractor	Huber, Hunt & Nichols
Tenants
SMU Mustangs (NCAA) (2000–present) Armed Forces Bowl (NCAA) (2010–2011) First Responder Bowl (NCAA) (2019–present)

Gerald J. Ford Stadium is a stadium in Dallas, Texas. The stadium is owned by Southern Methodist University (SMU) and is used primarily for games played by the SMU Mustangs football team.

About Gerald J. Ford Stadium

The stadium is named after Gerald J. Ford, a billionaire banker who provided most of the funding for its construction.

Outside the northeast corner of the stadium is Doak Walker Plaza, honoring the former Heisman Trophy winner and SMU's greatest football star. The plaza includes a life-sized replica of the Doak Walker Award trophy, awarded annually to the nation's top college football running back. The northwest corner is connected to the Loyd All-Sports Center, which contains locker, training, and office space for SMU Athletics.

History

The building stands on the site of the former Ownby Stadium, the school's previous on-campus football stadium that had been used since 1926. Ownby was demolished starting in late October 1998 in order to clear the land designated for the new stadium. Ford Stadium opened on September 2, 2000, with a football game against the University of Kansas.

On September 24, 2022, the regular season attendance record was set at Gerald J. Ford Stadium when 35,481 people watched the TCU Horned Frogs face off against the SMU Mustangs in the Battle for the Iron Skillet. The overall attendance record is set at 36,742 for the 2010 Armed Forces Bowl between SMU and the Army Black Knights.

Expansion

The north-south oriented stadium was bowl-shaped, originally standing on three sides (west, east, and north). The stadium was theoretically expandable to 45,000 seats by enclosing the horseshoe on the south end.

Renovations

In 2012, SMU Mustang Athletics announced the construction of additional luxury suites, as well as the upgrading of infrastructure to the Paul B. Loyd, Jr. All-Sports Center to allow access to designated outdoor seating areas in the stadium. Construction was completed prior to the start of the 2013 season.

On July 26, 2016, SMU officials announced plans for an upcoming facilities project that will include a new indoor performance center for the Mustangs football team, as well as an outdoor natural grass football practice field. The additions are part of the initial phase of SMU's $150 million comprehensive facilities upgrade.

On December 2, 2022, SMU broke ground on the Garry Weber Endzone Complex, a new, $100 million dollar state-of-the-art facility for the school's football team. The complex, named after Garry Weber, an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist and former SMU football player, will include a new weight room, training facilities, meeting rooms, and offices for the football program. The complex was expected to be completed in time for the start of 2024 football season, and the expansion was completed and dedicated on September 6, 2024.

Attendance records

Gallery

• Home side, 2016
• Wide shot, 2016
• New end zone, 2024

See also

• List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums

References

1. ^ "Facilities". SMU Athletics.
2. ^ "Gerald J. Ford Stadium". football.ballparks.com.
3. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
4. "Gerald J. Ford - Profile". Forbes.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
5. "Loyd All-Sports Center". SMUMustangs.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
6. ^ "Gerald J. Ford Stadium". SMUMustangs.com. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
7. "College football establishes new attendance records for the bowl and regular seasons". MilitaryBowl.org. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
8. "Gerald J. Ford Stadium Premium Seating and Mini-Suites". SMU.edu. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
9. "SMU Athletics reveals future facilities projects". SMU.edu. Retrieved August 24, 2017.
10. "Expanding SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium". SMU.edu. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
11. "Garry Weber End Zone Complex". www.smu.edu. Retrieved November 13, 2024.

External links

• Official website

• SMU Mustangs football venues
• Sports venues in Dallas
• American football venues in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex
• High school football venues in Texas
• 2000 establishments in Texas
• Sports venues completed in 2000