Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium

Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium
"The Hawk"
Location	Frontage Road, Commerce, Texas, 75248
Owner	East Texas A&M University
Operator	East Texas A&M University
Executive suites	5
Capacity	11,582
Record attendance	10,120 (Vs Harding Bison, in NCAA Division II Semi-Finals 12/09/2017)
Surface	FieldTurf (2006–present); Natural grass (1950–2006)
Construction
Broke ground	September, 1949
Opened	September 23, 1950
Renovated	1973, 1980, 1987, 1999, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2020
Expanded	1973, 2009–2010
Construction cost	$325,000 (1950) (Costs would be roughly $4.25 million in 2010)
Tenants
	East Texas A&M Lions football (1950–present); Texas A&M–Commerce men's & women's track and field ; Commerce High School Football (1960–present)

Last updated December 23, 2024

Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium is an athletic stadium located in Commerce, Texas. It is primarily used for American football, and is the home field of the East Texas A&M University Lions football team, Texas A&M-Commerce Men's and Women's Track and Field, and the Commerce High School Tigers Football team of the Commerce Independent School District. Prior to 1996, the stadium was named "East Texas State Memorial Stadium, and until the end of the 2017 season, it was known as Texas A&M-Commerce Memorial Stadium." The stadium was built in honor of the 78 Texas A&M-Commerce alums and students who fought and died during World War II. The stadium was renamed Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium was formally changed in November 2017 in honor of longtime Lion football coach Ernest Hawkins.

Stadium history

Memorial Stadium began as a project of the Ex-Students Association in the fall of 1945. The ESA and friends of the University raised a portion of the funds before the University itself received a state appropriation for the rest of the $300,000 to build the facility. Construction on the facility was started in the fall of 1949 and work continued quickly to have the stadium ready for the start of the 1950 season.^[3] The stadium was opened and dedicated on Sept. 23, 1950 with a game against regional rival the University of North Texas. The dedication ceremony featured U.S. Speaker of the House and Texas A&M Commerce alumnus Sam Rayburn and former Texas lieutenant governor Walter Woodul. General Douglas MacArthur, while not in attendance, wrote to then University President James Gee that "I am delighted and honored," to have his quotation affixed to the plaque honoring the Lions fallen comrades. That quote, also chiseled on the stadium at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is a famous one:

"Upon the fields of friendly strife, are sown the seeds that, Upon other fields, on other days, will bear the fruits of victory."

The Lions and Eagles played before a capacity crowd of 12,000 fans from all over North Texas that night as the Eagles came out on top 42–20. It has proven over the history of the Stadium to be one of the few home losses for Lion football, as they have won nearly 70 percent of the games they have played at home. In 1996, when the Texas A&M University System purchased East Texas State University, the name was changed from ETSU Memorial Stadium to Texas A&M University-Commerce Memorial Stadium.

Renovations and modifications

1973 – President's suite and box was added to the press box, along with 4 other rooms for viewing the game, making 5 suites in all. Aluminum bleachers were brought in to replace the concrete seating, and the T-Lounge was built for the Football program to house the dressing and training rooms for the team at the south end zone.
1978 – The athletic department and University officials decided to demolish the 2,000 visitor stands on the east side of the stadium and fill that space with tennis courts to be able to host the Lone Star Conference and NAIA national tennis tournaments. Also, fewer visitor fans were making the trip to Commerce due to the expanding distance between the conference schools. The result was reducing the capacity of the stadium to 10,000 fans.
1980 – An All-Weather rubberized surface track was installed, replacing the cinder surface.
1987 – A new ticket booth was placed at the main entrance of the stadium.
1999 – New stadium lighting fixtures were installed and the scoreboard updated with local sponsorships.
2006 – The natural grass surface was replaced with a FieldTurf artificial playing surface, a new digital messaging scoreboard was installed and replaced the previous scoreboard. The track was also repaved and the press box was decorated with a bold print message that reads HOME OF THE LIONS.
2010 – The east side stands were replaced with new seating technology that increased the capacity to 11,582. The new stadium also added an east side press box, new restrooms and concessions, a new dressing and locker room for the Lion Football program at the north end of the stadium and the T-Lounge was demolished. A Daktronics video jumbotron scoreboard was installed that at the time of completion the largest video board in all of NCAA Division II athletics.
2013 – The playing surface is replaced again, this time showing a large Lion head that stretches 50 yards long and 50 yards wide, making it possibly the largest on site logo in the entire world according to the Guinness Book of World Records, this lasted until 2019 when the university replaced the turf and used a smaller traditional sized logo. The west side is also renovated, adding nearly 500 reserved section seats for season ticket holders and also has various cosmetic improvements around the stadium.
2014 – The school athletic department creates a corporate sponsorship with Ben E. Keith and GoodSport and puts new signage on the outer facade of the stadium honoring the 1972 National Championship team, and individual murals for former Lions Bobby Bounds, Gary Compton, Ernest Hawkins, Tevin Moore, and Billy Watkins, honoring the records they hold for the school.
2017 – The We Are Lions Lounge was built on the concourse level of the stadium, this lounge will former letterwinners and Lion Champions Fund donors.
2020 – The home team locker room was expanded and re-named the Champions Center, the expansion included new locker room areas, athletic training facilities, and equipment and laundry upgrades. Also in 2020, the Daktronics video scoreboard was expanded to a full videoboard with enhanced sound system.^[4]

Notable games

The first game was played in September 1950 against the University of North Texas.
1966 against Texas A&M-Kingsville on a fourth and goal play Lion QB Ben Kirkland threw a pass at the back of the end zone that was caught by Tom Black, giving Head Coach Ernest Hawkins his first conference championship with a 21–20 win.
1969-Vs. Stephen F. Austin State – Three years later on another miraculous closing seconds game winner, James Dietz lofted a perfect pass to George Daskalakes for a touchdown and again for a two-point conversion to beat the Lumberjacks, 36–35 and force SFA to share the conference title with the Lions.
November 1972–The Lions defeat the number one ranked Central Oklahoma Bronchos 54–0 in the NAIA national semifinals to clinch a spot in the national championship game.
December 1972 – In front of much of Northeast Texas, the Lions defeat Carson-Newman College, 21–18 for the 1972 NAIA Division I national football championship on a bitterly cold December afternoon.
October 1977-Texas A&M-Kingsville's 46-game unbeaten streak ended Lion kicker Tom Hay split the uprights with an extra-point to defeat the Javelinas, 7–6.
September 1991 – Another national streak ended on a humid September night as the Lions defeated the Pittsburg State Gorillas, 20–13. PSU came into Commerce riding a 56-game winning streak and would go on to win the Division II National Championship later that season.
November 1991 – The Lions host their first NCAA playoff contest and defeat Grand Valley State University, 36–15.
September 4, 2014 – the Lions opened the season with a record-breaking performance, defeating East Texas Baptist by a score of 98–20. During this game the offense produced 13 touchdowns, 98 points, and 986 total yards of offense.^[5] The win gained the Lions national exposure as it was reported on ESPN's Sportscenter that same night. The next day, head coach Colby Carthel was interviewed by ESPN's Linda Cohn in regards to the win. In that win the Lions set national and conference records for points scored, yards gained, and total offense in a game. On November 1, 2014, the Lions reached the 90 point mark for a second time during their homecoming game against McMurry. The Lions won by a score of 91–13 and clinched their first Lone Star Conference title under head coach Colby Carthel.^[6]

During the 2015 season, the Lions hosted 2 nationally televised games at Memorial Stadium. The first of which was a hard-fought 38–35 victory over the Angelo State Rams that ended up being broadcast on ESPN.^[7] The second game was broadcast on American Sports Network, where the Lions fell in the Lone Star Conference playoff title game against the Midwestern State Mustangs by a score of 37–33.^[8]
December 9, 2017, A new stadium record attendance of 10,120 was set as the Lions defeated Harding (Ark) 31–17 in an NCAA Division II semi-final game.

Attendance

Rk.	Date	Opponent	Attendance	Result
Highest attendance
1	December 9, 2017	Harding	10,120	W 31–17
2	September 9, 2017	William Jewell	10,108	W 59–6
3	October 29, 2016	West Texas A&M	9,629	W 36–0
4	October 11, 2014	McMurry	9,496	W 91–13
5	October 30, 1976	Southwest Texas State	9,250	W 23–8
6	September 16, 2017	Eastern New Mexico	9,233	W 51–22
7	October 8, 2016	Midwestern State	9,208	L 25–26
8	October 27, 2018	West Texas A&M	9,168	W 41–16
9	October 2, 1976	Howard Payne	9,123	W 46–0
10	October 9, 1976	Texas A&I	8,750	L 0–37

Attendance records available 1976, 1983-84, 1989-2007, and 2009-Present. Inaugural game against North Texas State on September 23, 1950 is said to have had an attendance of over 12,000 but no official attendance records are available for that game.^[9]

Other functions

In addition to football games for East Texas A&M and Commerce High School, it also hosts college and high school track meets, including the University Interscholastic League's Conference 4A Region II track meet, which is a precursor to the Texas High School State Track meet in Austin. It also hosts Texas High School football playoff games due to Commerce's proximity to the Dallas, Texas metro area and also to the far northwestern parts of East Texas.

Notable High School Games

Fall 2001-Commerce High School hosted the Forney Jackrabbits in a Class AAA district game in front of a standing room only crowd of over 10,000 fans. The Jackrabbits defeated the Tigers, but the Tigers would go on to win the Class AAA Division II State Championship.

Related Research Articles

Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium is an outdoor sports stadium in Columbia, Missouri, United States, on the campus of the University of Missouri. It is primarily used for football and serves as the home field for the Missouri Tigers' program. It is the third-largest sports facility by seating capacity in the state of Missouri, behind The Dome at America's Center in St. Louis and Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. In 1972, Memorial Stadium's playing surface was named Faurot Field in honor of longtime coach Don Faurot.

Ernest Ray Hawkins was an American football coach, basketball coach, and athletic director. He served as head football coach at East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—from 1964 to 1985, compiling a 132–92–6 record. He is the winningest head coach in Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football history and led the program to the NAIA Football National Championship in 1972.

The East Texas A&M Lions are the athletic teams that represent East Texas A&M University, located in Commerce, Texas, in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports. The Lions compete as members of the Southland Conference for all 12 varsity sports. East Texas A&M previously played in the Lone Star Conference from 1931 to 2022.

The West Texas A&M Buffaloes football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the West Texas A&M University located in the U.S. state of Texas. The team competes in Division II and are members of the Lone Star Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1910. Since 2019, the Buffaloes have played their home games at the 8,500 seat on-campus Bain–Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium. The team formerly played at the 20,000 seat Kimbrough Memorial Stadium. They are coached by Josh Lynn.

The East Texas A&M Lions men's basketball team is the men's intercollegiate basketball program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The team plays its home games at the University Field House on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. They are currently coached by Jaret von Rosenberg.

The East Texas A&M Lions football team is the college football program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I FCS of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Prior to joining the Southland, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The East Texas A&M football team plays its home games at Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. On December 16, 2017, East Texas A&M won its first NCAA Division II national championship, by defeating West Florida, 37–27, in Kansas City. The Lions recorded a perfect record in 1934, won the NAIA National Championship in 1972, and have amassed a total of 24 LSC conference championships since joining as a charter member in 1931. On September 28, 2021, the university accepted an invitation from the Southland Conference, moving the university's athletics programs up to the NCAA Division I level. This ended a 90-year affiliation with the Lone Star Conference, as East Texas A&M was the last founding member remaining. The football team began competing at the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision level starting with the 2022 season.

The East Texas A&M Lions women's soccer team is the women's intercollegiate soccer program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For the first 27 years of existence, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The East Texas A&M women's soccer team plays its home games at Lion Soccer Field on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. The Lions won four LSC regular season championships, three conference tournament titles, and made six appearances in the NCAA Division II Tournament. The team is currently coached by Ashley Gordon.

The East Texas A&M Lions women's volleyball team is the women's intercollegiate volleyball program representing East Texas A&M University. The school competes in the Southland Conference (SLC) in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). For the first 44 years of existence, they competed in the Lone Star Conference of Division II. The East Texas A&M women's volleyball team plays its home games at the University Field House on the university campus in Commerce, Texas. The Lions have won two conference regular-season titles, an LSC tournament championship, and have appeared in the NCAA tournament on six occasions, three times during the tenure of head coach Kathy Goodlett (1983–89) and three under Craig Case.

Colby Don Carthel is an American college football coach and former player. He is the head football coach at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, a position he has held since December 2018. Carthel served as the head football coach at Texas A&M University–Commerce from 2013 to 2018, leading the 2017 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team to an NCAA Division II Football Championship title. Prior to his time as head coach, he was the defensive coordinator under his father, Don Carthel, at West Texas A&M University, from 2006 to 2012. Carthel played football at Angelo State University, where he was an all-conference linebacker.

The 2017 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team represented Texas A&M University–Commerce in the 2017 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by head coach Colby Carthel, who was in his fifth season at Texas A&M-Commerce. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium and were members of the Lone Star Conference. The Lions won the NCAA Division II Football Championship. Quarterback Luis Perez also won the Harlon Hill Trophy.

The 1972 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University in the 1972 NAIA Division I football season. They were led by head coach Ernest Hawkins, who was in his ninth season at East Texas State. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium and were members of the Lone Star Conference. The Lions won the Lone Star Conference, the NAIA District IV, and the NAIA Division I National Championship.

The 1980 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1980 NAIA Division I football season. Led by 17th-year head coach Ernest Hawkins, the Lions compiled an overall record of 8–3–1 with a mark of 4–2–1 in conference play, placing fourth in the LSC. Two of the conference's members competed at the NCAA Division II level, while the rest remained in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Despite Southwest Texas State, an NCAA Division II member, winning the conference title, the NAIA division title was shared by East Texas State and Angelo State. The Lions advanced to the NAIA Division I Football National Championship playoffs, where they beat Central Arkansas in the quarterfinals before falling to Elon, the eventual national champion, in the semifinals.

The 1969 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University in the 1969 NAIA football season. They were led by head coach Ernest Hawkins, who was in his sixth season at East Texas State. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium and were members of the Lone Star Conference. The Lions shared the Lone Star Conference championship with Texas A&I, the eventual national champion.

The 1983 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1983 NCAA Division II football season. Led by 19th-year head coach Ernest Hawkins, the Lions compiled an overall record of 8–2 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, sharing the LSC title with Southwest Texas State. It was the team's final LSC title under Hawkins, who retired at the end of the 1985 season. East Texas State played home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas

The 1984 East Texas State Lions football team represented East Texas State University—now known as Texas A&M University–Commerce—as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 1984 NCAA Division II football season. Led by 21st-year head coach Ernest Hawkins, the Lions compiled an overall record of 5–5 with a mark of 1–3 in conference play, placing fourth in the LSC. East Texas State played home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.

The 2014 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team represented Texas A&M University–Commerce in the 2014 NCAA Division II football season. They were led by head coach Colby Carthel, who was in his second season at Texas A&M–Commerce. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium and were members of the Lone Star Conference (LSC). With a 9–3 record, the Lions were outright Lone Star champions for the first time since 1990. They were selected to participate in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl, where they defeated East Central in their first postseason win since the 1991 NCAA Division II playoffs.

The 2022 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team represented Texas A&M University–Commerce as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2022 NCAA Division I FCS football season. They were led by head coach David Bailiff, who coached his third and final season with the program. The Lions played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.

The 2016 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team represented Texas A&M University–Commerce as a member of the Lone Star Conference (LSC) during the 2016 NCAA Division II football season. Led by fourth-year head coach Colby Carthel, the Lions compiled an overall record of 11–2 with a mark of 8–1 in conference play, winning the LSC title for the third consecutive season. Texas A&M–Commerce advanced to the NCAA Division II Football Championship playoffs for the fifth time in program history. In the first round, the Lions defeated Colorado Mesa, 34–23, for the program's first playoff win since 1991, but lost to the Grand Valley State, 55–32, in the second round. The Lions were ranked No. 9 in the final AFCA poll.

The 2023 Texas A&M–Commerce Lions football team represented Texas A&M University–Commerce as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lions were led by first-year head coach Clint Dolezel and played home games at the Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.

The 2024 East Texas A&M Lions football team represented East Texas A&M University as a member of the Southland Conference during the 2024 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The Lions were led by second-year head coach Clint Dolezel and played their home games at the Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium in Commerce, Texas.

References

↑ "Memorial Stadium".
↑ "Football vs Harding on 12/9/2017 - Box Score".
↑ Memorial Stadium (TAMUC)
↑ "Lion Athletics Facilities". Texas A&M University-Commerce Athletics. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
↑ "Lions Open Season in Record-Breaking Fashion Thursday". Texas A&M-Commerce. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
↑ "Lions Win LSC Championship Outright with 91–13 Rout of McMurry". Texas A&M-Commerce. November 2014. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
↑ "No. 15 Lions, No.16 Rams Ready for NCAA DII Game of the Week on ESPN3/WatchESPN". Texas A&M-Commerce. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
↑ "Lions, Mustangs to Play for LSC Playoff Title". Texas A&M-Commerce. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-24.
↑ "Lion Football History". Texas A&M University-Commerce Athletics. Retrieved 2023-06-04.

33°14′45″N95°54′36″W / 33.24583°N 95.91000°W / 33.24583; -95.91000

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[1] "Memorial Stadium".

[2] "Football vs Harding on 12/9/2017 - Box Score".

[3] Memorial Stadium (TAMUC)

[4] "Lion Athletics Facilities". Texas A&M University-Commerce Athletics. Retrieved 2023-06-02.

[5] "Lions Open Season in Record-Breaking Fashion Thursday". Texas A&M-Commerce. 5 September 2014. Retrieved 2016-02-02.

[6] "Lions Win LSC Championship Outright with 91–13 Rout of McMurry". Texas A&M-Commerce. November 2014. Retrieved 2016-02-24.

[7] "No. 15 Lions, No.16 Rams Ready for NCAA DII Game of the Week on ESPN3/WatchESPN". Texas A&M-Commerce. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-24.

[8] "Lions, Mustangs to Play for LSC Playoff Title". Texas A&M-Commerce. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 2016-02-24.

[9] "Lion Football History". Texas A&M University-Commerce Athletics. Retrieved 2023-06-04.

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v t e East Texas A&M Lions football
Venues	Lion Stadium (–1949) Ernest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium (1950–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Tarleton State: President's Cup Texas A&M–Kingsville: Chennault Cup West Texas A&M: East Texas vs. West Texas
People	Head coaches NFL draftees
Seasons	1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943–1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
National championship seasons in bold

v t e East Texas A&M University
Athletics	Basketball Men's Women's Football Soccer (women's) Softball Volleyball (women's)
Buildings	Mayo Hall Memorial Stadium University Field House Whitley Hall
History	East Texas Normal College (1889–1917) East Texas State Normal College (1917–1923) East Texas State Teachers College (1923–1957) East Texas State College (1957–1965) East Texas State University (1965–1996) Texas A&M University–Commerce (1996–present)
Other	KETR Notable alumni

v t e Football stadiums of the Southland Conference
Current stadiums	Memorial Stadium (East Texas A&M) Husky Stadium (Houston Christian) Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium (Incarnate Word) Provost Umphrey Stadium (Lamar) Cowboy Stadium (McNeese) Harry Turpin Stadium (Northwestern State) Manning Field at John L. Guidry Stadium (Nicholls) Strawberry Stadium (Southeastern Louisiana) Homer Bryce Stadium (Stephen F. Austin)
Future stadiums	Robert and Janet Vackar Stadium (UTRGV; begins play in 2025)