Location | 5801 Bush Avenue Dallas, TX 75205 |
---|---|
Coordinates | 32°50′11.92″N96°47′2.38″W / 32.8366444°N 96.7839944°W |
Owner | Southern Methodist University |
Operator | Southern Methodist University |
Capacity | 36,000 [1] |
Surface | FieldTurf |
Construction | |
Broke ground | September 10, 1999 [2] |
Opened | September 2, 2000 |
Construction cost | $42 million [2] ($74.3 million in 2023 dollars [3] ) |
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. [1] The stadium is owned by Southern Methodist University (SMU) and is used primarily for games played by the SMU Mustangs football team.
The stadium is named after Gerald J. Ford, a billionaire banker who provided most of the funding for its construction. [4]
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. [5]
The building stands on the site of the former Ownby Stadium, the school's previous on-campus football stadium. 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. [6]
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. [7]
The north-south oriented stadium is bowl-shaped, with stands on three sides (west, east, and north). The stadium is expandable to 45,000 seats by enclosing the horseshoe on the south end. [6]
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. [8]
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. [9]
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 is expected to be completed in time for the start of 2024 football season. [10]
Rank | Attendance | Date | Game Result |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 36,742 | December 30, 2010 | SMU 14, Army 16 |
2 | 35,569 | September 24, 2022 | SMU 34, TCU 42 |
3 | 35,481 | September 24, 2010 | SMU 24, 4 TCU 41 |
4 | 34,820 | September 20, 2014 | SMU 6, 6 Texas A&M 58 |
5 | 34,790 | August 30, 2013 | SMU 23, Texas Tech 41 |
6 | 34,749 | September 5, 2009 | SMU 31, Stephen F. Austin 23 |
7 | 33,458 | September 11, 2004 | SMU 13, Texas Tech 27 |
8 | 32,267 | September 2, 2000 | SMU 31, Kansas 17 |
9 | 32,074 | September 4, 2015 | SMU 21, 4 Baylor 56 |
10 | 32,016 | September 15, 2012 | SMU 3, Texas A&M 48 |
11 | 32,000 | October 22, 2016 | SMU 38, 11 Houston 16 |
12 | 32,000 | September 7, 2002 | SMU 14, Texas Tech 24 |
13 | 30,987 | September 23, 2016 | SMU 3, TCU 33 |
14 | 30,923 | September 20, 2008 | SMU 7, TCU 48 |
15 | 29,538 | September 3, 2005 | SMU 23, Baylor 28 |
16 | 29,528 | November 9, 2019 | 23 SMU 59, East Carolina 51 |
17 | 29,121 | September 11, 2021 | SMU 35, North Texas 12 |
18 | 28,436 | September 29, 2012 | SMU 16, 15 TCU 24 |
19 | 28,142 | October 5, 2019 | 24 SMU 43, Tulsa 373OT |
20 | 27,106 | September 20, 2003 | SMU 6, Oklahoma State 56 |
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The SMU Mustangs football program is a college football team representing Southern Methodist University (SMU) in University Park in Dallas County, Texas. The Mustangs compete in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). SMU joined the ACC in July 2024 after 11 years as a member of the American Athletic Conference.
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The 2009 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2009 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs, led by second-year head coach June Jones, played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium and competed in Conference USA.
The Safeway Bowl is the name given to the North Texas–SMU football rivalry. It is a college football rivalry game between the Southern Methodist University Mustangs football team and the University of North Texas Mean Green football team, two universities in Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
The 2012 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of Conference USA in the West Division. June Jones led the Mustangs in his fifth season. The Mustangs played home games in University Park, Texas at Gerald J. Ford Stadium. This was SMU's last year as a member of Conference USA as they will join the Big East Conference in 2013. They finished the season 7–6, 5–3 in C-USA play to finish in second place in the West Division. They were invited to the Hawaii Bowl where they defeated Fresno State.
The 2007 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University (SMU) as a member the West Division of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by Phil Bennett in his sixth and final season as head coach, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 1–11 with a mark of 0–8 in conference play, placing last of out of six teams in C-USA's West Division.
The 2018 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas and competed in the West Division of the American Athletic Conference. They were led by first-year coach Sonny Dykes. They finished the season 5–7, 4–4 in American Athletic play to finish in fourth place in the West Division.
The 2019 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2019 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by second-year head coach Sonny Dykes and played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas. They competed as members of the West Division of the American Athletic Conference.
The 2020 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University during the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs were led by third-year coach Sonny Dykes and played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas, competed as members of the American Athletic Conference.
The 2022 SMU Mustangs football team represented Southern Methodist University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mustangs played their home games at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in University Park, Texas, a separate city within the city limits of Dallas, and competed in the American Athletic Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Rhett Lashlee.