Ownby Stadium

Ownby Stadium

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Address	5800 Ownby Dr.
Location	University Park, Texas
Coordinates	32°50′22″N96°46′56″W / 32.83944°N 96.78222°W / 32.83944; -96.78222
Owner	Southern Methodist University
Operator	Southern Methodist University
Capacity	23,783
Acreage	1.2 acres (0.49 ha)
Surface	Natural grass
Construction
Broke ground	1926 (1926)
Opened	1926 (1926)
Closed	1998 (1998)
Demolished	October 1998 (1998-10)
Architect	DeWitt & Lemmon
Builder	Osborne Engineering Co.
Tenants
SMU Mustangs (NCAA) (1926–1948, 1989–1994) Dallas Tornado (NASL) (1976–1979)
Jordan C. Ownby Stadium
Formerly listed on the  U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Architectural style	Colonial Revival, Georgian Revival
MPS	Georgian Revival Buildings of Southern Methodist University TR (AD)
NRHP reference No.	80004093 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 27, 1980 [2]
Removed from NRHP	September 23, 2004

Ownby Stadium was a stadium in the University Park suburb of Dallas, Texas. It was the home of the Southern Methodist University Mustang football team. In late 1998, the stadium was demolished to build Gerald J. Ford Stadium at the site.

Background

Named for Jordon Ownby, the stadium was built at the south end of the campus. There was controversy at the time of the stadium's inception, as the school had spent the gift from Ownby on a stadium (per his wishes) rather than a full-sized library, which the school did not have at the time. ^[3]

As the Mustangs rose to prominence in the 1930s, they began scheduling an increasing number of games at the much larger Cotton Bowl, and finally moved there on a permanent basis in 1948, ^[4] while later moving to Texas Stadium. However, after massive rules violations resulted in the NCAA handing down the "death penalty" in 1987, SMU officials decided to move football games back to a heavily renovated Ownby Stadium.

From 1976 to 1979 the chief tenant at Ownby was the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League.

The 23,783-seat stadium consisted of four grandstands, one on each side, with the west (home) side being larger than the rest. In late 1998, the stadium was demolished to make way for Gerald J. Ford Stadium, which stands on the same site. ^[5]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places portal
• Texas portal

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dallas County, Texas

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. "National Register of Historic Places" (PDF). Annual Listing of Historic Properties. National Park Service. February 3, 1981. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
3. DES Newsletter, Volume IV, Issue IV, April 2005, smu.edu.
4. SMU Football - Historical Information
5. "SMU demolishes 72-year-old stadium to build new home". Abilene Reporter-News . November 6, 1998. p. 5B. Retrieved August 29, 2022– via Newspapers.com.