From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
American football stadium on the Southern Methodist University campus near Dallas, TX, US
American football stadium on the Southern Methodist University campus near Dallas, TX, US
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Gerald J. Ford Stadium |
| logo_size | 150 |
| image | Gerald J Ford Stadium.jpg |
| location | 5801 Bush Avenue |
| Dallas, TX 75205 | |
| coordinates | |
| pushpin_map | USA Texas#USA |
| pushpin_relief | 1 |
| pushpin_map_caption | Location in Texas##Location in the United States |
| broke_ground | September 10, 1999 |
| opened | September 2, 2000 |
| owner | Southern Methodist University |
| operator | Southern Methodist University |
| surface | {{ubl |
| Shaw Sports Turf (2016–2024)<ref name | "turf" |
| construction_cost | $42 million |
| ($ in 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) | |
| seating_capacity | 33,200 |
Dallas, TX 75205 |FieldTurf (2003–2016) |Shaw Sports Turf (2016–2024) |Bermuda Grass (2000–2002, 2025–present) ($ in dollars) 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 is bowl-shaped, originally standing on three sides (west, east, and north). The stadium is 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
| SMU Mustangs | color=white}}" | Rank | SMU Mustangs | color=white}}" | Attendance | SMU Mustangs | color=white}}" | Date | SMU Mustangs | color=white}}" | 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 | 35,074 | November 1, 2025 | SMU 26, 10 Miami 20 | ||||||||
| 5 | 34,879 | September 28, 2024 | SMU 42, Florida State 16 | ||||||||
| 6 | 34,852 | September 6, 2025 | 17 SMU 45, Baylor 48 | ||||||||
| 7 | 34,845 | October 4, 2025 | SMU 31, Syracuse 18 | ||||||||
| 8 | 34,820 | September 20, 2014 | SMU 6, 6 Texas A&M 58 | ||||||||
| 9 | 34,790 | August 30, 2013 | SMU 23, Texas Tech 41 | ||||||||
| 10 | 34,749 | September 5, 2009 | SMU 31, Stephen F. Austin 23 | ||||||||
| 11 | 34,689 | September 4, 2004 | SMU 13, Texas Tech 27 | ||||||||
| 12 | 34,648 | November 2, 2024 | 20 SMU 48, 18 Pittsburgh 25 | ||||||||
| 13 | 34,438 | November 16, 2024 | 14 SMU 38, Boston College 28 | ||||||||
| 14 | 33,178 | November 30, 2024 | 9 SMU 38, California 6 | ||||||||
| 15 | 33,168 | September 21, 2024 | SMU 66, TCU 42 | ||||||||
| 16 | 33,044 | August 30, 2025 | 16 SMU 42, East Texas A&M 13 | ||||||||
| 17 | 32,267 | September 2, 2000 | SMU 31, Kansas 17 | ||||||||
| 18 | 32,074 | September 4, 2015 | SMU 21, 4 Baylor 56 | ||||||||
| 19 | 32,016 | September 15, 2012 | SMU 3, Texas A&M 48 | ||||||||
| 20 | 32,000 | October 22, 2016 | SMU 38, 11 Houston 16 |
Gallery
SMU's Ford Stadium Press from Opposite Side of Stadium.JPG|Home side, 2016 SMU's Ford Stadium, Wide Shot.JPG|Wide shot, 2016 View of Gerald J Ford Stadium after renovations, 20224.jpg|New end zone, 2024
References
References
- "Gerald J. Ford Stadium".
- "Gerald J. Ford Stadium Turf Project".
- "Facilities".
- "Gerald J. Ford - Profile". Forbes.com.
- "Loyd All-Sports Center". SMUMustangs.com.
- "Gerald J. Ford Stadium". SMUMustangs.com.
- "College football establishes new attendance records for the bowl and regular seasons". MilitaryBowl.org.
- "Gerald J. Ford Stadium Premium Seating and Mini-Suites". SMU.edu.
- "SMU Athletics reveals future facilities projects". SMU.edu.
- "Expanding SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium". SMU.edu.
- "Garry Weber End Zone Complex".
This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.
Ask Mako anything about Gerald J. Ford Stadium — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.
Research with MakoFree with your Surf account
Create a free account to save articles, ask Mako questions, and organize your research.
Sign up freeThis content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.
Report