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 RankAttendanceDateGame 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, TCU 41435,074November 1, 2025SMU 26, Miami 205 34,879 September 28, 2024 SMU 42, Florida State 16 6 34,852 September 6, 2025 SMU 45, Baylor 48734,845October 4, 2025SMU 31, Syracuse 18 8 34,820 September 20, 2014 SMU 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 231134,689September 4, 2004SMU 13, Texas Tech 27 12 34,648 November 2, 2024 SMU 48, Pittsburgh 25 13 34,438 November 16, 2024 SMU 38, Boston College 2814 33,178 November 30, 2024 SMU 38, California 6 15 33,168 September 21, 2024 SMU 66, TCU 421633,044August 30, 2025 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, Baylor 56 19 32,016 September 15, 2012 SMU 3, Texas A&M 48 20 32,000 October 22, 2016 SMU 38, Houston 16
Gallery
See also List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums
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