History
The stadium opened on the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center grounds in 1956 and was renamed Cardinal Stadium in 1982. The University of Louisville played football there for four decades, and it also hosted state high school championships.
It served Triple-A baseball, notably the Louisville Redbirds, before Louisville's teams moved to new venues. After the seating was declared unstable in 2013, the east grandstand came down in 2014 and the rest was demolished in spring 2019 to expand state fair space.
Why it matters: The University of Louisville's football home for 41 seasons.
Timeline
- September 9, 1956First event[1]
An NFL exhibition between the Colts and Eagles opened the stadium.
- August 1960Cowboys' first win[1]
The Dallas Cowboys won their first game in franchise history here, 14-3 over the Giants.
- November 17, 2014East grandstand razed[1]
Demolition of the unsafe east grandstand began.
- March 20, 2019
Demolition of the remaining stadium began, completed by June 2019.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[1,2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Cleared for Kentucky State Fair and livestock exposition use[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Louisville Cardinals | NCAA · 1957–1997 |
|---|---|
| Louisville Colonels | American Association · 1957–1962 · tenant |
| Louisville Redbirds | American Association · 1982–1998 · tenant |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Official name | Cardinal Stadium |
|---|---|
| Other names | Fairgrounds Stadium (1956–1982); Cardinal Stadium |
| Location | 937 Phillips Lane, Kentucky Exposition Center grounds, Louisville, Kentucky[1] |
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Baseball |
| Level | NCAA, Minor League |
| Opened | September 9, 1956[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | 2014[1] |
| Demolished | June 2019[1,2] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Final capacity | 47,925[1] |
| Surface | AstroTurf |
| Owner / operator | Kentucky State Fair Board |
| Closure | Louisville football moved to its new on-campus stadium after 1997 and later baseball tenants left; the aging stands were declared unsafe. |
Documented details
Sources
- Cardinal Stadium (1956), Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, capacity, closed, coordinates, demolished, opened, teams
- Demolition begins at Old Cardinal Stadium, WAVE News. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: current land use, demolished, opened
Research confidence
Some facts on this page rely on a single source or are still being corroborated. Treat specific dates and figures with care. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (1)
- Wikipedia gives Kentucky Trackers years as both 1979-1980 and 1979-1982.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.