History
The west stands were built in 1936 and the stadium's first game was played on October 3, 1936; the WPA added the east stands in 1940-1941. Arizona State played there until its final game on September 20, 1958, then moved to Sun Devil Stadium. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the stadium on June 3, 1964.
Tempe High School stopped using the stadium in 1969. The west stands were razed in September 1976 and the east stands in September 1978; a parking garage and business school buildings now occupy the site.
Why it matters: Arizona State's football home before Sun Devil Stadium.
Timeline
- October 3, 1936
Arizona State Teachers College beat Caltech 26-0 in the first game.
- 1941
The WPA built the east stands.
- September 20, 1958
Arizona State beat Hawaii 47-6 in its last game at Goodwin before moving to Sun Devil Stadium.
- June 3, 1964Martin Luther King Jr. speech[1]
Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at the stadium.
- September 1976West stands razed[2]
The west stands were razed.
- September 1978East stands razed[2]
The east stands were razed.
The site today
| Physical status | Site redeveloped[2] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Parking garage and W. P. Carey School of Business buildings; Lemon Street was extended through the site.[1] |
| Surviving remnants | Commemorative plaque at College Ave. and Lemon St. |
| Mapped location | Approximate historic location |
Teams & events
| Tempe High School | |
|---|---|
| Arizona State Sun Devils | NCAA · 1936–1958 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | East Lemon Street and South College Avenue, Tempe, Arizona |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football |
| Level | NCAA, High school |
| Opened | October 3, 1936[1,2] |
| Last used for sports | 1969[1] |
| Demolished | September 1978[2] |
| Physical status | Site redeveloped |
| Final capacity | 15,000[1] |
| Capacity notes | Wikipedia says 15,000 at its peak; the marker lists 4,800 fans including 4,000 seats. |
| Closure | ASU moved to Sun Devil Stadium (1958); Tempe High left in 1969. |
Sources
- Goodwin Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: capacity, closed, current land use, events, opened
- Site of Goodwin Stadium 1936-1978, The Historical Marker Database. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: coordinates, demolished, events, opened
Research confidence
Key facts on this page (opening, closing, status and location) are each supported by sources, with key dates corroborated by at least two independent sources. Last reviewed 2026-10-19.
Where sources disagree (2)
- Wikipedia's infobox gives a closing year of 1976 (when demolition began); the last ASU game was 1958 and the last high school use 1969.
- Peak capacity: 15,000 (Wikipedia) vs. 4,800 including 4,000 seats (marker).
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.