History
The Cowboys moved into the Irving stadium in 1971 and won their first Super Bowl at the end of their first season there. The roof was first designed to be retractable, but the structure could not carry the extra weight, so the field stayed open to the sky.
The stadium hosted five NFC Championship Games, the 1973 Pro Bowl and the 2001 Big 12 title game. SMU played its home games there for much of the 1980s.
After the Ravens beat Dallas in December 2008, the Cowboys moved to Arlington. On April 11, 2010, the stadium was imploded. The state later used the site to stage a highway interchange project.
Why it matters: Home of the Cowboys during their rise to 'America's Team', and known for its open-centered roof.
Timeline
- January 26, 1969Groundbreaking[2]
Work started on the stadium in Irving.
- October 24, 1971
Dallas opened its new home by beating the New England Patriots 44–21.
- 1973
The stadium hosted the NFL's 1973 Pro Bowl.
- 2001
The stadium hosted the 2001 Big 12 title game.
- December 20, 2008
The Baltimore Ravens beat the Cowboys 33–24 in the stadium's last game.
- May 27, 2009Cowboys' new stadium opens[1]
The Cowboys' new stadium in Arlington, now AT&T Stadium, opened.
- April 11, 2010
The stadium was brought down by a controlled implosion early in the morning. An 11-year-old contest winner triggered the blast.
The site today
| Physical status | Demolished[2,3] |
|---|---|
| Current use | Texas Department of Transportation equipment storage and staging area for the SH 114/Loop 12 interchange project (per Wikipedia).[2] |
| Mapped location | Former venue site |
Street View near the former site · Satellite view (external, current imagery)
Teams & events
| Dallas Cowboys | NFL · 1971–2008 |
|---|---|
| Dallas Tornado | NASL · 1972–1981 |
| SMU Mustangs | NCAA · 1979–1986 |
Listed here are organizations that used this physical venue. A franchise's history and a venue's history are tracked separately.
Venue facts
| Location | 2401 East Airport Freeway, Irving, Texas[2] |
|---|---|
| Venue type | Stadium |
| Sports | Football, Soccer |
| Level | NFL, NCAA, NASL |
| Opened | October 24, 1971[2,3] |
| Last used for sports | December 20, 2008[2,3,4] |
| Demolished | April 11, 2010[2,3] |
| Physical status | Demolished |
| Final capacity | 65,675[2] |
| Capacity notes | 65,675 per the Wikipedia infobox. |
| Architect | A. Warren Morey[2] |
| Construction cost | US$35 million |
| Surface | Texas Turf (1971–1995), AstroTurf (1996–2002), RealGrass (2002–2008) |
| Owner / operator | City of Irving (owner); Texas Stadium Corp (operator) |
| Closure | The Cowboys moved to a new stadium in Arlington (now AT&T Stadium) in 2009. |
Documented details
Connected venues
Sources
- AT&T Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: teams
- Texas Stadium, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: address, architect, capacity, closed, coordinates, current land use, demolished, opened, teams
- Texas Stadium Goes Out With a Bang, Construction Equipment Guide. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed, demolished, opened
- Flashback: Closing Texas Stadium in Style, Baltimore Ravens. Accessed 2026-10-19Supports: closed
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 (3)
- The implosion time is 7:07 a.m. in Wikipedia and 7:08 a.m. in CEG.
- Wikipedia calls Weir Brothers Dallas-based, while CEG says Irving-based. CEG names A&R Demolition and Dykon as the demolition subcontractors.
- CEG gives the Cowboys' move into the new stadium as May 29, 2009, while Wikipedia gives the new stadium's opening as May 27, 2009.
See something wrong or missing? Suggest a correction or submit a source.