Alamo Stadium
The Rock Pile | |
 | |
| Location | 110 Tuleta Dr San Antonio, Texas 78212 |
|---|---|
| Owner | San Antonio Independent School District |
| Operator | San Antonio Independent School District |
| Capacity | 23,000 |
Alamo Stadium and Gymnasium | |
 | |
  | |
| Built | 1940 |
| NRHP reference No. | 11000651 |
| Added to NRHP | September 8, 2011 |
| Surface | NexTurf |
| Construction | |
| Construction cost | $500,000 |
| Architect | Phelps & Dewees & Simmons, A.I.A. |
| Structural engineer | W.E. Simpson Co. |
Alamo Stadium is a horseshoe-shaped football and soccer stadium in Monte Vista, San Antonio, Texas, USA. Nicknamed "the rock pile" due to its primarily limestone construction it was completed in September 1940 as a Works Progress Administration project. The stadium is currently owned and operated by the San Antonio Independent School District as a high school football and soccer facility. It has a seating capacity of 18,500,[1] making it the largest high school stadium in the state of Texas.[2][3]
Soccer club Corinthians FC of San Antonio are tenants.
History
Early years
Initially proposed by SAISD trustees in May 1939, the stadium was constructed on the site of an abandoned rock quarry at a total cost of just under $500,000. The majority of funding was provided by the federal Works Progress Administration (project 65-1-66-30), with approximately $110,000 coming from district revenue bonds.[4][5]
24,000 people were in attendance for the stadium's opening celebration, a high school football doubleheader.[6] Corpus Christi defeated Jefferson in the first game 14-0. Brackenridge defeated (Houston) Reagan 19-2 in the second.
Modern day
The stadium is currently used by the high schools of the SAISD, including Brackenridge, Burbank, Edison, Fox Tech, Highlands, Sam Houston, Jefferson, and Lanier High Schools for mainly High School football games. It is also home to track meets hosted by SAISD, also home to the Region IV-4A & Region IV-5A track meets which occur in late April or early May. The Battle of the Bands is held there annually during Fiesta.
The site was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 8, 2011.
Future
In November 2010, San Antonio voters approved a $515 million bond which included $35 million for renovation of the stadium. Proposed updates include new bathrooms, plumbing, seating and repairs.
In January 2011, San Antonio Spurs owner SS&E expressed an interest in bringing a professional soccer team to San Antonio, possibly playing in Alamo Stadium.
Stadium usage
High School football
The stadium has been home to numerous high school games, including the Chili Bowl, an annual football game between Fox Tech and Lanier High Schools. It regularly sold out, and was consistently one of the highest attended regular season football games in Texas, averaging about 23,000 spectators. After the 2009 season, the Fox Tech football team was disbanded, ending the series.
In 2002, the stadium hosted the U.S. Army All-American Bowl.[7]
College football
Alamo Stadium has also hosted college football games. When the stadium opened in 1940, two college football games were held at the newly constructed stadium, Texas A&M's defeat of Tulsa, 41-6, on Oct. 5, and Baylor's defeat Villanova, 7-0, two weeks later on Oct. 19. The stadium was host to the Texas A&M – Texas Tech football rivalry for 8 consecutive games from 1943 through 1950. It was also the home of the first bowl game held in San Antonio, the 1947 Alamo Bowl between Hardin-Simmons and Denver University. The game was a financial failure and a postseason bowl game would not return to San Antonio until the modern incarnation of the Alamo Bowl that began in 1993 and has since been held at the Alamodome.
Professional football
The stadium has been home to several professional football teams, including the San Antonio Wings of the WFL in 1975, the San Antonio Gunslingers of the USFL from 1984–1985, the San Antonio Riders of the WLAF in 1991, and the San Antonio Matadors of the Spring Football League in 2000.
Soccer
Alamo Stadium was the home of the San Antonio Thunder for 1976, their second of only two years in the city. The team was a member of the North American Soccer League and moved to Hawaii for the 1977 season.
References
- ^ http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/stadium.php?id=836
- ^ "10 Biggest High School Football Stadiums In Texas". Yes to Texas. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
- ^ "Check out the largest high school stadiums: Alamo Stadium". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 19, 2014.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ SAISD News Release - Sept. 4, 2003
- ^ DAVID FLORES: SAISD voters right in approving Alamo Stadium facelift
- ^ From the Vault: ‘Beautiful’ Alamo Stadium dedicated 70 years ago
- ^ Army's All-American Bowl has become a highly anticipated sports event in San Antonio
External links
- Tulsa Roughnecks sports facilities
- Soccer venues in Texas
- High school football venues in Texas
- United States Football League venues
- Sports venues in San Antonio, Texas
- Athletics (track and field) venues in the United States
- World Football League venues
- Works Progress Administration in Texas
- National Register of Historic Places in Bexar County, Texas
- San Antonio Thunder
- North American Soccer League (1968–84) stadiums
- Buildings and structures on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas