Stadium/Parking Located minutes north of downtown Dallas, Gerald J. Ford Stadium is home to the Conference USA-member Southern Methodist University Mustangs. The surface was originally natural grass but was replaced with FieldTurf prior to the 2005 season. Ford Stadium stands on the site of the former Ownby Stadium, which was leveled in 1998. Ford Stadium, which opened in 2000, is a standard north-south, bowl-shaped venue with seating on three sides (west, east, and north) and a grassy hill and video scoreboard in the south end. Outside the northeast corner of Ford Stadium is Doak Walker Plaza, honoring the former Heisman Trophy winner and SMU's greatest football star. For trivia buffs, Gerald J. Ford is a billionaire banker who provided much of the funding for the stadium’s construction (the late Gerald R. Ford was the U.S. President). Seating capacity is 32,000. The playing surface is 25 feet below ground level, with half of the stadium's seats sunk below grade. More than 2,000 parking spaces in garages and various lots are available around Ford Stadium. Parking will be $5.
Stadium Directions … From DFW Airport: Take the South Exit from the airport to State Hwy. 183 East. State Hwy. 183 turns into I-35E South. Take I-35E South down to I-30 East (Left). Off of I-30 east take U.S. Hwy. 75 North and take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Left) on Mockingbird Lane and turn left on Airline Road. From Dallas Love Field Airport: Exit from the Airport to Mockingbird Lane. Go East on Mockingbird Lane and turn left on Airline Road. From I-35E (North Dallas): Go South on I-35E to I-635 (LBJ Freeway). Go East on I-635 to U.S. Hwy. 75 South (Right). Take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Right) on Mockingbird Lane and turn right on Airline Road. P From I-35E (South Dallas): Go North on I-35E to I-30. Go East on I-30 to U.S. Hwy. 75 North (Left). Take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Left) on Mockingbird Lane and turn right on Airline Road. From U.S. Hwy. 75 (North Dallas): Go South on U.S. Hwy. 75. Take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Right) on Mockingbird Lane and turn right on Airline Road. From U.S. Hwy. 75/I-45 (South Dallas): Go North on U.S. Hwy. 75. Take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Left) on Mockingbird Lane and turn right on Airline Road. From I-30: Go North on U.S. Hwy. 75. Take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Left) on Mockingbird Lane and turn right on Airline Road. From I-20: Go North on I-45. I-45 turns into U.S. Hwy. 75. Continue North on U.S. Hwy. 75. Take the Mockingbird Lane Exit. Head West (Left) on Mockingbird Lane and turn right on Airline Road. |
