Sunday, May 20, 2007
Gerald J. Ford Stadium
"Hey, if President Ford made his name in college football at the University of Michigan, why does his name adorn the stadium at Southern Methodist University?" That questions seems quite reasonable, except for the fact that SMU's football stadium is named after donor Gerald J. Ford and not President Gerald R. Ford. Ford Stadium, situated on the SMU campus just north of downtown Dallas in the tony city of University of Park is a relatively new venue (opened in 2000) that seats 32,000 and has an artificial turf playing surface.
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Southern Methodist University
Visual Appeal: 8
Fan Friendly: 7
Settings and Surroundings: 7
Quirks: 5
Blend of Classic and Modern: 5
Total: 32
Ford Stadium is a modern venue for the Mustangs football stadium. Situated on the south end of the SMU campus adjacent to a residential neighborhood, the stadium is composed of a single tier in a horseshoe pattern around the playing field. The open end of the horseshoe is the location for a large scoreboard and gives drivers passing through the neighborhood a view of the seating bowl. The field is sunk below the surrounding ground level, leading to a stadium structure that blends in very well with its surroundings and does not dominate the local skyline. The red and blue seats along with the glistening press box create an extremely clean look. The facade of brick adds to this cleanliness. No extraneous or distracting areas surround the field that take away from this tight architecture.
The relatively small size make this an excellent place in which to see a football game. A concourse surrounding the stadium provides a view of the game even from the open end of the stadium. The plazas leading up to the stadium make the best use of the limited space that was available to construct the stadium. This limited amount of space must make parking on game days somewhat of a nightmare. Parking is limited on just about every college campus, but I would imagine that the gameday tailgating experience is more difficult at SMU than at other colleges. Since it is situated in a densely populated area, traffic into and out of games must be difficult, and parking is quite limited on the campus. That being said, the location of the stadium on a pretty campus and in the midst of a residential area create a pleasant setting for this attractive stadium. Fans can easily walk to an assortment of shopping and eating options adjacent to campus, and the attractions of Dallas are nearby.
Being a new venue, Ford Stadium has not yet had the chance to develop many quirks. Designers stuck to a classic design that works well in the area. As mentioned previously, the bright red and blue seats are a signature look for this stadium. The large structure on the West side of the stadium houses 24 luxury boxes, and nearly 600 club level seats provide added comfort for Mustang fans. Designers did a nice job creating a tight venue that still captures classic features, namely the brick structure surrounding the stadium. The venue brings college football back to the SMU campus from Texas Stadium, and fans of the Mustangs must surely be happy to sacrifice automobile access for a traditional college atmosphere.
Gerald J. Ford Stadium, Southern Methodist University
Visual Appeal: 8
Fan Friendly: 7
Settings and Surroundings: 7
Quirks: 5
Blend of Classic and Modern: 5
Total: 32
Ford Stadium is a modern venue for the Mustangs football stadium. Situated on the south end of the SMU campus adjacent to a residential neighborhood, the stadium is composed of a single tier in a horseshoe pattern around the playing field. The open end of the horseshoe is the location for a large scoreboard and gives drivers passing through the neighborhood a view of the seating bowl. The field is sunk below the surrounding ground level, leading to a stadium structure that blends in very well with its surroundings and does not dominate the local skyline. The red and blue seats along with the glistening press box create an extremely clean look. The facade of brick adds to this cleanliness. No extraneous or distracting areas surround the field that take away from this tight architecture.
The relatively small size make this an excellent place in which to see a football game. A concourse surrounding the stadium provides a view of the game even from the open end of the stadium. The plazas leading up to the stadium make the best use of the limited space that was available to construct the stadium. This limited amount of space must make parking on game days somewhat of a nightmare. Parking is limited on just about every college campus, but I would imagine that the gameday tailgating experience is more difficult at SMU than at other colleges. Since it is situated in a densely populated area, traffic into and out of games must be difficult, and parking is quite limited on the campus. That being said, the location of the stadium on a pretty campus and in the midst of a residential area create a pleasant setting for this attractive stadium. Fans can easily walk to an assortment of shopping and eating options adjacent to campus, and the attractions of Dallas are nearby.
Being a new venue, Ford Stadium has not yet had the chance to develop many quirks. Designers stuck to a classic design that works well in the area. As mentioned previously, the bright red and blue seats are a signature look for this stadium. The large structure on the West side of the stadium houses 24 luxury boxes, and nearly 600 club level seats provide added comfort for Mustang fans. Designers did a nice job creating a tight venue that still captures classic features, namely the brick structure surrounding the stadium. The venue brings college football back to the SMU campus from Texas Stadium, and fans of the Mustangs must surely be happy to sacrifice automobile access for a traditional college atmosphere.
