Texas stadiums that don’t exist anymore

  

(NEXSTAR) — As Super Bowl LVIII kicks off this Sunday, all eyes will be turning to the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Though the Big Game hasn’t been hosted in Texas since 2017’s Super Bowl LI, the Lone Star State is no slouch — all-in-all, Texas has held four Super Bowls in the game’s history.

And even though our sports arenas will be empty come Super Bowl Sunday, here’s a look at some of Texas’ former sports stadiums that still hold special significance for many sports fanatics.

Here are some of the stadiums of Texas’ past.

Texas Stadium (1971-2008)

The former home of the Dallas Cowboys broke ground in 1969 in Irving and opened with the first Cowboys game on Oct. 24, 1971.

At the time, the stadium was notable for its partial roof — which was the only one in the NFL at the time — which covered only the stands, leaving the field open to the sky and any inclement weather conditions.

Though Texas Stadium never hosted a Super Bowl, it hosted several other major sporting events, including the 1973 Pro Bowl and the 2001 Big 12 Championship, and numerous soccer and pro wrestling championships. As a music venue, Texas Stadium hosted many of the all-time greats, including Paul McCartney, Madonna, Garth Brooks, and the Beach Boys. In 1999, country megastar Shania Twain’s “Come On Over Tour” was filmed at the stadium and later aired on CBS Thanksgiving night.

The stadium was closed for good on Dec. 20, 2008 after the Cowboys’ final game in the venue, a 33-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

Texas Stadium was finally demolished on April 11, 2010, two years after its closure. According to Cowboys Wire, an 11 year-old essay contest winner was the one who pushed the button to detonate the site. You can find videos of the Texas Stadium demolition online.

Floyd Casey Stadium (1950-2013)

Located in Waco, the former home of the Baylor Bears hosted games for 64 seasons before being replaced by McLane Stadium in 2014. The first event held at Floyd Casey, originally called Baylor Stadium, was a game between the Bears and the Houston Cougars. The Bears’ final game in the stadium was against the Texas Longhorns on Dec. 7, 2013.

Colt Stadium (1962-1964)

This short-lived Houston stadium was always intended to be temporary. It served as the interim home for the Houston Colt .45s (now known as the Astros), while the state-of-the-art Astrodome was being built nearby. As explained by Houston History Magazine, Colt Stadium is mostly remembered for discomfort, writing that despite its credit for bringing in the MLB era to the city, it was not up to the same level of classic ballpark.

Among the issues with the stadium were its lack of canopy over over the stands, which resulted in hot summer sun beating down on guests. During one game on June 12, 1962, over 80 fans had to be treated heat exhaustion, the magazine explains.

Colt Stadium finally closed in 1964 and stuck around outside the Astrodome for several years before its demolition in the 1970s. A part of the long-gone structure once stood where the current NRG Stadium sits.

Astrodome (1965-2008)

The first home of the Houston Astros and a former home of the Houston Oilers, the Astrodome holds a place in not only Texas history but stadium history. Originally called the Harris County Domed Stadium, the venue was the world’s first domed air-conditioned indoor stadium.

The Astrodome opened with a game between the Houston Astros and the New York Yankees on April 9, 1965. A crowd of 47,876 attendees and then-Pres. Lyndon B. Johnson and then-First Lady Lady Bird Johnson attended the opening game, where the Yankees’ Mickey Mantle hit the first hit and home run in the venue, according to Associated Press.

In its early years, the Astrodome was known as the “Eighth Wonder of the World,” per Britannica, and was intended to increase sports fandom in the area since its indoor, air-conditioning — in addition to large capacity seating and multi-use sports areas — would be able to make hot Houston game days more tolerable for guests.

During its lifetime, the Astrodome was home to some major sports, entertainment and even historical events.

• The first indoor arena-played MLB game between the Colt .45s and the Philadelphia Phillies on April 12, 1965.
• The “Game of the Century” — The first televised NCAA regular season game was the showdown between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins on Jan. 20, 1968. For decades, it was the highest-attended basketball game ever, and is credited with helping make college basketball popular nationally.
• The “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973
• Mexican-American music legend Selena performed her final televised concert at the Astrodome on Feb. 26, 1995, just over a month before her death
• In 2005, the Astrodome was notably used as a shelter for those displaced by Hurricane Katrina

The Astrodome officially closed in 2008 due to safety code violations. While the city had hoped to have it renovated and brought up to code in time for a potential hosting of the 2012 Summer Olympics, costs and concerns for the surrounding area overruled these plans.

Some of the Astrodome is still standing after a partial demolition in 2013. Over the years, several plans for its revitalization and new uses have been attempted but so far, none have come to fruition. Last year, Texas Monthly summarized the city’s unique quandry, saying: “The Astrodome remains in limbo: too expensive to renovate, too beloved to tear down.”