View source for Alamo Stadium

{{Short description|Stadium in San Antionio, Texas}}
{{Distinguish|Alamodome}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox venue
|location          = 110 Tuleta Dr<br />[[San Antonio]] 78212 
|stadium_name      = Alamo Stadium
|nickname  = The Rock Pile
|opened         = {{Start date and age|1940|09|20}}
|cost = $500,000
|owner             = [[San Antonio Independent School District]]
|operator          = San Antonio Independent School District
|architect         = Phelps & Dewees & Simmons, A.I.A.
|structural engineer = W.E. Simpson Co.
|seating_capacity  = 18,500 (since renovation works in 2011)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/football/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160806153602/http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/football/ |archive-date=2016-08-06 |title=3. Alamo Stadium in San Antonio - about 18,500 capacity - Wide Open Country}}</ref>
| record_attendance   = 26,208 November 11, 1949 Jefferson High vs Fox Technical High
|tenants = [[St. Mary's Rattlers]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]]) (1940&ndash;1941)<br>[[1947 Alamo Bowl]] ([[National Collegiate Athletic Association|NCAA]])<br> [[San Antonio Wings]] ([[World Football League|WFL]]) (1975)<br>[[San Antonio Thunder]] ([[North American Soccer League (1968–84)|NASL]]) (1976)<br>[[San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL team)|San Antonio Gunslingers]] ([[United States Football League|USFL]]) (1984–1985)<br>[[San Antonio Riders]] ([[World League of American Football|WLAF]]) (1991)<br>[[San Antonio Matadors]] ([[Spring Football League|SFL]]) (2000)<br>[[Corinthians FC of San Antonio|Corinthians FC SA]] ([[National Premier Soccer League|NPSL]]) (2015–2016)<ref>{{cite web|publisher=San Antonio Current|url=http://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2015/04/16/semi-professional-soccer-team-finds-home-at-alamo-stadium|title=Semi-Professional Soccer Team Finds Home At Alamo Stadium|access-date=July 15, 2016}}</ref><br>[[San Antonio Independent School District|San Antonio ISD]] ([[University Interscholastic League|UIL]]) (1940–present)
{{Infobox NRHP
|embed               = yes
| name                 = Alamo Stadium and Gymnasium
| nrhp_type            = 
| image                = Alamo stadium entry 2011.jpg
| alt                  = 
| caption              = 
| locmapin             = Texas
| map_alt              = 
| map_caption          = 
| coordinates          = {{coord|29|27|45.95|N|98|28|44.51|W|display=inline,title}}
| location             =
| built                = 1940
| architect            = 
| architecture         = 
| added                = September 8, 2011
| designated_nrhp_type = 
| visitation_num       = 
| visitation_year      = 
| refnum               = 11000651
| mpsub                = 
| governing_body       =
}}
|surface           = NexTurf 
}}

'''Alamo Stadium''' is a horseshoe-shaped [[American football|football]] and [[soccer]] [[stadium]] in the [[Monte Vista Historic District]] of [[San Antonio, Texas]]. Nicknamed "The Rock Pile" due to its primarily limestone construction it was completed in September 1940 as a [[Works Progress Administration]] (WPA) 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,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.texasbob.com/stadium/stadium.php?id=836 |title = Alamo Stadium - San Antonio, Texas}}</ref> making it the 3rd largest high school stadium in the state of Texas.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Yes to Texas|url=http://www.wideopencountry.com/10-biggest-high-school-football-stadiums-texas/|title=10 Biggest High School Football Stadiums In Texas|access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|work=[[Houston Chronicle]]|url=https://www.chron.com/sports/gallery/Texas-largest-high-school-stadiums-47347.php|title=Check out the largest high school stadiums: Alamo Stadium|date=10 August 2012|access-date=January 19, 2014}}</ref>

Soccer club [[Corinthians FC of San Antonio]] were 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.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.saisd.net/NEWS/alamo_stadium.shtm |title=SAISD News Release - Sept. 4, 2003 |access-date=2011-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928020947/http://www.saisd.net/NEWS/alamo_stadium.shtm |archive-date=2011-09-28 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.kens5.com/sports/high-school/DAVID-FLORES-After-70-years-Rockpile-finally-getting-much-needed-facelift-106661428.html |title=DAVID FLORES: SAISD voters right in approving Alamo Stadium facelift |access-date=2011-04-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111006014517/http://www.kens5.com/sports/high-school/DAVID-FLORES-After-70-years-Rockpile-finally-getting-much-needed-facelift-106661428.html |archive-date=2011-10-06 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

24,000 people were in attendance for the stadium's opening celebration, a high school football doubleheader on September 20, 1940.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://blog.mysanantonio.com/vault/2010/08/from-the-vault-beautiful-alamo-stadium-dedicated-70-years-ago/ |title=From the Vault: 'Beautiful' Alamo Stadium dedicated 70 years ago |access-date=2011-04-15 |archive-date=2011-07-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722160747/http://blog.mysanantonio.com/vault/2010/08/from-the-vault-beautiful-alamo-stadium-dedicated-70-years-ago/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>  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 School (San Antonio, Texas)|Lanier High School]]s for mainly high school football games. It is also home to track meets hosted by SAISD, also home to the 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. Visitors in 2017 noticed improvements but questioned whether the noticeable improvements tallied $35M in value. A lack of adequate parking (particularly noticeable on the East side of the stadium) has been a recurring complaint, with no real options to expand given the surrounding area.

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 (football)|Chili Bowl]], an annual football game between [[Fox Tech High School|Fox Tech]] and [[Lanier High School (San Antonio)|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]].<ref>[http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Army-s-All-American-Bowl-has-become-a-highly-926419.php Army's All-American Bowl has become a highly anticipated sports event in San Antonio]</ref>

===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, [[1940 Texas A&M Aggies football team|Texas A&M]]'s defeat of [[1940 Tulsa Golden Hurricane football team|Tulsa]], 41–6, on October 5, and [[1940 Baylor Bears football team|Baylor]]'s defeat of [[1940 Villanova Wildcats football team|Villanova]], 7–0, two weeks later, on October 19. The stadium was host to the [[Texas A&M–Texas Tech football rivalry]] for eight 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 [[1946 Hardin–Simmons Cowboys football team|Hardin–Simmons]] and [[1946 Denver Pioneers football team|Denver]]. 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]].

===St. Mary's Rattlers===
For the 1940 and 1941 college football seasons, the [[St. Mary's Rattlers]] played their home games at Alamo Stadium.  Their first game, and the first college football game, at the stadium was a 51-0 win against [[Daniel Baker College]] on September 26, 1940.<ref>{{Cite web |last=St. Mary's University (San Antonio |first=Tex ) |date=1940-10-04 |title=The Rattler (San Antonio, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. 2, Ed. 1 Friday, October 4, 1940 |url=https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth842405/m1/3/ |access-date=2024-07-06 |website=The Portal to Texas History |language=English}}</ref> The Rattlers final college football game was a 7-0 loss to [[1941 Mississippi Southern Southerners football team|Mississippi Southern]].<ref name="1941StM1">{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/74892863/southern-celebrates-end-of-first-undefea/|work=Hattiesburg American|title=Southern celebrates end of first undefeated season|date=December 1, 1941|accessdate=April 1, 2021|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

===Professional football===
The stadium has been home to several professional football teams, including the [[San Antonio Wings]] of the [[World Football League|WFL]] in 1975, the [[San Antonio Gunslingers (USFL team)|San Antonio Gunslingers]] of the [[United States Football League|USFL]] from 1984 to 1985, the [[San Antonio Riders]] of the [[World League of American Football|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 (1968–84)|North American Soccer League]] and moved to [[Team Hawaii|Hawaii]] for the 1977 season.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090625002755/http://www.usfl.info/alamostadium.html USFL stadium reference page]
* [https://rattlerathletics.com/sports/2012/12/22/timeline.aspx?tab=timeline St. Mary's Athletics Timeline]

{{National Register of Historic Places in Texas}}
{{Trinity Tigers football navbox}}
{{Tulsa Roughnecks}}

[[Category:College football venues in Texas]]
[[Category:National Register of Historic Places in San Antonio]]
[[Category:National Premier Soccer League stadiums]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) stadiums]]
[[Category:San Antonio Gunslingers stadiums]]
[[Category:San Antonio Thunder]]
[[Category:Sports venues on the National Register of Historic Places in Texas]]
[[Category:St. Mary's Rattlers football]]
[[Category:Tulsa Roughnecks sports facilities]]
[[Category:Trinity Tigers football]]
[[Category:United States Football League venues]]
[[Category:World Football League venues]]
[[Category:Works Progress Administration in Texas]]
[[Category:Athletics (track and field) venues in Texas]]
[[Category:High school football venues in Texas]]
[[Category:Soccer venues in Texas]]
[[Category:Sports venues in San Antonio]]
[[Category:1940 establishments in Texas]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1940]]