Fouts Field

Fouts Field
Location Eagle Dr, Denton, TX 76203
Coordinates 33°12′30″N 97°9′28″W / 33.20833°N 97.15778°W / 33.20833; -97.15778Coordinates: 33°12′30″N 97°9′28″W / 33.20833°N 97.15778°W / 33.20833; -97.15778
Owner University of North Texas
Operator University of North Texas
Capacity 10,000 (2013-present)
Surface Sportex Omnigrass turf
Construction
Broke ground 1951
Opened 1952
Tenants
North Texas Mean Green football (NCAA) (1952–2010)

Fouts Field is a stadium at the University of North Texas (UNT), located in Denton, Texas, United States. Its primary use from its opening in 1952 until 2010 was as the home field for the University of North Texas Eagles (later renamed the Mean Green) football team. Fouts Field was built to replace the small Eagle Field, which the team used from its inception in 1913 until 1951. Eagle Field was part of the larger Recreation Park on campus, located on the current site of Willis Library.

Fouts Field opened in September 1952 and was originally named Eagle Stadium. In 1954, it was named in honor of Theron J. Fouts, former football coach, athletics director and founder of UNT's track and field program.[1] The stadium originally consisted of two sideline grandstands on either side of the track, which runs towards the northwest, and sat 20,000. The endzone grandstands which stretch around the track were added in 1994 and seated another 10,500. The addition of those overflow seats brought the stadium's capacity up to 30,500, the largest the venue would hold during its existence.

Apogee Stadium replaced Fouts Field for North Texas football in 2011. Fouts Field remained in use for track and field events. The university began the partial demolition of the stadium in 2013, starting with the endzone seats that were added in 1994 as well as the north grandstand, part of the original structure. The track, football field, field goal posts and south grandstand remained to house the university's track and field program.

On August 28, 2015, the school's Board of Regents unanimously approved the university's 2016 budget, which includes the funds to demolish the rest of Fouts Field and build a new track and field and soccer facility. A demolition date has not been set, but the new facility is expected to be ready by summer 2018.[2]

Many of the football scenes in the 1991 film Necessary Roughness were filmed at Fouts Field. The fictional Texas State Armadillos, the team featured in the movie, wore the same colors (green and white) as UNT's football team.

Replacement

Fouts Field in 2015, after the departure of the football team

In 2011, Apogee Stadium became the new home of North Texas Mean Green football. As a result, the use of Fouts Field by the university's athletics program was reduced to the school's track and field teams. The stadium is also used as a practice field by the Green Brigade Marching Band, as well as the university's ROTC program.

References

  1. ↑ University of North Texas North Texan Online Spring 2003: Fouts' birthday
  2. ↑ "UNT's plans for new track, Fouts demolition, parking construction delayed | Mean Green | Denton Record-Chronicle". Denton Record-Chronicle. 2017-05-26. Retrieved 2017-07-13.
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