In 1960, a business man named Clint Murchison, Jr., and a man named Bedford Wynne were awarded an expansion franchise in the NFL at the annual league meeting in Miami Beach. The Cowboys were to play as a "swing" team, playing every other team one time during the first season, although listed in the Western Division standings. The Cowboys played their first game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing 35-24, in the Cotton Bowl in Dallas Texas. This would lead them to a 0-11-1 record to end the season after ending their final game in a tie against the New York Giants. The Cowboys wouldn't have themselves a winning season until 1966, six years after their inaugural season.
Cowboys vs Browns 1960
The Cotton Bowl 1960-1971
A stadium near downtown Dallas was constructed in 1930 at a cost of $328,000. Named the Cotton Bowl, it had a capacity of around 45,000. The SMU Mustangs played the first game at the Cotton Bowl in 1932. Throughout its existence the stadium’s seating capacity has been increased many times, the most during the 1940s when the capacity was increased to over 60,000. In 1960, the creation of the AFL put a team in Texas, the Texans. The NFL also expanded into Texas creating the Cowboys. The Cowboys played their first game at the Cotton Bowl on September 24, 1960. The Texans played at the Cotton Bowl for three years before moving to Kansas City and becoming the Chiefs. The Cowboys played at the Cotton Bowl until 1971 when they moved to Texas Stadium. The stadium has also hosted the annual Red River Rivalry between the Oklahoma Sooners, and the Texas Longhorns. Renovations to the Cotton Bowl in 2008 expanded the seating capacity to over 92,000 by encircling the upper deck. The $50 million renovation also included replacing all the seats, a new pressbox, luxury seats, video/scoreboard, lighting and concession upgrades. http://www.stadiumsofprofootball.com/past/CottonBowl.htm
A college football game played at the Cotton Bowl
The Cotton Bowl in the 1960's
The Cotton Bowl as it exist today playing host to the Texas/Oklahoma game.
Texas Stadium 1971-2010
Known for the hole in it's roof so God could watch his favorite team play, the Dallas Cowboys called Texas Stadium their home for 37 seasons.From 1960 until 1970 the Cowboys played at the 72,000 seat Cotton Bowl. Built in 1932, the stadium was known for hosting the annual Cotton Bowl football game. By the mid 1960s, then owner of the Cowboys, Clint Murchison, wanted a new stadium built for his team. Residents of Irving, TX approved a measure 2-1 to construct a new stadium for the Cowboys. Construction began on January 26, 1969. The stadium was named after its location, Texas Stadium. The Dallas Cowboys played their first game at Texas Stadium on October 24, 1971.
Texas Stadium became one of the NFL's most unique stadiums upon opening because it is partially domed. A hole in the center of the roof allowed fans to stay dry but left the field open to the elements outside. Over 65,000 blue seats in two tiers extended around the gridiron. Two DiamondVision scoreboard/video-boards were located inside Texas Stadium. The stadium had many amenities that included 381 luxury suites, a stadium club where fans gathered for parties and banquets, and The Corral that provided food, beverages, entertainment and large screen televisions for fans before, during and after all Cowboys games. Flags commemorating the Cowboys five Super Bowl championships were hung from the roof. For years Texas Stadium was one of the best stadiums in the NFL. However, over the past decade many teams throughout the league opened new stadiums that had more club and luxury seating than Texas Stadium had. This led to the Cowboys wanting a new stadium to replace their current home. Funding for a new stadium was passed in November 2004 and the Cowboys moved into Cowboys Stadium in 2009. The Cowboys played their last game at Texas Stadium on December 20, 2008. Texas Stadium was demolished on April 11, 2010.
An overview shot of Texas Stadium with the giant hole in the wall, in Irving, TX
Texas Stadium demolished on April 11, 2010 in Irving, TX
Cowboys Stadium 2009-present
Known as America's team because of their success and popularity, the Dallas Cowboys opened a new chapter in their legendary history with the opening of Cowboys Stadium in 2009. For more than 30 years, the Cowboys played at Texas Stadium, one of the most recognizable stadiums in football. However, just like every other team in the NFL, the Cowboys wanted a new football stadium to increase revenue. As far back as 1994, owner of the Cowboys, Jerry Jones, began looking into the possibility of a new or expanded Texas Stadium. Initially Jones wanted to expand Texas Stadium, adding 40,000 seats and a retractable roof. Over the next several years, Jones not only kept alive discussions of renovating Texas Stadium, but began looking at sites to construct a new stadium. Throughout the next decade, the Cowboys moved away from the idea of renovating Texas Stadium and focused on building a new facility. It took nearly a decade for the team to find a suitable site for construction, settling on a location near the Ballpark in Arlington, home of the Texas Rangers (MLB). In order to finance construction of the $1.15 billion stadium, Arlington voters approved a $325 million bond in November 2004 that raises the city's sales tax by a half-cent, hotel occupancy tax by 2 percent and car rental tax by 5 percent. The NFL contributed $150 million towards the stadium with the Cowboys paying the remaining amount.
Team officials traveled the country, visiting some of the newest NFL stadiums in order to develop and design the greatest stadium in the league. Designed by HKS Architects, Inc. Cowboys Stadium is one of the most recognizable stadiums in all of sports. The exterior features a futuristic design that consists of a canted 800 foot glass wall. A pair of massive, 292 foot arches span the length of the stadium, supporting the facility and the retractable roof. At each endzone are glass retractable doors, 180 foot wide by 120 foot high. They are the largest in the world, and open or close in 18 minutes. Atop Cowboys Stadium is the retractable roof, that when open emulates the distinctive Texas Stadium opening/hole.
The Dallas Cowboys playing against the Chicago Bears Oct. 1, 2012.
As you can see the massive video screen that hangs 90 ft. above the field and stretches 60 yards in width.
Cowboys Stadium on a Sunday Morning as the crew prepare to fix the field of play.