Clark Field, originally known as Varsity Athletic Field, was a stadium on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin. Clark Field hosted the Texas Longhorns football and track teams until they moved to the newly constructed Memorial Stadium in 1924. It also hosted the Texas baseball team until it moved to the second Clark Field in 1928 and the Texas Longhorns men's basketball team until it moved next door to the new Men's Gym in 1917.
Clark Field I | |
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| Former names | Varsity Athletic Field (1887–1904) |
|---|---|
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Coordinates | 30°17′14″N 97°44′13″W / 30.28722°N 97.73694°W |
| Owner | University of Texas at Austin |
| Operator | University of Texas at Austin |
| Capacity | 20,000 |
| Opened | 1887 |
| Closed | 1928 |
| Tenants | |
| Texas Longhorns football (1896–1924) Texas Longhorns baseball (1894–1927) Texas Longhorns men's basketball (1905–1917) | |
The stadium opened in 1887 on part of the land at the southeast corner of 24th Street and Speedway[1] At its peak of activity, the facility's wooden bleachers held 20,000 spectators. In 1904 it was named after former University of Texas regent, James Benjamin Clark.[2]
In 1923, UT athletics director L. Theo Bellmont secured approval from the university's board of regents for construction of a permanent concrete stadium as a dual-purpose facility for the Texas football and track teams. Memorial Stadium, completed the following year, was built a short distance to the southeast of Clark Field. Following the 1927 baseball season, the university decided to develop the land and construct the Engineering Building, Taylor Hall, on the site of Clark Field, and the baseball team moved a short distance east to the second Clark Field.[3]
From 1896 to 1924 Texas Football had a 135-23-3 record at Clark Field.[4]
References
edit- ^ "University of Texas". Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin. 1926. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Caven-Clark Field History". UT RecSports. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "University of Texas". Perry–Castañeda Library Map Collection. University of Texas at Austin. 1928. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
- ^ "Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at Campbell-Williams Field". University of Texas Athletics - Official Athletics Website. Retrieved August 19, 2024.
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