Carroll Field through Floyd Casey Stadium: The Former Homes of Baylor Football

This set of photographs represents stadiums used by the Baylor Bear Football Team for their home games in Waco, Texas, throughout the years. Additionally, football program covers are shown that are not only interesting in their appearance but advertise where the Baylor Bear Football Team was playing in Waco throughout the years.

Carroll Field was an on campus athletic facility used by the Baylor Football, Baseball, and Track Teams. The field had been in use since 1899 but a gift from Lee Carroll in circa 1905 added a grandstand, track, and fence.

According to a Baylor Monthly article from Oct. 1930, the seating capacity at Carroll Field grew to 15,000 with the addition of extra bleachers and temporary seats if needed.

Baylor would use the Cotton Palace Field for games and crowds that Carroll Field could not accommodate prior to this 1930 modification. Throughout the years there was this back and forth with home games being played between Carroll Field, Cotton Palace Field and Waco Municipal Stadium.

Cotton Palace Field, Waco Stadium, and Municipal Stadium are all located at the site of the former Texas Cotton Palace and are, generally speaking, the same field at the same location. The names of this facility located at 15th and Dutton changed and underwent extensive modifications as can be seen in this flickr set.

In 1936, the Baylor Football Team stopped playing at Carroll Field. Municipal Stadium would be their location for home games until 1949. Municipal was advertised as having a seating capacity of 20,000 people in 1940. The Baylor Bears moved to Baylor Stadium in 1950. Now known as Floyd Casey Stadium, this facility held double the amount of fans with an impressive 41,000 seat capacity.

A new chapter with more history to add is only just beginning with the construction of McLane Stadium. With this new facility Baylor brings back the game to campus as it was originally done many years ago.