Unique Venues: Mustang Bowl

In West Texas, high school football stadiums serve as cultural landmarks. Among the most iconic is the historic Mustang Bowl, which has been a community gathering place for the people of Sweetwater since the Great Depression.

The Mustang Bowl, located in Sweetwater, Texas, was built in 1939 after the federal government approved $65,000 for a new football stadium. Former Texas Sen. Tom Connally and U.S. Rep. Clyde L. Garrett were credited with securing the funding for the project, which was constructed through the Works Progress Administration (WPA). The WPA, a New Deal program established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, provided jobs and income to millions of unemployed Americans during the Depression.

For the past 86 years, the Mustang Bowl has been an integral part of Sweetwater’s community.

Known as “The Bowl” by many locals, the stadium sits in a natural depression at the bottom of a concrete hill. The original design included 9,500 stadium seats, with unique tiered concrete embankments around the end zones – resembling a velodrome – that initially allowed for an additional 7,500 spectators.

The original wooden bleachers were placed directly on the grass but were replaced with metal bleachers on concrete in 1972. Over the years, the stadium has undergone numerous upgrades, including a rebuilt press box, new concession stands, an updated scoreboard and turf replacements.

The Mustangs of Sweetwater High School boast a rich football history, with alumni including NFL Hall of Famers Clyde “Bulldog” Turner and Sammy Baugh. The Mustangs made the playoffs 22 times from 1984 to 2009, winning a state championship in 1985. After a brief downturn, the program has experienced a resurgence, including one trip to the state finals since 2014.

Sweetwater’s players enter the field by walking down 51 steps from the top of the hill on the north side after first walking up the hill from the fieldhouse. Under the specter of a Mustang statue, opposing teams enter by walking down a lengthy ramp on the south end that veers to the field while following two trails with painted-on horseshoes.

Under Friday night lights, the Mustang Bowl still welcomes thousands of spectators every year. In 2021, the stadium surpassed 700 games played on its historic grounds – making it just the 19th Texas high school to hit that mark.