Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was a football stadium located in Irving , Texas , a suburb of Dallas . The stadium opened on September 17 , 1971 . Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl , it served as the home field of the NFL ' s Dallas Cowboys from 1971 to 2008 , and had a seating capacity of 65 , 675 . The Cotton Bowl still stands as of November 2010 , but Texas Stadium is now demolished . In 2009 , the stadium was replaced as home of the Cowboys by the $ 1 . 15 billion Cowboys Stadium , which completed construction and officially opened on May 27 , 2009 in Arlington , Texas . The stadium was demolished by a controlled implosion on April 11 , 2010 . History . In the mid - 1960s , then - Cowboys owner Clint Murchison , Jr . realized that the area surrounding the Cotton Bowl had become unsafe and downtrodden , and it was not a location he wanted his " big dollar " season ticket holders to be forced to go through . Murchison was denied a request by Dallas mayor Erik Jonsonn to build a new stadium in downtown Dallas as part of a " civic - bond " package . Murchison envisioned a new stadium with sky - boxes and one in which attendees would have to pay a " personal seating license " as a prerequisite to purchasing season tickets . With two games left for the Cowboys to play in the 1967 NFL season , Murchison and Cowboys general manager Tex Schramm announced a plan to build a new stadium in Irving , Texas . Roof . Texas Stadium was to have originally been a stadium with a retractable roof , but it could not support the weight of the entire roof . This resulted in most of the stands being enclosed but not the playing field itself . This unusual arrangement made it difficult to televise the games , a problem , generally speaking , foreseen by the original architect . This design — more commonly seen in European soccer stadiums — prompted Cowboys linebacker D . D . Lewis to make his now - famous quip " Texas Stadium has a hole in its roof so God can watch His favorite team play " , often paraphrased as the " hole " in the stadium ' s roof was there " so that God can watch His team . " The roof at Texas Stadium , whose worn paint had become unsightly in the early 2000s , was repainted in the summer of 2006 by the City of Irving , which owned the stadium . It was the first time the famed roof was repainted since Texas Stadium opened . The roof was structurally independent from the stadium it covered . Non - Cowboys related events hosted . The stadium hosted neutral - site college football games and was formerly the home field of the SMU Mustangs from 1979 to 1986 . After the school returned from an NCAA - imposed suspension in 1988 , school officials moved games back to the school ' s on - campus Ownby Stadium to signify a clean start for the football program ( it has since been replaced by Gerald J . Ford Stadium ) . In November and December , Texas Stadium was a major venue for high school football . It was not uncommon for there to be high school football tripleheaders at the stadium . Texas Stadium served as a temporary home for two Dallas - area high schools , Plano Senior High School in 1979 after its home stadium was damaged by a prank gone awry , and Highland Park High School while a new stadium on campus was being built . The 2001 Big 12 conference championship game was held at the site , as well as the 1973 Pro Bowl . In addition to football , the stadium hosted the North American Soccer League for four seasons , inclding the NASL Championship Match between the Dallas Tornado and Philadelphia and several World Class " friendly " Soccer Matches ; concerts ; pro wrestling events ; and religious gatherings such as Promise Keepers and Billy Graham crusades ( a Graham crusade was the first event held at Texas Stadium ) . From 1984 - 1988 , the stadium hosted the annual World Class Championship Wrestling ' s David Von Erich Memorial Parade of Champions wrestling card every May . The initial 1984 card drew more than 40 , 000 fans , the highest attendance of any wrestling card in the state of Texas at that time . On March 14 , 1992 , the stadium played host to the sixth edition of Farm Aid . Metallica and Guns N ' Roses brought their co - headlining Guns N ' Roses / Metallica Stadium Tour to he stadium on September 5 , 1992 , with Faith No More as their opening act . In 1993 , country singer Garth Brooks ' s second concert special " This Is Garth Brooks II " was recorded at the stadium . In 1994 . the stadium hosted the largest Christian concert in history with Christian recording artist Carman . More than 80 , 000 attended . In 1994 , the stadium hosted the John Tyler vs . Plano East high school football regional playoff , whose wild seesaw finish won it the 1995 Showstopper of the Year ESPY Award . November 14 , 1999 The stadium is the site for country singer Shania Twain and a CBS Special . On July 9 , 2000 , Texas Stadium hosted a sold - out concert for the Summer Sanitarium Tour that featured Metallica , Korn , Kid Rock , Powerman 5000 , and System of the Down . Metallica lead singer James Hetfield was unable to attend the concert as he hurt his back during a jet skiing accident while in Georgia before the Atlanta show . Metallica bass guitarist Jason Newsted , along with other lead singers from the other bands on hand , sang most of the songs . Metallica did return in August to perform two make - up shows at the Starplex in Dallas a month later . On August 3 , 2003 , Texas Stadium also host the return of the Summer Sanitarium Tour featuring Metallica , Linkin Park , Limp Bizkit , Deftones , and Mudvayne . On May 25 , 2008 , Texas Stadium hosted the first ever professional lacrosse game in Texas when the two time defending champions Philadelphia Barrage played the Long Island Lizards . Both teams compete in the Eastern Conference of the Major League Lacrosse The Carthage Bulldogs faced the Celina Bobcats at Texas Stadium , becoming the last high school football game played there . The Carthage Bulldogs won , becoming state champions in 2008 . Throughout the network run of the TV series " Dallas " , a number of scenes were filmed on location at Texas Stadium . An overhead shot of the stadium ( looking down at the field from the hole in the roof ) was also featured prominently as part of the show ' s opening credits for each of its thirteen seasons on CBS . The Cowboys ' departure . The Cowboys left Texas Stadium after the 2008 NFL season for the new Cowboys Stadium ( opened for the 2009 NFL season ) that was partially funded by taxpayers in Arlington , Texas . In November 2004 , Arlington voters approved a half - cent ( . 005 per U . S . dollar ) sales tax to fund $ 325 million of the then estimated $ 650 million stadium by a margin of 55 – 45 . Jerry Jones , the Cowboys ' owner , spent over $ 5 million backing the ballot measure , but also agreed to cover any cost overruns which as of 2006 had already raised the estimated cost of the project to $ 1 billion . The new stadium , which has a retractable roof system , also includes a setting that mimics a hole in the roof as a tribute to Texas Stadium . The Cowboys lost their final game at Texas Stadium to the Baltimore Ravens , 33 - 24 , on December 20 , 2008 . Texas Stadium closure . The stadium was scheduled for demolition and implosion on April 11 , 2010 as confirmed by the mayor of Irving on September 23 , 2009 . Many of the items in the stadium were auctioned off by the City and the Dallas Cowboys including the stadium seats , scoreboard and other pieces of memorabilia . The City of Irving announced that the Texas Department of Transportation would pay $ 15 . 4 million to lease the site for 10 years a staging location for the State Highway 114 / Loop 12 diamond interchange . The city has the right to relocate the staging area if redevelopment becomes available . Demolition . On September 23 , 2009 , the City of Irving granted a demolition contract to Weir Brothers Inc . , a local Dallas based company , for the demolition and implosion of the stadium . On December 31 , 2009 , The City of Irving and Kraft Foods announced details of their sponsorship deal for the stadium ' s implosion — including a national essay contest with the winner getting to pull the trigger that finishes off the stadium . Kraft paid the city $ 75 , 000 and donated $ 75 , 000 worth of food to local food banks to promote its " Cheddar Explosion " macaroni product . The city council unanimously approved the sponsorship deal . At 7 : 07 a . m . CDT on April 11 , 2010 , 11 - year - old Casey Rogers turned the key to cause the demolition . From the first explosion , it took approximately 25 seconds for the stadium to completely fall . Debris removal continued until July 2010 . Texas ' Department of Transportation is using the site as an equipment storage and staging area , after which Irving will decide long - term plans .