Shotwell Stadium, American football and soccer stadium in Abilene, United States
Shotwell Stadium is a stadium in Abilene, Texas, with two concrete grandstands seating 7,500 each in all-bleacher configuration. Metal bleacher structures behind the north end zone and standing-room areas at the corners raise total capacity to about 20,000. The field has FieldTurf's Vertex Prime artificial turf, installed in 2019, and Musco lighting with two light standards per side, upgraded to LEDs in 2021.
The venue opened in 1959 and has served as the primary home for Abilene High Eagles and Cooper Cougars teams ever since. Both school squads have shared this facility and shaped its role in local athletics over the decades.
This venue serves as a gathering place where students, families, and locals come together regularly for high school sports events. The games create shared moments that have become part of the community's yearly rhythm.
Shotwell Stadium sits in south Abilene, with parking lots around the grounds that were fully paved after 2003. Entry is through gates at the corners, where standing-room areas supplement the 15,000 permanent seats. The two grandstands are concrete with bleacher seating, and overflow metal bleachers stand behind the north end zone.
On October 16, 1976, Ove Johansson, a Swedish-born placekicker for Abilene Christian University, kicked a 69-yard field goal at Shotwell against East Texas State. It remains the longest recorded field goal in the history of organized football at any level.
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