Chapman Stadium sits on the University of Tulsa campus in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where it has hosted Golden Hurricane football every season since its opening in October 1930. Originally built as Skelly Field with funding tied to oil magnate William Skelly, the venue has been expanded and renamed more than once over its nearly century-long run, eventually taking the name of benefactor H. A. Chapman after a major 2007-2008 renovation.
Today the stadium carries the formal name Skelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium, a nod to both men whose support shaped the facility, and it remains the centerpiece of Tulsa’s athletic campus. Beyond decades of college football, the stadium has also hosted professional soccer and a short-lived USFL franchise, giving it a varied history well beyond its primary tenant.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Tulsa Golden Hurricane football (1930-present)
- Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
- Opened: October 4, 1930
- Renamed: 2007, in honor of H. A. Chapman
- Capacity: About 30,000
- Playing Surface: FieldTurf
- Notable Fact: Record attendance of about 47,350 for a 1987 game against top-ranked Oklahoma
From Skelly Field to Chapman Stadium
The stadium opened in 1930 as Skelly Field, built with support connected to Skelly Oil founder William Skelly, and Tulsa christened it with a 26-6 win over Arkansas. The north stands were added in 1947, prompting a rename to Skelly Stadium, a name that stuck for six decades.
In 2007, with a new renovation underway, the facility was renamed again to honor H. A. Chapman, the lead benefactor of that project. The completed 2008 renovation trimmed the seating bowl to roughly 30,000, down from a peak of over 40,000 in earlier decades, while modernizing the facility for current Golden Hurricane teams.
A Home Field With a Varied Past
While Tulsa football has been the stadium’s constant tenant since 1930, the venue has also hosted other teams, including the NASL’s Tulsa Roughnecks in the late 1970s and early 1980s and the USFL’s Oklahoma Outlaws for their lone 1984 season.
The stadium’s biggest crowd on record came in 1987, when roughly 47,350 fans packed in to watch Tulsa take on a number one-ranked Oklahoma squad, a mark that still stands as the facility’s attendance high point.
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For upper-deck seats. Watch line play at the stadium, or the far side of the park from the top of a lift hill.
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For late-season football, outdoor hockey and October park nights. Shake, pocket, and stay warm for hours.
Chapman Stadium FAQs
Who plays at Chapman Stadium?
Chapman Stadium is the home field of Tulsa Golden Hurricane football, a tenancy that has continued without interruption since the stadium opened in 1930.
How big is Chapman Stadium?
The stadium currently seats about 30,000 fans, a capacity set during a 2008 renovation; earlier configurations held more than 40,000 before the stands were reconfigured.
Why is it called Chapman Stadium?
The venue was renamed in 2007 to honor H. A. Chapman, the lead donor behind that era’s renovation project, after decades of being known as Skelly Field and later Skelly Stadium.
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Photo: Chippothenut / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.