Shaw Stadium is a 4,000-seat football venue in East Cleveland, Ohio, serving as the home field for the Shaw High School Cardinals. The original stadium opened in 1923 and stood for nearly a century before being condemned and demolished in March 2021, then rebuilt on the same site and reopened later that year.
Despite its small-town setting, Shaw Stadium carries genuine NFL history. In 1938, the Cleveland Rams played three of their four home games there, including the franchise’s first-ever home victory, a win over the Detroit Lions, followed by a win against the Chicago Bears. College football also passed through its gates, with the Case Tech Rough Riders calling it home from 1939 to 1952 and Western Reserve’s Red Cats occasionally using it in 1942, 1946, and 1950.
- Los Angeles Rams played here 1938. See every Rams stadium →
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Shaw High School Cardinals (football)
- Location: East Cleveland, Ohio
- Opened: 1923 (rebuilt 2021)
- Capacity: About 4,000
- Notable Fact: Hosted three Cleveland Rams NFL home games in 1938
A Field Built for Friday Nights
Shaw Stadium has always centered on high school football, with the Cardinals’ marching band and gridiron program as its primary tenants. The rebuilt facility features synthetic turf stamped with the Shaw Cardinals logo and a new scoreboard, giving the community a modern venue in place of the aging, condemned structure that preceded it.
An Unlikely Brush With the NFL
Long before Cleveland had a dedicated pro football stadium, the Cleveland Rams used Shaw as a part-time home in 1938, picking up two wins there in their formative NFL seasons. The Cleveland Browns later used the grounds as a practice site in the 1960s and 1970s, and decades later the Browns organization and the NFL helped fund the stadium’s roughly $7 million rebuild after its 2021 demolition.
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USB-charged warmers for cold night games — no disposable packets.
Keeps chili hot from the tailgate to the fourth quarter.
Team-color face paint in a twist-up stick — no brushes, no mess in the car.
Shaw Stadium FAQs
Is Shaw Stadium still standing today?
The original 1923 structure was demolished in March 2021 after being condemned, but a new stadium was built in its place on the same East Cleveland site and reopened later that year.
What NFL team played at Shaw Stadium?
The Cleveland Rams played three home games at Shaw Stadium in 1938, including their first home win in franchise history.
How many seats does Shaw Stadium have?
The rebuilt Shaw Stadium seats about 4,000 fans.
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