Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium has anchored Memphis college football since it opened as Memphis Memorial Stadium on September 16, 1965. Built on the grounds of the former Mid-South Fairgrounds in the city’s Midtown neighborhood, the venue has carried three names over its history, becoming Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1975 before taking its current corporate title in 2021.
Today the stadium serves as the home field for the University of Memphis Tigers football team and hosts two of the city’s marquee annual football events: the Liberty Bowl and the Southern Heritage Classic. A $38 million renovation in 2013 modernized the fan experience with new video boards and the Tiger Lane tailgating plaza, and a further $200 million project began in 2024 to continue upgrading the facility.
Stats at a Glance
- Team(s): Memphis Tigers football (NCAA FBS)
- Location: 335 South Hollywood Street, Memphis, Tennessee
- Opened: September 16, 1965
- Capacity: About 45,632 (as of 2026)
- Playing Surface: AstroTurf (since 2011)
- Notable Fact: Record attendance of 66,487 set during a Tennessee vs. Ole Miss game in 1990
A Fairgrounds Landmark Since 1965
The stadium opened decades before its current sponsor name, built as Memphis Memorial Stadium for roughly $3 million as part of the Mid-South Fairgrounds complex. It was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1975 to honor the annual bowl game that has called it home since the venue’s opening season, and it adopted the Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium name in 2021.
Seating capacity has shifted repeatedly over the decades, from an original 50,160 seats in the 1960s and ’70s up to a peak of 62,921 during 1999–2002, before later renovations brought the current capacity to about 45,632.
Game Days in Memphis
Beyond Memphis Tigers home games, the stadium hosts the Southern Heritage Classic, an annual FCS rivalry game that has been a Memphis tradition since 1990, and the Liberty Bowl itself, a postseason bowl game that has been played there every year since the stadium opened.
A 2013 renovation worth $38 million added upgraded video boards, improved accessibility, and the Tiger Lane tailgating area outside the stadium gates, and a $200 million modernization project launched in 2024 to further update the aging facility.
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Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium FAQs
What was Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium called before its current name?
It opened in 1965 as Memphis Memorial Stadium, then was renamed Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in 1975, a name it kept until adopting the Simmons Bank sponsorship title in 2021.
Who plays home games at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium?
The University of Memphis Tigers football team has played its home games there since the stadium opened in 1965.
What is the stadium’s current seating capacity?
As of 2026, the stadium seats about 45,632 fans, down from a peak capacity of 62,921 reached between 1999 and 2002.
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Photo: Quintin Soloviev / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.