Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, known as “The Palace on the Prairie”, is a college football stadium in Norman, Oklahoma, home of the Oklahoma Sooners, who play in the SEC of NCAA Division I FBS. It opened in 1923, making it 103 years old in 2026 and seats 80,126 fans. That makes it the 15th-largest stadium in FBS.
The team plays on natural grass. Its record crowd is 88,308 vs. TCU (2017).
Stadium facts
- Location
- Norman, Oklahoma
- Home of
- Oklahoma Sooners
- School
- University of Oklahoma
- Conference
- SEC
- Subdivision
- Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS)
- Opened
- 1923
- Capacity
- 80,126
- Playing surface
- Natural grass
- Nickname
- The Palace on the Prairie
- Former names
- Oklahoma Memorial Stadium (1923–2002)
- Record crowd
- 88,308 vs. TCU (2017)
- Size rank in FBS
- 15th of 138
Famous games at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
- 1923: Opening game, a 62–7 win over Washington University
- 2017: 38–20 win over No. 6 TCU
- 2018: 48–47 win over Oklahoma State
Seating & views
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium seats 80,126 in a bowl running north to south. The south end zone was enclosed in a roughly $160 million rebuild finished in 2016 and now holds the Terrace Box premium seats, which added in-seat food and drink service in 2026. The west upper deck, from 1975, holds the press box. The east upper deck, added in 2003-04, includes about 2,500 club seats and 27 suites. Students sit in the east stands around the Pride of Oklahoma band in section 29, between the 20- and 35-yard lines. Visiting fans sit in the south end zone and southern east side.
Parking & tailgating
OU publishes game day parking maps for its northeast, northwest and south zones, along with new driving routes built with Norman and OU police that account for road closures GPS apps miss. Since 2025, the North Oval (Parrington Oval) has been the main free public tailgate area, first come, first served, with drop-off starting at 6 p.m. the night before and tailgating from 7 a.m. It hosts food trucks, a videoboard, band performances and the Boomer Bash alumni tailgate. Furnished setups are sold at Boyd Lawn through REVELxp. Check SoonerGameday.com and OU's parking page, since details change.
Seating and parking sources: soonersports.com, ou.edu, soonersports.com.
Plan your trip to Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Stadiums near Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium10
- 1FBSBoone Pickens Stadium — Oklahoma State Cowboys 65 mi
- 2FBSSkelly Field at H. A. Chapman Stadium — Tulsa Golden Hurricane 103 mi
- 3FBSDATCU Stadium — North Texas Mean Green 140 mi
- 4FCSErnest Hawkins Field at Memorial Stadium — East Texas A&M Lions 161 mi
- 5FBSAmon G. Carter Stadium — TCU Horned Frogs 170 mi
- 6FBSGerald J. Ford Stadium — SMU Mustangs 171 mi
- 7FBSDonald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium, Frank Broyles Field — Arkansas Razorbacks 190 mi
- 8FCSMemorial Stadium — Tarleton State Texans 212 mi
- 9FCSAnthony Field at Wildcat Stadium — Abilene Christian Wildcats 233 mi
- 10FBSMcLane Stadium — Baylor Bears 254 mi
Questions about Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium
Where do the Oklahoma Sooners play home games?
The Oklahoma Sooners play at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.
How many people does Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium hold?
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium has a capacity of 80,126.
When did Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium open?
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium opened in 1923.
What is Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium’s nickname?
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is known as “The Palace on the Prairie.”
What is the attendance record at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium?
The record crowd at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium is 88,308 vs. TCU (2017).
Does Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium have grass or turf?
Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium has a natural grass field.
What other college football stadiums are near Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium?
Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater is about 65 miles away. See the full list of nearby stadiums on this page.
Facts are for the 2026 season. Distances are straight-line miles between city centers. Capacity figures vary by source. See something wrong? Let us know. Is this your stadium? Get the “Listed on All Football Stadiums” badge for your website.