Photos by Michael Davis, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 3.71
Lupton Stadium 3700 Berry St Fort Worth, TX 76109
Year Opened: 2003 Capacity: 4,500
Texas Christian University Baseball
Charlie and Marie Lupton Baseball Stadium at Williams-Reilly Field is located on the TCU campus in Fort Worth, Texas, and is home to the Texas Christian University baseball program. Lupton Stadium is named for Charlie and Marie Lupton in recognition of a $2 million gift from the Brown-Lupton Foundation, of which Charlie was a founder back in 1944.
The playing surface at Lupton Stadium is natural grass with dimensions of 330 feet down the lines, 385 feet to the power alleys, and 400 feet to center field. The double-decker stadium has a capacity of 4,500 and features a cantilevered roof that covers part of the stadium’s grandstands, which helps keep fans protected from the unpredictable Texas weather.
Lupton Stadium has had a few renovations in its 20 years of operations – the G. Malcolm Louden Player Development Center was constructed before the 2015 season and features a hitting facility and a Field Turf practice area. Following the development center’s construction a new player’s facility was also added, which includes the home team locker room, team lounge, sports medicine center, equipment room, team classroom, coaches’ offices, and an alumni locker room. The renovations also included the addition of a new 40′ x 23′ video scoreboard in left-center field, as well as the installation of new outfield fences and a general admission grass berm beyond the right field wall.
Lupton Stadium has played host to two conference tournaments (2008, 2009), nine NCAA Regional tournaments between 2009 through 2023, and three NCAA Super Regionals (2014, 2015, and 2023).
Food & Beverage 3
Lupton Stadium is packed with enough food options that the concourse can’t hold all the food stands, so the TCU Grill, State Fair, and Bobby’s Fajitas are located outside the main concourse along the walkway. The TCU Grill serves burgers and chicken sandwiches for $8.50, while the State Fair stand offers funnel cake, corn dogs, fat free chills, and fresh squeezed lemonade for $5 each. However, Bobby’s Fajitas is the place for Mexican food – the fajita quesadilla and fajita nachos cost $12, regular fajitas tacos cost $5, and a meat and bean burrito or cheese quesadilla run $6 each.
Inside the concourse on either side of the baselines, the stadium offers your regular stadium fare of chopped beef sandwiches ($8) and hot dogs ($6). There are also several menu choices for $5 including pretzel, peanuts, fresh fruit cups, and sunflower seeds. Depending on the size popcorn will cost either $4.50 or $7, while regular nachos are $5.50 and candy is $4.
Lupton Stadium serves Coca-Cola product at $5 for 24oz, while the larger 32oz size is the better value at $6.50. Other beverages on the menu are sweet tea ($6), 20oz bottled water ($5), and hot chocolate ($4). There is alcohol sold inside the ballpark, though an ID wristband is required to show verification – the beer selection is Coors/Coors Lite or Michelob Ultra, and you can also get wine spritzers; all of these selections cost $9.25.
Atmosphere 4
Most of TCU’s baseball games during the season are held on the weekends, with a single game during the week each season.
Lupton Stadium has country music being played as you walk towards the entrance, and there are free programs and posters on tables inside the concourse. Behind home plate there is also a lineup card for both teams, as well as a display showing the current Big 12 baseball standings. During the game there are free contests, such as Baseball Bingo, that help you really get into the game, and between innings there is plenty of music, including Sweet Caroline at the top of the sixth, and the traditional seventh inning stretch song, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame”.
The atmosphere at Lupton Stadium is always a great one, especially when the noise level reaches certain heights – one of those heights is when a visiting player has 2 strikes, or during other key game situations. It can become electrifying as fans stomp their feet on the metal underneath the bleachers or when the Horned Frogs score – the T-C-U chant can then be heard outside the stadium in the parking lots. Also, regardless of the final score, the TCU baseball team along with the Horned Frog fans sing the alma mater at the end of each game.
Neighborhood 4
The Texas Christian University campus is located about 4 miles from downtown Fort Worth, and Lupton Stadium is on the southwest corner of campus. The campus is divided by University Drive, which is the location of a few restaurants popular with TCU students.
Buffalo Bros is a sponsor of TCU baseball and a popular place for all TCU fans. Fans flock to this local sports bar, which serves New York Style wings, pizza, and subs. Dutch’s Hamburgers, a burger and beer café that faces campus, is also a great place to eat before attending a TCU event. Dutch’s namesake is Leo “Dutch” Meyer, a TCU grad who became the most successful football coach in football history. But Texas is also big on BBQ, and one eatery listed in Texas’ Monthly Top 50 is Heim’s BBQ, not far from TCU’s campus.
There are several tourist attractions in Fort Worth near campus – Fort Worth Zoo on University Drive near the Colonial Country Club is a good place for families. Another option is the Cultural District which has several museums, including the world famous Kimbell Art Museum and Will Rogers Memorial Center, home of the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, both of which are within 5 miles of Lupton Stadium. In addition, a trip to the Fort Worth Stockyards is a must when visiting the Fort Worth area, located just a few miles on the other side of downtown.
Fort Worth provides many options for lodging near TCU’s campus – a few suggestions include Sheraton Fort Worth Hotel (1701 Commerce), Courtyard by Marriott Fort Worth (3150 Riverfront Drive), and Fairfield Inn & Suites (1505 S University Dr. Fort Worth).
Fans 4
Texas Christian University is a private school with an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 9,000 students, and the estimated number of living TCU alumni is about 88,800, which produces the sense of a close-knit community, making TCU fans support genuine. Horned Frog also fans rank 15th among Division I baseball programs in terms of attendance, with an average of 4,287 last season.
When visiting Lupton Stadium you will see plenty of purple and white Horned Frogs apparel, from the youngest child to the most senior adult. Most fans are polite, friendly, and just love their Horned Frogs despite the result on the field.
Access 3
Lupton Stadium is located off West Berry Street on the southwest corner of TCU’s campus, near Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center and Lowdon Track & Field Complex, both of which are about a mile from the center of campus. The main parking lot for baseball games is Lot 13 on Bellaire Drive N, between the soccer and baseball fields. However, on the other side of Bellaire Drive N you may park for free along the streets in the neighborhood – just follow the other cars that will be parked, and be observant of street signs, fire hydrants, and driveways when parking your vehicle.
Lupton Stadium has four entrances, with the first two behind home plate – a lower entrance and an upper entrance, both of which are near the ticket booth. Either way there will be stairs, since there is only one concourse, but there is a ramp for people requiring handicap access. In addition to the two entrances behind home plate there is a third entrance behind right field off W. Berry Street, as well as a fourth entrance along the third baseline, which is mostly for students.
Once inside Lupton Stadium the walkway concourse is narrow, but perfectly adequate for the crowd size. The signage here provides easy navigation for everything from restrooms and concessions to the seating sections. The bathrooms are okay for small crowds, but with larger crowds there is some backup into the small concourse, as well as lines at the concessions. There are plans for future renovations to widen the concourses, however, which will include new restrooms and renovating the main entrance.
The lower level at Lupton Stadium has individual seats, while the upper level consists of metal benches built above the dugouts. The stadium also has suites located between the seating levels that connect to the concourse. Along the right field line near the visitor’s bullpen there is also a large, tiered grass berm that extends around the right field foul pole almost to center field – while this large berm provides an area for kids to play, it also serves as the general admission seating area when the reserved seating is sold out. However, all the reserved seating except for the patio area is protected by netting, so the large berm area is an excellent place to stand for a clearer view of the game.
Note that all TCU sporting venues use the clear bag policy, which states that only clear plastic bags will be allowed into the venue.
Return on Investment 4
Single game tickets at Lupton Stadium are $18 (adult) or $12 (youth), with general admission in the grass berm and behind the right field fence. Unfortunately the general admission ticket price is the same as the price for reserved seating, which lowers the return on investment – general admission tickets are only offered once the reserved seating is sold out.
A trip to Lupton Stadium provides a great fun-filled day which includes free parking, low-cost concessions, and a baseball program which has frequent appearances in the post season, with 6 trips to Omaha and the College World Series in the past 15 years.
Extras 4
Historical information at Lupton Stadium includes signs showing players who have gone on to the professional baseball ranks, the stadium’s façade showing past team accomplishments, and the foul and flag poles having been brought over from the program’s former home TCU Diamond. The Texas Christian University mascot is also one of the best mascots in college sports.
The various promotions throughout the year that the TCU staff incorporates into the home schedule are also a plus, such as the St Paddy’s Day cap, All-Star sleepover, Kids Days, and the concessions specials.