The former stadium was designed by Frank G. Churchill in 1917. The stadium was originally built with funds from a 1916 event called "Realization Day," where Newcomb and Tulane students took one-day jobs with local businesses and donated their earnings back to the school. The last game was played in the stadium in 1979, and the spaces under the seats were then used for campus storage. The building was demolished in 1980 and the site is now home to Aron and Willow Residences.
The stadium, often referred to as the "Sugar Bowl," was constructed in 1926 on Tulane's uptown campus in New Orleans, Louisiana. Designed to accommodate the growing popularity of college football, it initially seated 35,000 spectators.
Tulane Stadium quickly became a central venue for significant football events. It hosted the first Sugar Bowl in 1935, a game that became an annual tradition and one of college football's premier bowl games. The stadium also saw multiple expansions over the years to meet increasing demand, ultimately reaching a capacity of over 80,000.
In addition to college football, Tulane Stadium served as the home field for the New Orleans Saints when the NFL team was established in 1967. The stadium hosted the Saints until the Louisiana Superdome opened in 1975. Tulane Stadium was also the site of three Super Bowl games: Super Bowl IV in 1970, Super Bowl VI in 1972, and Super Bowl IX in 1975.
Despite its historic significance, the stadium began to show its age and was demolished in 1980. Tulane University continued to play its home games at the Super Dome until the construction of Yulman Stadium on campus, which opened in 2014. Tulane Stadium remains an important part of Tulane University's athletic heritage and the history of New Orleans sports.