During his four years as a college football player, Texas Tech cornerback Jamar Wall has played in 21 stadiums, sometimes before crowds approaching — or even exceeding — 100,000.

He’s seen the Corps at College Station, heard the applause accorded visiting teams in Lincoln, Neb., and been booed and hissed at in places such as Austin and Norman, Okla.

But the senior from Plainview doesn’t think for a moment that he’s seen
it all.

None of those venues cost more than $1 billion to build.

Today, Wall and the other Red Raiders go inside Cowboys Stadium, the $1.2 billion palace that Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones built to replace Texas Stadium.

It’s famous for, among other things, its gigantic video screens that hang above the field.

“I’ll definitely be watching that one,’’ Wall said this week. “Sitting on the sidelines, your head’s going to be cocked up, looking. The thing’s huge. I’m looking forward to that, especially.’’

Fans have been flocking to the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, just as they did for the ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 27. A crowd of 70,000-plus is expected fo today's game.

Today, when they arrive for a 5 p.m. game against Baylor, will be the first time for the Red Raiders to walk the grounds. Tech coach Mike Leach generally doesn’t do day-before walk-throughs at visiting stadiums.

A Tech spokesman said the last such walk-through he could remember was in 2002, when the Raiders visited Ohio State.

But Wall says no one should worry about the players being awestruck. That should wear off before kickoff.

“When you start playing, then you get into game mode,’’ he said. “At the start, you’re going to look around and be real interested. But I think by the time the game starts, you’ll be focused.’’

Tech and Baylor are playing in the Cowboys Stadium in year one of a two-year contract to play their annual game in the Metroplex. Next year’s Tech-Baylor game will be at the Cotton Bowl, on Oct. 9, on one of the weekends of the State Fair of Texas.

“It’s going to be fun,’’ said Baylor quarterback Nick Florence, a freshman from South Garland. “I’ve heard a lot about it. I have seen pictures.
“It looks like a spaceship from what I’ve been told. I guess there’s nothing like playing football on a spaceship. It will be fun, getting a chance to play in Dallas.’’

The fans seem to be looking forward to the experience, too. Ticket sales hit 70,000 early in the week, which is about all the stadium is configured to set for today’s game.

If a building can generate lore in its first month, then an anecdote contributing to some early lore took place in the first game. In the Cowboys’ preseason home opener in August, Tennessee Titans punter A.J. Trapasso lofted a kick that hit the huge video board that hangs 90 feet above field level.

That gives the college kids something to shoot for. Or Tech deep snapper Austin Burns joked about the Tech punters matching Trapasso, at least.

“How do you miss it?’’ Burns said of the video boards. “I’m sure I’ll be looking at it. I’ll be excited to see that. I know our punters are going to be trying to hit it. If we get lucky and (a punt) hits it, we’ll give them a pat on the back.’’

Burns quickly added that he was referring to pre-game only.

Baylor coach Art Briles downplayed the fun of being in the new stadium. Tech coach Mike Leach said he can’t afford to get caught looking at all the bells and whistles.

“It’s fabulous,’’ Leach said. “I mean, it’s a nice stadium. We’re excited to be there and excited to go play. I’ve heard a lot about it. Maybe beforehand, but then after that, you just worry about the game.’’

Cowboys Stadium
Facts about Cowboys Stadium, where Texas Tech will play Baylor today.
-Stadium site: 73 acres
-Overall site: 140 acres
-Stadium length: 300 yards from one end zone retractable wall to the opposite end zone retractable wall
-Exterior facade: Canted 800-foot glass wall exterior
-Slopes at 14-degree angle
-Arches soar 292 feet above playing field
-Operable glass doors at each end of stadium are 180 feet wide by 120 feet high, the largest operable glass doors in the world.
-Five 38-foot panels take 18 minutes to open or close
-At 660,800 square feet, the stadium’s roof is one of the largest domed sports structures in the world.
-Roof and roof structure consists of 14,100 tons of structural steel, equivalent to the weight of 92 Boeing 777s.