New $60mil football stadium ... for a high school

[seaplus]

I saw this posted on another message board. Texas is something special.

Allen High School unveils $60 million football stadium

For critics who call Allen a football-crazed town, the bond package included a much-needed $23.3 million auditorium for the district's performing arts programs. It also included $36.5 million for a transportation, maintenance and nutrition center.

The stadium itself serves more than just football. Under the east stands is an 84-yard long weight room. Under the west stands is a workout room and coaches offices for the wrestling program. There are also indoor hitting areas for the golf teams.

The football program already had many amenities in the athletics building on the south end of the stadium, including an indoor practice field. The team also has two grass practice fields and another turf field at the track stadium.

Allen's soccer teams will play some games in the new stadium, but they already have a grass stadium at one of the middle schools.

The stadium will also generate revenue beyond the football program. The day after Allen plays its first game in Eagle Stadium, four smaller schools will play a double-header there. A college all-star game has booked the stadium next winter, and the district anticipates steady business renting the facility for football and soccer playoff games.

[Matt]

This has been 3 years in the making. I remember looking at the drafts of what it was suppose to look like.

Great stadium. Looks amazing /stadiumsnob


Dont understand the 18G capacity though. Whenever I watch a layer night HS football game in Texas, stadium looks full like a Tampa bay rays game.

[Ravin]

This has been 3 years in the making. I remember looking at the drafts of what it was suppose to look like.

Great stadium. Looks amazing /stadiumsnob


Dont understand the 18G capacity though. Whenever I watch a layer night HS football game in Texas, stadium looks full like a Tampa bay rays game.

If you build it they will come?

[Maynard]

HS football is huge in many parts of the US but in Texas its way beyond huge. If the community can support that kind of stadium then thats great. But those kids are probably treated like rock stars and have a huge amount of pressure to deal with

[MrBill]

It looks like that $60M number is inclusive of a lot more than just a football stadium but either way, that's a lot of cheddar to drop for high school sports. Like Maynard said though...high school football is king in Texas. I wonder if this facility will be shared between schools? We have about a dozen really nice stadiums in the San Antonio metro area and most (possibly all) of them are shared by several schools. One school might play Thursday night with another Friday night, maybe one on Saturday afternoon.

[Senser81]

It looks like that $60M number is inclusive of a lot more than just a football stadium but either way, that's a lot of cheddar to drop for high school sports. I wonder if this facility will be shared between schools?

From the article:

The stadium will also generate revenue beyond the football program. The day after Allen plays its first game in Eagle Stadium, four smaller schools will play a double-header there. A college all-star game has booked the stadium next winter, and the district anticipates steady business renting the facility for football and soccer playoff games.

I know the article was incredibly lengthy, but perhaps reading it in its entirety before responding will lead to better postings?

[Warner2BruceTD]

Part of my culture shock of moving to Texas was turning on the local ESPN Radio affiliate one Saturday, and being met with high school football coaching carousal talk.

Yes, high school football coaching carousal talk. On the radio!

I mean, these are children. I'm fascinated by how much people here care, and the big money that goes into it.

The big debate where I live (College Station) over the last few years, was the city building a second high school, and the subsequent cost. While the city is growing, the current high school is more than large enough at the moment to accommodate the student body, probably for at least another deacde or decade and a half. Turns out the motive behind building the second high school now, is driven by football.

The powers that be want the current school to drop a level, because they feel like they can dominate as a 3A instead of merely being a 'solid' 4A, and thus win more state titles. The only way to do that is to drop enrollment. Hence, building a second school.

Surprisingly, an overwhelming majority of people are behind this nonsense. The vocal minority, concerned with unneeded tax hikes, tried to cause a stir, but failed. The school opens next year.

[packersfan4eva]

What the fuck are they doing?

I understand that football is huge, but c'mon, 60 million dollars for a high school football team? Think of EVERYTHING else that money could have gone towards. This isn't the NFL. It's high school football. HIGH SCHOOL.

[Ravin]

My high schools football field.

[seaplus]

i just don't understand the world and people in general

[Sven Draconian]

What the fuck are they doing?

I understand that football is huge, but c'mon, 60 million dollars for a high school football team? Think of EVERYTHING else that money could have gone towards. This isn't the NFL. It's high school football. HIGH SCHOOL.

Without a vast knowledge of Allen High School or the general area, I feel pretty confident that the Stadium does make at least some sense.

They can host events there (as the article wrote); All star games, Camps, public events (graduations ect), and state playoffs/tournament games (various sports). These will all generate solid revenue for the school itself and they would bring people to the town where they go out to eat, get gas, stop at the store because they forgot something ect. Again, this generates revenue.

It's also a recruiting tool for the school to bring more kids to the school. This is an overall athletics facility improvement (not just the stadium). If having nice facilities brings more kids to the school that is more tax dollars for the school.

I'm not saying they are ever going to earn their 60 million dollars back (maybe they will... I don't know the area), but it isn't quite as outlandish as it appears on the surface.

[ram29jackson]

private schools are getting the new field turf for a million or 2 mil and will be in the red for a while.

even with added games this has got to take a long ass time to pay off. Its high school, I doubt people are paying 20$ a ticket ?

[ram29jackson]

Part of my culture shock of moving to Texas was turning on the local ESPN Radio affiliate one Saturday, and being met with high school football coaching carousal talk.

Yes, high school football coaching carousal talk. On the radio!

I mean, these are children. I'm fascinated by how much people here care, and the big money that goes into it.

The big debate where I live (College Station) over the last few years, was the city building a second high school, and the subsequent cost. While the city is growing, the current high school is more than large enough at the moment to accommodate the student body, probably for at least another deacde or decade and a half. Turns out the motive behind building the second high school now, is driven by football.

The powers that be want the current school to drop a level, because they feel like they can dominate as a 3A instead of merely being a 'solid' 4A, and thus win more state titles. The only way to do that is to drop enrollment. Hence, building a second school.

Surprisingly, an overwhelming majority of people are behind this nonsense. The vocal minority, concerned with unneeded tax hikes, tried to cause a stir, but failed. The school opens next year.

I could never tolerate for long someone in their 20s to 40s etc talking about how good a high school player is LOL.

watching a high school game is for fun and amusement nothing more...i'll pay attention to your kid when he's a Soph at a major college but not before then

[BigBiss]

Make it out to some Friday night games its something else, kinda fucks with you when you leave and are just a normal smoe at age 18