Texas High School Gets $60 Million Football Stadium
Everything is bigger in Texas. And that includes high school football.
Allen High School, located in a growing suburb of Dallas, has approved the construction of a new stadium to house their football team that will break ground next month. The price tag is a whopping $60,000,000 and comes at a time when most school districts are slashing budgets just to keep their doors open.
So how does a school of 5,000 students justify a new, state-of-the-art stadium that seats 18,000 and a video scoreboard?
It’s because football is big business in Texas. Heck, they have the largest high school band with 800+ people (see video) so you can see that they go all out in Allen, Texas.
Allen High School is one of the largest schools in the state and their football team is one of the best. The Allen Eagles are winners of the Texas 5A state title and finished as the No. 2 team in the RivalsHigh Top 100 football rankings in 2008.
The new stadium will feature:
- Video Scoreboard
- Two level press box with film deck and Observation deck
- Home side reserved seating with seat backs
- 1,5000 additional parking spaces with 4,500 total parking spaces
- 18,000 seat Stadium with upper deck seating including:
- 5,000 reserved seating,
- 2,700 General Admission
- 4,000 Students
- 5,300 Visitor
- 1,000 Band
Their old stadium seats around 8,000 and was built 30 years ago. They bring in another 7,000 or so portable seats for fans to max it out. Many people stand to watch the game and a trip to the bathrooms can take quite awhile.
The facilities are outdated and overrun so having a new stadium constructed is not unexpected. Dropping $60 million is a little outrageous but this is the team that helped fill Texas Stadium with 50,000 last year.
And one way to look at it is that the new stadium is just half of the expenditure.
The stadium was part of a larger $120 million bond package passed in May 2009 that included nearly as much money for a state-of-the-art auditorium for performing arts.
The new Allen Eagles Stadium is set to open in 2012. You can take a virtual look at the new Stadium by clicking here.
[...] Texas High School Gets $60m Football Stadium – pigskin doctors [...]
texas is a oxymoron in more ways than one, but this takes the cake! the value system is all about the physical prowess, money, and ignorance. when the war between the states of mind explodes ,texas will be a major battlefield and one can only hope reason and logic will prevail.
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=== popurls.com === popular today…
yeah! this story has entered the popular today section on popurls.com…
Ummmm, jeb Boulware, please take a minute to grab a dictionary and look up oxymoron. It inadvertently made you sound like a moron because you misused the word.
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Seems like all of Texas is overcompensating for something
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D.R. Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
@Vibius,
I have always found that under achievers and week minded people use this lame logic. What are you over compensating for… lack of mental capacity.
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Wow, I grew up in texas and played hs football, but this is absolutely ridiculous. How about spending half of that on the stadium and give the good teachers a raise or provide them funds to get advanced degrees? You still get an giant stadium and the kids get better teachers.
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Most people here are overlooking the fact that this stadium will pay for itself via entrance fees, concession sales, and yes, even corporate sponsorship. The key fact in the article is that 50,000 people paid to see them play last year at Texas Stadium. A few years back, when the Dallas Cowboys needed an indoor practice field when there was problems at their usual location, they went over to the other big High School team in the DFW area, the Southlake Carrol Dragons, and used their indoor practice field as it was just as good as, if not better than, the Cowboys’ regular one.
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WOW such huge stadium and very expensive. The new football stadium looks more beautiful than the old one.
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[...] WTF! Texas H.S. to get $60,000,000 football stadium [Pigskin Doctors] [...]
[...] Source:http://thepigskindoctors.com/2010/04/texas-high-school-gets-60-million-football-stadium/ [...]
[...] Things in the Texas school system must be good. Thankfully, the citizens of Allen, Texas, have enough schoolbooks, teachers, buses, and great food for the kids because they don’t mind forking over an outrageous $60 million for a football stadium. [...]
[...] Allen High School, located in a growing suburb of Dallas, has approved the construction of a new sta… AKPC_IDS += "1217,";Popularity: unranked [?] [...]
couldn’t they have used the budget for other stuff?
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I thought Texans were up in arms about wasteful spending of tax dollars. Where is the Tea Party outrage? Where is Perry, I guess researching succession. What a bunch of phoney’s, perhaps we would all be better off if they did suceed, please make my day.
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Andrew Fitch Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 3:19 pm
@gerry mcgarvey,
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Andrew Fitch Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 3:20 pm
@gerry mcgarvey,
I will make your day, idiot. Before you start trying to make big fancy points, you should probably learn how to use the right words, it’s too bad you couldn’t suceed in getting your point across, moron
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I live in North Texas and work for a school district and we are broke. Bond or no bond how can they justify that expense. With the way the economy is and as many teachers that are completely under paid and under valued, why in the name af common sense would the school board approve such a thing. Are you people absolutely nuts !!!!!! Are they hiring ? Might as well go where the money is
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well, its clear to those in TX what HS football means to us. plus, bond pac kages cannot be spent for things like teacher salaries, etc. i am an Allen resident, and live just approx a mile from the new site. i am paying for a portion of this through tax dollars and do not mind. and yes, it will pay for itself quite quickly – so i’m not worried. keep your tea party comments out of here. theres no politics here (well, okay a few)
anyone see that $1.2 Billion place in arlington? okay, this is only 60MM and I, as a taxpayer, am happy to pay for it. plus, my sons will have a better place to show off their FB skills to college and pro scouts!
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JBK, do me a favor and don’t speak for all of “us” in TX. We don’t all live and breath for high school football. I too live in Allen, and I too am paying for this and I DO mind! Yes, a new stadium is needed because the old one is 30 years old and should be demolished, but 60 mil is too much! Gerry is right, some of Texans are indeed up in arms about wasteful spending of tax dollars, and this is a prime example of it. When it pays for itself, not a penny of that will go back in MY pocket.
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This should prepare them well for a career washing dishes at Applebee’s, which is all they’ll be qualified for after their $60 million football stadium and 10 cent education.
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D.R. Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 10:39 pm
@KdNicewanger,
Do some research before making such stupid remarks. I don’t live in Allen but they have one of the best school systems in the state. By the way, some people actually like Applebee’s. Jealousy is a very unbecoming quality.
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I wonder what the rest of the school got.. those kids that didn’t make it into football.. or the ones that like other stuff?
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From what the article says, there is also $60 million going towards other things other than just a football stadium. I don’t see what the problem would be if the funding was passed. Football is IT in Texas! Maybe everybody doesn’t agree with that statement, but it is true. I would hope that the powers that be will use the extra money generated by this stadium to fund more academia in the future. I doubt it, but here is wishful thinking!
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The idiotic lengths that some schools go to promote athletics makes one wonder. Do they go to school to play football, or go to football to play school? This is especially pointless considering the bizarre changes the Texas State Board of Education made to the state curriculum. I have to wonder where the priorities are. one is supposed to go to school to learn, not to play a game. No matter how important that game is to the outside community, the primary purpose of school is lost on these people. No wonder Texas is so screwed up.
“Showing off to College and pro scouts” is asinine for those poor schmucks who have no chance at a pro career. The odds are quite long considering that most never make pro. Plus if one is injured on the playing field or worse, what good is just a football education going to make him? It does nothing to prepare an individual for a career in business. Maybe as one suggested above, a career washing dishes at Applebees or a career slinging boxes at Wal-Mart. That’s all the good a $60 million Stadium will do for most. Meanwhile other school districts are suffering cutbacks and closures of facilities. This extravagance is a slap in the face to those who go to school to GET AN EDUCATION – which is all a school should be for!
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D.R. Reply:
August 15th, 2010 at 10:57 pm
@Stephen,
You seem fairly reasonable but some research may be helpful for you as well. Allen High School has one of the best school systems in the state. In addition, it is rated as one of the finest place to live in the US (due to the availability of fine education, very low crime rate, parks, income per capita etc…). The city also has one of the lowest debt per capita rates in the Country. I suspect they got there by being fairly frugal with their personal and municipal funds.
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I wonder if the math dept. has up to date calculators? Does the chemistry class have proper supplies? Are the advanced placement classes taken care of properly? Oh yea…I forgot…this is Texas where 7th grade boys play a 12 game schedule with a homecoming and parents night….and QB is retained in 8th grade if the 9th grade QB is a good prospect. Talk about out of whack priorities.
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Hey Ron,
Does this answer your questions:
http://www.allenisd.org/200610610121534870/lib/200610610121534870/_files/State_of_Schools_09-Web.pdf
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I currently go to Allen, will be graduating in May. And I can say yes, the science classes have all the supplies the need, the teachers do get paid well, as compared to other teachers in other districts, we do have up to date calculators, all the school owned calculators are of the TI-84 Plus variety. If you were to see the school parking lot, and how many brand new mustangs and other cars fill it, you would probably stop complaining as much. As a member of said AP classes I can say that yes, they are taken care of very well, we have some of the smartest minds in the area, our AP Biology teacher just recently received outstanding biology teacher award from the State of Texas. The band program is just as, if not bigger than the football program, and $60 mil is also going to building a new band hall, performing arts center, orchestra hall, and choir room. The band, which I am a member of, currently marches over 600 members, and we will be growing again at the beginning of next year by about another 100. If y’all were to read the original article, you would see that
“‘In Texas, funding is completely separate between capital projects and general (education) fund,” he said. “If we don’t build the stadium, none of that money could go to teachers or classrooms.’”
As stated by the public information director for the district. The stadium will only be used by Allen High for football, as it is the only high school in the district, but it will also be used in the future most likely for UIL band competitions.
Hope that answered all of y’alls questions.
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Zoe Reply:
August 12th, 2010 at 7:34 pm
@patrick, Thank you. I seriously think people should think about the fact that things are different in other places and Allen is a really good city. I know that I’m am personally looking forward to a new band hall because this one is just as big as the one we had in middle school.
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Allen Texas High School Gets $60 Million Football Stadium…
This article has been featured on Gunaxin Links…
This is the most retarded thing I think I’ve ever seen, why are people from Texas so stupid? maybe while they were bragging about how everything is bigger in Texas it all went to their ego, making them think they have to have the biggest of everything, and waste all this money. Donate it to P.E.T.A. or someone who would use it correctly, instead of riding horses and shooting cows. Cowboy homos.
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Sonny Reply:
August 11th, 2010 at 1:50 pm
@Tyler,
Well look here, a person crying about the GREAT STATE of TEXAS, and it’s education, and the folks that live here (cowboys)… Well TYLER, ur parents didn’t seemed to think Texas was/is so bad, they named ur dumbass after a city/town in our great state… LMAO…. Oh by the way, WE do things BIGGER AND BETTER here in TEXAS. GET OVER IT!!!
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I think this is a great accomplishment as this will help elevate the standards in high school football in Texas, and hopefully, across the nation.
I don’t agree with the negative posts above that dumping money into youth athletics is wasteful. Athletics are such a positive force in kids and in most cases are the reason why they are successful both on the field and in classrooms.
Furthermore, kids have 4 things to do after class:
1. They study
2. They practice
3. They work
4. They get high and drunk and play video games
I would venture to say that far too many opt to travel down the path of option 4. Having sound, well-funded extra-curricular activities will motivate kids to be involved in something other than wasteful activities as in option 4.
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[...] that got laid under the bleachers at a football game? Yeah, me neither. A high school in Dallas will be getting some expensive bleachers to get naughty underneath. Oh, and they’re building a $60 million football complex around [...]
Many of you people are very undereducated on this subject and it’s very irritating. The City of Allen has some of the highest property taxes in the state of Texas. The old stadium “seats” 15,000 people and it has had a 10k+ attendance at every game for the last 5-10 years. The stadium will be used for other things like youth football games and band competitions it’s not a waste of money and it was money well spent. Many residents that have no ties to the town or school, other than living here, regularly attend games and are often season ticket holders. The City of Allen revolves around football and as high as the taxes are, I’d be insulted with anything less than what is planned.
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The taxpayers voted for this in Allen, most people did because they didn’t like the old stadium.
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[...] Allen Texas High School Gets $60 Million Football Stadium | The Pigskin Doctors. [...]
[...] Here are the specs courtesy of The Pigskin Doctors: [...]
[...] folks in Allen just approved a bond to pay for a proposed 60-million-dollar football stadium. This stadium will [...]
Does anyone know which contractor was awarded the contract to build the new stadium?
Thanks
Shawn
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I, too, live in Allen. I understand that some residents like the stadium, and some don’t. Full disclosure, I like it! That being said, this bond was sent to the voters in the city. It passed ~60% to 40%, if I recall correctly. The total bond is north of $200M, with $60M of it being for the football stadium.
I completely understand the common reaction of, “why didn’t they spend it on…?” The fact is, the school district has already spent the money on everything else! Yes… EVERYTHING. Our teachers are amongst the highest paid in the state. There is an extremely low turnover rate among teachers and a huge waiting list for teachers that want to teach in the district. We have new books. New calculators. New buses. Our library is completely outfitted with dozens and dozens of new DELL computers, all networked together. Every classroom is networked with every teacher having a laptop to create powerpoint presentations to present to the class on projectors, all built in. Our basketball arena seats over 5000 and is better than many/most colleges. We have THE best facilities in the state. We have been adding elementary and middle schools to the area to support the growth. Each of these schools are high tech and modern. The older elementary schools (mostly built in the ’90s) are being retrofitted and updated to conform with all the new schools.
Let me reiterate… EVERYTHING else has been paid for. The football stadium was the LAST thing the district needed to build. NOT the first.
What has all of this led to? We have one of the best academic districts in the state. We have been rated “EXEMPLARY”, the highest rating, by the State of Texas. Each year, we have literally dozens of kids that get accepted into Ivy league schools. Our band is the largest in the country with over 600 members amongst the band, drill team, and color guard. They recently performed in the Rose Parade in Pasadena on New Year’s Day, 2008. Athletically, our football team is not only one of the best in Texas, but frequently rated as one of the best in the nation (if you happen to believe national hs football rankings). in 2008, Allen HS won the Div. 1, 5A (largest classification), Texas state football championship. That same year, MaxPreps ranked Allen #2 in the nation. Our girls volleyball team is one of the state’s premier programs, recently losing in the state finals. Our girls and boys golf teams have both won state within the past 5 years. Our girls soccer team has been ranked nationally, as well. Our boys wrestling team has won state two years, running. In non-UIL sports, Allen has won the state title in ice hockey and bowling. Yes… we even have enough money to fund a bowling team.
Interestingly, I don’t know of any student that feels “jealous” of any other program. The support that they get is amazing. Way, way,way different from when I went to high school. And yes, the football team LOVES the band! It gets them fired up when the band starts to play the fight song and consumes whatever stadium in which they’re playing.
Everything is funded. Every kid gets taken care of. I’ve not even mentioned the community college that is co-resident on the HS campus… or the culinary program… or the certified nurses assistant program… or the nationally award winning high school TV broadcast facilities and program. I could go on… and on… and on… EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR!
Finally, there was a comment in here re. the Tea Partiers. From my understanding, the Tea Party movement is not about city governments spending tax payer approved dollars, however the tax payers of that city choose to spend them. I believe the Tea Party is about limited federal government and making sure the federal government follows both the letter and the intent of the US Constitution. Most Tea Partiers that I know just want the federal government to stay out of their state, and focus on the military, protecting our borders, fixing roads and bridges, print currency, and operate the Post Office.
So, for all of you “upset” with how the Allen taxpayers spend OUR money, it truly is none of your business. It’s up to us, the taxpayer’s, how we spend it. I don’t give a damn if you like it or not, frankly. I do, however, respect very much the view of ‘djh’, above. I have been on the losing end of bond measures and didn’t like it. But we always have the choice of voting with our feet. Finally, though, I believe your comment, “When it pays for itself, not a penny of that will go back in MY pocket” is not exactly accurate. It’s true that revenue will not flow directly into your pocket. However, I do believe that further property taxes will be abated and some other bonds will be able to be paid down with the revenue from the stadium once it’s paid for. That should relieve some of the future property tax burden.
My suggestion for those that take offense is, rather than be upset with what we’re doing, maybe you should be asking, “Why can’t my school district fund everything?”
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In Plano (literally right next to Allen, we just finished renovations on our Stadium), tickets are $6 for admission. Can’t say I’m surprised, this isn’t that surprising. Plus, lots of other teams other than Allen play in their stadiums, and their school is only going to get bigger. Hell, AHS looks like a college campus.
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I am a senior at Allen and was on the state champion team last year as a junior and i know that we have some amazing facilities….the only bruise on Allen is the football stadium…the stadium was built when we were a 3A school and since then we have grown to a 5A power house and need a football field that represents the changes that Allen has made as a whole city in the past 10 years…yes i know i wont get to play on the field they are building i completely agree with the bond that was passed for the stadium
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It’s nice to see that at least one state is thriving despite the failed obama administration. If they want to spend THEIR MONEY on a football stadium then I have no reason to criticize them.
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I live in Allen. We voted on the bond to build that new stadium. We have great teachers here. Who make excellent wages (for teachers in Texas). So they aren’t going to strike because of pitiful salaries. Or send notes home with our kids to send in paper and pencils for everyone to share. We make no apologies for being able to afford a new stadium. Football reigns supreme in Texas. We’ve got one of the largest high schools in the state – so it’s about time we provided some place for the “visitors” to sit.
Don’t be hating on us, y’all. LOL.
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All I no . I have 4 step kids go to the middle school. I have lost my job two months ago and they need school supplies. Any help would be appreciated. e-mail me at
phillipthomas007@yahoo.com are call 214-994-0424
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