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This Texas high school football stadium cost a mere $60 million

Aug 8, 2012, 1:34 PM EDT

22 Comments
Allen Eagle Stadium AP

Welcome to Allen High School (notable alumni: Playboy centerfold Julie McCullough, 1983; Dodgers pitcher Shawn Tolleson, 2006). But football is the name of the game in this Dallas suburb. Allen High has 5,000 students, and is football crazy even by Texas standards. Evidence: Witness the firepower of this fully armed and operational $60 million Allen Eagle Stadium.

Sorry, it was only $59.6 million, actually. The 18,000 seat project features a video scoreboard (of course), multi-level press box, weight room, wrestling room, and the always popular indoor golf facility. How was it funded, you ask? Candy sales! No, actually, it was a $119 million bond package approved by voters in 2009. Official opening will be Friday, Aug. 31, 2012 as Allen plays host to defending 5A State Champion Southlake Carroll.

source: AP

So, too much? You be the judge.

Correction: A friend tells me that Allen isn’t really considered a suburb of Dallas. Let’s just say it’s close by. Am told a lot of rich folks are moving there from South Dallas.

By the way, Allen High has the largest high school marching band in the world, according to Wikipedia.

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  1. southernpatriots - Aug 8, 2012 at 4:23 PM

    Numerous times I have visited our friends and neighbors to the west and entered a different world of high school football. Entire towns empty with businesses closed and everyone at the local high school football game on Friday night. Lest terrorists think this is a good place to hit, just about everyone has a “carry permit” and carries! Thank God they keep them holstered, because the contests can get really heated.

    “The make them bigger in Texas” is one of the many Texas slogans and that fits this stadium. We thought playing before a crowd of 3,000 with broadcasts on WLCS. Istrouma High School had many fans and great support (we thought) but nothing like this. We have friends not too far from Allen who cook some great Texas BBQ. Uuum…getting hungry.

  2. mattyflex - Aug 8, 2012 at 4:24 PM

    I’m glad you threw in the thing about the marching band that you so laboriously acquired from wikipedia; before that, it was just like the article posted this morning on Yahoo’s front page.

    • lewp - Aug 8, 2012 at 4:39 PM

      Well Mattyflex, since you have great authoring skills, why don’t you write a blog? Maybe you have a blog already? If so, why are you here? If not, start one, then come back and let us know how it went….bottom line is, it’s like bad tv, if you don’t like it, change it.

      • mattyflex - Aug 8, 2012 at 4:57 PM

        This isn’t a blog…….

        • hamstergram - Aug 8, 2012 at 5:07 PM

          It isn’t? Did you think you were reading a newspaper?

          • mgdsquiggy17 - Aug 9, 2012 at 4:46 PM

            ^ hahaha.

    • hamstergram - Aug 8, 2012 at 5:05 PM

      Poor Matty — there’s nothing sadder than someone who gives a thumbs up to his own comment.

  3. shorttracknews - Aug 8, 2012 at 6:42 PM

    Clear eyes, full hearts…

  4. dowhatifeellike - Aug 8, 2012 at 6:51 PM

    They’ll issue bonds (borrow) for a $60 million dollar high school football stadium, but they won’t accept federal money to expand Medicaid for the 25% of the state who can’t afford health insurance. Disgusting.

    • woodyqq2 - Aug 8, 2012 at 10:56 PM

      Dig deep and bring up all the other economic issues. I’m sure there is plenty to negate an expensive move such as this.

    • koufaxmitzvah - Aug 9, 2012 at 8:43 PM

      Bond is City or County. Medicaid is Federal.

      But I agree with you.

  5. tigersgeaux - Aug 9, 2012 at 12:23 AM

    The citizens voted for the bond issue. If the citizens want another unfunded mandate from the federal government in which it offers money for the first year or two and then due to budget cuts or other priorities cuts the funding later, the state then is in the hole. The only difference: the federal government can print money and run deficits, the biggest of which is this last year. The state cannot print money, and has to have a balanced budget.

  6. guinsrule - Aug 9, 2012 at 1:35 PM

    The best stadium money can buy…and likely the best players money can buy to follow.

  7. dizoakiusmaximus - Aug 9, 2012 at 2:55 PM

    People will willingly vote to throw money away for this nonsense, but not bitch and moan about helping others in need. And here I thought the South was supposed to be this bastion of “Christian ethics”. Big surprise their priorities are in the wrong place.

    • changsteinelgamal - Aug 10, 2012 at 10:30 AM

      Helping others in need voluntarily is called “charity”.
      Having it taken from you by force and redistributed is called “plunder”.

      I’d rather pay for something I want by choice, than be plundered.

    • gmsalpha - Aug 14, 2012 at 10:30 PM

      I can’t say I agree with the choice, but if the people want it and are willing to pay for it, it’s their right to enjoy it.

      I certainly don’t have a problem with this type of project if it’s how they want to spend their money. But that’s why I don’t live in Allen, Texas.

      Beautiful stadium, by the way.

  10. txnative61 - Aug 15, 2012 at 1:41 AM

    Texas unquestionably lead the nation in promoting prep sports, particularly football. As far as returns to the underprivileged, Texans receive scholarships across the nation at a very high rate, and often bring those educations at other states’ expense back home. And gives locals something to keep them out of bars on Friday nights in the fall.

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