Eagle Stadium (Allen, Texas)

History

The stadium opened on August 31, 2012, with a non-district matchup between Allen and Southlake Carroll, who at the time was the defending 5A state champion and the No. 1 ranked team in the state. In an upset, Allen prevailed, 24–0, en route to its own state title later that year. The Eagles have enjoyed remarkable success since opening the stadium winning 54 consecutive games in the stadium from 2012–2021. Atascocita became the first team to beat the Eagles at the venue on September 3, 2021. Allen has won four state championships (2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017) since Eagle Stadium opened, and five overall (2008).

Eagle Stadium is notable (and controversial) for its size (it has a capacity of 18,000 spectators, the fifth largest high school stadium in Texas, and the largest which serves as home field for only one high school) and its cost of completion (just under US$60 million). The 18,000 seats include 9,000 home-side seats (including 1,000 reserved for the Allen Escadrille), 4,000 end-zone seats for students and general admission (located in the north end zone), and 5,000 visitor-side seats.

Beneath the grandstand, there are spaces for a wrestling room, golf simulator practice area, and a weight room.

The final Texas vs The Nation college football all-star bowl game was held at Eagle Stadium in February, 2013.

The field at the stadium is named Steve Williams Field at Eagle Stadium after former athletic director, Steve Williams. Williams retired at the end of the 2020–2021 school year, after 46 years with the Allen ISD, 21 of those years as the district's athletic director. His career achievements at Allen resulted in his induction into the Texas High School Athletic Director Association’s 2020 Hall of Honor.

Cracking and temporary closure

On February 27, 2014, the stadium was closed due to cracking in concrete making it unsafe to use. All scheduled events were canceled until further notice. Lawyers for the school district wrote a letter to the design and construction companies for the stadium, citing "construction failures" that exacerbated an "already deficient design." Repairs costing more than $10 million were made at the expense of the builder and architect, and the stadium was officially reopened on June 5, 2015, for graduation. The 2014 varsity football season played every game on the road, going undefeated and winning their third consecutive title earning the nickname "Road Warriors" by the local media.

Year-by-year win–loss record

References

References

1. Shirley, Brent. (September 4, 2012). "Allen opens stadium with upset over Southlake Carroll". [[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]].
2. Brent Shirley. (September 4, 2012). "Allen opens stadium with upset over Southlake Carroll". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
3. (31 August 2012). "Allen (Texas) High School ready unveils $60M football facility".
4. Dane Brugler, [http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/nfl-draft-scout/20905671/texas-vs-the-nation-game-returns-for-2013 "Texas vs. the Nation game returns for 2013"], NFLDraftScout.com at [[CBSSports.com]], November 9, 2012.
5. (May 25, 2021). "Allen ISD names Eagle Stadium field after retired athletic director Steve Williams". Star Local Media.
6. (February 27, 2014). "Money pit? $60M Texas HS stadium shut down". [[ESPN.com]].
7. Ayala, Eva-Marie. (February 27, 2014). "Structural concerns shut down $60 million Allen Eagle Stadium". [[The Dallas Morning News]].
8. McClam, Erin. (May 20, 2014). "$60 Million Texas High School Stadium Deemed Unsafe for Football". [[NBC News]].
9. (May 31, 2015). "Allen's Eagle Stadium to reopen for graduation after $10 million-plus in fixes". [[The Dallas Morning News]].
10. (June 2, 2015). "Allen High School's $60 Million Stadium Will Reopen For Graduation". [[KERA (FM).
11. Welch, Matt. (January 1, 2015). "Top 10 Allen, Lovejoy Sports Stories of 2014: Road Warriors". Star Local Media.
12. "Allen 2012 Football Schedule".
13. "Allen 2013 Football Schedule".
14. "Allen 2014 Football Schedule".
15. Welch, Matt. (May 20, 2014). "Allen's Eagle Stadium closed for 2014 season, home football games shift to Plano". [[Allen American]].
16. "Allen 2015 Football Schedule".
17. "Allen 2016 Football Schedule".
18. "Allen 2017 Football Schedule".
19. "Allen 2018 Football Schedule".
20. "Allen 2019 Football Schedule".
21. "Schedule - Allen Eagles (Allen, TX) Varsity Football 20-21".
22. "Allen Eagles (Allen, TX) Varsity Football 21-22".
23. "Schedule - Allen Eagles (Allen, TX) Varsity Football 22-23".
24. "Schedule - Allen Eagles (Allen, TX) Varsity Football 23-24".
25. "Schedule - Allen Eagles (Allen, TX) Varsity Football 23-24".