Get A First Look Inside $70 Million Texas High School Football Stadium | TODAY

Katy, Texas, is the site of the most expensive high school stadium ever built in the United States. It cost a controversial $72 million, but is it money well spent? NBC’s Blake McCoy reports from the stadium for TODAY.
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Get A First Look Inside $70 Million Texas High School Football Stadium | TODAY

[@RogueSniperGaming]

That doesn’t look like $70 million worth

[@bobbysflyinghat3722]

Looks like 2.5-4 mil

[@Tony-my3sy]

Cap Squad labor costs maybe

[@NOONE-ik9to]

It doesnt even have surround stands, Allens hs has a 30x better field with being 10m less

[@bobbysflyinghat3722]

@Duran Drayton woah come down Duran don’t get offended 😂😂

[@nikarshadsulaiman9614]

@@bobbysflyinghat3722 even though this is really late stadium costs has skyrocketed recently that’s why it’s 70 million

[@Iankeany]

My high school field has the field and some bleachers.

[@AshAtAnfield]

papa Stalin You have bleachers? And a field? I'm jealous. We had a rock pit with feral dogs.

[@shialabuff4997]

Lol the only way it should be because schools should be for education, and sports an afterthought

[@danuelwilliams6130]

papa Stalin Mine was a field with no bleachers, just some little metal stands and the rest was standing, lots of vehicles parked right next to the field. Made a very intimate environment.

[@matthewbrady9667]

We don't have bleachers

[@jackpazin6159]

I had that plus a track.

[@TheHuskyK9]

If you spend that much on a football field, then the football team should be nationally ranked every year.

[@big-c-trill7045]

TheHuskyK9 they are nationally ranked almost every year

[@vaibhavshukla9288]

They have 29 th rank

[@koryhayens8235]

i go to katy high and we are great but ion agree with spending that much money when there’s homeless people in katy doesn’t add up

[@ktcarl]

TheHusky9 - The stadium is being shared by 8 district teams. Not one. The school district needed the extra stadium because there are 8 high schools. Can't get 8 games in a weekend without two stadiums. The stadium in Allen Texas was built for one team.

[@perfectectlylegitimatename631]

@@koryhayens8235 I've lived in katy for four years and have seen maybe two homeless people. Either way the stadium is going to pay for itself in no time. There would never have been a semifinal game at Rhodes, but this year there were two. This stadium is bringing in a lot of money for katy.

[@vkloudzy]

For those that don’t know Katy has some of the most expensive taxes in the area so really this is a small price to such an economic giant

[@mruiz3206]

Texas is cheap on taxes...I don't get it...I expected "more" on this stadium no matter if it is a high school stadium...that must be some "Laundry $ there huh"?...

[@shrim1481]

High school players will be getting nil deals soon

[@bradleymacklin7896]

I thought our new 3 million dollar field was sick

[@christopherhyncik8851]

can't they use that 72 mil for better education?... coming from a high school football player

[@cloroxbleach885]

Christopher Hyncik that district just built a 150mil high school bro what are you talking about

[@treypierson7]

Katy ISD has amazing education lmao.

[@XoneIsACoolDude]

I go to the new high school they built this year, Paetow, and the education, food, and environment here is amazing. I'm blessed to live in Katy.

[@ryansunderman8764]

I mean not like giving more money to education helps the system it's controlled by the higher ups giving up force fed into for spitting into tests

[@skeletalgio2128]

Christopher Hyncik Katy isd is one of the best school districts there is I don’t think that would make much of a difference for an already successful school district lmao

[@jayboss6852]

Meanwhile my school can’t fix the sinks

[@DDDiego]

Are you from a poor area? If so, I feel bad for you

[@nickshanks68]

We don't need to fix any roads or public facilities lets just put it to a highschool stadium..... That rivals bmo field in Toronto lol

[@LLB-lh2lh]

how does this rival BMO field in Toronto?? this is an open ended 12 thousand seat stadium.....whereas BMO field has 30 thousand seats and a roof.

[@perfectectlylegitimatename631]

Our roads and public facilities are already top notch. Have you never seen katy isd? And how would funding for a school stadium ever be able to go towards fixing roads?

[@adrianbustamante993]

You don’t get it because you don’t live here

[@samleaf7882]

Perfectectly Legitimate Name Katy is like cod nuketown, plastic

[@davidlafleche1142]

Just think: The first stadium the Patriots ever owned cost just over $7 million (1971). Amazingly, the city of Foxboro has an unusual arrangement with the Patriots: They collect a surcharge on every ticket sold, thereby guaranteeing the city a profit, regardless of attendance.

[@brandenrounds2086]

Wait this was plan b. I would love to see what they had in store for plan a

[@8tenthsGaming]

pull out

[@manuel.corralpalacios6444]

+8tenths Gaming hahaha

[@yomamabinfartin7176]

Step A Atlanta falcons Stadium

[@phillysportsfan7884]

Allen Eagle stadium is nicer, seats more, and was less expensive

[@toddgideon100]

lets add the cost of repairs, from shoddy construction, and the cost of using other stadiums, during said repairs..not so less expensive.

[@nathanscott8598]

TODD GIDEON I live in The Colony and I can agree, the fact that Allen spent 60+ million, not only once but twice it costed more for Allen.

[@albryant5354]

the allen eagles are just as guilty as sin for spending so much money on this field that is openr a few months a year !

[@user-qd4he8jz9t]

And have a better team.😂🔥😂

[@UltimateBreloom]

TODD GIDEON I believe the contractor had to pay it. Not Allen.

[@nilesayer3046]

Its probably a resivor now

[@uove2194]

Niles Ayer no it's fine

[@BigmacYT1]

reservoir?

[@bradontraylor5341]

BigmacYT texas had a hurricane😂😂

[@Golgi-Gyges]

Nope

[@catkushx]

Uh no thats us here in baycity

[@TheyLuvMadi97]

You can actually see my neighborhood from the above view. it's so amazing to think that I can literally walk to the most expensive stadium in Texas. Morton ranch high School is supposed to be playing their homecoming game there, so I really can't wait to go to that

[@zachperez8937]

I think that the stadium is great but honestly I was expecting a little more for $72 million. I know at the end of the day it's just a field but I was honestly expecting a little more building structure around the stadium, perhaps in the form of a nicer concourse. I wonder where so much of the money went, maybe it was in the land development?

[@HazardLol4]

Yea, it was built underground a little and that cost alot

[@KeyserSoze23]

A fair bit of the money was probably laundered.

[@maximusprimus827]

It went it to the crooked politicians pockets

[@shrim1481]

Soon, High School football players will be playing regular season games all around the country, even the world. Worldwide High School conference realignment

[@hunterjenkins11]

Matt Lauer looking at those HS girls

[@idahocougarfan9511]

Allen Texas stadium looks bigger. It's amazing to see highschool stadiums as big as small college stadiums or bigger

[@Tony-my3sy]

I aint from Texas im from Cali! But honestly if the football team is generating a lot of money they should use it for the football team well deserved stafium beautiful hope to see it 😁👌🏻

[@Tony-my3sy]

Propane Enthusiast ticket sales fundraisers and booster clubs is generating money.

[@burninghammerstudios7033]

my high schools field had an angle in it so if you were standing on our sideline you couldn't see anything past the players on the other sidelines knees

[@alvajjoe]

It is called a crown and it is so water drains off the field

[@u.sborderpatrol9994]

I live close to it and ive watched a taylor and Morton Ranch High School homecoming game the stadium is pretty cool though i doubt it cost that much

[@pedropichardo866]

Waste of money

[@pimperish666]

pedro pichardo how is it a waste? Come to LA and I’ll show you how our government wastes money.

[@perfectectlylegitimatename631]

Itll pay for itself in no time. Already this stadium aside from district football games has been used for dozens of semi-final games and groups like drum corps have even rented it out. Not to mention the 50 regular football games, soccer games, marching contests and more.

[@purpleblades6190]

If your local high school football team had an actual stadium, then you couldn’t just walk on to the field and play a pickup game. Is that really so great? I know it would be cool to have a stadium, but that doesn’t make your team any better. And once again, the general public needs a place to casually throw the ball around.

[@Thekamgreen]

It’s not it gets thousands of people every Thursday and Ik cause I go every game

[@levigoto1897]

Conrad Gifford it’s a high school football stadium that’s a waste little boy

[@jwiese100]

It's crazy how much money some high schools in Texas invest in there football programs but just goes to show how big of an obsession it really is.

[@jessejames4865]

Texans “California is a complete disaster” Also Texas - spends 70 million on a high school football stadium instead of their completely broken electrical grid

[@thetruth65756]

Lmao are you saying California is better than Texas?

[@FrankHorigan]

Jesse this was years before that also this was paid for by katyisd

[@thatleftyjames2893]

But California is a disaster

[@carryeveryday910]

I like how you think the state paid for this lmao. How is $7 gas? Astronomical state income tax? Or what no gas lawn mowers? Lmao cali is a joke.

[@user-ob9tc2iv3c]

Texas is trash and I live here

[@claytonraley9466]

My home town of Pierce City Missouri still has metal bleachers and a great big lawn a lumpy and holey field and trailer bleachers for the away section that seat about 75

[@itsnotchloeee]

I know people are saying that this is a waste of money, but I’ve been there many times and it’s good that they built it there because other high schools don’t have a field to play on.

[@calebtvog]

All those seats and will only have like 100 people come to games.

[@uove2194]

Caleb TV it sells out every game

[@tipbloguz7014]

This is where I live the games are always full

[@cloroxbleach885]

Caleb TV bruh what are you smoking

[@TheJosephPrice]

You must not live in the south man. Even in the small town I live in, we get 8,000+ every home game.

[@calebtvog]

Joseph Price I do. I live in SC my school has like 1000 kids

[@zachg9065]

My high school didn’t even have lights until 2015

[@p.winfield3061]

Lol, my team has played against Katy. They're state candidates every year.

[@SM-rn8sq]

High School Football in Texas is the best no other state can compete

[@caitlynmartin480]

Sha Mu well Mitchell stadium won

[@bazil4146]

That stadium alone is bigger than my entire high school

[@isaacsteppee8721]

Our school can only raise $27000 for our stadium

[@aberrantsymbiote9957]

IT'S A DISTRICT STADIUM NOT A SCHOOL GET IT STRAIGHT!

[@aberrantsymbiote9957]

I'm finally in 7th grade! I'm gonna play in this STADIUM and score!

[@aberrantsymbiote9957]

thanks

[@random1267]

Aberrant Symbiote Nice. Good luck. What JH do you go to? I’m not sure that 7th grade can play there. I’m sure that field is for high school.

[@crewhot5]

This school better win state every yeat

[@thekylleroberts]

Looking on MaxPreps which goes back to 2004 this team has won at least 10 games every single season and has like 4 16-0 seasons in that time playing in one of Texas's top 2 levels of football

[@graysonkeenum8908]

No aledo does

[@newera1975]

Grayson Keenum who cares about 5a lmao

[@graysonkeenum8908]

newera 19 I mean 8 rings in a row

[@aberrantsymbiote9957]

Not a school...

[@knubbelidoo]

More expensive than the 30k seating Bundesliga soccer stadium in my hometown. Sick. 'Murica...

[@mitchellkim2089]

Well when you produce player like Andy Dalton and have Katy who hasn’t lost a district game in 8 years,it’s not too outrageous

[@THETOTALME76501]

We do everything big in Texas!

[@iiTzoreo1]

A lot of people sleep in on the berry center in cypress. It has a crazy football field and basketball stadium

[@asabovesobelow8680]

Waco ISD was the first stadium in the state in 2000 to change the landscape of high school stadium building new turf, scoreboards #facts

[@gunnymoney3369]

I’ve played here! It’s awesome!! ✊🏼

[@TheShiftersMusic]

Whoa. $72 million is exactly how much it cost my county in TN for our entire new High School and sports complex. And it's a big school, over 2,000 kids. $72 million for a stadium seems effing nuts.

[@purplenurple4166]

WHICH COUNTY IN TN?

[@maximusprimus827]

We’re being taxed way too much if we have enough tax funds to pay for a high school football stadium like this. Imagine what people could have done with their lives/families if they had this money back in their pockets. This is a classic example of how messed up our priorities are in this country.

[@trxv.]

my town in Petoskey, Michigan has a $12 million dollar stadium. i think its nice for the price

[@keenan_2008]

Their talking so much about a football field but they have restaurants in their cafeteria

[@MrSlater0239]

Frisco ISD uses The Star (Cowboys Training facility) a 120M facility.

[@lanavalentina9917]

Wish my high school was like this lol

[@matttamburrino8770]

I think 72 million is about the same as my district's entire budget

[@harrywang6792]

why is there no video?

[@Airsoftcleaner]

They could have a Major Bowl game in that Stadium

[@pranavr4406]

Lol I love in this school district and get so triggered when teachers say “we don’t have enough money” for something

[@ph3nomx24]

My school is just grass with couple of chairs around it

[@staplquad8297]

That’s more than my new middle school

[@azstacker888]

The the band playing gimme some loving

[@slowdownmoveoversharethero9701]

wow my home high school i graduated from was not that fancy. This must be a good playing high school team. Just think how much ticket prices would be just to see a game, on top of paying for security.

[@Hudsonrivera]

My town played there in the semifinals

[@angelweatherwrestling]

My school doesn’t even have a football team LOL

[@ZombieProdigyUS]

It probably draws in a lot of money, but dang 72 million is soooo much money. I mean, I'd go every Friday forsure 😂

[@texasabbott]

It’s good to see Texas investing in athletics. Now if only that $70 million bucks would also positively impact the fitness of those roundish visitors touring the new stadium.

[@g-ridez1460]

My old high schools field was the same as the jail yard from longest yard

[@benjicool2808]

one contractor has a (very) big smile right now

[@epps8557]

That’s right that’s my high school. Everything better in Texas

[@everardo288]

Epps 855 You forgot California.

[@jeremiah5881]

Iceyboi 222 Texas is better than California in almost every way 😂😂

[@SaneNoMore]

Boxes for corporate sponsors... corporate sponsors of high school football? Never heard of such a thing in my little town.

[@dwightanderson8331]

Happens in some other places too.

[@Telmarine55]

A lot of high schools in Texas get corporate sponsors to purchase things like naming rights or video scoreboards. They help w the expenses and then advertise their businesses on these HD scoreboards. Brings in revenue for the school district.

[@xtacoguyxGaming]

Just had my homecoming game there!!!

[@maxlionel2]

SpicyTacoGaming YT yo you go to school there?

[@xtacoguyxGaming]

max lionel i go to seven lakes high school

[@v3axy]

And I played soccer there,with Mayde creek

[@bobbybish3811]

My football bill is like 300 something dollars and we don't even have turf ☺ , or nice gear . We just overtaxed

[@verifiedandrew_183]

I’m fr playing there tomorrow. I live about 15 minuets from there 🏈

[@randyscott3386]

How much did it cost to build the area high schools ?

[@Ok-fe5kt]

Meanwhile my high school can’t even afford textbooks

[@Telmarine55]

Katy Independent School District has 10 high schools, and all of them have 3,000-4,000 students. It’s an affluent area, so their fan bases and student participation are high. So in the scheme of things, the stadium is not that expensive. It’s not hard for them to have football games that draw 12,000 fans. I’m sure the stadium has had much of its costs offset by long term fan attendance.

[@sethj6483]

I played on that field it's nice. Just like a collage one.

[@arenafootballeditz1256]

My school doesn’t even have lights we have to bring in lights and we have a dirt track, metal bleachers for the opponents fans and wooden bleachers that our slightly larger for our fans and the field house is a barn

[@713cooper]

It's probably a lake now

[@HorizonSpeed26]

Cheese Burger it isn't

[@uvscuti2047]

It's lit Katy isn’t near a coast

[@aberrantsymbiote9957]

dude I play here. smh

[@brownboysjourney4032]

Aberrant Symbiote is u srs

[@aberrantsymbiote9957]

Yeah i play here

[@ronijr4918]

While my former high school had a muddy field and some stands.

[@smokesparkdragonfly1368]

Controversy to popular belif, legacy was unaffected by harvey and its great to march on. Too bad there's too much turf.

[@mickfunny4185]

SmokeSpark Dragonfly are you on the band?

[@perfectectlylegitimatename631]

Yep. Much better than Rhodes.

[@jamie824]

We need that for the Bum Phillip Bowl aka mid county madness one of the biggest rivalry in SETX

[@scottni4589]

I pass by this field every day

[@pimperish666]

This shows you right here how much money Katy really has. Lol

[@willoughbykrenzteinburg]

They borrowed the money. They didn't have 72 million in cash just laying around. They used bond money. They all do.

[@brittanybenavidez9063]

Proud to say, I’ve preformed here for marching band🤪

[@SuperSirianRigel]

What the heck!!!??? My high school's football stadium probably cost as much as a mobile home. Doesn't even have an official capacity because it's so small and most people just walk around and stand wherever. lol!

[@zanetaylor7901]

Confident is so fun to play

[@JWReichert]

People are looking at this like a small town stadium. One little known fact is the Katy ISD has a population of around 400,000....

[@dmccall21]

Try 550k, and growing. Katy ISD has had to build 2 new schools a year for the past few years to keep up with the growth.

[@Aduysvmncmkouyf]

What about, Cypress-Fairbanks?? That adds Bridgeland High school, Cypress Ranch, Cypress Woods, Cy-Fair?

[@JWReichert]

@@Aduysvmncmkouyf those four schools do not share this stadium. They are part of the Berry Center setup.

[@javianjohnson8746]

Who else saw this on Sunday Night Football?

[@Zach-in3dh]

I’ve been to that stadium I was on the away side

[@zanem.7710]

My stadium is probably worth $150 lmao

[@fr5nae707]

I love playing there

[@bryfunkenstein]

unless Katy knocked down their original stadium they have 2 stadiums for 8 teams. nearby Cy Fairs stadium is nicer. HISD has 4 in a half stadiums for like almost 20 schools but they are rarely packed out

[@perfectectlylegitimatename631]

Cy-fair's stadium costed more with inflation. But it is nice.

[@sarahsjejsisud]

I live 15 minutes away from tht school😂😂

[@dadebrindley8246]

My cousin goes there

[@TurtleTurtlez]

"Hey Patrick guess what I am!"

[@MarloSoBalJr]

Uhhh... Stupid?

[@kimberlysoberano7826]

No I'm Texas

[@w1llv1nt4ge9]

Kimberly Soberano What's the difference?

[@ryanprice3]

I’ve played there in middle school

[@fireerik]

My highschool has a 2 million dollar grand stand

[@oilfan2742]

My school just spent 1.4 million dollars for a new football field.

[@doyoan8236]

Omg Texas football!

[@swagger1930]

THAT is a college stadium, come on

[@osimalosi7372]

The fact that that Rhodes stadium is 1/4 a mile away maybe less

[@daxware603]

I wonder what the original plan looked like?

[@danielparsons1405]

Cool story bro meanwhile in New Mexico they have one of the most Winning high school football programs in all the US 30 state championships and counting since the 50s.

[@henryjw15]

Daniel Parsons is it Artesia?

[@landongames4299]

I’ve played in this stadium

[@DeePowers]

8.75 million a piece doesn't sound that bad. Football,Soccer, lacrosse, cheerleading, band etc for 8 different high schools isnt the same as one school paying 70 mil for just football.

[@gregoryeverson741]

its a waste, my HS football field also is used for track

[@DeePowers]

Gregory Everson You mean your Track has a football field in the middle of it. Real Football Stadiums don't have a track.

[@geniusnature]

So people were paying taxes for this?! What a waste of tax

[@Thekamgreen]

I play there🥵it’s really cool

[@anjali-gc5uq]

I drove by it a bunch and it doesn’t even look like $72 million dollars

[@DavidJ909]

Everything's bigger in Texas. All major school districts should have one of these as an investment into their young people

[@stephenlewis2975]

they take pride just plan simple