I have been a frequent visitor to Texas Bob’s football stadium database and am I sure you have too!! I literally just used it right now; I know where the Springs Sports complex is, I just wanted to glance at a map (I am there tomorrow night for Thursday Night Lights). I strongly recommend you to navigate to his website; he has a lot of information on the great state of Texas!!!
He was recently interviewed and quoted in this article about the Allen Eagles new football stadium that cost a whopping $60 million dollars!!! No, that is a not a misprint!
Thank you Texas Bob for being a guest blogger.
By Texas Bob
I have always appreciated football stadiums. It is amazing how different each one can be and how many ways a football field can be surrounded by cheering fans. In Texas the range is great. You can sit on the tailgate of your pickup and enjoy a game at Longhorn Stadium in Loop, Texas or sit in a skybox at Cowboy stadium with 80,000 of your closest friends.
This season 1,207 football stadiums will host varsity football games and from large to small they all have something in common: the teams, the fans, the field, the blood, the sweat, and the tears. These are all captured by the history of the game. But if you know anything about history you know that history unrecorded is history lost.
One of the reasons I put the TexasFootball Stadium Database online was my attempt to record a small piece of the history of each stadium. One piece of data I try to gather is the year the stadium opened. It seems simple but it is one of the hardest things to get, particularly for older stadiums.
When you gather all of these small pieces of data together they begin to tell many stories. For example, from the data I have gathered I know that at least 36 stadiums, still being used today, were built during the depth of the Great Depression (1929 – 1941). Do we really understand the sacrifices that were made to provide such facilities for the students of Texas during those tough times? Several of these stadiums were partially financed and built by depression era programs such as the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC).
That means that stadiums such as the Tomato Bowl Stadium in Jacksonville, Texas were built by hand by 17 to 23 year old men who were paid $30 a month and were required to send $25 home to their families.
Tomato Bowl stadium
Some stadiums have a more significant history than others and I think it is important to capture their history.
A few months ago I decided to start the “Texas Football Stadium Hall of Fame”. I have not yet completely decided on the criteria to be a Hall of Fame stadium but there is one essential element; the stadium has to have a written history or someone with enough knowledge of the stadium to write its history.
I did some research and chose three stadiums to be the first “inductees” into the Hall of Fame. I identified at least 10 others that I believe should be included in the Hall of Fame. Some of these stadiums will be researched and added as time allows while. Others will not be researched because no information is available. Some will be added because someone will step up and write the history of their Hall of Fame stadium.
Do you want to contribute to the history of some great Texas football stadium or nominate a stadium to the Texas Stadium Hall of Fame? Contact me for more information.
Alamo Stadium, constructed by Works Progress Administration workers in 1940, and the adjoining gymnasium built in 1949 (known today as the Alamo Convocation Center), were built to address the needs of San Antonio’s growing student population during the Depression and post-World War II era. more…
W. T. Barrett Stadium – The Ector County Independent School District school board started planning to build a new football stadium after the Odessa High School Bronchos won the Texas High School Football State Championship against San Antonio Jefferson on December 28th, 1946. more…
R. R. Jones Stadium was built in 1916 and was the site of the very first Sun Bowl and is home to El Paso High and Cathedral football teams. It always offers fantastic views of downtown El Paso from the stadium seats. more…
That is so awesome that you started the Texas Football Stadium Hall of Fame! Wow! I have been to Alamo stadium many many times and after this season, the stadium will be renovated. If I can help you in any way Texas Bob, let me know.
I wish I had the time and money to visit each stadium but I don’t!!!
Check out the previous Inside the Huddle guest bloggers:
Inside the Huddle – Mark Kusenberger 8/29/2012
Inside the Huddle – Virgil Peterson 9/3/2012
Inside the Huddle – Derrick Hayes 9/5/2012
On Thursday, I will be at the Spring Sports complex as the Pleasanton Eagles take on the Lanier Voks.
On Friday, I will be Farris stadium for a District 27-5A game between the Clark Cougars and the O’Connor Panthers.
On Saturday, I will at Gustafson stadium for another District 27-5A game between the Brandeis Broncos and the Warren Warriors. The winner of this game could end up being the District champion. Gosh, it is only Week 2 and I am already talking playoffs!
I will have my articles for those 3 games posted on Friday, Saturday, and Monday. I am taking Sunday off from the blogging world so I can have and enjoy a very nice and well deserved Jewish holiday dinner with my family.
