Texas High School football team gets a major upgrade with $40M stadium scheduled to open in 2025 

Stephenville High School has announced a $40 million stadium, scheduled to be completed in May 2025. The stadium will comprise 7,500 seats, of which 5,500 are assigned to the home team and the rest to the visitors.

The high school has a student population of 1,100. Moreover, it will accommodate 1,686 parking spots. Crossland Construction Company is building the stadium, and it will be completed during graduation time next year.

"Stephenville HS in Texas has just over 1100 students — this is their new 7,500 seat, $40 million football stadium set to open next year #txhsfb," Texas Football Life posted on X.

The stadium will be named after former head football coach Art Briles, who trained the football team from 1988-99. His visionary mentoring led the Yellow Jackets to win four state titles. The artificial turf within the stadium will be named after Mike Copeland, who is revered at Stephenville for his athletic initiatives.

Copeland, the former head coach of the Yellow Jackets' football team and defensive coordinator, had spent five decades across various sports. These include tennis, basketball, and golf programs, and he is considered an icon at Stephenville High School.

In a press release to Beneath the Surface News, Stephenville's athletic director and head football coach, Sterling Doty, expressed his gratitude for this development.

“I can't say how special this is for me, our athletic department, SISD, and our community to be able to name our stadium after Coach Briles and Coach Copeland. Their legacy will live forever in our hearts and now in our new athletic home."

Where does Stephenville High School's stadium rank among Texas high school football stadiums?

Texas boasts several of the US's most expensive high school football stadiums. A list curated by Front Office Sports gives a glimpse into these expensive stadiums. Although Stephenville has proposed a $40 million stadium, it is still peanuts compared to others. It does not even come near to the top 10 expensive stadiums.

The US's most expensive high school football stadium title belongs to Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at McKinley Senior High School, with a whooping cost of $175.8 million, according to Front Office Sports.

Earlier, Stephenville had asked for $75 million for the stadium, but the proposal was turned down, citing voters' disapproval. This new development brings a profound change to Stephenville's athletic community. They have played at Tarleton Memorial Stadium for decades, but things are about to change.