The old saying goes, "Everything is bigger in Texas, but Melissa High School, just outside of Dallas, is taking the phrase literally.
The Cardinals recently unveiled a state-of-the-art stadium that cost $35M. However, the kicker is that the available seating (10,000) is nearly enough to hold the 10-times its student body (1,300).
Melissa HS in Texas has just over 1300 students — this is their new 10,000 seat, $35 million football stadium #txhsfb
— Texas Football Life (@txfblife) August 16, 2023
Everything is bigger in Texas pic.twitter.com/PPzceXtP0L
The newly named Kenny Deel stadium has a boatload of features, including a five-story press box, two VIP rooms, two sky perches and special sections for home and visiting coaches and radio announcers, per Crossland Construction, who built the stadium.
Furthermore, the fans' experience will be enhanced, with the stadium featuring common areas, with multiple concession stands and restrooms.
Melissa’s new stadium is simply awesome. And we’ll be here week one for Argyle at Melissa. @melissaisd @Matt_Stepp817 @ProfessorDiggs pic.twitter.com/JGljjeHlWZ
— DFW Inside High School Sports (@ihss_dfw) August 7, 2023
However, the newly named Kenny Deel Stadium is one of many gigantic football stadiums in the area. In 2012, nearby Allen High School built a $60M-18,000 seat stadium. Meanwhile, McKinney High opened its new $69.9M-12,000-seat stadium in 2018, equipped with a 50x30 high-definition video board.
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— Lone Star Conference (@LoneStarConf) August 14, 2023
Lone Star Conference Football Media Day is held at McKinney ISD Stadium, which is the site of the @NCAADII Football National Championship Game. #LSCfb #D2fb @mckinneyisd @McKISDAth @CityOfMcKinney pic.twitter.com/utT7tWlohH
From an outsider's perspective, many would believe only the best-of-the-best high school programs would build a stadium at the magnitude of Melissa High's new cathedral.
However, the Cardinals are a 5A Division II team who won their last title back in 2012. In 2022, Melissa High finished 11-2, falling to South Oak Cliff in the division quarterfinals
There's no denying that football is king in Texas, especially at the high school level. And while monstrous football stadiums are nothing new to the Longhorn State, it's always a sight to see when a new one pops up.
While some might find it to be overkill, as gigantic football-only stadiums aren't exactly commonplace around the country, it's a culture that's seemingly only growing in Texas. So, while Melissa High's new digs are impressive, they're bound to be topped sooner rather than later.
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