Cracks in the most expensive high school football stadium in America could lead to its demolition after only two years.
In May of 2009, residents of Allen, Tex. voted 63 percent in favor of a $119 million bond that included an auditorium for the fine arts, a service center for the school district and a $60 million football stadium.
Many thought the facilities, especially the football stadium, were overly lavish for a high school.
In 2011, Gus Lubin at Business Insider pointed out that "$60 million could pay something like 120 teacher salaries for a decade. This at a time when local governments around the country -- and yes, in Texas, -- are slashing spending."
But an article by Greg Bishop at The New York Times noted that while the size of the stadium might seem over the top to most, it is to-scale for the school system and the popularity of Texas football.
When Bishop's 2011 article was published, Allen High School was the third largest in Texas and the surrounding area, with more than 5,000 students. Its marching band was the largest in the nation at 600 members and the school campus spans 650,000 square feet.
And there's football everywhere in America, then there's football in Texas.
"Look, football has always been a big deal here," athletic director of Allen High School Steve Williams told The New York Times in 2011. "This is Texas. But this bond project is about much more than football. It's about our school, our community."
"It's about tra-di-tion," he added, accentuating the syllables.
Some families have held season tickets for more than 25 years and cars park for miles down the street where they barbecue before games.
Bishop likened it to a small college campus in 2011.
Considering all of the above, Eagle Stadium's capacity of 18,000 spectators feels more justifiable (it's still only the fourth largest in Texas) but the amenities are supreme.
It has a 75 by 45-foot replay screen, something many college football stadiums don't have. The football, soccer, golf and track teams all have their own locker rooms. There are 42 concession lines and a three-level press box, according to Bleacher Report.
But the monument to Allen High School football and the Lone Star State's passion for the sport is facing demolition.
A report as released Wednesday to The Dallas Morning News detailing structural flaws found in Eagle Stadium, according to the Associated Press.
The report by Plano-based Nelson Forensics says the cracks may be caused by substandard concrete work and improper structural design of reinforcing steel.
"The cracking has decreased the service life of the structure and potentially decreased its structural capacity," the report states.
Officials closed the stadium in January when the cracks were discovered and said it is possible it will remain closed through next school year. Nelson Forensics will not complete its full review of the stadium until June, the soonest repairs or demolition and reconstruction could begin would be after that.
PBK Architects denied any design flaws and Pogue Construction, which built the stadium, did not speculate where an error occurred but said it is working with the school, according to the Associate Press.
Here is a video of the NBC 5 story on the report and below is a timelapse video of a Texas vs. Nation game and an unofficial Nike commercial stemming from Allen High School athletics. How many high schools have that?
