The BEST high school stadiums! Grading system

[grayowl60]

Instead of bashing other facilities, I would be interested in the BEST facilities you have seen. Grading system:
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
F. Sucks

Grades for:
1. Seating, ( number,comfort, site lines)
2. Parking, ( number, access)
3. Concessions (access, number, food)
4. Restrooms ( a BIG item for some fans... understandably)
5. Atmosphere (opinion)
6. Pressbox
7. Scoreboard

Ill start, what I have seen in recent years
Berry Center
seating A
Parking A
Concessions B
Restrooms B
Atmosphere B (concrete tomb)

Pressbox B
Scoreboard A


Mesquite Memorial
Seating A
Parking A
Concessions A+
Restrooms A
Atmosphere B (concrete tomb)
Pressbox B
Scoreboard A

Mesquite Hanby
Seating A
Parking F
Concessions A+
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A+ (New buzz word to bash programs: ERECTOR SET... YESSS!)
Screboard A
Pressbox B

Kimbrough
Seating A
Parking D
Concessions C
Restrooms A
Atmosphere C (cold... concrete)
Scoreboard A
Pressbox B

Wildcat-Ram
Seating C
Parking F
Concessions B
Restrooms B
Atmosphere B
Pressbox B
Scoreboard B

HBJ
Seating A
Parking A
Concessions B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere B (Bowl)
Pressbox C
Scorboard D-

Williams
Seating A-
Concessions B
Restrooms A
Parking A
Atmosphere A+ (OLD SCHOOL.... NEW... ERECTOR SET)
Pressbox A+
Scoreboard F

Corsicana
Seating A
Concessions A-
Parking B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A( GOOD PO site. Excellent new Erector set)
Pressbox A
Scoreboard A

[33Blood]

Corsicana
Seating A
Concessions A-
Parking B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A( GOOD PO site. Excellent new Erector set)
Pressbox A
Scoreboard A

I really like the field now in Corsicana. So far above the previous facilities it is mind numbing.

But my favorite is Collins in Denton. Without a track it makes the field so much closer. I also prefer the brick work but understand cutting costs where needed.

[NHB06]

My two favorite stadiums outside of Clark in Plano are:

1) Denton ISD stadium- great parking, great atmosphere, excellent seating
2) The new Dallas ISD Stadium

[Plano Wildcat Fan]

Instead of bashing other facilities, I would be interested in the BEST facilities you have seen. Grading system:
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
F. Sucks

Grades for:
1. Seating, ( number,comfort, site lines)
2. Parking, ( number, access)
3. Concessions (access, number, food)
4. Restrooms ( a BIG item for some fans... understandably)
5. Atmosphere (opinion)
6. Pressbox
7. Scoreboard

Ill start, what I have seen in recent years
Berry Center
seating A
Parking A
Concessions B
Restrooms B
Atmosphere B (concrete tomb)

Pressbox B
Scoreboard A


Mesquite Memorial
Seating A
Parking A
Concessions A+
Restrooms A
Atmosphere B (concrete tomb)
Pressbox B
Scoreboard A

Mesquite Hanby
Seating A
Parking F
Concessions A+
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A+ (New buzz word to bash programs: ERECTOR SET... YESSS!)
Screboard A
Pressbox B

Kimbrough
Seating A
Parking D
Concessions C
Restrooms A
Atmosphere C (cold... concrete)
Scoreboard A
Pressbox B

Wildcat-Ram
Seating C
Parking F
Concessions B
Restrooms B
Atmosphere B
Pressbox B
Scoreboard B

HBJ
Seating A
Parking A
Concessions B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere B (Bowl)
Pressbox C
Scorboard D-

Williams
Seating A-
Concessions B
Restrooms A
Parking A
Atmosphere A+ (OLD SCHOOL.... NEW... ERECTOR SET)
Pressbox A+
Scoreboard F

Corsicana
Seating A
Concessions A-
Parking B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A( GOOD PO site. Excellent new Erector set)
Pressbox A
Scoreboard A

You have way to much time on your hands. Of course Clark field by far is the best facility in the state with all the upgrades. A+ in all categories. Wouldn't you agree?

[PirateFan]

Pirate stadium

Seating A+
Concessions A
Restrooms A
Parking B (lots of parking just difficult getting in and out)
Atmosphere A+
Pressbox A+
Scoreboard A+

[mojosoundwave]

Instead of bashing other facilities, I would be interested in the BEST facilities you have seen. Grading system:
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
F. Sucks

Grades for:
1. Seating, ( number,comfort, site lines)
2. Parking, ( number, access)
3. Concessions (access, number, food)
4. Restrooms ( a BIG item for some fans... understandably)
5. Atmosphere (opinion)
6. Pressbox
7. Scoreboard

Ill start, what I have seen in recent years
Berry Center
seating A
Parking A
Concessions B
Restrooms B
Atmosphere B (concrete tomb)

Pressbox B
Scoreboard A


Mesquite Memorial
Seating A
Parking A
Concessions A+
Restrooms A
Atmosphere B (concrete tomb)
Pressbox B
Scoreboard A

Mesquite Hanby
Seating A
Parking F
Concessions A+
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A+ (New buzz word to bash programs: ERECTOR SET... YESSS!)
Screboard A
Pressbox B

Kimbrough
Seating A
Parking D
Concessions C
Restrooms A
Atmosphere C (cold... concrete)
Scoreboard A
Pressbox B

Wildcat-Ram
Seating C
Parking F
Concessions B
Restrooms B
Atmosphere B
Pressbox B
Scoreboard B

HBJ
Seating A
Parking A
Concessions B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere B (Bowl)
Pressbox C
Scorboard D-

Williams
Seating A-
Concessions B
Restrooms A
Parking A
Atmosphere A+ (OLD SCHOOL.... NEW... ERECTOR SET)
Pressbox A+
Scoreboard F

Corsicana
Seating A
Concessions A-
Parking B-
Restrooms A
Atmosphere A( GOOD PO site. Excellent new Erector set)
Pressbox A
Scoreboard A

Will there be a Quiz?

[odessapermian.com]

Ratliff Stadium

1. Seating: B+
2. Parking: A+
3. Concessions: B-
4. Restrooms: B
5. Atmosphere: A+
6. Pressbox: B
7. Scoreboard: B+

1- # of seats is not an issue at Ratliff 9 out of 10 weeks. All seats are aluminum bench, which some may not like but personally I like. Recent ADA renovations means a few seats may have sightline issues (railing) but overall I think 99% of the people can see the game no matter where they're seated.

2- Even when Permian and Odessa High to play 24,000, the parking lot is not full. Close to full, but not completely full. There are 4 different points of ingress/egress. Police handle traffic after games.

3- The Lion's Club handles concessions at Ratliff. It would be cool to have a little more variety in food selection, but overall I think they do a pretty good job. Before the recent renovations, there wasn't much space under the stands, so it got cramped when there were long concession lines. But in the past year they have moved the fences farther out towards the parking lot, creating more space under the stands to roam around.

4- May be an issue for our female football friends, but I have no issues with the restrooms at Ratliff.

5- I cannot think of a place I'd rather be than at the Permian vs OHS game in front of a loud, packed house.

6- Our pressbox isn't the greatest in the world but it is adequate. Recently installed elevator improves the situation.

7- The only complaint about our scoreboard is it's far enough away from the endzone that the video screen could stand to be larger. Yep, we're spoiled. Ratliff also has a secondary scoreboard in the other endzone.


One thing Owl didn't list in his grading system was locker rooms. Ratliff's pretty much suck right now, compared to a lot of the large stadiums anyway. I believe there are plans to build new ones at some point.

[NHB06]

Pirate stadium

Seating A+
Concessions A
Restrooms A
Parking B (lots of parking just difficult getting in and out)
Atmosphere A+
Pressbox A+
Scoreboard A+

Not so fast:
Parking (sux on the visitor side of Pirate Stadium) F
Visitor Seating C
Scoreboard (yellow tinted monitor/no instant replay) C
Visitor Lockeroom (about the size of a gas station restroom) F

[odessapermian.com]

By the way, if you want to see some good locker rooms, I'd submit the ones at Dick Bivens in Amarillo.

[F18mustang]

by the way, if you want to see some good locker rooms, i'd submit the ones at dick bivens in amarillo.

+1

[Maroondog]

Pirate stadium

Seating A+
Concessions A
Restrooms A
Parking B (lots of parking just difficult getting in and out)
Atmosphere A+
Pressbox A+
Scoreboard A+

Why can't we get some homer opinions?

[MHSfootball]

A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
F. Sucks

Grades for:
1. Seating, A
2. Parking, A tough to get out of but at the same time easy.
3. Concessions A Food rocks very good people.
4. Restrooms B+ They are always kept clean but if your in the middle of the staium you have to walk to one end or the other and mis a lot of game.
5. Atmosphere B-A+ Depends on game.
6. Pressbox A- They guy is alright but the sound is lacking power but definitly a beautiful box
7. Scoreboard A+ Big and always lit.

[NHB06]

Why can't we get some homer opinions?

sure. PLANO'S CLARK FIELD

1. Seating A+
2. Parking A+
3. Concessions B (need to open up more lines on home side, too crowded at half)
4. Restrooms NI (needs improvement- the piss trough needs to go)
5. Atmosphere A+
6. Pressbox A++
7. Scoreboard A+++ (no instant replays for the Allen fans)

[Maroondog]

sure. PLANO'S CLARK FIELD

1. Seating A+
2. Parking A+
3. Concessions B (need to open up more lines on home side, too crowded at half)
4. Restrooms NI (needs improvement- the piss trough needs to go)
5. Atmosphere A+
6. Pressbox A++
7. Scoreboard A+++ (no instant replays for the Allen fans)

+1 Especially on replays.

[slorch]

Waco ISD
Midland Grande
Amarillo Dick Bivins

( in no particular order, that I have been to)

smaller schools-

Sweetwater's Mustang Bowl is still one of the best I've been to

[jrock210]

Wait until the next season when our stadium is finally finished to decide

[chap fan]

[QUOTE=grayowl60;1161421]Instead of bashing other facilities, I would be interested in the BEST facilities you have seen. Grading system:
A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
F. Sucks

Grades for:
1. Seating, ( number,comfort, site lines)
2. Parking, ( number, access)
3. Concessions (access, number, food)
4. Restrooms ( a BIG item for some fans... understandably)
5. Atmosphere (opinion)
6. Pressbox
7. Scoreboard

Okay, in Austin 25-5A (I'll pass on the Pflugerville stadiums since we've only been together one year)
Westlake-
1. Seating A.
2. Parking C.
3. Concessions A.--not long lines, good food, cheaper prices than almost anywhere else
4. Restrooms B. (I'm not sure there is an A.)
5. Atmosphere B. (Westlake fans aren't easy to excite)
6. Pressbox A.
7. Scoreboard A.
8. Handicapped access (after a season in a wheelchair, you need to consider this also!) A

House Park (AISD) (it and Burger I think are supposed to be remodeled, so hopefully improvements are near).
1. Seating B. (it's a little on the small side)
2. Parking F. (it's the oldest with virtually no parking on site)
3. Concessions C.
4. Restrooms D.
5. Atmosphere B.
6. Pressbox (I don't see it)
7. Scoreboard C.
8. Handicapped access C. (you can't see over the fans going in and out to go to the concession stands and/or restroom)

Burger Center (AISD)
1. Seating A.
2. Parking A. (the only one in the district that rates that)
3. Concessions C.
4. Restrooms C.
5. Atmosphere B.
6. Pressbox (I don't use it)
7. Scoreboard B.
8. Handicapped access B. (although it's tempting to say C. because so many fans take an illegal shore cut in front of those in wheel chairs [there are chains to try to keep them out]. One man almost stumbled into my ankle cast (I had had a compound fracture and three surgeries--I thought my husband was going to slug him), and was very insulted that we thought he had no business undoing the chains to take the short cut in front of the wheel chairs rather than take the route indicated. The ushers were no help, although my husband did register a strong complaint after that near disaster.

I'll have to think to remember enough about Bastrop to rate theirs--we've only been there twice.

[RRSP1]

A. Excellent
B. Good
C. Fair
D. Poor
F. Sucks

Grades for:
1. Seating, A
2. Parking, A tough to get out of but at the same time easy.
3. Concessions A Food rocks very good people.
4. Restrooms B+ They are always kept clean but if your in the middle of the staium you have to walk to one end or the other and mis a lot of game.
5. Atmosphere B-A+ Depends on game.
6. Pressbox A- They guy is alright but the sound is lacking power but definitly a beautiful box
7. Scoreboard A+ Big and always lit.

I assume you are grading the Palace ?

My grades for the Palace:

1. Seating A
2. Parking B (access is too difficult)
3. Concessions B
4. Restrooms A
5. Atmosphere D (a big cold concrete monolith; crowd too far from the action; no home field advantage)
6. Pressbox A (at least the athletic admins have a nice place to work)
7. Scoreboard A+
8. Lighting A (as compared to other HS stadiums)

As a photographer, I added number 8. Lighting at the Palace has been pretty decent for a HS stadium. The Palace had a light pole fall over a few monthes ago, hopefully the replacement lights will be equal or better. Surprisingly, the old Bible stadium was one of the best lit in the area too - hopefully the new Bible will be as good. The old Georgetown stadium (retired in 2007) had the absolute worst 5A lighting in the North Austin area.

[Mr. Rod]

Best stadium i've ever been to.
Berry Stadium
straight A's across the board. But an F for traffic getting there

[Pool Man]

Where's Texas Bob? He's been to every stadium in the state.