Texas High School Football is a sensory experience—the sight of Friday Night Lights, the roar of excited fans, the taste of concession stand popcorn that somehow tastes better when it’s served in a paper bag… and maybe even a little better when it’s eaten in a brand new, modern stadium. Crowley ISD is taking Friday night lights to the next level with its new centralized sports complex to serve both Crowley High School and North Crowley High School. Crowley ISD has seen tremendous growth in student enrollment over the last several years, demanding more space and innovative facilities for the districts award winning athletic programs. This new superior sports complex will be home to Crowley Football and Soccer, as well as playoff games and venues for outside organizations, providing additional revenue for the district.

Funding for the project was approved by voters in the 2007 bond package and the new facility was scheduled to be complete before fall of 2022. Working with the architects, general contractor and the fabricator's services that took this bond package item from concepts, dreams, and lines on a page to an impressive, modern facility that can turn viewing a football game into an elite community experience. This new, 8,000-seat facility includes a field house, locker and training room areas, and a split-level press box. The north endzone also has an impressive 60 x 30 ft LED video scoreboard. Unique to this complex, the second level of the field house is a 3,000 SF community room that offers the ability to host large events.

This impressive new Sport Complex is expected to be the shining star for the town and community of Crowley, TX for years to come. As an outdoor facility, CISD Sports Complex will be subject to perpetual abuse from the elements 365 days per year. Therefore, the designers chose hot dip galvanizing as the corrosion protection system. HDG provides a barrier protection and resilience that will withstand the steamy summers and damp, brisk winters that are characteristic of North Texas. The fabricator is one of the largest steel stadium manufacturers in the United States and creatively designs stadiums with HDG coatings to withstand the elements of any environment in North America. UAB Protective Stadium, Texas Motor Speedway and Bristol Motor Speedway, to name a few, which has made a sizeable impact on the Hot Dip Galvanizing market for sporting facilities. HDG is the fabricators coating of choice on all grandstand projects. HDG not only provides a durable coating, it also provides outstanding, maintenance free corrosion protection and adds to the aesthetic appeal of the entire venue.

The General Contractor broke ground in early 2021 with a deadline being the 2022 football season. Since Covid, supply chain and labor issues have caused delays in every industry. It was imperative to meet all budgeted completion dates in order to kick off the 2022 football season for Crowley High Schools. Fortunately, steel can be hot dip galvanized in all-weather situations, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This came into play, as the project was behind. The galvanizer was able to assist in 1 - 3 day turns on all loads being galvanized. Another benefit is the galvanizer was located in Crowley, TX, just a few miles from the jobsite. After the dust settled, the galvanized steel was delivered in order for steel erection to begin on-time. The stadium was completed in time for the beginning of the 2022 Crowley ISD Football Season.

The Crowley ISD Sports Complex is a sight to see. Friday Night LIghts shine like a beacon in the night and can be seen for miles, from Interstate 35. The hot dip galvanized, aesthetically pleasing complex is spectacular and will create a lot of memories for families, friends and community each Friday night during Texas High School Football season for decades to come.