The Stephenville High School football team may soon be homeless.  The Yellow Jackets have played in Tarleton University’s Memorial Stadium (built in 1951) for as long as anyone can remember.  But Tarleton has notified the Stephenville ISD that the current contract, which runs through July 31, 2025, will not be renewed.

A statement issued by Tarleton University stated “…Tarleton’s move to NCAA Division I means we must now see some things through a new lens.  From academics to athletics, our conference peers and the NCAA have expectations that we must meet, on and off the field.  Given that, Tarleton will reserve Memorial Stadium for Texan sports following the 2024 football season.”

Tarleton’s Memorial stadium was remodeled recently, and they already have another renovation planned which will increase seating capacity to 24,000 persons.

The Stephenville ISD then proposed the construction of a new football stadium, plus some other things, to be paid for through two bonds.  The first bond, Proposition A, was for $50 million, and would fund construction of a new 8,000 seat football/soccer stadium.  It was to be constructed at the corner of Frey Street and Wolfe Nursery Road, near the high school.

The second bond, Proposition B, was for $25 million, and would fund construction of a new multi-purpose indoor practice facility, new tennis courts, and upgrades to the baseball stadium.

Both bond propositions failed in the May 7 election.  For Proposition A the vote was 1,344 yes, and 1,604 no.  For Proposition B the vote was 1,242 yes, and 1,696 no.

The Stephenville ISD did successfully pass a $60 million bond in 2018 which included major additions and renovations to the high school and Gilbert Intermediate school, plus a new Ag Science Center, Fine Arts improvements, a new gymnasium, and a new softball field.

In 2021 the voters in Stephenville were presented with five bond proposals by the City of Stephenville which would fund various improvements to the downtown area, streets, the Bosque River Trail, and a new facility that would include a library, senior citizens center, and a recreation center.  The total of the five bonds was $21 million.  All five bonds failed at the ballot box.

The voters may have been scared away by the cost of $50 million for a football stadium.  If so, Stephenville may the victim of unfortunate timing, as construction costs have ballooned recently.  To compare, in 2019 Spring TX built a new 8,000 seat stadium for $39 million.  Sheldon TX built a 10,000 seat stadium in 2019 for $33 million.  In 2021 Tomball TX built a 10,000 seat stadium for $43 million.  All three of these towns are in Harris County, near Houston.

Closer to home, though, Melissa TX (in Collin County north of Dallas) is currently building a new 10,000 seat stadium and indoor practice facility for a total of $35 million.  Their new stadium will open in 2023.  Melissa high school is moving up from Class 4A Division I to Class 5A Division II this fall.

Had the proposed new stadium in Stephenville been approved by the voters, the estimated design and construction time was 2-1/2 years, just enough time to complete before the expiration of the contract to use Tarleton Memorial Stadium.  The failure of the bond proposal leaves Stephenville in an unknown situation.  Perhaps the Yellow Jackets can find a nearby stadium to use for home games until a new stadium proposal can be approved and built.  A worst-case scenario would have them playing all road games for a while.

Numerous attempts to contact the Stephenville ISD for comment about the current situation and what they can do in the future received no response.