What is new in the Coastal Bend? A guide to football stadium improvements this season
Stadium lights across the state are illuminated once again and for many school districts in the Corpus Christi area, high school football stadiums will feature improvements and renovations this fall.
Tuloso-Midway's Warrior Stadium will feature some of the biggest changes in the Coastal Bend. In addition to a new video scoreboard, T-M moved to an artificial turf surface this season and will have a new larger two-level press box at a price tag of $5.5 million.
The improvements were financed by the district's fund balance and superintendent Steve VanMatre said improving the facilities affects hundreds of T-M students.
"On a given Friday night at T-M, counting band, football, drill team, cheerleaders, we have more than 400 students participating," VanMatre said. "It is much more than a football field. Our brand-new youth football team will use the field. Band, soccer and track. I've always felt that athletics are the No. 1 at-risk program that a comprehensive high school has.
"I'm anxious to get people out and we are really proud of what we can roll out to the community and our guests."
Tuloso-Midway is not the only stadium moving from natural grass to turf this season. Rockport-Fulton's Pirate Stadium also made the change, along with London's Pirate Stadium.
Here are a look at some of the changes you will see at stadium's across the Coastal Bend this year:
• London will have a number of improvements rolling out this season, headlined by an artificial turf playing field for the first time at Pirate Stadium along with a track for the first time at London ISD. The track has an estimated completion date of December. There will be a new ticket booth, concession stand and restrooms, expected to be ready midseason in late September. The Pirates baseball and softball fields will also be turfed with stands being added as well.
• Tuloso-Midway has added turf and a new press box to Warrior Stadium.
• After it was approved earlier this year, Rockport-Fulton replaced its natural grass field with artificial turf at Pirate Stadium.
• Sinton joined a list of school districts that have added indoor practice facilities in recent years. The Pirate Athletic Complex includes a practice turf, weight room, locker rooms, coaches’ offices, film and equipment rooms and spaces for athletic trainers. The facility is part of a $111 million package that was approved by Sinton ISD voters in 2020, including $19 million earmarked for athletic facilities.
Other indoor facilities in the Coastal Bend include Alice, Flour Bluff, Calallen and Ingleside.
• Gregory-Portland is replacing the turf and track and field at Ray Akins Wildcat Stadium with the expected completion date just before the first week of the season. GPISD is also expecting to break ground on the school's new full-size multipurpose indoor facility in the coming weeks.
More: High school athletic facilities receiving upgrades across the Coastal Bend
This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Check out the high school facility upgrades in Corpus Christi
