Sellout Crowd for First Game at $60 Million High School Stadium

Allen Eagles defeat defending state champs 24-0

High school football got even bigger in North Texas.

Allen defeated defending state champion Southlake Carroll 24-0 in the "Cowboys Stadium" of high school football on Friday night.

Both teams are powerhouses with state championship trophies, but the kickoff was heightened by the opening of Eagle Stadium, an event all to itself.

Attendance for Friday's sellout inaugural game was 21,756 -- thousands more than attended Friday night's Texas Rangers game, which clocked in with 16,700 fans.

Allen's taxpayers spent $60 million on the facility, which seats 18,000 people and boasts a video board nearly the size of a full-length NBA basketball court.

While it is the largest stadium in Texas for just one high school, it's nowhere near as large as professional and college football stadiums in North Texas. The Cotton Bowl in Dallas seats 92,000, and Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth has a capacity of more than 44,000. And Cowboys Stadium, which seats 80,000, can fit up to 110,000 fans with standing-room tickets.

Eagle Stadium is also part of an athletic complex that also has an underground weight room nearly 80 yards long and a state-of-the-art golf training facility.

Some have criticized the facility's price tag, saying it's excessive for high school sports, but Allen residents defend the stadium. Most said they regard it as a mini version of Cowboys Stadium, adaptable for other sporting events, concerts and competitions.

And folks in Allen also say that once other school districts see Eagle Stadium's value, it won't be the last $60 million high school stadium.

NBC 5's Matt Barrie contributed to this report.

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