Stephenville (Texas) opened its $40 million stadium earlier this month and looks to get off to a 6-0 start Friday against
Ruston (La.).
The 7,500-seat Art Briles Stadium is named for the coach that led the Yellow Jackets to four state titles in the 1990s.
Stephenville's stadium might not be among the biggest or more expensive, but in a state where football palaces have become commonplace, the name attached makes it notable.
Many football fans might recognize the name from a scandal in the early 2010s in which Briles was fired at Baylor after several players were accused of sexual assault.
Briles has largely been out of football since 2016 but the Stephenville ISD announced late last year that the stadium with a capacity seven times the town's population would bear his name.
Stephenville has been playing football since 1906 but has never had a home stadium, instead playing at nearby Tarleton State. The Yellow Jackets christened the stadium Sept. 5 with a 45-0 win over
Everman and notched two more wins to close out the month beating
Wylie (Abilene) 52-13 and
La Vega (Waco) 64-28.
Stephenville opened its $40 million, 7,500-seat football stadium this year named after the school's legendary coach Art Briles. The coach might best be known, however, for his part in a scandal that rocked the college football world at Baylor in the early 2010s. (PHOTO: Rafael Lopez)
