Should High Schools Really Be Building Multimillion-Dollar Football Stadiums?

Everything's bigger in Texas. That's what they say, right?

As cliche as it is—take it from this Texan, it's cliche—facts are facts. Texans love big things. Texans also love their high school football. Dave Campbell's Texas Football magazine, one of the longstanding sources for previewing high school football each summer, is nicknamed the "Bible to Texas football fans."

If you're not from Texas, there's a good chance you simply won't understand. Apply that same sentence to what's going on with the state's megastadiums for high school games. Four years ago, Allen High School opened a glamorous, 18,000-seat facility worth $60 million.

Over the weekend, voters in McKinney, Texas—a city separated from Allen, Texas, by all of roughly eight miles—decided in favor of its own megastadium. A positive vote for a $220 million bond includes the construction of a 12,000-seat venue that will cost approximately $62.8 million.

Not far from Allen and McKinney is Frisco, Texas, another thriving city split between Denton and Collin counties (sidenote: Allen and McKinney both are in Collin County). The Frisco school district is planning this year to play games at The Star, a 12,000-seat indoor venue that also will serve as the Dallas Cowboys' new practice facility and headquarters. The price of the joint venture involving the Cowboys, Frisco ISD and the City of Frisco: over $255 million.

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

If that isn't enough, the Katy school district outside of Houston—which features traditional high school football national power Katy High School—is preparing to open a new stadium next year. That facility, which costs $62.5 million, is under construction.

Dollar, dollar bill, y'all.

The non-football fan reading this is probably boiling. Why spend so much money on football facilities for high school athletes? Are these megastadiums necessary?

Perhaps a bigger question: Does it matter what the nonvoters think?

"Honestly, my view on it is the will of the people is being done," said Matt Stepp, senior staff writer for Scout.com's The Old Coach. "The people in the community, if they vote for it, if that's how they choose to spend their money and use their tax dollars, then that's their prerogative. If that's what those folks want, have at it.

"A lot of people looking on the outside don't understand how Texas school finance works. Bond money is not taking away money from academics; bond money is used for construction of facilities and for maintenance. I think a lot of people don't understand that if a bond is passed for facilities, it's only to be used for facilities."

I'm all for letting people do what they want with their money. I understand the frustration from an outsider, but these things are voted on for a reason. And the voters have spoken.

I still remember being at Allen's 2012 season opener when the team opened its new stadium. Sure, there were some angry folks—some of them were also jealous—but the consensus response about the stadium was pure excitement. In fact, that season opener against Southlake Carroll had more than 18,000 in attendance, per Brent Shirley of the Star-Telegram.

McKinney voters will argue that its new facility will resolve several upgrades with the new bond, including HVAC replacement, plumbing and electrical maintenance. The bond, however, isn't just for athletic purposes. As Nanette Light of the Dallas Morning News noted, it will also cover band hall extensions at two middle schools and a high school, along with a new auditorium for the district's oldest high school.

According to the Houston Chronicle's Sebastian Herrera, Katy's upcoming project will include improving the turning lanes of roads close to the site of the stadium, as well as upgrading "underground technology connectivity" between the new stadium and Rhodes Stadium, the current football facility.

Naturally, there will be people angry that the majority of the dollars won't go into upgrading the academic side of the school district. It's an ongoing argument that goes all the way up to the college level.

Stepp noted, however, that these megastadiums aren't located in areas that struggle financially. Or academically.

"Could that money be allocated to building new academic facilities? Possibly," he said. "When I walk around Allen or McKinney or Katy, it's not like those schools are in bad shape. They already have everything they need.

"If I went to a school that looked bad but had a $60 million football field, you'd have an issue. I don't feel like building new facilities is devaluing anything academically with those schools. They are well-performing schools."

In short, the decision of the facilities belongs to the voters. And the voters are all-in for their Friday night football eye candy. So be it.

Damon Sayles is a National Recruiting Analyst for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand. Follow Damon via Twitter: @DamonSayles