Dragon Stadium, Southlake

Dragon Stadium is a stadium in Southlake, Texas. It is used mostly for American football matches. The stadium is Located at 1085 S. Kimball Ave. in Southlake, Texas, the stadium serves Carroll ISD, and is the home of the Southlake Carroll High School Dragons football team, who were the UIL 5A Division II State Football Champions in 2002, 2004, and 2005 as well as the 5A Division I State Football Champions in 2006. Throughout the 2004, 2005, and 2006 seasons, the Dragons were given the title of "National Champions." The stadium was used by the Major League Soccer club Dallas Burn. Burn moved to Dragon Stadium in 2003 from the Cotton Bowl, only to return in 2004. They are now known as FC Dallas. FC Dallas are now one of the 22 members of Major League Soccer, who all have at least 100,000 followers on their most followed social media page.^[2]

The stadium was built in 2001 and the first game held at the stadium was on September 7, 2001, an American football game against the Haltom Buffaloes. The final cost of the stadium was in the range of between $18 million and $19 million. The stadium shares land with the Transportation Offices for Carroll ISD. Before 2003, the stadium could seat 8,000 people. When the Dallas Burn Soccer Club terminated their lease with Carroll ISD, they left bleachers that they had assembled in the East endzone. The new capacity is approximately 11,000 people. The endzone bleachers are home to the Carroll Dragon Band and the Emerald Belle Drill Team at home games. The Press Box is accessed via elevator and has two floors. The second floor houses operations and coach booths. The first floor houses administration and scouting personnel. The playing surface is artificial and encompasses many draining features due to how easily the concourse can flood in heavy rains. In 2006, the home parking lot was doubled in size due to expected population growth. As of August 2006, the Carroll ISD school board voted to hold all future graduation ceremonies for graduating seniors of Carroll Senior High at Dragon Stadium. The decision spurred a lot of controversy due to possible weather issues and heat concerns.

In 2006, Under Armour filmed part of a popular commercial called "Click-Clack" at Dragon Stadium. One of the opening scenes shows Green Bay Packers linebacker A. J. Hawk running across the turf at Dragon Stadium.

One interesting feature of the stadium is that, if one sits on the north side, it is possible to see another local high school football stadium standing in the shadows: Mustang-Panther Stadium built in the 1970s, operated by the neighboring GCISD Grapevine-Colleyville Independent School District.

In June 2009, the Carroll ISD school board voted to issue bonds to pay for a $5 million renovation of the stadium. This renovation enclosed both east and west endzones.

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