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North Texas stadium fumbles among worst football venues in college sports

Parking can be frustrating at Apogee Stadium, fans say.

Photo by Jonny Carroll

University of North Texas football fans may filter into Apogee Stadium to root on the Mean Green, but they're probably not cheering for the stadium itself.

Based in part on online reviews, Apogee Stadium fields a No. 31 ranking among the 40 worst stadiums in college football, according to a new list from personal finance website MoneyWise. The website weighed other factors, such as gameday attendance, to rate college football stadiums in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).

The Denton stadium, which opened in 2011, suffers from lackluster attendance and frustrating gameday parking, according to MoneyWise. UNT “has struggled to find its footing in the venue,” the website says.

On a positive note, Apogee Stadium is one of the only LEED-certified stadiums in the country, the report says. And the team's record has improved over the years.

But the team barely draws 20,000 spectators per game (capacity is 30,800), and parking is "the pits," it says. "If you need to park on game day," advises one Yelper, "go to the eastern part of the campus and walk over. It will save you time, anger, and the fear of getting towed.”

Apogee Stadium lands in the ranking between San Diego State University's SDCCU Stadium, at No. 32, and University of Colorado's Folsom Field, at No. 30.

But the news is worse for two other Texas stadiums.

The Alamodome in San Antonio fumbles as the third worst stadium overall. MoneyWise flags the 64,000-seat Alamodome for the vast number of empty seats at many UTSA home football games and for poor views of the field from numerous vantage points. “I probably would have been better off watching the game at home,” quotes MoneyWise of one Roadrunners fan.

The only venues that scored lower rankings than the Alamodome are the University of Hawaii’s Aloha Stadium in Honolulu (No. 2) and Vanderbilt University’s Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville (No. 1).

In 2010, when the City of San Antonio approved a contract for UTSA to play football at the Alamodome, the university’s athletics director praised it as “one of the best football stadiums in the country.” UTSA’s football team debuted in 2011.

MoneyWise isn’t alone in its critique of the Alamodome. News website MSN.com grades the 26-year-old venue as the worst football stadium in Texas, and the Bleacher Report sports website cites it as one of the 25 “dumbest” stadiums ever built. The City of San Antonio built the stadium, which opened in 1993, at a cost of $186 million.

MoneyWise also tackles Rice University’s Rice Stadium in Houston as one of the worst.

On its scoreboard of shame, Rice Stadium lands at No. 7. The website notes that the Owls play in a 47,000-seat stadium that’s often half-empty, making for a less-than-thrilling gameday experience.

“The stadium dates back to 1950, and its upper bowl, in particular, has been poorly maintained. Fans say upgrades are long overdue,” MoneyWise says of the home of the Rice Owls.

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Politics News

Dallas narrows down field for new city manager to 4 candidates

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This is an Dallasite's sign to launch that small business they've been dreaming of.

After six months without a city manager, the city of Dallas has narrowed down the field of replacements to four semifinalists including one serving as current interim city manager, plus candidates from Fort Worth, Michigan, and Georgia.

Dallas has been without a city manager since May, when previous city manager T.C. Broadnax left to take a job with the city of Austin. Since that time, Broadnax's former chief of staff Kimberly Bizor Tolbert has served as interim city manager.

The city retained Baker Tilly, a consulting firm, to recruit and compile candidates. (Baker Tilly famously erred in the brochure it created for the position by featuring a photo of the Houston skyline instead of Dallas; they've since replaced it with Dallas.)

A spokesperson for Baker Tilly did not respond to inquiries but according to D Magazine, an email listing the candidates has been sent to the Dallas City Council.

The semifinalists include:

Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Dallas’ current interim city manager
William Johnson, an assistant city manager in Fort Worth
Mark Washington, the city manager of Grand Rapids, Michigan
Zachary Williams, a county chief operating officer in Georgia

All have more than 25 years' of public administration experience and have worked in similar capacities in their respective cities.

Before working in Fort Worth, Johnson was Baltimore’s transportation director and Atlanta’s deputy chief operating officer and public works commissioner.

Washington worked in Fort Worth and Austin before becoming Grand Rapids’ city manager.

Williams has mostly worked in Georgia at the county level, including serving as county manager in Fulton County and chief operating officer in DeKalb County.

Tolbert began working for the city in 1998, first as the city manager’s assistant and later in the aviation department. Broadnax hired her as his chief of staff in 2017.

Unlike the Mayor and the Dallas City Council, the city manager position in Dallas is not elected but is instead appointed by the city council, and is tasked with executing policies, overseeing the annual budget, and managing staff at city hall.

The council’s Ad Hoc Committee will choose finalists, introduce them to the public, and make an offer in early 2025.

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