Inside the Renovation Struggles at Amarillo’s Biggest Stadium

We've hit that time of year here in the Texas Panhandle where everyone's Friday night is already planned. Yup, Friday Night Lights are back, and that means anyone who is anyone will be at a high school football game.

With that, the focus goes on to the football stadiums in the area, and there is one in particular that gets a ton of use. Dick Bivins Stadium is always busy when it comes to the fall athletic season. It's not just football there, but soccer and even track & field meets.

Renovations Were Made This Year

The stadium has been a fixture in Amarillo for decades, and like anything around that long, it's need maintenance and improvements. Those things require money, which the school district only has so much of.

Last year, they focused their funds on adding new lights to the stadium. This year, they were able to repaint the track inside the stadium with what they had available to them, but without more funding, they won't be able to do all the other renovations needed.

Why Aren't They Able To Make All The Changes

Back in 2022, there was a bond proposal that went to a vote, and the public shot it down pretty convincingly. 62% of voters said no to the bond proposal, which would've made significant, needed improvements to the stadium.

The plan with the funds from the bond were to replace the bleachers, which right now are concrete and have been around since the 50s. They also need to expand the track from six to eight lanes, as well as make the parking lot bigger. Without those funds, they won't be able to make the necessary improvements.