Challenger Columbia Stadium
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Challenger Columbia Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in
League City, Texas League City is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, in Galveston County, within the metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 112,129. The city of League City has a small portion north of Clear Creek within Harris C ...
. It is the second stadium in the
Clear Creek Independent School District Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD) is a school district based in League City, Texas, United States. The district serves most of the Clear Lake Area and some other neighboring parts of the Houston metropolitan area. CCISD is the 29t ...
(CCISD) and serves all five of its comprehensive 6A high schools. The stadium was built to relieve the overused and deficient Veterans Memorial Stadium and end the frequently scheduled Thursday night football games for all the CCISD high schools.


History

CCISD's Veterans Memorial Stadium was built in the 1950s at Clear Creek High School to serve the one 3A high school in the district at the time. Since then, the district has grown tremendously, opening four more high schools. Since 2000 alone, the district has built two high schools, opening
Clear Springs High School Clear Springs High School (CSHS) is an American public high school located in League City, Texas. It is one of seven high schools in the Clear Creek Independent School District (CCISD). The school opened in 2007 serving most of League City west ...
in 2007 and Clear Falls High School in 2010. With five 6A high schools to serve, Veterans Memorial Stadium is unable to fully handle the load, leading to numerous Thursday football games. Events at Veterans Memorial, in turn, increase traffic and congestion at neighboring CCISD facilities and residential area. Stadium parking overflows into the parking lots at Clear Creek High School, Clear Creek Intermediate, the CCISD Education Support Center, and neighboring businesses and residences. The traffic also affects the already congested Five Corners of League City, where the stadium is located. Clear Creek ISD held a bond election on 11 May 2013 with the construction of a second district stadium as a major item. The bond was approved with 68% in favor. The 2013 Bond also calls for the rebuilding of multiple campuses in the district and major construction at others, along with the introduction of improved technological learning. The stadium broke ground on 26 March 2014 at a ceremony with family members of the ''Challenger'' and ''Columbia'' crews and members of various CCISD extracurricular activities (football, band, cheerleading, track, etc.) present. Challenger Columbia Stadium was originally scheduled for completion in mid-2015, in time for the 2015 high school football season. However, heavy rains in the Houston-area throughout the spring of 2015 led to construction delays. Clear Creek ISD eventually determined that the stadium would not be done in time for the 2015 season, and the schedules for the five high schools had to be changed and consolidated back to only one stadium, Veterans Memorial Stadium. After multiple delays, Challenger Columbia Stadium opened in March 2016 with an official dedication on 10 March 2016. The dedication ceremony included the athletes, bands, and cheerleaders from the five high schools and tributes to the crew members lost in the Challenger and Columbia disasters.


Naming

CCISD serves the Clear Lake area, including the area directly around
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's
Johnson Space Center The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U ...
. The stadium site is also located adjacent to the Challenger Seven Memorial Park. The district chose the name Challenger Columbia Stadium to honor the fourteen astronauts who lost their lives in both the ''Challenger'' and the ''Columbia'' disasters in 1986 and 2003, respectively. Clear Creek ISD broke ground on Challenger Columbia stadium on 26 March 2014 with family members of some of the lost crew members in attendance.


References


External links


Stadium Website

Clear Creek ISD
{{League City, Texas Sports venues in Texas League City, Texas Buildings and structures in Galveston County, Texas Clear Creek Independent School District 2016 establishments in Texas Sports venues completed in 2016 American football venues in Texas High school football venues in Texas Soccer venues in Texas Athletics (track and field) venues in Texas