Photos by Eric Moreno, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.86
Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium
9900 Hemphill St
Fort Worth, TX 76134
Year Opened: 2022 Capacity: 8,000
Texas Wesleyan Rams – Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium
Located in Cowtown, USA – aka Fort Worth – is Texas Wesleyan University. Founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1890, the university started fielding athletics teams beginning in 1908. The Texas Wesleyan Rams football program found some success in the 1930s, winning several conference titles. With the advent for World War II, however, the school shuttered its football program in 1941, after which it lay dormant in the history books for 75 years.
In 2016 the program was revived, and would become members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC). Legendary Texas high school football coach Joe Prud’homme was the guiding force behind the program since its resurrection.
Before stepping down before the start of the 2024 season, Prud’homme was responsible for producing four All-Americans, 76 All-Conference selections, 55 Academic All-Conference selections, and the Rams were back-to-back SAC co-champions in 2022 and 2023. Prud’homme was named the NAIA Region V Coach of the Year and SAC Co-Coach of the Year in 2022. This season, under first year head coach Brad Sherrod, the Rams qualified for the NAIA postseason for the first time.
In time for the 2023 season, the Rams began competing at their new home, Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium. One of the mega-palaces of high school football in North Texas, the stadium offers up a unique home field for a school the size of Tex Wes.
Food & Beverage 2
It’s all about the basics at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium – which, for brevity’s sake going forward I am just going to call Crowley Stadium. There are two main concession stands here, both located near the north end zone on each side of the stadium (i.e. home and visitor side).
The stands mirror each other in their offerings, which include hot dogs (or turkey dogs, if you want to go that route), hot links, Frito pie, and nachos for your main offerings. Popcorn, boxed candy, and bottled soda, bottled water, and soft drinks are also on the menu.
That’s pretty much it. There are no frills, but it will get the job done while you’re watching Rams games.
Atmosphere 3
Two features dominate the architecture of Crowley Stadium, and both are very visible from the road leading up to the facility. The first is the massive press box that rises from the home team side of the stands. Looming large over the field, the press box with its large windows is quite impressive. The second feature is the even more massive fieldhouse that dominates the south end zone, which is home to the locker rooms and meeting rooms of both Texas Wesleyan, the visiting teams, and the stadium’s main high school tenants – Crowley and North Crowley High Schools, respectively.
On game days, the fieldhouse plays host to the Tex Wes Champions Club. This group can be seen from the terrace/patio area above the end zone, and is one of the largest and most vocal contingents of fans during Rams games. They by and large are all armed with blue and yellow cowbells that they ring at key moments of the game in support of their Rams.
Anything else atmospheric about Crowley Stadium is centered on the Crowley Eagles and North Crowley Panthers.
Neighborhood 3
Fort Worth is the second-largest city in the sprawling behemoth that is the DFW metroplex. Anything and everything are available for sports fans in the area – the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and FC Dallas are all located within 45 minutes of Crowley Stadium, and this doesn’t even take into account the big-time sports played by TCU and SMU, nor the myriad of minor league teams that reside in the area.
While none are directly in the area near where Tex Wes plays, if you plan your visit right, you could still get in another game or two. There are also scores of other entertainment options as well in nearby Fort Worth proper; you’ll only be limited by your imagination and your budget.
The same can be said for the dining and lodging options available to you. Crowley Stadium is not too far removed from Interstate 35W. As such, most of the options in the immediate area near the stadium are going to be fast food and chain restaurants, or hotels and motels with numerals or the word “Inn” in their names.
Still, options in the area include Quick Wok Chinese Restaurant – home of traditional Chinese comfort foods – and the Rodeo Goat gourmet burger spot. Nearby places to rest your head include M&M Inn and Suites and Motel 6 Fort Worth - Burleson. Both are within a 10-minute drive of the stadium. Again, options abound up and down the highway, so you’re sure to find something that suits you on your visit.
Fans 2
Attendance at Texas Wesleyan games seems to be a little spotty. This is understandable for a school that is still building its brand and reestablishing the legacy of its football program. From records this season, the Rams are only averaging somewhere between 400-600 fans per game.
Unfortunately, this is very noticeable in a facility the size and design of Crowley Stadium. Even from my upper deck perch, I was able to clearly hear the voices of the players on the field and the coaches on each sideline; that’s not great.
The score I’m giving is not an indictment of the fans who do attend – those I saw were well decked out in Rams blue and yellow and were supportive of the team. I would hope going forward that a team that has shown as much success as the Rams have in recent years can get even more support behind them, especially from the student body.
Access 4
Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium is about a 15-minue drive from downtown Forth Worth. It’s just under an hour from the heart of Dallas, and less than a 40-minute drive from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
Located just off Interstate 35W, getting to the stadium is pretty much a straightforward drive. If you do venture up the highway, you will have the benefit of the stadium being sandwiched in between two Buc-ee’s, one in Fort Worth and one in nearby Hillsboro – enjoy!
If you don’t want to drive and are in the metroplex area, Trinity Metro, the public transportation option serving Tarrant County, offers up buses and light rail trains that will get you close to your destination. If you are driving in, however, parking is free and abundant at Crowley Stadium.
Return on Investment 3
Single game tickets for Rams games at Crowley Stadium start at $15 per person – this is not too bad for a stadium as nice as this. It was, honestly, a little more than I thought would be charged, but it is still pretty affordable.
As mentioned, parking is free and there is not a single concession item on the menu that costs more than $6. It’s a great bargain to catch a game at Crowley Stadium, especially if you’re bringing in the family.
Extras 3
The Rams bring a lot of the traditional stuff you may expect from college football to their games at Crowley Stadium – the Texas Wesleyan Ram Band performs throughout the game from the stands, while the Texas Wesleyan Cheerleaders perform on the sidelines and can be counted on to toss out t-shirts to the crowd after big scores. The Gold Line Dancers also perform routines at halftime and during breaks in the on-field action. Lastly, the Rams dual mascots, Willie and Wilamae, are on the sidelines interacting with fans.
It's all fine; I do wish there was some way to have the band marching on the field, but at a school this size, that’s just not feasible.
Final Thoughts
I had a really fun time on my last visit – I wasn’t sure what to expect from a program of this size, but I enjoyed myself. For as bad a rap college football has gotten in recent years with all the seismic changes they’re going through, seeing a game at this level really served as a reminder of what I personally love about the sport; it was very pure.
Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium is really gorgeous, and I would love to see what an atmosphere would be like when it is at capacity. It stands right up there with the other colossal high school stadiums in the state. All that said, I wouldn’t necessarily put Tex Wes on your bucket list – at least not until the day that their on-campus stadium is built.
Follow Eric Moreno's Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477.
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