The Allen school district is closing its $60 million football stadium after extensive cracks were found in the building's concrete.
School officials said Thursday that Eagle Stadium in Collin County would stay closed until at least June and possibly into the upcoming school year.
Eagle Stadium opened two years ago amid heavy fanfare and national attention for its price tag and splashy facilities. It seats 18,000 and features a 38-foot wide high-definition video screen.
Cracks were found in the concrete of the stadium concourse.
Daily class activities were relocated from the facility starting Thursday. The stadium will not be available for public use during the closure, district officials say.
The closure will force graduation ceremonies to be moved and possibly some home football games this fall.
School board president Louise Master said district officials decided to reassign school classes to other school facilities during the continued inspection to be cautious.
“Our No. 1 priority must always be the safety of our students, staff and community," Master said. "We do not have information at this point that confirms any areas outside of the concourse could be affected, but the most prudent thing to do, to absolutely assure the safety of students, staff and the community is to keep the facility closed during this review.”
District officials say they ordered an engineering investigation of the cracking in the concourse level and other potential problems in the structure. A company has completed a survey of about 10 percent of the structure. A preliminary review has confirmed "pervasive cracking in the concrete of the elevated concourse," the district said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
