2026
UNIQUE HS SPORTS VENUES: TEXAS FOOTBALL FIELD SITS ATOP GRAVEYARD
by Jordan Morey, NFHS
Most Texas football fields are built on tradition. San Saba’s Rogan Field in Central Texas is built on top of the dead.
Upon arriving at Rogan Field, you’re greeted by a large sign stating, “Welcome to the Graveyard.” That’s no exaggeration: for almost 90 years, the Armadillos have played atop an old cemetery.
In 1935, the Rogan family donated the property that served as the city’s first cemetery to the school district. The Armadillos had previously played games on the infield of a horse track north of town and wanted a new space for a gridiron.
Before construction of the stadium, the city made plans to clear out the cemetery, removing bodies, headstones, monuments, and even the trees and shrubs. However, not all of the families of those buried there could afford to move the remains or responded to the request, so some were never relocated.
