This Week:

Some high school football programs are simply in a league of their own.

After visiting several of the nation's top high school football programs, I've seen firsthand just how incredible their facilities and resources have become.

From watching Baylor, Tennessee's No. 1 team, compete and touring its campus to experiencing Buford's $62 million football stadium in Georgia, I've seen facilities that rival—and sometimes surpass—those at the Division I level.

Today, we're breaking down what separates these elite high school programs from the rest and how they've built facilities that put some college football programs to shame.

— Chris Colebank

IMG Academy operates more like a college athletic program, combining a 5,000-seat stadium with elite strength training, sports science, nutrition, and recovery resources.

Now I’v never been to their campus, but I have seen them play the #1-ranked public school in AL, the Central Red Devils. The final score was 49-14, and that was after IMG had put in their backups.

Bishop Gorman features a 5,000-seat stadium and an advanced athletic training center with weight rooms, rehabilitation spaces, and aquatic training facilities.

Bishop Gorman is consistently considered Nevada’s No. 1 high school football program. And with tuition around $17,000 a year, it might actually be one of the best deals in high school football.

Especially when you compare that to the roughly $70,000 annual cost of tuition and boarding at Baylor School in Tennessee.

But more on that later.

Buford built a $62 MILLION football stadium with 10,000 seats, 15 luxury suites, and a massive 44-by-82-foot video board.

Now, I’ve never experienced a game day at Buford, but I have filmed a video there and toured the perimeter of the stadium. It was honestly overhyped in my opinion, but that’s coming from a guy who just moved to Austin, Texas. Football is everything here.

Melissa has a 10,000-seat football stadium with a 3,024-square-foot video board, giving a Texas high school a game-day environment that rivals many college programs.

Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza's former high school has a 100,000-square-foot athletic and wellness complex featuring 18 Olympic lifting racks, team locker rooms, and dedicated coaching spaces.

This is definitely a bucket list program for me!

Located on a 690-acre campus, Baylor features a college-level sports performance center, indoor speed-training track, turf practice area, weight rooms, and a football stadium.

Baylor costs 70k a year for boarding. Don’t worry, it’s only 34k if you were to be a regular student… Jokes aside, they have one of the most beautiful campuses in the country overlooking the TN River.

Their football team can also back it up, with the #1 recruit and RB in the state, and are currently undefeated (7-0) at the time I’m writing this.

Massillon has a historic 16,884-seat stadium and an 80,000-square-foot indoor athletic training center featuring a 120-yard football field.

I recently toured McKinley's facilities in Canton, Ohio, and both McKinley and Massillon have D1-level facilities. With the Hall of Fame right down the road, the century of football history and elite football facilities make this one of the most iconic destinations for football.

After an undefeated state championship season, West Boca unveiled a high-tech training facility with 16 lifting racks, a 40-yard indoor turf runway, custom lockers, and nutrition stations.

Ensworth's athletic campus features a 10,000-square-foot fitness center, 30,000 square feet of basketball court space, an Olympic-sized pool, and its own football stadium.

Westside has invested in a $34 MILLION Life Complex project featuring a new weight room, swimming facilities, training spaces, and academic areas alongside its established football stadium.

🏟️ Penn State Beaver Stadium Revitalization
Take a look inside one of the largest stadium renovations in college football, featuring construction updates, new premium seating, upgraded concourses, and behind-the-scenes renderings.
Project Updates: Penn State Beaver Stadium Revitalization

🐆 Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium of the Future
Follow the $1.4 billion transformation of EverBank Stadium, including its transparent canopy, new social spaces, and Super Bowl-ready fan experience.
Project Updates: Jacksonville Jaguars Stadium Renovation

🏟️ Kansas' $458M David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium
Go behind the scenes of one of the biggest stadium transformations in college football, featuring construction updates, premium seating, and a completely reimagined game-day experience.
Project Updates: Kansas Football Gateway District