Shell Energy Stadium - Texas Southern Tigers

Photos by Aaron S. Terry, Stadium Journey

Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 4.14

Shell Energy Stadium 2200 Texas Ave Houston, TX 77003

Texas Southern Tigers website

Shell Energy Stadium website

Year Opened: 2012

Capacity: 22,039

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Tigers got Energy!

Sharing the home of the MLS’ Houston Dynamo and the NWSL’s Houston Dash, the Texas Southern Tigers football team have played their home games at Shell Energy Stadium since it opened in 2012. In addition, other Houston-area college football teams, such as the Houston Cougars and Houston Christian Huskies,  have also used the venue as their home base on occasion, in years when their own stadiums were being built or renovated. Shell Energy Stadium has also hosted the Division III Stagg Bowl.

In addition to sporting events, the facility is also used for concerts. Holding just over 20,000 fans, the venue was renamed Shell Energy Stadium in 2023, thanks to a $40 million, 8-year naming rights deal. The stadium received awards for sustainability in its construction, and in 2023 was renovated with mesh seating instead of plastic seating; the mesh seats are about 30 degrees cooler than the previous plastic seats, a great boon on hot days in Texas. The seats in the upper tier are orange and black for the Dynamo, and spell out the word “Houston”, while seats in the lower tier are blue, grey, and pink, in a nod to the Dash.

Food & Beverage   4

Whatever kind of food and beverages you want at Shell Energy Stadium, they probably have it; there are tons of different stands throughout the building, serving everything from Vietnamese, barbecue, and Mexican to pizza, burgers, hot dogs, nachos, and more. There are several different Mexican food stands, including a dedicated Elotes stand, as well as multiple locations where you can purchase fan favorites such as burgers, popcorn, pizza, candy, and hot dogs, some coming from grab-and-go areas that are a lot faster than waiting in line. There are also multiple locations to purchase beer, as well as a marketplace-type stand that sells all manner of beverages. You may even want to walk all the way around the concourse to check out all the options, before you decide what to get.

The only downside is that the prices are premium, which can be expected from a pro stadium such as this. To give you an idea, a double smashburger costs $17, a chicken tender basket $14, a personal-sized pizza starts at $13 (cheese), packaged candy or bottled water costs $6, and hot dogs start at $7, depending on which stand you visit/how fancy of toppings you want. Beer starts around $11, but there is only a 50-cent difference between the domestic and premium. For those on a budget, I would recommend paying a couple dollars more for the Italian sausage over the basic hot dog, as the Italian sausage is larger/more filling, so you won’t be hungry later.

Atmosphere   4

The biggest plus at Shell Energy Stadium is that most of the seats along the two sidelines are covered; you should plan to sit in the upper deck just to be sure, as not every seat along the lower-level sidelines is covered (every upper deck seat is). However, in a 20,000-seat stadium the upper deck is not that far from the action, so there is no issue. The seats are also very comfortable - they all have cupholders and are not so narrow that you feel like you’re being squeezed.

The staff also flashes the stadium lights, and shoots off fireworks, when the home team scores. The team also has 2 costumed mascots, but I would be remiss if I did not mention the marching band, the Texas Southern Ocean of Soul. The band performances are one of the big draws when it comes to football games at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), and the Tigers do not disappoint. The sassy band director is fun to listen to as he not-so-gently barbs the opposing team’s band, and the drum majors especially are also very entertaining. You will see the band march in a number of different formations, and usually you will get to see two bands perform, not just one, as both bands will generally perform during halftime when the Tigers are playing another HBCU (which is most of the time).

At the game I most recently attended, halftime was even extended to 25 minutes instead of the usual 20, despite an hour-and-a-half long rain delay before kickoff, just so both bands would have time to perform. I can’t say this is a hard and fast rule, but I feel like many of the HBCU schools I have seen have 25-minute halftimes to accommodate the bands. And fans stay in their seats during the performances as well, meaning the stadium will look empty at the beginning of the third quarter, instead of during halftime like at most college football games.

Neighborhood   5

Shell Energy Stadium is in downtown Houston, just a few blocks from Daikin Park (formerly Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros). That said there is plenty to do nearby, although quite honestly there is not much reason to walk more than a few feet from the facility after the game ends, as there are literally multiple great restaurants right next door to Shell Energy Stadium. But the best option by far is the Goodies Soul Kitchen food truck just outside the Southwest Gate; you absolutely MUST try their Crack Chicken. Goodies is only open from 7 pm to 3 am Thursday thru Sunday, and at present only has this food truck location.

In terms of attractions near downtown, the most well-known of course is Space Center Houston, but you can also take in other sporting events like the Texans or Rockets, and there are plenty of hotels in the area to fit any budget. And if you like military history and don’t mind taking a bit of a drive, the Museum of the American GI and the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum are both about an hour north in College Station – the Museum of the American GI has over a dozen working (yes, working) tanks on display, and you can even pay to take a ride in them, while the presidential library celebrates our 41st President, and has the plan he flew during WWII on display. These attractions, and others, will give you more than enough to fill a weekend, or longer, in the Houston area to see the Texas Southern Tigers.

Fans   4

Texas Southern has a great turnout for football games – most of the fans seem to be decked out in term gear, and you can hear them cheering loudly for their team all game long. While the stadium may not be all the way full, you will get a pretty good crowd here at Shell Energy Stadium, with most of the seats occupied in all the open sections of the facility (a few seating sections appear to be closed for Tiger football, being open only when there is soccer on tap in the building; this is also true for a handful of the concession stands).

One comment I will add, and this is probably more common for HBCU schools than non-HBCU schools, is that you may see a large number of visiting fans in the stands. Not so many to outnumber the Tiger faithful, mind you, but a larger contingent than you would normally see at a college football game at most levels.

Access   3

The great thing about downtown football stadiums, and I have found this to be true both in the NFL as well as in college, is that the roads in and out of the city were built for weekday rush hour traffic, which is a lot more people than you will see at a typical football game. That said, you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting to the venue on a Saturday, a time when most people are not at work.

Once you get to the stadium, however, there are long lines to get in the door, and you cannot park close to Shell Energy Stadium unless you are willing to put down some serious coin. The concourse is also pretty crowded, so you can’t move very fast to and from your seat, and some of the concession lines are pretty long despite the very high number of concession stands that are set up inside.

Once you get inside the venue you are allowed to walk all the way around the concourse, so it doesn’t matter which gate you use to enter. Pro tip – you may want to walk around to the north/east side before you enter the stadium, as the southwest gate seems to have the longest line, as that is the first one most people come to. Knowing there are other, shorter lines on the other side should help you get in faster.

Return on Investment   4

Tickets to Texas Southern football games at Shell Energy Stadium are $32 – on the low end for football in general, but maybe on the higher end for FCS games specifically. Regardless, I still consider this a good return on investment. The Tiger staff puts on a good show, and the great crowd and entertaining band performances make a trip to this venue to watch college football well worth your while.

Extras   5

The stadium does offer free Wi-fi for fans, and the fact visiting fans can pick up so much team gear is a plus for those who want to watch their team play on the road. I already mentioned the plethora of different concession stands, and the small size of the stadium (being a soccer venue, really) lets you closer to the action than you can get at most other football stadiums. The Tigers also have two mascots, and the ability to see not one but two marching bands perform at halftime is another big plus.

Final Thoughts

If you are in the Houston area, or are willing to make the trip, I would definitely recommend a visit to Shell Energy Stadium to see Texas Southern football. This is a chance to see a pro stadium at a relatively low cost, and there are lots of extras to make your visit a lot of fun.