Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium - NAIA National Championship
- Eric Moreno
- 8 hours ago
- 6 min read
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
NAIA National Championship – Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium
The National Alliance of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) was founded in 1940, in part as an alternative to the NCAA and focusing on smaller schools (many of which are private and/or faith-based institutions). Since 1956, the NAIA has held playoffs and a National Championship game for their participating football schools.
The 2025 rendition of the NAIA National Championship was played this year between the Grand View University Vikings and the Keiser University Seahawks, squaring off in Fort Worth, Texas at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium. Normally home to Crowley Independent School District’s high school teams, as well as NAIA member Texas Wesleyan (Rams), this stadium is one of the higher-end Texas high school football venues.
While the Grand View Vikings took home their second straight National Championship, and their third overall, everyone who attended felt like a winner. Read on to learn more about the facility and the game.
Food & Beverage 2
First and foremost, fans attending games at this stadium need to understand that it is a high school venue, so the food and drink options are what you would expect at a high school and/or small college facility. You can get your nachos, hot dogs with or without chili, and hot links (which are a nice addition), as well as popcorn, candy, bottled water, soft drinks, and sports drinks.
The stadium has two stands, one on each side of the facility, across from each other on the north side of the field. Lines do tend to bottleneck at the expected times, such as at halftime and during long breaks in the action, but by and large things move fairly quickly. One more caveat, again, as this is a high school venue; alcohol is not available.
Atmosphere 2
Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium is a fine venue, but for the most part, anything in terms of atmosphere is geared towards its regular high school tenants. The stadium is adorned with plenty of NAIA banners and signage during this championship matchup, however.
There is also a store that sells NAIA Championship merchandise; some of the t-shirts are even printed on demand, which is a nice touch. Beyond the team logos on the scoreboards, however, you won’t find much else telling you who is playing that day – this doesn’t detract from the game too much, however.
Anything else “atmospheric” about Crowley Stadium is centered on the Crowley Eagles and North Crowley Panthers.
Neighborhood 3
Fort Worth is one of the largest cities in Texas, and the second largest in the sprawling behemoth that is the DFW metroplex. For sports fans in Texas this is the place to be, as every major professional league and several big time college brands call the area home; the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and FC Dallas are all located within 45 minutes of Crowley Stadium, while both TCU and SMU play their Division I sports a short drive from the stadium as well. If you time your visit right, you should be able to take in at least one other game while you’re in town.
If you’re looking for something else besides sports to do, a visit to Cow Town should not be done without a stop to the Fort Worth Stockyards, which is exactly what someone who’s never been to Texas imagines it would be like – a daily cattle drive of Texas longhorn steers is the highlight of a complex replete with historic sites, reenactors, entertainment and dining venues, museums, and shopping of all kinds. Live music can also be found around every corner, and the area is truly just a site to behold.
In terms of dining and lodging, there’s an embarrassment of riches for both scattered throughout the Metroplex; your only limit is your budget. However, if you’re looking for something in the immediate area of the stadium, there are a few choices. For dining, Piattello Italian Kitchen is an award-winning spot a short drive from the stadium. If you’re looking for scratch-made Italian cuisine, Piattello is the spot for you. You might also visit Courtside Kitchen, a pickleball spot that serves sandwiches, burgers, wings, and cocktails.
When it comes to lodging, there are quite a few spots within a short drive of Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium – these include Motel 6 Fort Worth – Burleson and Home2 Suites by Hilton Burleson. As with dining, however, your budget is what’s going to impact your selection.
Fans 3
I was not sure what to expect as far as turnout for this game, as neither Des Moines, Iowa (home of Grand View University), nor Fort Lauderdale, Florida (home of Keiser University) are anywhere near Fort Worth, Texas.
Consider me pleasantly surprised by the turnout, as much of the home team side for Grand View was filled on the lower bowl; those fans were loud as all get out and were into the game the whole way through. On the opposite side of the stadium, there were less fans in attendance for Keiser, but they were no less vocal.
If this is how the NAIA does it, I am going to spend some more time at their games in the coming years.
Access 4
The site for this year’s NAIA National Championship, Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium, is about a 15-minute drive from downtown Fort Worth, and just under an hour’s drive from Dallas, less than a 40-minute drive from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. So, it makes it fairly centrally located to what’s going on in the Metroplex.
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 facility being sandwiched between two Buc-ee’s, one in Fort Worth and one in nearby Hillsboro.
Once you get on-site parking is plentiful, as both lots are open for the game, one on the home team side and one for the visitors.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets for the NAIA Championship go for as low as $40, with parking at $10. There are also no concession items greater than $6, so the only thing that price-wise might be a sticking point is getting one of the on-site printed shirts at around $45 each.
All in all, that’s not too bad of a hit to the budget for a college football championship game.
Extras 2
Being as the two participants this year are small schools, I didn’t expect them to travel with a lot of the regular pageantry that would normally be found at their home games. Keiser, for example, brought no mascot nor band, nor their cheer or dance squads.
Grand View only brought their mascot, Viktor. I love a good mascot, and Viktor leaned into his surroundings on this visit, as he was replete with a cowboy hat (on top of his Viking horns), a lasso, and bib overalls. He also sported a wooden stick horse, which was a nice touch.
Final Thoughts
This game was a lot of fun and ticked off another item on my bucket list. College football is at its best when it relies on its history, traditions, and the often zaniness that can happen with a fan base. Schools at the NAIA level seem to be, for the most part, immune to the problems plaguing the higher levels – and that is naturally a good thing.
It might be a little Pollyanna-ish to think this way, but the game seemed simpler and from another time. The old cliche of guys playing for the love of the game seems apropos here. If you’re a fan of college football and the way things used to be, definitely take in the NAIA National Championship – and if it’s at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium, all the better.
Lastly, congrats to the two-time defending champion Grand View Vikings.
Follow Eric Moreno's Stadium Journey on Twitter at @EricMoreno6477.
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