Unique Venues: Rogan Field (San Saba, Texas)

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.

Reports estimate roughly 200 bodies were originally buried on the site, including many Civil War soldiers, but it’s unknown how many were left behind. There was some debate in 1935 over whether it was right to turn a graveyard into a stadium, but the Rogan family wrote a letter to the community arguing that since the cemetery hadn’t been cared for, it made sense for the school to take over and maintain the land.

Armadillo fans and opposing teams have long told stories about strange things happening at Rogan Field. Missed passes, unexplained trips and other unusual plays have been attributed – jokingly or otherwise – to the spirits supposedly remaining beneath the field. In a 2022 article by the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, an assistant football coach claimed that bones surfaced on the field after a heavy rain.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, there’s no denying that at Rogan Field, the past is never far from the game.

Jordan Morey is manager of communications and media relations for the NFHS.