Richison Family Stadium: A New Era For Tuttle High School Football

Tuttle High School’s football facilities rival some colleges and were all made possible by a pretty special alumni.

“The visitors used to dress inside the fair barn,” said Scott Moore with Tuttle Public Schools. 

For many years, the football experience at Tuttle High School wasn’t very good for anyone.“I think it had two toilets, three urinals, and one shower, no three small showers and we had one hundred kids in there,” said Moore.

Guest team accommodations were even worse. “The visitors used to dress inside the fair barn,” said Moore.

Paycom founder and CEO and Tuttle alumni Chad Richison heard about the bond issue to do the improvements and agreed to match funds that were raised. “Passed the bond issue and he said, “I’m in”, so we ended up having nine million and he had nine million and we combined those nine million and here we stand,” said Moore.

“When you can give back to those people that have given so much to you, you want to take an opportunity to do that,” said Chad Richison, PAYCOM founder and CEO.

There’s even an equipment room, a training room, a top shelf locker room, a press box that rivals most colleges, and a meeting room that is used by the team as well as the community. “It just sets us up for the future. It put the program up where the program belongs, a space to grow and people in this town care about things,” said Brad Ballard, Tuttle's Head Football Coach.

Today, the newly renovated stadium that meant so much to Chad growing up, proudly carries his family name. “We’re grateful to be a part of it, we’re proud that our name is up there, just because of what this town has meant to us,” said Richison.

Previously the stadium held just over one thousand visitors today it has a capacity of over three thousand. “I played peewee league here, I actually scored a touchdown here on this side,” said Richison.

For all his giving, this project holds a uniquely special place

“You know a lot of my friends still live here and so, I don’t know that I ever left the Tuttle community,” said Richison.

The facility was dedicated and renamed Richison Family Stadium on Friday, October 25. Game attendance has increased so much that the staff now has to deal with the next problem, and that is parking for all the fans.