Stephenville opens $40 million stadium named for Art Briles

Why it matters: Briles turned around Stephenville High School's football program, which hadn't made the playoffs in decades. He led them to win four state championships in the 1990s.

• That legacy has been enshrined in the school's Art Briles Stadium, Texas Monthly's Dan Solomon writes.

Catch up quick: In 2013, the Baylor Bears clinched their first conference championship since 1980. Around the same time, several women alleged that they were assaulted by the school's football players. One player was convicted in a 2012 sexual assault.

• A law firm hired to investigate the allegations found "significant concerns" about the tone and culture within Baylor's football program.
• Baylor parted ways with its president, athletic director and Briles after the scandal.
• Briles could have become Baylor's most revered coach. Instead, he has been repeatedly sidelined from coaching jobs.

What they're saying: "I've never done anything illegal, immoral or unethical," Briles told reporters in 2016.

• Stephenville High School and Briles' previous lawyer, Ernest Cannon, did not respond to Axios' requests for comment on Thursday.

The intrigue: The Briles stadium is the first for the high school. The team previously played home games at nearby Tarleton State University.

Zoom in: The stadium has 7,500 seats, a VIP press box and rooftop terrace. Briles was part of the construction process, per the stadium's construction company.

• "With the naming of Art Briles Stadium, we honor the values of perseverance, resilience and teamwork that he championed, and we renew our commitment to building champions both on and off the field," the school district said in a statement last year.