In Texas, where high school football commands a cultural throne, the investments are visible everywhere: in the sprawling stadiums, the professional-grade uniforms and the highly paid coaches. But often operating in the background is an unseen engine of success: the booster club.
The parent-run nonprofits, organized to support athletic teams, have become indispensable, particularly in the competitive landscape of the Dallas area. They fill the budgetary gaps that school districts cannot, funding everything from new weight-room equipment and facility maintenance to nutritional programs for athletes.
Why This Story MattersHigh school football is big in North Texas, but how big? The Dallas Morning News analyzed the salaries and work history of head football coaches, booster club finances and the success or failure of stadium projects at nearly 150 schools to gauge the investment North Texas communities are making in football in 2025.
An analysis by The Dallas Morning News found 135 area clubs, including 70 specifically dedicated to supporting a school’s football team. Of the clubs, 95 are registered nonprofits with federal tax records on file.
But their financial power is far from uniform. In affluent communities such as Southlake and Highland Park, booster clubs routinely generate six and even seven figures annually, according to financial data compiled by The News, while teams that lack booster clubs or have trouble raising money often feel the impact on the field.
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The connection between fundraising and on-field success can be stark: Last season, clubs backing three of the five Dallas-area teams that reached the state championship at AT&T Stadium each reported more than $200,000 in revenue.
Booster clubs and other organizations must file an annual Form 990 or a shorter Form 990-EZ, depending on their revenue, to be recognized as tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits under federal rules.
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Groups with revenue under $50,000 don’t need to file but must notify the IRS if they are still operating, which is why some of the clubs don’t have financial information listed in the database.
The database below includes clubs that are either umbrella groups for all of a school or district’s teams, as well as clubs specifically for football. For example, the Allen Eagle Athletic Booster Association reports financial information for clubs for multiple sports in one tax filing, while some clubs have separate nonprofits for each sport. The school’s Touchdown Club accounted for $371,359 of the overall club’s $1.7 million total in 2024.
If your school has a booster club for football or the school as a whole that is not listed in the database, please email [email protected]. We hope to expand the database to include other clubs throughout the 2025-26 seasons.
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