The official start of high school football practice is drawing ever so close, with the countdown for teams being just over a month.
With football season around the corner, it’s a good time to get a heads up on the season by taking a look at some of the best stadiums around the state to catch a high school football game.
It’s a hard list to pare down to 10, but here are 10 notable places to watch a high school football game.
10. Rapid River
This is a bit of a different one to start off at. If you ever want to get a good experience of 8-man football, then this tiny Upper Peninsula town roughly 2 hours, 15 minutes west of the Mackinac Bridge and 30 minutes southeast of Escanaba can offer it.
For a small school, the stadium is a good size with a press box, buildings for both concessions (be sure to grab a slice of pizza from the local Rapid River Pub!) and restrooms, and a beautifully groomed grass field surrounded by picturesque Up North pine trees. Rapid River won the 8-man Division 2 state title in 2018.
9. Macomb Dakota
Macomb County has long been a Metro Detroit hotbed for football, and one of its key spots is the large field at Dakota, which can pack in thousands on a Friday night in the fall.
There have been a lot of important Macomb Area Conference Red and state playoffs game held at the stadium, which has a big scoreboard and nice artificial turf, in addition to being able to hold a lot of people.
The quality of football is usually great also, with important MAC Red games or state playoff games played there several times a year.
8. East Kentwood
There is a reason why the Division 1 state track and field finals are regularly hosted here. The facility opened fairly recently in 2004 and has the space to accommodate lots of fans, as well as having state of the art amenities for fans of players of both teams to enjoy during a game.
7. Wisner Stadium, Pontiac
As far as a journey back in time and tradition goes, there are few places that can match this spot. Built in 1941, Wisner Stadium was a practice site for the Lions in the years after it was built and has hosted numerous high school and youth football games for nearly nine decades.
Even with Pontiac High School building a football field on its campus five years ago, other smaller high schools, club and youth programs use the facility and keep its rich tradition of football going.
6. Oxford
Most people think of Oxford’s field as the only one in the state with true blue turf, but that’s not all that makes it unique.
In addition, the field is in the midst of a bowl setting, with surrounding grandstands and berms making it an accommodating spot for lots of fans.
If you have active little kids who have a hard time keeping an eye on the game, the berms allow for constant activity such as throwing the football around or running.
5. Rochester Hills Stoney Creek
The field at Stoney Creek is pretty much a twin to Oxford, with a bowl setting filled with grandstands and berms to host a lot of people.
The stadium is often a host for semifinal games in football and soccer as well, and there is a trail on top for people to walk or run around the stadium while taking in the action below.
4. Ithaca
A tradition-rich football program on the field, Ithaca should be a place any high school football fan visits to watch a game.
A big and state-of-the art complex located along US-27, Ithaca features a massive JumboTron, plenty of seating and best of all, it has monuments that honor first responders and Gold Star veterans.
Over 23,000 gold stars are displayed around the stadium to honor each Michigan veteran and first responder who died in service since 1900.
3. Holland West Ottawa
Built in 2022, in the eyes of some there isn’t a more modern and state-of-the-art high school football facility in all of Michigan.
Built for an estimated cost between $20 million and $25 million, the stadium seats nearly 7,000 with additional standing and patio areas that can increase capacity to nearly 10,000.
The football field is one of two adjoining turf surfaces, with the other used for soccer. Each field has video boards and locker rooms.
The football field offers elevator access, two tiers of seating and brand new buildings for concessions and restrooms.
In 2023, the complex was recognized as the top multi-field facility nationally by the American Sports Builders Association.
2. Muskegon
In terms of tradition and having a Wrigley Field or Fenway Park type of feel, nothing matches Hackley Stadium, which houses the winningest high school football program in state history.
Built in 1926, Hackley Stadium is still standing today as the home of Muskegon football, although it has had to go through renovations to keep it modernized. Through the years, there has been work done on concrete, fencing and other infrastructure around the stadium to make sure the tradition keeps going for the Muskegon community.
In 2020, artificial turf was installed to replace the natural grass field, along with a brick wall around the perimeter of the field.
It’s been a delicate balance to maintain Hackley’s old-school charm while keeping up with modern amenities, but the stadium is still one of the state’s best spots to catch a football game on a Friday night in the fall.
It also doesn’t hurt that the program has won a state-best 910 games, made 14 appearances in a state championship game and won seven state titles, so the quality of football is excellent as well.
1. Rockford
The west side of the state is full of high schools that feature facilities that are better than several small colleges, none more so than Carlson-Munger Stadium at Rockford.
The facility can hold thousands in a community that’s as passionate about high school sports as any in the state, has a big brick press box, two levels of seating, several brick ticket counters at the entrance and is surrounded by state-of-the-art fields for the other sports.
It’s regularly a host site for the Division 1 state track and field finals and happens to be home to a program that’s usually one of the state’s best each year (Rockford has lost nine games since 2021).
A big and modern facility, a community with fans who support the athletic program like it’s a professional team and consistently winning football make Rockford a must when looking to attend a high school football game.
Keith Dunlap is a freelance writer.
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Check out our top 10 high school football stadiums in Michigan
Reporting by Keith Dunlap, Special to The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Keith Dunlap, Special to The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
