All of the CPS stadiums; Hanson, Gately, Lane, Rockne, Eckersall and Stagg could use some help and care. The stadiums run by schools; Brooks, Taft, Solorio I’m sure there are more, are fine but the ones that CPS runs it would be great if they actually paid people to run those stadiums who would do some work. Bathrooms don’t work, locker rooms are flooded, hash marks ripping off the turf just awful, crazy how much they pay these people to do nothing.
Q: Which High School Football stadiums need a make over?
- Thread starter EdgyTim
- Start date
All of the CPS stadiums; Hanson, Gately, Lane, Rockne, Eckersall and Stagg could use some help and care. The stadiums run by schools; Brooks, Taft, Solorio I’m sure there are more, are fine but the ones that CPS runs it would be great if they actually paid people to run those stadiums who would do some work. Bathrooms don’t work, locker rooms are flooded, hash marks ripping off the turf just awful, crazy how much they pay these people to do nothing.
I know that Lane, Gately and Eckersall have all been recently upgraded over the past 4-5 years so they are making progress in some cases....in my eyes from a sheer location standpoint Hanson makes the most sense to me to be one of the next ones to get a cleanup and repair...
Typical grass field though. At least it gets generally taken care of. Can't say the same for Gbur, Community, or Birchwood.
St Rita needs stands; hopefully the same ones at MC's new field that extend the length of the sidelines. Which would make the stadium feel a bit more enclosed
With four home games to start the season they need to have it done by the end of August. The legacy of Fr. Paul.
East parent here. We need turf at both schools in a bad way. District is so broke it’s never going to happen. Voters have shot down referendum twice in the past year. Our scoreboard is basically held together with duct tape and the speakers for the announcer are almost all blown. The only thing that can help us is a magic fairy donor at this point.
I’m guessing St Francis’ new blue field is about halfway down the Fox about now.
Four home games to start the season? How many do they have left at home after that?
The visiting bleachers at OPRF need more seating. Only about four rows up and only go between the 30s basically. Problem is the site is virtually landlocked with the baseball backstop occupying the northwest corner of the stadium more or less. And the bleachers need speakers; can barely hear the ones on the grandstand side.
If nothing changes Chesterton Indiana, Cardinal Ritter St. Louis, Loyola, and Montini at home. The first two games replace JCA and Richards who both declined renewing the contract. Then Marian Central Catholic on the road. Providence at home. I’ll guess that’s home coming. And they finish with Marian Catholic, Benet, and Notre Dame on the road.
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They upgrade them and I know they get a lot of use but they do a horrible job of maintaining them which is the issue. The last 2 or 3 years of Hanson you almost always had water in the locker rooms. It’s little things at all of them, until they change who is running them they won’t ever completely fix it.
Upgraded Turf, but nothing else. I challenge anyone to go into a CPS Stadium and find one fully working bathroom. (all toilets and sinks in complete working order) Furthermore, find a CPS stadium that has fully accessible stands. I have yet to be in one of these places that doesn't have closed areas roped off with caution tape.
More open bleachers means more space for them to clean! If anyone knows how to get in charge of one of these stadiums let me know, best gig around. I bet they’re still paying someone for Hanson.
Leyden and both Proviso’s need upgrades to the field and the stands. Proviso East has a diamond in the rough that needs TLC.
My own Willowbrook has a great field and stands, and a great setting, but Good Lord does it need an upgrade to the 1959 concessions/bathrooms/team rooms building!! At times it can be like the old Soldier Field where you miss a quarter waiting in the bathroom line. One urinal and one sink ain’t cutting it. And how about upgrading another 1959 original, the scoreboard! Maybe something that can be seen in daylight, and possibly (gasp) an LCD video screen!!! One like Huntley’s would be a dream. Some signage acknowledging the accomplishments of the schools programs would be welcome as well. Yet another ode to the spartan days of the 1950’s there. It’s been 61 years folks, time to join the current century with amenities and technology! I’m sure the track teams and soccer teams would like to see this too!
A little corporate sponsorship might help with these upgrades but somehow the district partner in Addison has gotten it done. I’m just sayin’...
My own Willowbrook has a great field and stands, and a great setting, but Good Lord does it need an upgrade to the 1959 concessions/bathrooms/team rooms building!! At times it can be like the old Soldier Field where you miss a quarter waiting in the bathroom line. One urinal and one sink ain’t cutting it. And how about upgrading another 1959 original, the scoreboard! Maybe something that can be seen in daylight, and possibly (gasp) an LCD video screen!!! One like Huntley’s would be a dream. Some signage acknowledging the accomplishments of the schools programs would be welcome as well. Yet another ode to the spartan days of the 1950’s there. It’s been 61 years folks, time to join the current century with amenities and technology! I’m sure the track teams and soccer teams would like to see this too!
A little corporate sponsorship might help with these upgrades but somehow the district partner in Addison has gotten it done. I’m just sayin’...
There is two reasons for CG not having turf, the most important one is that if they got it, all the other D155 schools would have to get it at the same time. CLC, CLS and PR. That is a lot of money, to outlay.
Second, it does slow some teams down, so it is a decidedly home field advantage.
Drove through Peotone yesterday, went by the schools to check on the light question. The current middle school, where football & track are behind the school and baseball & softball are still played on the park district fields between the school & the fairgrounds, no longer has a victory light. The "new" high school - almost 20 years old now - has a white circle with a Blue Devil face on it that appears to be lighted, so it probably serves as their victory light.
Manteno has a white M victory light at the high school, and a blue/purple one at the middle school - but the middle school light is on the gym wall over the main entrance, now largely obscured by the entrance roofline...And the Panthers are improving the visitors' side of the stadium this summer, extending the paved lave behind the school all the way to the existing visitors bleachers and doing some drainage work.
Peotone's facility basically could use a complete makeover, making the question whether the Devils would be better off with a completely new facility at the high school or the reconstruction of the existing...the grass needs to be replaced, the track is still the original cinders bleached light gray from the years in the sun, press box tower from the 70's, no permanent visitors bleachers, 70's scoreboard. But the existing east side home bleachers would be exceptional as a visitors side if they rebuilt the west side as the home side with new bleachers & press box.
I think all that stuff got pushed back a year due to the economic uncertainty. This is kinda late in the game to be doing turf, especially since we just got the greenlight to practice, amirite? I know the baseball field is getting relocated 90 degrees eventually, with home plate going in the current right field corner creating a Crusader Way stadium entrance for baseball & football. I've seen the drawings, looks great, may just be shelved for a year or so from what I've heard. Agreed Zunica has been a Godsend & alum contributions have awakened it appears.
MC just started putting their new turf in this week, I don’t think it takes too long.
Depends on if they need to fix anything underneath the turf itself
School just received a $1.5 million grant due to covid. Replacing the turf isn't as difficult as installing whole new field. Work only takes a few weeks. I vote all Maroon with orange lines and white lettering.
The lack of bathroom upgrade might have something to do with the 1/4 mile walk from the parking lot to the stadium.
Seriously though, I thought the Willowbrook stadium was really nice when we were there a couple years ago for the HC game. The one with 2 half times due to lightning.
I'm surprised no ICE school has installed turf yet, guessing within 5 years someone will make the investment.. In order of most likely to do it:
1. Coal City
2. Herscher
3. Reed Custer
4. Manteno
5. Streator
6. Peotone
7. WIlmington
Further south, Prairie Central is spending $600K on bleacher replacement and other upgrades around the field this summer..
1. Coal City
2. Herscher
3. Reed Custer
4. Manteno
5. Streator
6. Peotone
7. WIlmington
Further south, Prairie Central is spending $600K on bleacher replacement and other upgrades around the field this summer..
Huh? Lisle plays on turf, although they play at the community complex at Benedictine.
Coal City is the next most likely to do turf. The Coaler football program plays deep in the playoffs every year and although their field stood up remarkably well with what 5 straight home games last fall (week 9 & 4 playoff games) turf probably would be desired.
R/C would have the money for turf, and their drainage isn't very good, so they could be a candidate.
Herscher would likely be third in line, but their finances will not likely allow it. They would need a major donor...
Wilmington likely is next. Turf, however, doesn't fit in well with "Beware What Comes Out of the Woods"....and I don't see Reents wanting it although the Catbackers probably would otherwise fundraise for it.
Streator replaced their main bleachers a few years ago, but I just don't see them investing that much in the stadium.
Peotone built a new high school almost 20 years ago and didn't build a single outdoor athletic facility there...the severe divide in the district over facilities and finances will likely never have it happen.
Manteno is least likely to go with turf. Why, you ask...Because it isn't a football decision. Midland Bank Field was designed for soccer, not football. In 1995, when the district committed to building the track, the soccer folks howled because they would lose their World Cup size pitch. There were no fences or other infrastructure in the field behind the school besides the baseball & softball infields & backstops in 1995, so previously there was no limit on the size of the soccer field. In that era there was a program where the Army Corp of Engineers would come in and build tracks for the cost of materials so they could train people in precision construction - but you had to use their standard plans. The school board custom designed the track to satisfy the soccer contingent. As a result, the area between the straights is as wide as possible so the soccer team can have the widest field they can fit. As well, usually grass fields have a crown to them to facilitate drainage, but crowns affect the way the soccer ball rolls. As a result, considerable extra money was spent on installing a much better drainage system under the field so there would not be a need for a major crown. The track cost almost four times the cost of the standard Army Corp track as a result. I doubt soccer is the slightest bit interested in turf, so grass will remain...Those are a host of state soccer trophies in Manteno's trophy case, they will win any argument with football over the shared field.
I didn't mention Lisle because its a different situation..
Herscher's finances are fine ,overall budget should be about $1M in the black for this year.. For some reason we got a lot of negative from the Journal about 4 years ago, but even then the budget was in a lot better shape than most of the other area districts.. So with that and a few guys out there that would be willing to donate, that's why I think it could happen.. Just had a huge renovation at the Middle School so the money is being spent... Also are currently putting in bathrooms by the baseball/softball/soccer complex..
Where they screwed up was about 10 years ago when they put in a new soccer field, new softball field and a parking lot for more than it would have cost to put in field turf and build a softball field..
It was over a 1/4 mile! They did have great service with the golf carts though to help people out or there was no way my Mom was making that walk at her age for the semi's last year!
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Lol! Yeah, the walk can be very long it very short depending on the final score! Our Booster club has been running the shuttles for years and they are greatly appreciated. Like I said, field, bleachers and setting are all great. Food is good, school staff welcoming and helpful. But, bathrooms and team facilities are lacking. My graduate has said that pregames and halftimes are “intimate” to say the least. The scoreboard is at this point, shabby. I’m all for nostalgia, but original equipment over 50 years old should be updated.
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