Atwood Stadium
Coordinates: 43°01′02″N 83°42′09″W / 43.0172779°N 83.7023985°W
| The Little House | |
| Address | 701 University Drive |
|---|---|
| Location | Flint, Michigan |
| Owner | Kettering University |
| Capacity | 11,000 |
| Website | |
| www.kettering.edu/current-students/student-life/recreation/atwood-stadium | |
Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in the Carriage Town area of Flint, Michigan owned by Kettering University.
It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted high school football, minor-league baseball, and concerts over the years. Atwood still hosts high school football games today. Originally Atwood Stadium had a natural grass field, but in 1968 began using artificial turf. Atwood's turf was ruled unsafe, leading to the stadium's closure in 1992. The stadium reopened in 1995 after $2 million in improvements, including a new artificial turf field. Currently the stadium in undergoing key renovations to bathrooms, the press box, the concourse, the exterior and soon, the playing field, but the stadium is still in use for sporting events, mainly football.[1] It is currently home to Flint middle school football as well as Flint Northern and Southwestern High School football, and Flint Fury semi-pro football. Atwood was also home to the University of Michigan-Flint Kodiaks club football team. It was once home to Flint Central High School football until the school closed in 2009, as well as Flint Blue Devils, Flint Wildcats, Flint Sabres, Flint Falcons, Flint Rampage, Genesee County Patriots, and Michigan Admirals semi-pro football, and Flint Indians, Flint Gems and Flint Arrows minor-league baseball.
History[edit]
It opened on June 8, 1929 and was named after Edwin W. Atwood who donated a portion of the site for the stadium. From 1930 through 1976 the Annual Football game between Flint Central High School and Flint Northern High School was played on Thanksgiving Day and drew attendance in the tens of thousands of people. The 1950 game drew a record crowd of 20,600, thanks to standing room and temporary seating. Due to the development of state playoffs after 1976, the game was no longer held on Thanksgiving Day. Prior to the closure of Flint Central in 2009, Central won the overall series 41-39-1. Only four of the 81 meetings were not held at Atwood. The inaugural meeting in 1928 was held at Dort Field behind Flint Central. The 1929 meeting was held at Viking Field behind the original Flint Northern. Due to the stadium's temporary closure in 1992, the 1993 and 1994 Central-Northern games were held at Guy V. Houston Stadium, located near Flint Northwestern.
On October 15, 1936 president Franklin D. Roosevelt delivered a speech at the stadium.[2]
In 1966, Atwood Stadium was renovated with new ticket booths, a larger press box, improved lighting and new sod. The renovation also made Atwood an exclusive football stadium. After the sod failed the following year, Astroturf was installed in 1968.[3]
In 1991 or 1992 presidential candidate Bill Clinton delivered a speech at the stadium.[citation needed]
By 2007, all of Atwood's seating received renovations, with new vinyl seats installed.
In 2010, the Hurley Foundation ran its last Tuuri road race, but was replaced in 2011 by the Atwood Stadium Road Race on the calendar and as a vouchered race for the Crim Training Program.[4]
In August 2013, the City of Flint Emergency Manager Mike Brown signed over ownership of Atwood Stadium to Kettering University.[5]
For the past couple of seasons, Atwood has been home to the annual season opening game between Flint Northwestern and Flint Beecher. Beecher is coached by former NFL player Courtney Hawkins, while Northwestern also has a famous alum as a coach, Andre Rison. Beecher won the 2010 opener, 28-18, while Northwestern took the 2011 opener, 46-44, in double overtime. During recent odd-numbered years, it has also been the site of Powers Catholic's football game against Nouvel Catholic Central High School; when Powers is the home team, it is usually played at the beginning of the season. Due to the 2013 closure of Flint Northern High School and the relocation of Powers Catholic to downtown Flint, it is expected that Powers will be sharing Atwood with Southwestern Academy on a full-time basis.
It also was the stadium in which the homecoming concert of American Idol Contestant LaKisha Jones was held on June 9, 2007. More recently, it hosted a homecoming tribute to 2009 Heisman Trophy winner and Flint Southwestern Academy graduate Mark Ingram, Jr. [6]
Atwood Stadium is also the stadium used for Michigan Invitational Tournament, a high school marching band competition hosted by Flushing High School. One of the longest running marching band competitions in Michigan.
For hosting U of M Flint football, Atwood Stadium has been given the nickname "The Little House", because of its 11,000 seat capacity compared to "The Big House" Michigan Stadium, in Ann Arbor, which seats nearly 110,000.
Road Races[edit]
The Atwood Stadium Races is set of road races that begin and end at the stadium. The 10K and 5K are patterned after the race they replaced, the Tuuri, except for the start. It is an official Crim Training Program vouchered race. As with the Tuuri, the race is held on the fourth Saturday in July.[4]
In 2010, the Hurley Foundation ran its last Tuuri road race, but was replaced in 2011 by the Atwood Stadium Road Race.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ April 26, 2014. Remarks at Atwood Stadium, Flint, Mich The American Presidency Project.
- ^ http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2013/04/a_look_back_several_historic_e.html
- ^ a b c "Replacement race for Tuuri will start and finish at Atwood Stadium". The Flint Journal (Mlive Media Group). April 22, 2011. Retrieved June 20, 2014.
- ^ Adams, Dominic (August 13, 2013). "City of Flint to hand over Atwood Stadium to Kettering University". The Flint Journal (Mlive Media Group). Retrieved June 20, 2014.
- ^ Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram II says 'it feels good to be home' in Flint Flint Journal May 22, 2010
