SAGINAW, MI — Saginaw Public Schools officials will move the public beyond the metaphoric 99-yard line during a ceremony celebrating the opening of a state-of-the-art football field and athletics facility.
Although Saginaw United High School opened its brand-new doors in fall 2024, construction activities at the riverside facility’s neighboring athletics fields continued. While plenty of work remains, school leaders will lead a Friday, Oct. 3, ribbon-cutting ceremony and public tours of both the football field and the fieldhouse that will house Saginaw United High sports matchups for basketball and volleyball teams.
The event coincides with the school’s second-ever Homecoming celebration, which includes a football matchup between Saginaw United High and Bay City Central High School on the brand-new field.
The ribbon-cutting event and tours begin at 5:30 p.m. The game kicks off at 7 p.m.
The athletics fields additions were funded by the same $100 million school bond — approved by voters in 2020 — that paid for construction of Saginaw United High’s new academic building as well as several other district facilities across the city.
From the (not-so-cheap) seats
Saginaw Public Schools officials provided MLive/The Saginaw News an early look at the new facilities this week.
Some of the final touches to Saginaw United High’s football field and fieldhouse were applied this week, including installation of a flag pole outside and the application of a giant school-themed decal that greets attendees at the fieldhouse entrance.
Crews remain at work on other elements of the school’s athletics-geared projects including, largely, baseball, softball, track and practice fields to the west of the stadium. The district likely will begin hosting games there in spring 2026, officials said.
Opening the stadium to the public for the Homecoming game this week, though, represents a significant milestone in the school’s emergence, said John Mansfield, Saginaw United High’s athletics director.
“I can’t wait until people see all this,” he said.
Along with hosting football games, the new stadium will serve as the home field for Saginaw United High’s boys and girls soccer matchups.
Walking across the football field earlier this week, Mansfield said attendees will feel marveled by the state-of-the-art elements and fans-friendly feel of the athletics facilities.
Both the stadium and fieldhouse are positioned immediately to the south of the five-floor academic building, separated by a driveway leading to the school’s rear parking lot.
While Friday will represent the district’s first official public welcoming party to the stadium, Mansfield said spectators have photographed and uploaded drone-supported videos of the football field, providing some unsponsored early looks at the setup.
Until recently, the field was largely hidden from the view of motorists traveling the adjoining road, Niagara Street, by construction vehicles and materials. But most of those visual obstacles no longer remained in place this week, revealing the new stadium through the surrounding gates.
The field bears the marks of the new high school, which began operations last fall after the district dissolved the former Saginaw High School and Arthur Hill High School institutions.
The Saginaw United High football field is made of artificial turf, largely resembling the green of real-life grass. But, at the ends of each field, the turf is painted in black with silver lettering.
The northernmost corner — the endzone during football games — spells “Saginaw” while the opposite end reads “United.” At the 50-yard line: an illustration of the black phoenix that serves as the school’s mascot.
Mansfield said one of the most distinctive elements of the stadium is the movie theater-like screen near the southern corner, where fans eventually will watch the game scores, highlights and player “hype videos.” Measuring 42 feet wide by 16 feet tall, the screen represents the largest of its kind at any Michigan high school facility.
Another feature Mansfield said is unique among Michigan high school athletics facilities: built-into-the-concrete tables where attendees can watch the games while enjoying food and drinks.
“That should be a great experience,” Mansfield said of the tables, set up near the northwest corner of the field. “And there’s still a great view of the games from there.”
To the east and west of the field are bleachers, fit to host about 1,400 people.
The field is the lowest-lying element of the stadium. Its low positioning allowed engineers to design small, downward-inclined grassy slopes at certain positions surrounding the field, creating spaces where spectators can set down picnic blankets and watch the games with an elevated view.
Inside the fieldhouse
The fieldhouse is situated to the north of the stadium. Facing the field are public restrooms and entrances to the locker rooms for athletes, staff and referees.
Deeper inside the fieldhouse is the stain-painted court where basketball and volleyball teams will play beginning this academic year. Mansfield said the volleyball team already has practiced on the practically spotless floors.
Much like the stadium, the indoor court features some state-of-the-art elements including a booming sound system that Mansfield said he doesn’t dare play at full power. A demonstration of the system at about 80% of the volume capabilities rocked the walls during MLive’s early tour.
In the hallways outside the gymnasium is a large concession stand, a fitness room for athletes, touch-screen displays where attendees eventually can scroll through information about the Saginaw Public Schools athletics history, including memories of star alumni such as Jason Richardson, Charles Rogers, Clifton Ryan and the undefeated 1973 Arthur Hill High School football squad that was never scored upon by an opponent.
Across from those screens are empty display cases where Mansfield said he expects soon will host trophies earned by the fledgling high school.