Global InformationAtwood Stadium information
"The Beautiful Stadium of Ours" | |
 Atwood Stadium in 2019 | |
 | |
| Address | 701 University Ave. |
|---|---|
| Location | Flint, Michigan |
| Public transit | MTA Flint Rte. #4 Civic Park (University at Begole or University at Prospect) |
| Owner | Kettering University |
| Seating type | Bleacher |
| Capacity | 11,000 |
| Surface | Grass (1929-1968) AstroTurf (1968-2014) FieldTurf (2015–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | 1928 |
| Built | 1929 |
| Renovated | 1995, 2015 |
| Closed | 1992-1995 |
| Construction cost | $100,000 (1929) $3.5 million (1995 renovation) $2 million+ (2015 renovation) |
| Tenants | |
| Flint Arrows (CL) 1948–1951 U of M Flint Kodiaks (NCFA) 2010–2017 Flint City Bucks (USL2) 2019–present[1] Powers Catholic High School 2019–present[2] | |
| Website | |
| www | |
Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium owned by Kettering University. It is located in the historic Carriage Town district area of downtown Flint, Michigan. In 2019 it became the home field for the Flint City Bucks, a soccer club that competes in USL League Two, as well as Powers Catholic High School. The annual Vehicle City Gridiron Classic also opens the high school football season at Atwood Stadium, with six to eight teams competing each season. The Flint Institute of Music hosts an annual Independence Day concert in the stadium, which is coordinated with Flint's fireworks display, which is launched from the Chevy Commons park, located to the south immediately across the Flint River from the stadium.
The stadium was named after Edwin W. Atwood, who was elected as the Mayor of the City of Flint in 1920, and also donated a portion of the site for the stadium. It has hosted boxing matches, UAW strikes, high school football, minor-league baseball, election stump speeches, and concerts over the years. 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 $3.5 million in improvements, including a new artificial turf field, and resumed hosting football games for Flint Community Schools.
Kettering University received ownership after Flint Emergency Manager Mike Brown ordered the city to transfer ownership in 2013, with the university undertaking the cost of emergency repairs to permit the stadium to continue operation.[3] In 2015 the stadium underwent over $2 million in renovations to the restrooms, press box, concourse, exterior and playing field, and hosted Powers Catholic, Flint Southwestern and Flint Northwestern high school football in the fall of 2015. The new FieldTurf surface has permanent lines for regulation high school football, soccer, and lacrosse. The field goal posts are permanently mounted whereas soccer and lacrosse goals are moved into position as needed. As the field goal uprights are not hinged and therefore cannot be tipped back during soccer matches, the uprights are in bounds above the soccer goal.
Since 2019, the Flint City Bucks soccer team and Powers Catholic High School's football, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls lacrosse, and marching band programs share Atwood Stadium as their home field. Kettering University's intramural and recreational sports programs also extensively use the field, however the university has no varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. Perhaps uniquely, Atwood Stadium is a university-owned public stadium which has permanent regulation markings for high school football but no such markings for college football.
The stadium seating surrounds the field on three sides and is open on the south side, allowing spectators to overlook the paved parking area, the Flint River, and Chevy Commons park beyond. A Genesee County park trail runs along the south edge of the Atwood Stadium paved parking lot along the riverside. Kettering University leaves a portion of the paved parking area publicly accessible to allow residents to fish the river.
The stadium received its nickname, "The Beautiful Stadium of Ours," from the River Rats, the original Bucks supporters' group. The group's tradition is to sing about the stadium as they march to every home match.
- ^ Acosta, Roberto (October 31, 2018). "Soccer franchise to make Atwood Stadium in Flint new home turf". The Flint Journal. Mlive Media Group.
- ^ "All Athletic Events Calendar". Powers Catholic High School. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
- ^ 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.