The truest, most pure form of American sporting culture can be found on Friday nights, when communities rally around high schools and celebrate sports and a general sense of togetherness.
No matter the stadium, the size of the crowd or the level of competition, there’s something universal about high school football and what it represents.
In that way, consider this a collection of America’s most authentic sporting cathedrals, a selection of 16 unique and spectacular high school football stadiums, each notable in its own way. Some feature spectacular natural beauty, while others boast awe-inspiring facilities. A handful possess history and tradition handed down from generations ago.
How did we pick our Sweet 16? We researched stadiums across the country, considering facilities across the nation to find the fields and facilities that are most unique for some reason or another. We started with a group of more than 30 stadiums par excellence, then whittled down to our group of 16 via rigorous internal debate between the USA TODAY High School Sports staff in an effort to balance facility strengths.
Now it’s up to you to decide which is America’s best high school football stadium, one round at a time. Round 2 is officially underway. Voting ends at 2 p.m. ET.
VOTING DATES
Round 1: Oct. 15-21
Round 2: Oct. 22-27
Round 3: Oct. 28-31
Final Round: Nov. 1-4
MATCHUP 1
Stadium Bowl
This gorgeous, 15,000-seat field is wrapped by lower-level bleachers with an open end that looks directly out over Puget Sound. The adjacent Stadium High School takes its name from the facility, which is an apt metaphor for the importance and role football plays in high school culture across the nation.
Washington High School Stadium
Located in the northwest corner of one of America’s most picturesque cities, offers a sweeping view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the mouth of San Francisco Bay. The venue was built in 1940, and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ollie Matson is the most notable Washington High player to compete there.
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MATCHUP 2
Mitchell Stadium
Opened in 1936, this venue sits in a park which straddles the state border. Mitchell Stadium was named for the city manager of Bluefield, West Virginia, who oversaw funding and construction of the venue. Mitchell serves as the home to both Bluefield High in West Virginia and Graham High directly across the border in Virginia.
Round Valley Ensphere
The Ensphere is the only domed stadium in America specifically created for high school football. The eastern Arizona facility, which opened in 1991, can accommodate 5,500 spectators for football and up to 9,000 for basketball and volleyball.
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MATCHUP 3
Eagle Stadium
Texas has recently undergone a mega millions high school stadium boom that aligns closely with what Major League Baseball experienced with the rise of retro stadiums in the 1990s. If Baltimore’s Camden Yards sparked that renaissance, Allen did the same for Texas’ high school stadiums, at an eye-popping price tag of $60 million and opened in 2012.
R.R. Jones Stadium
The “Lady on the Hill” looks a bit like Chicago’s Soldier Field, but with a far more intimate setting. The venue, originally built in 1916 and reconstructed in 1993, boasts a capacity of nearly 7,500. It bears the name of a longtime El Paso High principal.
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MATCHUP 4
Raymond Torri Field
Welcome to paradise. Wai’anae High School’s teams are known as the Seariders for obvious reasons, and this venue is memorable for its unfettered ocean views, perfect weather and laid-back vibe. It bears the name of the first principal of the school, which opened in 1957.
Jelsma Stadium
Sometimes all you need to know about a new team or facility is its nickname. Jelsma is more commonly known as “The Rock,” with an enormous stone retaining wall transforming the stadium into a psuedo-fort, the Wrigley Field of Oklahoma high school football. It originally opened in 1936 and was remodeled in 2006.
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Click through the pages below to vote for the other seven first-round matchups.
