Atwood Stadium

Coordinates: 43°01′02″N 83°42′09″W / 43.0172779°N 83.7023985°W / 43.0172779; -83.7023985 Atwood Stadium is an 11,000-seat stadium located in Flint, Michigan. 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 1969 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 is 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. It will soon host the home games of the Michigan Coyotes professional football team of the Stars Football League.

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.

By 2007, all of Atwood's seating received renovations, with new vinyl seats installed.

Atwood is located at 701 W University Ave., which is part of historic downtown Flint.

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.

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. ^[2]

Atwood is the biggest stadium in Genesee County, but it is not the only facility in use in the city of Flint. Guy V. Houston Stadium, the second biggest stadium in the county, is located next to Flint Northwestern High School. Built in 1967, Houston is home to Flint Northwestern football, and is used as an alternate stadium for Flint Northern and Flint Southwestern on nights when Atwood is already in use. It was once the alternate home for Flint Central as well. Houston is often used for high school track meets, thanks to a brand new $400,000 track. It is the former home of Michigan Phoenix women's pro soccer, as well as Michigan Admirals and Genesee County Patriots semi-pro football.

Athletic Park, which once sat behind the old IMA Auditorium/Autoworld, was the city's main stadium prior to the opening of Atwood in 1929. Athletic Park was built in the early 1900's, and was torn down in the 1950's.

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