Best High School Football Stadium in Every State
The lights shine bright for Gallatin High at Green Wave Stadium in Tennessee.
Some local high school football stadiums have so much gravitas that the fortunes of a town rise and fall with wins and losses. Football is serious business in parts of the United States, and where the game is played is hallowed ground.
The great thing about the best high school football stadiums is that there's never just one thing that makes them stand out. Some have been built with millions and millions of dollars. Others provide the simple beauty of a setting to create that special feeling.
These are the best high school football stadiums in every state.
Alabama: Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium
If you find yourself at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium in Gulf Shores, Alabama, you are only minutes away from standing on the sugar-sand beaches of the Gulf of Mexico.
High school: Gulf Shores High School
Location: Gulf Shores, Alabama
Capacity: 4,000
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium
The Gulf Shores High Dolphins play home games at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium.
When you think of Alabama, you probably don't think of beautiful, expansive beaches. But that's what's on tap at Mickey Miller Blackwell Stadium, where the Gulf Shores High School Dolphins play their home games.
The palm trees that frame the stadium give you the feeling of being in some sort of Pat Conroy novel. The real key to going to a game here?
Afterward, head south about 20 minutes, and you'll be staring out into that great, beautiful abyss known as the Gulf of Mexico.
Alaska: Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium
Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium is named for Chugiak High's longtime head football coach.
High school: Chugiak High School
Location: Chugiak, Alaska
Capacity: 750-1,000 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Tom Huffer Sr. Stadium
Chugiak High plays right next to a national forest.
This stadium is named for longtime Chugiak High School head football coach Tom Huffer Sr., and you won't find many high school football venues in the country that tap into their surrounding natural setting more than Tom Huffer Sr. Football Stadium.
Wherever you're sitting at this stadium, you're going to be looking out at the Chugach National Forest, featuring a vast expanse of trees you have to see to believe.
One interesting aside about Tom Huffer Sr. — the Mustangs won his final game on a 30-yard touchdown pass against Soldotna High as time expired.
Arizona: Round Valley Ensphere
The Round Valley Ensphere is the only domed facility built for high school football in the United States.
High school: Round Valley High School
Location: Eager, Arizona
Capacity: 5,500
Year opened: 1991
Bottom Line: Round Valley Ensphere
The Round Valley Ensphere was built for $11 million in 1991.
There is only one domed high school football stadium in the United States, and it's the Round Valley Ensphere in Eager, Arizona.
The Ensphere, which can seat around 9,000 for basketball games, opened in 1991 at a cost of $11 million. One of the many cool things about the Ensphere is that it was built as an energy-conscious project, and the dome actually uses natural light for activities during the day.
We also dare you to look at the Ensphere and not immediately cue up the 1996 Pauly Shore film "Bio-Dome," which is also set in Arizona.
Arkansas: Tiger Stadium
Bentonville High's Tiger Stadium didn't open until 2005.
High school: Bentonville High School
Location: Bentonville, Arkansas
Capacity: 6,000-7,000
Year opened: 2005
Bottom Line: Tiger Stadium
Bentonville High's Tiger Stadium isn't a very friendly environment for visiting teams.
If you do a double-take when you first see Bentonville High's Tiger Stadium, that's perfectly fine. It's pretty spectacular.
In the home of Wal-Mart, it's probably to be expected that the local high schools would have state-of-the-art facilities, but Tiger Stadium really goes above and beyond.
The stadium's opening in 2005 was perfect timing. That was one year before Bentonville High expanded to grades 9-12 and is now home to almost 3,000 students.
California: Washington High School Stadium
Washington High School Stadium overlooks the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
High school: George Washington High School
Location: San Francisco, California
Capacity: 2,000 (estimate)
Year opened: 1940
Bottom Line: Washington High School Stadium
Washington High School's most famous alums are poet Maya Angelou and actor Danny Glover.
There are just a few other views from high school football stadiums on this list that will take your breath away like the one from Washington High School Stadium in San Francisco.
The school and stadium were built with panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and has become something of a bucket list item for high school football aficionados.
And while football is great and all, no Washington football player could ever live up to the school's most famous alum — the late poet Maya Angelou.
Colorado: Dutch Clark Stadium
Dutch Clark Stadium is named for Pueblo's greatest football player.
High schools: Pueblo Central High School, Pueblo South High School, Pueblo East High School
Location: Pueblo, Colorado
Capacity: 8,042
Year opened: 1950
Bottom Line: Dutch Clark Stadium
Dutch Clark Stadium is home to several public schools in Pueblo.
This stadium was renamed for legendary running back and Pueblo, Colorado, native Dutch Clark — "The Flying Dutchman" — in 1980.
Clark was so good he was part of the inaugural class for the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. It's fitting that one of the greatest high school football experiences in the country can be had at a stadium that bears his name.
And if you do go, make sure you're there for the Bell Game between Pueblo Centennial and Pueblo Central. The teams have played since 1898, and it's always a sellout.
Connecticut: Blue and Gold Stadium
Newtown High School's Blue and Gold Stadium was the home to the state champions in 2019.
High school: Newtown High School
Location: Newtown, Connecticut
Capacity: 2,500 (estimate)
Year opened: 1948
Bottom Line: Blue and Gold Stadium
Blue and Gold Stadium was formerly named Bruce Jenner Stadium.
The formerly named Bruce Jenner Stadium — in honor of Newtown native and Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner — became the crown jewel of high school football stadiums in Connecticut when it revamped its facilities in 2001 and changed its name.
This bucolic, tree-framed setting is also home to a pretty solid football team. The Newtown Nighthawks won their first state championship since 1992 in 2019, when they beat Darien High on a touchdown pass as time expired.
Delaware: Abessinio Stadium
Baynard Stadium was recently renamed Abessinio Stadium after a large donation.
High schools: Salesianum School, Delaware Military Academy, St. Elizabeth High School, Howard High School of Technology, Saint Mark's High School
Location: Wilmington, Delaware
Capacity: 5,000
Year opened: 1922
Bottom Line: Abessinio Stadium
Baynard Stadium changed its name to Abessinio Stadium in 2020.
Formerly Baynard Stadium, this high school football destination became something of a political touching point in Wilmington over the last five years as it sunk into disrepair.
It's not hard to see why it became run down. Five local high schools have called Baynard home over the years. The stadium was saved by a $16 million gift from the Abessinio family in 2019 and underwent some pretty slick renovations.
The upgrades will ensure it remains a high school football bucket list destination for years and years to come.
District of Columbia: Buchanan Field
Gonzaga College High's home stadium is located in the heart of Washington, D.C.
High school: Gonzaga College High School
Location: Washington, D.C.
Capacity: 1,500 (estimate)
Year opened: 1912
Bottom Line: Buchanan Field
If you catch a game at Buchanan Field, you're likely to see a future NFL player.
Few schools on this list can line up the absolute murderer's row of football players that Gonzaga College High School can. The school has pumped out NFL players for decades.
Few high school football stadiums can properly sum up the city they're in as perfectly as Buchanan Field, where it's been built up against the surrounding neighborhood in Washington D.C.
In fact, luxury apartments sit behind the scoreboard in one end zone.
Florida: Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium
Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium received a $2 million upgrade from Nike when the Super Bowl was held in Miami in 2020.
High schools: Miami Northwestern High School, Booker T. Washington High School
Location: Miami, Florida
Capacity: 10,000
Year opened: 1968
Bottom Line: Nathaniel Traz-Powell Stadium
More NFL talent has come through Traz-Powell Stadium than anywhere in the country.
No stadium in the United States can say it was home to more future NFL talent than Miami's Traz-Powell Stadium — a virtual who's who of pro football talent cutting their teeth here.
Focused on leaving a legacy in the Miami community as Super LIV came to the city in early 2020, Nike decided it would spend $2 million to renovate Traz-Powell Stadium ahead of the big game.
It was something the community needed dearly, and for the sheer amount of talent you can see here on any given Friday night, it's worth the price of admission.
Georgia: Bazemore-Hyder Stadium
Bazemore-Hyder Stadium is home to Valdosta High School, the winningest high school football team in American history.
High school: Valdosta High School
Location: Valdosta, Georgia
Capacity: 11,249
Year opened: 1924
Bottom Line: Bazemore-Hyder Stadium
Bazemore-Hyder Stadium also plays home to NCAA Division II powerhouse Valdosta State.
Valdosta High School and NCAA Division II powerhouse Valdosta State share Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, but it's Valdosta High that has won more games than any other school in U.S. history.
The nickname for the stadium is "Death Valley," and if you are lucky enough to see a game here, make sure you're there when Valdosta High makes it way to the field.
Opponents have said the noise the Wildcats make when they bang their helmets on the way out can be pretty intimidating.
Hawaii: Raymond Torii Field
Raymond Torii Field in Oahu has a view that's very hard to beat.
High school: Wai'anae High School
Location: Wai'anae, Hawaii
Capacity: 1,500-2,000 (estimate)
Year opened: 1957
Bottom Line: Raymond Torii Field
Raymond Torii Field has a view that has to be seen to be believed.
Wai'anae High School is the only high school in the U.S. that's located directly on the beach — in this case arguably the most beautiful beach in the world, overlooking the Pacific Ocean on Hawaii's northern shore.
The football stadium is right there on campus and named for the school's first principal, Raymond Torii. The stadium's seating got a big upgrade in 2011 with new bleachers on both sides.
Saying the view from this stadium is breathtaking doesn't do it justice — oceans, mountains, valleys are all in clear view from the stands. And sunset? Man, don't miss the sunset.
Idaho: Bobcat Stadium
Madison County spared no expense on Madison High School's Bobcat Stadium.
High school: Madison High School
Location: Rexburg, Idaho
Capacity: 6,000
Year opened: 2019
Bottom Line: Bobcat Stadium
Bobcat Stadium opened in 2017 at a cost of $8.8 million.
Madison County didn't spare any expense when it built a state-of-the-art, $8.8 million stadium for Madison High School as part of a $27 million bond issue that was approved in 2017.
Bobcat Stadium's new press box features four separate rooms, and the turf was installed by the same company that has done several NFL fields. The really great touch here was an LED-lighting system that is something to behold.
It's so good that the University of Utah approached the Madison County School District in hopes of incorporating the same lighting system at their stadium.
Illinois: Bill Duchon Field
There are no lights at Glenbard West High's Bill Duchon Stadium.
High school: Glenbard West High School
Location: Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Capacity: 4,000
Year opened: 1923
Bottom Line: Bill Duchon Field
When Glenbard West High wins a game, they run a hill to ring a bell and let the town know there's been another victory.
Watching Glenbard West High play at Bill Duchon Field is almost like stepping into a time machine. Varsity games are played on Saturday afternoons because the stadium doesn't have lights, and the stadium itself is surrounded by a forest on three sides and Lake Ellyn Park behind the visiting bleachers.
Up a hill behind the home bleachers is Glenbard High, which was built to look more like a castle than a high school. If you're there when the home team wins, make sure you stay around to see the players run up the hill to the school and ring the victory bell to let the townspeople know they've won another game.
Indiana: Reitz Bowl
The Reitz Bowl's original structure was meant to be a retaining wall for Reitz High School.
High school: Reitz High School
Location: Evansville, Indiana
Capacity: 11,000
Year opened: 1921
Bottom Line: Reitz Bowl
Home games at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville have been a tradition for almost 100 years.
You're not just going to a high school football game at the Reitz Bowl in Evansville, Indiana — you're having an experience.
Aerial views of the stadium show an odd twist of architecture. The "Bowl" side of the stadium isn't a straight wall line, but kind of a squiggly line. This was a happy accident. The foundation of the stadium on the home side was originally meant to be a retaining wall for Reitz High School until a quick-thinking member of the school staff observed it could actually be the beginning of a football stadium.
So they made a football stadium, and they also made history.
Iowa: Little Rose Bowl
The Little Rose Bowl was carved into a hillside in West Branch, Iowa.
High school: West Branch High School
Location: West Branch, Iowa
Capacity: 1,500 (estimate)
Year opened: 1921
Bottom Line: Little Rose Bowl
The home team's approach to The Little Rose Bowl is part of the gameday experience, so make sure you're there before kickoff.
Playing Class A in Iowa, the state's smallest classification, West Branch High School has created a huge tradition and legacy thanks to its home-field advantage at the Little Rose Bowl.
Located a half-mile from the school's campus, if you're ever lucky enough to make it to West Branch for a game, please make sure you get there to catch the home team's approach to the stadium.
Coaches and players walk hand in hand from the high school to the field.
Kansas: Panther Stadium
Derby High School has won six state championships in the last decade.
High school: Derby High School
Location: Derby, Kansas
Capacity: 4,800-5,000
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Panther Stadium
Derby High has won six state titles in the last decade, and yeah, that's the Jordan Brand logo.
Derby High School's Panther Stadium is located smack dab in the middle of the bedroom community located just outside of Wichita. There's nothing fancy about how Panther Stadium was built, but on a Friday night in the fall, it becomes a place where the home-field advantage can stand up to any team in the Midwest.
And while football has always been popular in Derby, the program is in the middle of its greatest dynasty right now under head coach Brandon Clark.
They've won six of the school's seven state championships in the last decade, including three consecutive from 2018 to 2020.
Kentucky: CAM Stadium
CAM Stadium gives Belfry High a pretty distinct home-field advantage.
High school: Belfry High School
Location: Belfry, Kentucky
Capacity: 5,500
Year opened: 2005
Bottom Line: CAM Stadium
The view from Belfry High's CAM Stadium is breathtaking.
CAM Stadium came with the new Belfry High School in 2005 and was immediately one of the great home-field advantages in the state of Kentucky.
The 17-time state champions at Belfry High enter the field from a state-of-the-art fieldhouse behind one end zone, and games are almost always sellouts. Located just three miles from the West Virginia border, you'll get a glimpse of the sheer beauty of the place if you make sure you're there before sundown.
The entire stadium is surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains on all sides.
Louisiana: Rebel Stadium
West Monroe High's Rebel Stadium has been open since 1950.
High school: West Monroe High School
Location: West Monroe, Louisiana
Capacity: 5,200
Year opened: 1950
Bottom Line: Rebel Stadium
Rebel Stadium underwent a massive $6.5 renovation that was completed in 2017.
While Rebel Stadium still sits in the same place it always has, there is very little of the old facility that remains (if any) after a massive, $6.5 million renovation began in 2015 and was completed in 2017.
One great part of the renovation was the West Monroe home stands were finally moved to the west side of the stadium. West Monroe's community supports its team like few others.
They've won eight state championships, and the field is named for legendary coach Don Shows, who helped guide the careers of future NFL players for decades.
Maine: Keyes Field
There aren't many seats at Keyes Field, so if you show up late, you'll probably have to stand.
High school: Lawrence High School
Location: Fairfield, Maine
Capacity: 6,000 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Keyes Field
Lawrence High won its last state title in 2006.
Visitors to Lawrence High's Keyes Field have grown accustomed to the sight of not just the stands being full, but of people lining the field to the point of standing-room-only during games.
Competing in Maine's largest classification, Lawrence High has won four state championships — the last in 2006 — and lost in the state championship game a whopping 10 times.
Lawrence High has actually played in the state championship game every decade since winning its first title in 1973.
Maryland: The Cougar Dome
The Cougar Dome isn't actually a dome.
High school: Quince Orchard High School
Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland
Capacity: 3,000
Year opened: 1988
Bottom Line: The Cougar Dome
Quince Orchard High's "Red Army" is the nickname for the student section at The Cougar Dome.
There are so many things to love about The Cougar Dome — the home stadium for Quince Orchard High School.
Let's start with the fact that it is not, in fact, a dome, but we love the fact they call it that. It's actually an old-school, open-air stadium, and the team actually still plays on real grass — a Bermuda/Rye mix.
And we all love high school teams who have a cheering section so rabid they get their own nickname. In this case, it's "The Red Army" for Quince Orchard High.
Massachusetts: Newell Stadium
Newell Stadium was underwater in 2018. Which makes sense because it's about 20 yards from the Atlantic Ocean.
High school: Gloucester High School
Location: Gloucester, Massachusetts
Capacity: 2,200
Year opened: 1939
Bottom Line: Newell Stadium
Gloucester was made famous by the 2001 film "The Perfect Storm" starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg.
The city of Gloucester, Massachusetts, was made famous by the 2001 film "The Perfect Storm" and also boasts one of the singular views of any high school football stadium in the country, where fans can watch fishing boats sail out of the harbor and into the Atlantic Ocean.
Gloucester High School is also one of the oldest on this list — the school was officially a four-year high school in 1857. While the stadium food here is undoubtedly great, you're probably doing it wrong if you don't go sample some of the local seafood after watching the six-time state champions play.
And be careful if some heavy storms start coming in.
Michigan: Ithaca Community Stadium
Ithaca High School has won five state titles in the last decade.
High school: Ithaca High School
Location: Ithaca, Michigan
Capacity: 2,000 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Ithaca Community Stadium
Ithaca Community Stadium has some pretty unique architecture with its walkway-style framework on the home side.
There's never been a better time to go see a game at Ithaca Community Stadium. Ithaca High has won all five of its state titles in the last decade.
Ithaca's stadium is truly something to behold. It's all brick with stadium seating on both home and visitor sides and a jumbotron that shows in-game replays.
But it's the framing of the home side of the stadium that makes it so unique, specifically the gigantic, yellow bridgework stretching out from both sides of the press box.
Minnesota: DeLaSalle High School Athletic Field
DeLaSalle High School played 100 years of football before playing their first home game.
High school: DeLaSalle High School
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Capacity: 750-1,000
Year opened: 2009
Bottom Line: DeLaSalle High School Athletic Field
DeLaSalle High's stadium has a view of downtown Minneapolis.
The really amazing thing about DeLaSalle's home stadium is that the team played 100 years before playing an actual home game.
That changed in a big way when the school's first football stadium opened in 2009 on Nicollet Island — a small chunk of land in the middle of Minneapolis in the middle of the Mississippi River.
And the view from there is pretty magnificent. Fans can take in the sprawling skyline of Minneapolis as they watch games.
Mississippi: Dunlap Stadium
Dunlap Stadium is home to South Panola High, one of the most successful high school football programs in the U.S.
High school: South Panola High School
Location: Batesville, Mississippi
Capacity: 10,000 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Dunlap Stadium
South Panola High won 89 consecutive games from 2003 to 2008.
South Panola High owns the third-longest winning streak in high school football history — 89 games from 2003 to 2008.
Having that kind of team will bring out fans in droves, and the South Panola community has bent over backward to support their local football stars.
If you want evidence of this, look no further than a pair of capital projects at South Panola in the past few years: a 10,000-square-foot field house and a 25,000-square-foot indoor practice facility.
Missouri: Cardinal Stadium
Webb City's Cardinal Stadium has doubled in size over the last 30 years.
High school: Webb City High School
Location: Webb City, Missouri
Capacity: 5,000
Year opened: 1969
Bottom Line: Cardinal Stadium
Webb City High is home to one of the elite high school football programs in the Midwest.
Webb City played over three decades in its previous location at Hatten Field before it was demolished and replaced with Cardinal Stadium.
As Webb City started winning state championships at a stunning clip — 15 titles since 1989 — the stadium grew along with it.
When the state championships started, Cardinal Stadium could only hold between 1,500-2,000 fans. In the 30 years since then, it has more than doubled in size.
Montana: Naranche Stadium
Naranche Stadium was closed from 1973 to 2011 after a fire in the stands.
High school: Butte High School
Location: Butte, Montana
Capacity: 8,000
Year opened: 1937 (closed in 1973, reopened in 2011)
Bottom Line: Naranche Stadium
Butte High won a state title at Naranche Stadium in 2012.
The fire that shut down Butte High Stadium in 1973 kept it closed until renovations in 2011 let it reopen in grand fashion. It's a piece of architecture that now blends seamlessly with downtown Butte and seems like a perfect fit for the town.
The stadium — now named for World War II hero Eso Naranche — received a good enough makeover that it's able to host state championship games, and the home team won a state title there in 2012 on a 46-yard field goal as time expired.
Nebraska: Veterans Memorial Field
Veterans Memorial Stadium is home to powerhouse Norfolk Catholic High School.
High school: Norfolk Catholic High School, Norfolk High School, Lutheran High Northeast
Location: Norfolk, Nebraska
Capacity: 3,667
Year opened: 1949
Bottom Line: Veterans Memorial Field
Norfolk Catholic High has won 10 state championships in football.
There are three teams that call Veterans Memorial Football Field in Norfolk home, but if you get to see just one of them, make sure it's powerhouse Norfolk Catholic High, the most dominant team in state history with a record 10 state championships.
The community does all it can to support its local stadium and local teams as well. Voters approved a $16 million bond in 2010 that ended up providing new artificial turf, new lighting and fixed the bleachers at the football stadium.
Good job, Norfolk.
Nevada: Fertitta Field
Bishop Gorman's Fertitta Field opened in 2007.
High school: Bishop Gorman High School
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Capacity: 5,000+
Year opened: 2007
Bottom Line: Fertitta Field
Bishop Gorman High School won back-to-back national titles in 2014 and 2015.
One of the five or 10 best high school athletic programs in the entire nation resides at Bishop Gorman High, and much of that success has been propelled by its football program.
That all starts with Fertitta Field and its accompanying, 40,000-square-foot training facility — The Fertitta Athletic Center — that was built for $9.5 million and completed in 2012.
The investment has paid off in a big way, as Bishop Gorman won back-to-back national titles in 2014 and 2015.
New Hampshire: Inter-Lakes Athletic Field
Inter-Lakes Athletic Field has some beautiful natural scenery.
High school: Inter-Lakes High School
Location: Meredith, New Hampshire
Capacity: 1,000-1,500 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Inter-Lakes Athletic Field
New Hampshire is one of the most beautiful places you can visit in the entire United States.
The great thing about Inter-Lakes High School's stadium is the sheer beauty of New Hampshire. You've got two bodies of water with Lake Waukewan to the north and Meredith Bay to the south and sprawling woods that dot the area west of the stadium.
If you've never been to New Hampshire, you should go. It's truly one of the most beautiful states in the U.S., and you can about see all you need to in a day or two.
And take in a high school football game.
New Jersey/New York: Roosevelt Stadium
Roosevelt Stadium located on the roof of Union City High School.
High school: Union City High School
Location: Union City, New Jersey
Capacity: 2,500
Year opened: 1936 (roof stadium 2009)
Bottom Line: Roosevelt Stadium
Roosevelt Stadium has a view of the Manhattan skyline. Not in this pic, though.
There is no stranger location for any stadium on this list. Union City High School's football stadium is on the roof of the school.
The stadium itself has been around, in name only, since the 1930s, but when the school was razed and rebuilt in the same spot for $180 million in the late 2000s, the most densely populated city in the U.S. had to think outside the box. So they put the football stadium on the roof.
This is truly one stadium you have to see to believe, and it serves perfectly for New York as well, because once you're on top of the Union City roof, you'll realize that you're basically sitting in New York's lap with that view of the Manhattan skyline.
New Mexico: Bulldog Bowl
The Bulldog Bowl is the home of football powerhouse Artesia High School.
High school: Artesia High School
Location: Artesia, New Mexico
Capacity: 6,500
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Bulldog Bowl
Former Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones played for Artesia High.
It's a hike to get to tiny Artesia, New Mexico, and if you're going out of your way to get there, you might as well catch one of the more unique experiences in all of high school football.
The key about going to a game at the Bulldog Bowl is making sure you get to take in everything going on in the town leading up to the game. Head downtown to see all of the pomp and circumstance before heading over to catch the main event at this New Mexico marvel.
North Carolina: Durham County Stadium
Durham County Stadium has seen a steady stream of NFL talent.
High school: Northern High School
Location: Durham, North Carolina
Capacity: 8,500
Year opened: 1960
Bottom Line: Durham County Stadium
Durham County Stadium's main home team is Northern High.
Northern's High's home field has been used for much more than high school football, including the NCAA Division II CIAA championship game for a decade, but it's the prep stars that have defined Durham County Stadium.
Northern High's greatest player of all time is probably cornerback Dewayne Washington, who went on to star at North Carolina State and was the No. 18 overall pick in the 1994 NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings.
North Dakota: Bismarck Bowl
If you go see a game at the Bismarck Bowl, you better bring a thick coat.
High school: Bismarck High School, Century High School, St. Mary's Central High School, Legacy High School
Location: Bismarck, North Dakota
Capacity: 6,000
Year opened: 1997
Bottom Line: Bismarck Bowl
The Bismarck Bowl is home to the best high school football in North Dakota.
The Bismarck Community Bowl is putting in as much or more work as any stadium on this list. It's home to four high school football teams and two local small college football teams and adjacent to the campus of Bismarck State, which actually doesn't have a football team.
And if you do make it here, try to catch Bismarck vs. Century. In the last decade, they've combined to win seven state titles, with four state championship games where they've faced each other.
Ohio: The Pit
Elder High's stadium has fan seating within five yards of the sidelines.
High school: Elder High School
Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Capacity: 10,000
Year opened: 1947
Bottom Line: The Pit
There's not many places in the U.S. where they play better high school football than at The Pit.
If you've been to a high school football stadium built in, say, the last 40 years, you understand how unusual it would be to have close proximity to the teams and players.
Thankfully, Elder High's stadium — The Pit — was built in the 1930s and 1940s (short break due to World War II), and fan seating starts about five yards back from each sideline. In a 10,000-seat stadium.
The Pit is built like a horseshoe, just like the big one in Columbus, and if you ever find a way to a game here, please know you've found your way to one of the true meccas of high school football in the U.S.
Oklahoma: Jelsma Stadium
The 30-foot sandstone wall at one end of Jelsma Stadium amplifies noise.
High school: Guthrie High School
Location: Guthrie, Oklahoma
Capacity: 3,000
Year opened: 1935
Bottom Line: Jelsma Stadium
Guthrie High doesn't lose many home games at Jelsma Stadium.
Jelsma Stadium is better known as The Rock thanks to the 30-foot high sandstone wall behind one of the end zones and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The wall does more than just look pretty. It amplifies the noise for the home team to some pretty chaotic levels, and it also runs right up to a street in the middle of Guthrie.
This is a stadium that continually ends up mentioned when we talk about the best high school football venues in the country.
Oregon: Pete Susick Stadium
Marshfield High School's Pete Susick Stadium is one of the great high school football venues on the West Coast.
High school: Marshfield High School
Location: Coos Bay, Oregon
Capacity: 3,100
Year opened: 1952
Bottom Line: Pete Susick Stadium
Marshfield High School is also the alma mater of legendary runner Steve Prefontaine.
There's something about being at a Marshfield High home game that sets your heart on fire a little bit. Maybe it's when the smell from the Pacific Ocean wafts in from the west and gets all mixed up with the tailgate outside of Pete Susick Stadium — named for the man who was the school's head coach from 1946 to 1979.
Maybe it's when it starts to rain, and you realize you're in Oregon, where almost all of the stadiums have these bizarre, extended roofs, and you're not gonna get soaked like you usually would at a football game.
And maybe it's just the moment when the home team finally takes the field. Whatever it is, it works. So go ahead and add this trip to the bucket list.
Pennsylvania: The Wolvarena
Guess who plays at The Wolvarena? The Wolverines, that's who.
High school: Woodland Hills High School
Location: Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania
Capacity: 12,500
Year opened: 1942
Bottom Line: The Wolvarena
That's six points the hard way for Woodland Hills High.
The home of the Woodland Hills High School Wolverines has one of the more unique names of any stadium on this list.
The school district paid almost $8 million in renovations to the stadium in the last decade, and when you see the list of NFL talent that's come out of the school, you'll understand why.
The most notable players are Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Jason Taylor and future Hall of Famer Rob Gronkowski, one of the greatest tight ends of all time.
Rhode Island: Hayden Stadium
Bishop Hendricken's Hayden Stadium gives off an Ivy League vibe.
High school: Bishop Hendricken High School
Location: Warwick, Rhode Island
Capacity: 1,500-2,000
Year opened: 1959
Bottom Line: Hayden Stadium
Guess what? They play pretty good high school football in Rhode Island.
Bishop Hendricken has found a way to consistently churn out NFL talent for decades, including four-time Super Bowl champ Steve Furness, a member of Pittsburgh’s famed "Steel Curtain" defense, and Will Blackmon, who won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2011.
Those are the type of players that keep fans coming out to see the team from the all-boys prep school take the field at Hayden Stadium, where you can get the feeling that it's sort of a preamble to the Ivy League at the tailgate.
South Carolina: Cavalier Stadium
Dorman High's Cavalier Stadium is called "Taj Mahal" or "The Palace" by visiting opponents.
High school: Dorman High School
Location: Roebuck, South Carolina
Capacity: 15,200
Year opened: 1967
Bottom Line: Cavalier Stadium
You might get a little surge of adrenaline walking out to midfield before a game at Cavalier Stadium.
In South Carolina, they'll know you're talking about Dorman High's football stadium if you call it by any of its nicknames as well — Taj Mahal, The Palace or The University of Dorman.
If you'd like to know about what kind of show they're running here, we'll reference the stadium's 3,000 box seats and chairback seats available to boosters, which bring in a reported $300,000 each year.
South Dakota: Howard Wood Field
Just look at that sunset.
High schools: Washington High School, Lincoln High School, Roosevelt High School, O'Gorman High School
Location: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Capacity: 10,000
Year opened: 1957
Bottom Line: Howard Wood Field
Howard Wood Field hosted the first game in Minnesota Vikings history.
In an interesting piece of football history, the Minnesota Vikings played their first game — an exhibition — at Howard Wood Field against the Dallas Cowboys on Aug. 5, 1961.
If you're going to make it to just one game at Howard Wood Field in your lifetime, we'd like to recommend being there for the Bob Burns Dakota Bowl, which always features 11-time state champion O'Gorman High.
Tennessee: Green Wave Stadium
Green Wave Stadium is the old-school home of Gallatin High.
High school: Gallatin High School
Location: Gallatin, Tennessee
Capacity: 4,000-5,000 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Green Wave Stadium
The home game atmosphere at Green Wave Stadium gets pretty wild.
There's a different feeling you get when you walk into a high school football stadium and don't see a track. For one thing, you know you're in a stadium that's probably pretty old. For another thing, you know you're probably in a place where they take football pretty seriously.
Those are the type of feelings you get when you walk into Gallatin High's Green Wave Stadium for a football game. And if you can catch just one game there, make sure it's when hated rival Hendersonville High comes to town.
You won't be disappointed.
Texas: R.R. Jones Stadium
El Paso's R.R. Jones Stadium has to be seen to be believed.
High school: El Paso High School
Location: El Paso, Texas
Capacity: 6,592
Year opened: 1916
Bottom Line: R.R. Jones Stadium
The first three Sun Bowls were hosted at R.R. Jones Stadium from 1935 to 1937.
R.R. Jones Stadium looks like what H.P. Lovecraft probably would have imagined a high school football stadium would look like.
It takes a moment right when you walk up to grab the dynamics of the structure in total — a place where the first Friday night football games were played in Texas.
If you are wondering how to place the architecture's inspiration, think no further than the buildings of ancient Rome, which it's been compared to on many occasions.
Utah: Monument Valley Stadium
The backdrop at Monument Valley Stadium is almost too beautiful to believe.
High school: Monument Valley High School
Location: Olijato-Monument Valley, Utah
Capacity: 1,000-1,500 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Monument Valley Stadium
The opening scene in "Mission Impossible II" was filmed behind Monument Valley Stadium.
Located on a Navajo reservation right on the Arizona-Utah border, the view from Monument Valley Stadium will have you thinking you've died and went to heaven — watching the sunset against some of the most famous red rock formations in the United States.
At Monument Valley Stadium, the national anthem is sung in Navajo, you can buy fry bread and beans at the concession stand, and feel free to warm yourself by one of the campfires from fans on the way out after the game.
Vermont: Burlington Stadium
Burlington High has one thing it wants you to remember if you come to a game, and that's Seahorse Pride. Because they're the Seahorses.
High school: Burlington High School
Location: Burlington, Vermont
Capacity: 1,500-2,000 (estimate)
Year opened: 1964
Bottom Line: Burlington Stadium
Did you catch what we said? They're the Seahorses!
There isn't a school with a better mascot than the Burlington High Seahorses, and when you make your way to this bucolic football field, you'll be well-served to remember "Seahorse Pride" is really a thing.
Located approximately 40 miles from the Canadian border and just a stone's throw from Burlington Bay, Burlington Stadium really is as good as it get in Vermont when it comes to high school football. A big part of that is the six state titles that Burlington High has won.
Here's another insider tip — the Seahorses play on Buck Hard Field. Get it?
Virginia: Darling Memorial Stadium
Darling Memorial Stadium has seen some of the best high school football players in the country in the last 30 years.
High schools: Hampton High School, Bethel High School, Kecoughtan High School, Phoebus High School
Location: Hampton, Virginia
Capacity: 8,000
Year opened: 1929
Bottom Line: Darling Memorial Stadium
Hampton High's Mike Smith is one of the winningest coaches in the nation.
While this stadium has existed in some form since 1929, the updated Darling Memorial Stadium that opened in 1989 has seen as good a display of high school football in the last three decades as any stadium.
That begins with the great teams at Hampton High led by legendary coach Mike Smith, who won back-to-back national titles in 1997 and 1998. That being said, the best football player who ever called Darling Stadium home was probably Bethel High quarterback/defensive back/return specialist Allen Iverson.
Yes, that Allen Iverson.
Washington: Stadium Bowl
The film "10 Things I Hate About You" had a famous scene filmed at Tacoma's Stadium Bowl.
High schools: Stadium High School, Woodrow Wilson High School
Location: Tacoma, Washington
Capacity: 15,000
Year opened: 1910
Bottom Line: Stadium Bowl
That's a real high school behind the Stadium Bowl in Tacoma.
The steps of the Stadium Bowl were famously used by the late Oscar winner Heath Ledger during an epic song and dance in the movie "10 Things I Hate About You," which you can find right here.
The stadium is right below one of the two high schools that play there — Stadium High School — and has been there since the school was built in 1910.
What will really take your breath away are the stunning views of Puget Sound and Commencement Bay.
West Virginia: Mitchell Stadium
Mitchell Stadium in Bluefield, West Virginia, is actually the home field for a team in neighboring Virginia.
High school: Bluefield High School
Location: Bluefield, West Virginia
Capacity: 10,000
Year opened: 1936
Bottom Line: Mitchell Stadium
Mitchell Stadium was built in the 1930s.
Built as part of the Works Progress Administration in the mid-1930s, Mitchell Stadium also serves as the home field for a team in another state — Virginia's Graham High School, which is the only high school in the nation that plays home games in a different state.
Mitchell Stadium was named "America's Best High School Football Stadium" in 2019 by USA Today via online voting. Mitchell Stadium also has enough fame in the state that a Division I football game was once played there when West Virginia University faced Virginia Tech in 1953.
Wisconsin: Taraska Stadium
Arrowhead High's Taraska Stadium butts right up to a residential neighborhood in Hartland, Wisconsin.
High school: Arrowhead High School
Location: Hartland, Wisconsin
Capacity: 3,400
Year opened: 1962
Bottom Line: Taraska Stadium
Taraska Stadium doubled its seating capacity in 2010.
In 2010, a massive renovation to the home bleachers and the press box doubled the seating capacity at the stadium — and it was definitely needed.
Arrowhead High has had one of the state's best home teams for quite some time and the games at Taraska Field definitely take on a college-like atmosphere.
As it's been pointed out by others many times, the stadium still has a lot of its charm because it's nestled right up to a neighborhood in Hartland, Wisconsin.
Wyoming: Big Horn Field
Big Horn Field in Sheridan, Wyoming, is almost truly unmatched when it comes to views of nature.
High school: Big Horn High School
Location: Sheridan, Wyoming
Capacity: 700 (estimate)
Year opened: Unknown
Bottom Line: Big Horn Field
Big Horn High's uniforms are pretty legit.
We owe a big tip of the hat to longtime Wyoming high school football blogger Patrick Schmiedt for this one.
One of the smaller stadiums on this list, Big Horn High School's stadium has been home to six state champions over the years. The reason why Big Horn Field earns the top spot in Wyoming is because, just like Patrick, we're a sucker for stadiums that are framed by mountains.
And the Big Horn Mountains as the backdrop when the Rams play are pretty amazing.
Related: Best High School Football Player in Every State