Friday night touchdowns have been celebrated at Reitz Bowl at F.J. Reitz High School since 1921 and Benjamin Bosse High School’s Enlow Field since 1926. Both stadiums sport architectural character — and decades of wear and tear. Now, they’re getting TLC.
The stadiums “are historic venues we take a lot of pride in,” says Jason Woebkenberg, Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp. chief communications officer. “We look at both as not just football stadiums but community hubs where so many things take place.”
The 9,155-seat Reitz Bowl, where Reitz and fellow West Side high school Mater Dei play home games, is upgrading with aluminum bleachers, veneering, and wheelchair ramps, plus new ticket booths and a visitors concession stand, says Steven Scheller, EVSC chief facilities officer. Work is planned for the pressbox, too. Most of the finishing work is planned for after the football season; officials intend to complete the $7.2 million project by May.
The bowl has been home to massive football crowds — the annual season finale between Reitz and Mater Dei has packed in an estimated 12,000 some years. The Refrigerator Bowl, a 1948-1956 post-season contest between small-college programs, drew 9,500 spectators in 1952.
Across town, Enlow Field — home field for Bosse and Reitz Memorial high schools — will get new aluminum bleachers and substantial work to its restrooms, bringing them into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. “The whole underside of that stadium is getting basically redone,” Scheller says of the $5.9 million project; EVSC is shooting for May completion. Upgrades to 4,628-seat Enlow “will enhance not only the appearance and fan experience but also the structural integrity of the stadium,” Scheller says.
