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McAfee Field was taken over by the Hancock Public Schools last year. The district has played at the location the longest of any football team to call Hancock home. Several years ago, when Finlandia University started its division III college football program, the school came into possession of the Condon Field, renovating it with university branding and other necessary upgrades for college football. The university and Hancock Public Schools shared the field for several years until the university’s recent closure.
I think the main thing that we’re looking at if we can find some resources is getting everything here that’s blue to be red and we’re working on that anyway. That’s probably going to happen pretty soon but these bleachers, we’re about to put a fourth or fifth coat of paint on them from all the changes over the years. It’d be good if we could replace them with some new bleachers that have a better structure and are more accessible for people to use. – Ryan Towles, Athletic Director, Hancock Public Schools
Hancock Public Schools has applied to the T Mobile Friday Night 5 G lights grant program. Each Friday during high school football seasons across the country the program has awarded 5,000 dollars to one school. And even if the district does not earn one of those grants this week, Hancock Schools remain eligible for the program’s 16 small-town finalists for the grand prize.
The field behind me you’ll see has the Finlandia end zones, has the logo at the center. That’s not a cheap fix. That would be a major use for this grant money would be upgrading this field and maybe doing an upgrade of the surface in general. The scoreboard, if you look in the corner of the end zone, is all blue and it’s McAfee Field and Finlandia logos. That’s not going to be an easy fix to replace all that. – Ryan Towles, Athletic Director, Hancock Public Schools
The program uses social media posts to track each school that has applied for the program. And Instagram posts with a photo at the game using #FN5GL to help track school spirit. Those interested in learning more about McAfee Field and Hancock Public Schools participating in the T mobile Friday night lights grant program can find more details here.
