Dayton opens ‘crown jewel’ Green Devil Stadium

The crown jewel of Dayton.

That’s how several Dayton Independent School District administrators are describing its new athletic complex.

A crowd filled with people donning green packed the new bleachers, each chanting ‘Go Devils’ when prompted by school administrators. On Thursday, August 14, Dayton held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the complex, a facility that took over a year to build.

The celebratory mood continued throughout the evening as several speakers, alumni, and community members discussed how the new facility would benefit Dayton.

“Our students got to do the first ‘Go Devils’ camp in this new stadium,” Superintendent Rick Wolf said. “They got to sing the fight song for the first time in this stadium, and they got to do the ‘Go Big Green’ cheer along with our band for the first time in this stadium.”

Dubbed the Project One initiative, the new Green Devil Stadium reportedly cost about $14 to $15 million to build. Financing went toward paying for construction costs, acquisition of the land and the demolition of existing structures.

Located between Dayton High School and Lincoln Elementary School along the Ohio Riverfront, the new complex includes metal bleachers, a turf football field, a fieldhouse, and other amenities. Now that construction is finished, Dayton, along with Bellevue High School, were the final two football programs in Northern Kentucky to switch from natural grass to a turf playing surface.

Although the mood at the ceremony was jubilant, several speakers paid homage to O.W. Davis Field, Dayton’s former home stadium, which the Green Devils had used since 1934. The field, which was heralded by high school football enthusiasts for its historic charm, featured several old-school quirks, such as a stone wall that surrounded portions of the field. At the time of its closure last fall, it was the oldest high school football field still in use in Kentucky.

The stadium was built as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration, a New Deal-era public works program. O.W. Davis Field has hosted several historic athletic events, including a 1937 scrimmage by an early version of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Mayor Ben Baker, during the ceremony, shared an anecdote about a moment with a Green Devil football player at the closing of O.W. Davis Field. The player told him that playing the final game at the stadium was an honor. Baker said the new stadium represented the “resilience and commitment” of the community.

“This field is more than just grass filled more than goalposts and bleachers,” Baker said. “It’s a place where young athletes will chase their dreams, where families will gather to cheer and remember he made the last a lifetime. These 100 yards out here–they build character, they teach the joys of victory and the lessons of defeat. This field represent a part of Dayton. It’s our pride, it’s our resilience, it’s our commitment of giving our kids the best opportunities so they can grow, compete and succeed.”

Dayton’s first official varsity game at the new Green Devil Stadium is scheduled for August 29 against Pendleton County.