Southview stadium getting ready for football

Historic first game slated for Aug. 29

Construction of the Mel Nusbaum Football Stadium at Southview High School is on pace to be complete in time for the Cougars' first home game against St. Francis de Sales.

Southview High School’s Mel Nusbaum Football Stadium is on target for the Cougars’ first game of the season.

A long-awaited event, the first football game to be played at Southview is scheduled for 7 p.m. Aug. 29, when the team takes on St. Francis de Sales. Athletic Director Susie Felver said a pregame dedication ceremony and other events are in the works to commemorate the historic occasion.

Since Southview’‍s opening more than 30 years ago, its football team has played its home games at sister high school Northview, which previously had served the entire district as Sylvania High School.

Construction of the stadium began in April and incorporates the running track and field, formerly known as Cougar Stadium, which was too small for football.

Mrs. Felver said the upgrade of the home grandstands is nearly complete. The section features a new press box and reserved-seat chairs in the middle section. She said the school has opened sales for the two-year reserved seating.

Part of the scoreboard has been installed and bleacher-seats construction on the visitor's side has begun.

“This will increase opportunities for Sylvania students and the community, and it will be a source of pride for the Southview football community. We are grateful to the Nusbaum family and Sylvania Athletic Foundation for making this long standing goal a reality,” said Brad Rieger, Sylvania’‍s superintendent of schools.

The stadium is part of a long-term $11 million athletic field upgrade plan for Northview and Southview.

The parent-run Athletic Foundation is raising funds to cover the costs.

The stadium project is estimated to cost $1.3 million, of which about $600,000 was from the school district’s sale of surplus land at Timberstone Junior High School, said Barry Shaner, the athletic foundation’‍s president. The Nusbaum family, in honor of prominent Toledo lawyer and sports enthusiast Mel Nusbaum, raised $500,000 for the project.

Miller Diversified Construction of Maumee is the project’‍s general contractor, with several other firms also working on the project.

Contact Natalie Trusso Cafarello at: 419-206-0356, or ntrusso@theblade.com, or on Twitter @natalietrusso.