virgiliofranciscol@lopers.unk.edu
UNK and Kearney Public Schools share athletic facilities in a beneficial agreement for both athletic programs. This allows both schools access to high-quality facilities, but the arrangement is not without conflicts.
The Kearney High School football team uses Ron and Carol Cope Stadium for its home Friday night football games, a tradition dating back to at least the 1950s. This results in the UNK women’s soccer team, which started in 2009, to play its Friday games earlier in the afternoon.
Rob Breton, UNK soccer coach, who has brought attention to the issue, said that the goal is not to compete with Kearney Public Schools, but to build his own program.
“We don’t want it to be UNK soccer versus Kearney High School,” Breton said. “That’s not the objective of this. What I would just like to have is the same opportunity to be given to my players that’s given to the people that are splitting the facility with us.”
The two schools have maintained a long-standing facilities agreement that allows Kearney Public Schools to use select UNK athletic spaces for games and practices, and allows UNK to do the same with Kearney Public Schools’ facilities. The contract, which was signed and went into effect in December of 2022, states:
“The purpose of this Agreement is to establish the terms and conditions under which the University and Kearney Public Schools will collaborate regarding access to facilities and events for the benefit of their students and the Kearney community.”
The Antelope first contacted UNK Athletic Director Marc Bauer via email on Sept. 3 to request an interview for more information regarding Friday game scheduling for Foster Field. Bauer initially declined the offer but later agreed after it was too late to arrange an interview before press time. As a result, Bauer and Todd Gottula, UNK senior director of communication, provided The Antelope with responses through email.
“UNK and Kearney High have a long history of sharing Cope Stadium, tennis and golf facilities and the outdoor track and indoor pool at KHS,” wrote Bauer. “The agreement benefits both schools and has worked well for decades.”
The contract specifies that, “During KPS’ fall semester each year during the Term, the University will provide Kearney High School (“KHS”) representatives keys to the Ron & Carol Cope Stadium and KPS may use the at stadium for the following activities: i. KHS Regular Season Football Games (Friday Nights).”
Breton said having Friday afternoon games leads to challenges for his athletes and their academics.
“It creates a struggle for players to be available for every class on a home week, because instead of being able to play at 7 p.m. like we’re supposed to in the conference, we have to play at 2 p.m.,” Breton said. “This then forces kids to have to be at the field by 1 o’clock. So if they have any class that’s after 12:50, they have to miss it for a home game.”
Breton added that the scheduling can also affect visiting teams.
“For a team, let’s use, for example, Sioux Falls,” Breton said. “If they decide to get a hotel the night before for 20 kids, the cheapest hotels in town that are good for athletes to stay in are about $120 to $160 a night. So, just because of a scheduling conflict and not being given availability to our field for Friday nights, we are now potentially costing opponents an extra $2,000 to $3,000 for the trip for games that are not required to play.”
The Kearney High School football team has the option to play games on Thursday, Friday or Saturday; however, UNK has no plans to request a schedule change.
“UNK has not asked and does not intend to ask Kearney High to move its Friday night football games,” wrote Gottula. “Playing on Friday nights isn’t necessarily in UNK’s best interest. Most area high schools – including Kearney High – play on Friday evenings, drawing large crowds that include students, families, bands, cheer and dance teams. Competing for that audience would likely reduce attendance for UNK soccer and dilute community engagement. It simply doesn’t make sense to schedule against such established local traditions.”
The UNK swim team also relies on Kearney High School’s pool for practices and competitions. The facility is nice, but there are times when it’s hard to focus due to interruptions, said Maggie Waddington, a senior on the team.
“We do have other sports using it sometimes,” Waddington said. “Again, that’s one kind of schedule conflict that’s kind of a struggle. Track will use it for recovery or the basketball team, so we give them a few lanes.”
The athletes are now facing a conflict with parking due to the construction of a Kearney High School addition.
“Right now it can be kind of frustrating with the construction,” Waddington said. “We have to park in the back of the school and then walk through the school to the pool. So it takes me 10 minutes longer to get into the pool.”
UNK uses other Kearney Public Schools’ facilities, such as its outdoor track, which was spoken highly of by Brady Bonsall, UNK track and field coach.
“It is a fantastic facility, well-known nationally in Division II for the marks athletes achieve,” Bonsall said.
Although UNK athletes use the track for practices and competitions, Kearney Public Schools maintains priority since it is their facility. The contract reads:
“The University’s use of KPS Facilities will be secondary to KPS’ use of KPS Facilities.” and “KPS’ use of University Facilities will be secondary to the University’s use of University Facilities.”
Despite not always having primary access, Bonsall said the two programs work closely together.
“Since it’s their facility, anything they have scheduled would take priority,” Bonsall said. “Even now, and if there’s a double, maybe their soccer team’s willing to come over and have a home game over at Cope Stadium.”
