Riverfront Stadium to host its first football game: the Jayhawk playoff championship
Wichita’s downtown baseball stadium will host its first football game next month.
In coordination with the Wichita Wind Surge, the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference announced Thursday afternoon that it will hold its playoff championship game at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 21 at Riverfront Stadium.
For the Wind Surge, which just wrapped up its inaugural season with a regular-season championship, it was an easy decision after their baseball season had concluded.
“Riverfront Stadium was designed and built as a multi-purpose venue,” Wind Surge CEO Jordan Kobritz said in a statement. “When the KJCCC approached us with the idea of holding their 2021 conference championship game in Wichita, we said, ‘Why not?’”
It also made sense for the Jayhawk Conference to seek a special location for its championship game with playoffs returning this season. All eight teams in the conference are seeded into bracket play with the higher seed hosting games starting in November.
It could be a monumental game for a team like Independence, which is 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the national polls. Finishing off an undefeated season with a playoff championship could boost the Pirates to a national-championship game berth.
“Having the first football game to be played in Riverfront Stadium is exciting,” Jayhawk commissioner Carl Heinrich said in a statement. “We look forward to Wichita and the Wind Surge hosting this unique event.”
In preparation for the football game, the Wind Surge groundskeepers will lay fresh sod on the dirt infield portion of the field, remove the pitcher’s mound and install goalposts. The football field will run from north to south with the third base line serving as one team’s sideline.
Both teams will have a chance for a walk-through practice on the grass turf the day before the championship game. According to the KJCCC release, the walk-through was requested because all conference teams play their home games on artificial turf.
“We’re excited to host our first football game,” Kobritz said in the statement. “We look forward to seeing how the players and the fans react to the unique configuration.”
Tickets for the championship game will go on sale this Friday morning at 10 a.m. and will be available at windsurge.com. Ticket prices begin at $15 for general admission seating in the berm, then $20 for all field box seats. Group seating options are available by calling 316-221-8000 or by emilaing tickets@windsurge.com.
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