Dozier Field reopening targeted for Sept. 11 as construction runs behind schedule

Construction continues at Dozier Field at Park City High School as the district targets a Sept. 11 return for home football games. Photo: Augie Roepke

Park City’s game against Morgan moves to South Summit, while unfinished stadium work is now expected to continue through October.

PARK CITY, Utah — Park City High School plans to reopen Dozier Field for its Sept. 11 football game against Salem Hills. However, portions of the stadium are expected to remain unfinished as construction continues into the fall.

The Miners’ game against Morgan on Friday will be played at South Summit High School in Kamas.

District officials told the Park City Board of Education on Tuesday that they expect the team’s next home game to be played at Dozier.

A recent Instagram post sharing the team’s schedule listed the locations of all Park City home games as “to be determined.”

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“The plan is to have the September 11th game there,” JD Simmons, senior project manager with MOCA, told the board.

The football field itself is usable, and teams have been practicing there, Simmons said. The remaining work is concentrated around the track, bleachers and stadium support facilities.

The lower section of the home-side concrete bleachers is expected to be available Sept. 11, but the aluminum seating installed over the concrete may not be finished. Simmons said spectators could initially sit directly on the concrete.

The upper section of the home bleachers is not expected to be available. Visitor bleachers are scheduled to be installed, and the stadium has power for its lights, scoreboard and sound system. Simmons said the district is also working through arrangements for media, coaches, and other game operations.

Park City’s girls soccer team has also been displaced during construction and is playing home matches at Quinn’s Junction.

Simmons said the Dozier project is now on track for completion at the end of October. Weather remains the biggest risk, particularly if sustained freezing temperatures arrive before crews complete weather-sensitive work.

Recent rainstorms have interrupted application of the track surface and protective coating on the concrete bleachers. The coating must be completed before crews can install the aluminum seating.

Crews are also finishing team rooms, restrooms, concession areas, the press box, flex spaces and stadium entrances. Testing of the upgraded scoreboard and sound system is expected to continue in the coming days.

The latest timeline represents a shift from the district’s earlier expectations. TownLift reported in July that the approximately $38 million Kearns Boulevard athletic facilities project was expected to be completed in August.

Simmons told the board Tuesday that work at both Dozier Field and the neighboring Treasure Mountain Sports Complex is now expected to continue through October. Construction of the Treasure Mountain tennis courts could extend into November because the concrete must cure before crews apply the final surface coating.

The Board of Education approved a guaranteed maximum price of approximately $15.7 million for the Dozier Field rebuild in November 2025. The project includes a new track and a reconstructed home-side stadium structure while retaining the existing synthetic turf field.

Plans call for a concrete seating structure with team rooms, restrooms, concessions, a press box, and storage underneath. The project also includes upgraded visitor facilities, stadium entrances, lighting, and other supporting infrastructure.

Park City High School directs families to MaxPreps for its current athletics schedules. The football schedule lists three additional home-designated games after Friday: Salem Hills on Sept. 11, Uintah on Sept. 25 and Deer Creek on Oct. 14. The Sept. 25 game is Park City High School’s homecoming game.

Although Simmons expressed confidence that Dozier could host the Sept. 11 game, he did not describe the date as guaranteed. The schedule still depends on crews finishing enough surrounding stadium work to accommodate players and spectators safely.

TownLift has reached out to the district for clarification on the construction timeline and upcoming home games but had not received a response by publication.