Cardinal Stadium's lights come back on Friday, Aug. 29, and with them come the familiar rituals: grills firing up on the north lawn, the band running through the fight song behind the field house, and a few hundred drivers discovering at 6:50 p.m. that the main lot filled up an hour earlier.

Dale High plays six home games this season, including a homecoming date in September, the Bell Game against Millbrook in October, and a season finale that could decide where the conference standings land. Here's what you need before you pull out of the driveway.

The 2025 Home Schedule

Varsity games kick off at 7 p.m. on Friday nights unless weather or the conference forces a change. Junior varsity and freshman teams play earlier in the week, usually Thursday evenings, so if you're coming specifically to watch a player, confirm which squad is on the field before you buy a ticket.

• Friday, Aug. 29 — vs. Ridgeway (non-conference opener). Expect a big student section and the first real crowd of the year.
• Friday, Sept. 12 — vs. Fairmont. A conference game, and typically one of the faster, cleaner nights at the gate.
• Friday, Sept. 26 — Homecoming vs. Cedar Ridge. Ceremony at halftime, alumni in town, and the busiest parking night on the calendar.
• Friday, Oct. 10 — vs. Jackson Prep (non-conference).
• Friday, Oct. 17 — vs. Millbrook (the Bell Game). The one everyone circles.
• Friday, Oct. 31 — vs. Kingsford. Regular-season finale, Senior Night, and a late start to trick-or-treating for anyone in a jersey.

Two practical notes. First, start times do move — a Thursday night game happens most years when officials or weather create a conflict, so check the district athletics page the week of the game rather than in July. Second, the stadium clears slowly after rivalry games; if you have somewhere to be, plan on adding twenty minutes to your exit.

What It Costs to Get In

Dale High keeps gate prices modest compared with some neighboring districts, and the athletic department publishes the current numbers each August. Here's the structure you'll see at the main gate.

At the gate

• Adults: general admission, single-game price.
• Students: reduced rate with a school ID.
• Seniors: reduced rate, typically the same tier as students.
• Young children: kids below school age have traditionally been admitted free with a paying adult. Check the cutoff before promising a freebie to a second-grader.

Card readers work at the home gate, but bring cash as a backup. On homecoming and Bell Game nights the walk-up line can run ten or fifteen minutes deep, so buying ahead online — when the district opens sales — is worth the two minutes it takes.

Passes and discounts

If you'll attend more than a few games, a season or booster pass usually pays for itself by midseason, and booster club memberships often include admission along with a parking perk. Students who participate in fall activities should ask their coach or director about activity passes, which many programs issue directly. There is no re-entry at the gate, so don't plan on running to the car for a jacket you left behind.

Parking: Where to Go First, and What to Skip

Parking is the single biggest complaint about Friday nights at Cardinal Stadium, and almost all of it comes down to timing and lot choice. Arriving before 6:15 solves more problems than any shortcut.

1. Main stadium lot off Cardinal Drive. Closest to the home gate and the ticket line. It fills by roughly 6:15 on a normal night and considerably earlier for Millbrook. Handicap spaces sit near the gate entrance, and they do get used up.
2. North lawn and booster lot. Gravel and grass, a five-minute walk to the visitor side. Fine in dry weather. After a week of rain it turns soft, and it closes when the ground gives way.
3. Middle school lot across Bellport Avenue. The most underrated option on the list. A seven-minute walk and usually half empty at kickoff.
4. Practice field lot behind the gym. Opens only when the first two lots are full, so don't count on it. When it's open, it's the fastest exit after the final whistle.
5. On-street parking on the residential streets north of the stadium. Legal, useful in a pinch, and a good way to make enemies of your neighbors if you block a driveway or a mailbox. Don't do it.

Drop-offs work best at the north entrance off Bellport Avenue, where there's a designated pull-off. If you're being dropped off, get out of the car quickly — that lane backs up fast in the last twenty minutes before kickoff.

Timing: When to Leave the House

For a 7 p.m. kickoff, gates open around 5:30. Leave home earlier than feels necessary, especially on a Friday with rain in the forecast. Concrete guidelines that hold up most weeks: 5:45 arrival if you want a good seat near midfield, 6:15 if you're content with the end zone, and 6:45 if you're fine standing along the fence.

After the game, the main lot takes about fifteen minutes to clear. Two options: wait it out in the stands and let the band play, or skip the last two minutes of a decided game. The middle ground — sitting in your car with the engine off while everyone else fights for the exit — rarely works.

Rivalry Nights Worth Circling

The Bell Game vs. Millbrook, Oct. 17

This is the game that fills the visitor side. Millbrook travels well, and the two schools have played close games in recent seasons. Arrive by 5:45, expect the north lawn to fill, and be patient with the parking volunteers — they're parents, not professionals.

Homecoming vs. Cedar Ridge, Sept. 26

Homecoming is a longer evening than a normal Friday: alumni events before kickoff, the ceremony at halftime, and a crowd that includes plenty of people who haven't been to the stadium in years. If you're meeting family there, pick a specific spot near the north gate rather than saying "by the concession stand."

Before You Head Out the Door

Check the district athletics page on game day for any last-minute time change, screenshot the schedule so you're not squinting at your phone in a dark parking lot, and bring a layer — October nights at Cardinal Stadium get cold faster than the forecast suggests. Bring a chair or blanket if you plan to sit on the hill. Leave the cooler with glass bottles at home, and remember that the stadium clears out its bleachers between the JV and varsity games.

Most of all, get there early enough to enjoy it. The walk from the middle school lot, past the grills and the kids throwing a ball in the grass, is a big part of why Friday nights here are worth the trouble.

Photo: lscottewart / Pixabay