Unique Venues: Cathy Parker Field

In the northernmost city in the United States, there’s always a chance a polar bear could delay the local high school football game. 
 
Barrow High School, in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, features one of the most unique athletic facilities in the world. 

Located at the tip of Alaska, about 320 miles north of the Arctic Circle — and just feet from the Arctic Ocean — Cathy Parker Field sits on a slender coastal ridge nestled between the Chukchi Sea and Imikpuk Lake. 

Wind speeds can reach 60 mph during football games, and it’s so cold that grass doesn’t grow around the field’s blue-and-yellow turf. Temperatures climb above 32 degrees only about 109 days per year in Utqiaġvik, and whiteout conditions can occur even in August. According to school officials, there is typically 6 feet or more of snow on the field for the majority of the year. 

Utqiaġvik (formerly called Barrow) experiences more than 80 consecutive days of sunlight in the summer because of its geographic location, and more than 64 straight days without sunlight in the winter. The city had a population of 4,927 in 2020. 

The city is not accessible by road, so the Whalers fly to Anchorage for most away games before taking buses or vans to their playing sites. Visiting teams fly to Utqiaġvik and usually stay in town after games before returning home.   

Polar bears have been known to wander the area and have even been seen on school grounds. Spotters are positioned along the coast during football games as lookouts to keep spectators safe. Arctic foxes and snowy owls are more commonly seen. 

On game days, school buses are parked along the field and kept running so spectators can warm up. Outdoor seating is available, but many fans remain in their vehicles around the field. 
 
While the football field isn’t directly on an old airstrip, the area has a military history. The Point Barrow Long Range Radar Site, constructed during the Cold War, is located six miles northeast of the field and has been part of the North Warning System since 1990. 

The Barrow football program has enjoyed sustained success over the years, including winning the Division III state title in 2017. The Whalers are 45-20 in the regular season and 3-1 in playoff games since the turf field opened in 2007, school officials said.  

The kindness of a stranger in Florida helped the Alaskan football program get off the ground. 

ESPN shared the story of the Aquavit community on Outside the Lines in 2006, and the segment moved Parker, a Jacksonville resident, so much that she spearheaded a fundraising effort that ultimately collected more than $500,000 to build an artificial turf football field for the Whalers. Before Cathy Parker Field opened in 2007, the Whalers played on a dirt and gravel field. 

The Whalers were featured by NFL Network in 2015 as part of its eight-part series called Football Town: Barrow, Alaska. 

On Sept. 1, 2024, the Whalers and Wasilla Warriors held the first Midnight Sun Bowl, as the sun did not set that day. The Whalers finished 5-3, including 5-0 in the Mid-Alaska Conference, last season. 

Due to their significant travel costs, the team relies heavily on fundraising and donations to operate.