HANCOCK — Hancock Public Schools became the official owners of the former Finlandia university McAffee Field on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, Interim Superintendent Chris Salani said at the October regular School Board meeting Monday evening, saying Board President Catherine Jordan signed the papers at 12:56 p.m.

Salani said that once the high school football season ends at the end of this week, a complete inventory of the site will be done to determine what eventual upgrades and/or deferred maintenance will be needed.

“Pretty much everything that was in Finlandia’s field house is gone,” Salani said, “so, it’s just a box. Anything that was not structurally fixed to something has been removed. Lockers, benches, everything has been taken out.”

There were some items that were Finlandia’s property such as the PA system, but it is fixed to the press box, so that is still on site, he said.

“So, your speakers, your PA amplifier, microphones, cords, items like that, were shared usage but are necessary for games still now,” said Salani. “Those items remain in the press box.”

“There aren’t many of those pieces left,” he said, “but again, we’ll be looking at those to see where we need to go for next year.”

While the PA system was Finlandia’s property, Salani said, but was used by both the university and Hancock Schools for its sports events, the system was left in place.

The transition from receivership will take course over this week, but once that is completed, and the 2023 season ends this week, the inventory can be conducted.

The site also requires some environmental analysis, Salani said, which will include the turf, the press box, the bleachers, “everthing that goes into it, just to make sure that we’re not going to be in a potential liable situation moving forward,” he said.

Salani said that many people have asked if the School District will rename the property or change its name back to Condon Field.

“I think the first thing is let’s get through this last week of football,” he said. Those types of discussions and decisions can be made later, as the priority is to get the site prepared for the 2024 season.

The field was created in 1941 and named in honor of United States Marine Corps Major General John Condon, who was born in Hancock and educated in local schools. The name Condon Field was retained until January, 2009, when Hancock Schools exchanged ownership of Condon Field with Finlandia University for 12 years of free tuition at Finlandia for Hancock High School graduates wanting to attend. In spring of that year, the university changed the name of the field to McAfee Field, in honor of a major benefactor, Alexander “Sandy” McAfee.