Online Petition To Save Old Deti Stadium Getting Hundreds Of Signatures

A change.org online petition to save the old Deti Stadium in Laramie was closing in on 1000 signatures as of 2 p.m. on Friday afternoon.

According to a Laramie Live article from 2015, "the original Deti Stadium was built in 1960 as a Bus Garage and Stadium and the first season of football was played in 1962 after the field was installed. During homecoming in 1962 the stadium was dedicated and named Deti Stadium and the Plainsmen went 9-0 and were State Champions. The 1962 season extended their eventual 34 game winning streak; a record that still holds in the state."

Stadium Named For Laramie Coaching Legend

The stadium was named for legendary Laramie Football Coach John Deti Sr. who coached the plainsman from 1944-1976 and won no less than 14 state championships over that time. It was last used for the Plainsman games in 2015, with the new Deti Stadium--still keeping the name of the legendary coaching family--taking over as the home for Plainsman games in 2016.

But Albany County School District#1 is trying to sell the property, which just isn't used as much nowadays. Laramie Middle School still uses it as a home facility, according to long-time Townsquare Media Laramie sportscaster David Settle. He says Laramie Youth football also uses the facility between August and October. Settle says the facility is also open to the community, and supporters of the stadium maintain it has more value to the public than people might assume.

So is that enough to justify maintaining the old stadium? The answer to that question might depend on who you ask.

Not everyone agrees with the proposed sale. In the words of the petition "After sharing public knowledge about the sale of the old Deti Stadium my friends, family, students, and acquaintances have reacted with surprise with feeling that range from uncertain acceptance to outrage. The track is used year round from dawn to dusk. Many individuals and different groups use the track and fields such as the Special Olympics, athletic teams, and preschools, and it is used for special events like the color run and other fundraising events."