Nooksack Valley Opens New Turf Field Sept. 11

Expect more purple than usual when the Nooksack Valley Pioneers open their home football schedule on Friday, Sept. 11, in front of representatives of the Seattle Seahawks. You’ll find the color splashed across the brand-new turf field within the Nooksack Valley High School stadium, a field constructed thanks to the generosity of donors and local, regional and state grants. 
 
Ahead of the Pioneers’ game against Okanogan at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 11, the school plans a pregame program to recognize the donors. Fans can enjoy a NV Athletic Club community tailgate barbecue prior to the pregame festivities, which also include a ceremony memorializing 9/11 and a special announcement from the Seahawks. 
 
The turf, though, can’t be missed. “Our students and the broader community now have access to a world-class outdoor facility year-round,” says Matt Galley, NV Schools superintendent. “Our youth programs will not have to travel to or rent facilities across the county in inclement weather and we hope this helps continue to build and increase access to our youth sports programs in football, soccer and lacrosse.” 
 
The facility offers benefits beyond the Valley, with neighboring communities and school districts having access to the site for post-season practices and games. “We want this to benefit everyone in the northeast county,” Galley says. 
 
The project builds a new turf football field painted with football, lacrosse and soccer lines, and provides a home for NV High School fall, winter (NV Schools has added girls flag football for 2026-27) and spring sports to practice and play all games at the high school. The school’s physical education program also gains more access to outdoor activities, especially in the fall and spring. 
 
The project supports football, lacrosse and soccer at all levels, and includes a new track surface to replace a 20-year-old track in need of replacement. The site will feature new areas for long jump, shot put and javelin. 
 
The newly opened field puts Pioneer pride at the center, with alternating shades of darker and lighter green on the field and a purple and white NV logo at midfield. Each of the end zones feature purple and the wordmark PIONEERS.
 
Getting to the point of opening the new turf facility has taken dedication. The idea first materialized during preparation for a 2015 bond but wasn’t included in the bond due to other priorities. “It was always assumed that unless we were able to pursue large outside funding sources, we would never be able to prioritize a turf field in our short- or long-range planning using our school budget or taxpayer dollars,” Galley says. That’s when they turned to outside funding. NV Schools applied for and received a $1.2 million Community Outdoor Athletic Field grant through the state’s Recreation and Conservation Organization in 2024. That started the turf field process. 
 
NV Schools also received $125,000 from the Mt Baker Rotary and roughly $900,000 in direct donations from individuals, businesses and groups throughout Whatcom County. The Whatcom Community Foundation provided a “recoverable grant,” allowing NV Schools to start construction without the full amount raised. NV Schools will begin a broader campaign to raise the final money needed to pay for the project and will not use any taxpayer dollars on the project.  
 
Friday serves as a celebration of the community’s commitment to NV Schools, one that will keep youth active across multiple sports no matter the Valley’s weather.